I was knocking on death’s door, but my husband was out painting the town red.

My sister begged me to divorce him.

I just raised an eyebrow. Divorce? That’s letting him off easy.

I wanted him to pay with his life.

1

When I woke up, the surgical lights were blinding.

My mom and my sister, Ashley, were gripping my hand, sobbing their eyes out.

I tried to move my cracked lips, wanted to speak, but not a sound came out of my throat.

Seeing this, Mom immediately called the doctor.

The doctor took one look at me, disbelief written all over his face.

“Mrs. Evans, this is incredible! For your daughter to pull through… it’s nothing short of a miracle!”

Ha!

I scoffed inwardly. You call this pulling through?

Honestly, I didn’t know.

The only thing I knew for sure was this:

I was back in the world of the living to get revenge for a girl named Summer Evans.

That was our deal. That was my duty now that I was awake.

In a daze, Summer’s life flashed through my mind.

Summer Evans.

She’d been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, heir to a fortune.

But she fell head over heels for a total scumbag, a real piece of work named Mark Riley, who’d clawed his way up from nothing.

Before the wedding, Mark was Prince Charming. After, his true colors bled through – a cheat, a liar.

Sometimes, he even brought his flings back to their house.

Summer had put up with years of his crap, even had an abortion because of him.

Through it all, she still saw Mark as her soulmate.

It wasn't until she was on her deathbed that the scales finally fell from her eyes.

Today was the day Summer died.

And, of course, the day she met me in whatever lies beyond.

She told me she'd give up her chance at another life if I would just get revenge for her.

After thinking long and hard, I agreed.

My thoughts snapped back to the present.

The fresh scar on my wrist throbbed, making me wince.

I pulled my sleeve down, hiding the angry red line.

Then, to everyone’s utter astonishment, I got up and walked out of the hospital room.

2

Leaving the hospital, I grabbed a cab home.

I hadn't even stepped inside yet when, just as I expected, I heard Mark's loud, unrestrained laughter echoing from within.

A smirk touched my lips as I gently pushed the door open.

The noisy living room fell instantly silent the moment I appeared.

Mark was sprawled lazily on the couch.

Seeing me, a flash of shock crossed his face, quickly replaced by his usual arrogance.

"Summer? What are you doing back here?"

"Aren't you supposed to be, like, dying?"

I gave a cold smile, saying nothing.

I just grabbed the bottle of red wine off the table and hurled it straight at him.

First, a solid thud, then a crash.

The bottle hit Mark square on the forehead before shattering on the floor.

He clutched his head, yelling furiously, "Summer, how dare you—"

I cut him off. "What wouldn't I dare?"

"Have you forgotten whose house this is?"

"You think I can't have you thrown out on your ass with nothing but the clothes on your back with just one word?"

Before, Summer's dad had always distrusted Mark, constantly urging Summer to divorce him.

But Summer was blinded by love, and it drove a huge wedge between her and her father.

Summer might have tolerated Mark's behavior, but I wouldn't.

I pulled out my phone and made a call.

Moments later, several large, well-built security guys filed in through the door.

These guys were hired specifically to keep Mark in line.

It's just that, in all these years, Summer had never once used them.

I gave the guards a subtle nod.

They understood immediately. One kicked Mark hard in the ribs, yanking him right off the couch and onto the floor.

Then they hauled him up like a stray dog and dumped him at my feet.

I looked down, disgusted, and nudged Mark's chin up with the toe of my shoe.

"Mark, you're nothing but a dog I keep on a leash. Seems like you've forgotten your place these past few years!"

Mark stared straight at me, his eyes wide with shock and confusion.

He probably never imagined that the usually sweet, gentle Summer could suddenly change so drastically.

Looking at his face, drained of all color, I leaned down close to him, a slight curl to my lip.

"What, did I say something wrong?"

Just then, a gasp came from the edge of the crowd.

A woman clutching a wedding dress rushed forward frantically.

She froze when she saw me, then her eyes darted to Mark lying on the floor.

Suddenly, she collapsed onto the ground, looking at me pleadingly.

"Ms. Evans, please don't be angry! This was all my idea, it has nothing to do with Mark."

3

I gotta hand it to her, Jenna played the victim card like a pro.

That seamless performance, paired with her tearful, damsel-in-distress look, was almost convincing.

But I saw right through her little act.

I remembered from Summer's memories: Jenna came from a broke family, born after her father died. When Mark begged Summer to take her in, she was penniless and drowning in debt.

Hard to believe that in just a few short years, this starving beggar was about to replace Summer as Mark's bride.

That's right.

Today was supposed to be the day Mark proposed to Jenna.

They'd counted on Summer being dead today.

Too bad for them, I came back.

I glanced at the wedding dress Jenna was holding, my lips curling slightly.

"Got the dress already, huh?"

"Looks like you two just couldn't wait?"

Before Jenna could answer, Mark crawled over, clutching his stomach.

"This was my doing. Don't hurt Jenna!"

I let out a short, harsh laugh.

"Hah! You two lowlifes. Suddenly playing Romeo and Juliet now!"

"I thought Jenna was working at the company to pay off her debts?"

"What, did she get the day off?"

As soon as I said that, both Jenna and Mark's faces turned deathly pale.

After a long silence, Mark said firmly, "Summer, stop making trouble! I already paid off Jenna's debt."

I laughed, furious.

"You paid it off?"

"You live off my money. What exactly did you use to pay her debts?"

Mark was speechless.

I looked around the room, my gaze landing on Mark's freeloading buddies. I asked coldly, "Who handled the paperwork for Jenna's debt?"

"Where's the receipt?"

"If anyone dares to hide anything from me, don't blame me for what happens next!"

Before I even finished, those spineless idiots were already on their knees.

"Ms. Evans, please, let us explain! Mark made us do it!"

"He said Jenna's a woman, working on the factory floor was too hard for her, and that he'd cleared it with you!"

"It's really not our fault! If you want to blame someone, blame Mark! That two-faced bastard! He wanted to screw up, and drag us down with him!"

As soon as the words were out, one of them even rushed forward and kicked Mark.

4

Veins popped on Mark's forehead; he was furious.

He probably never expected that, when push came to shove, his so-called best friends would be the first to sell him out.

I motioned for the security guys to hold him down firmly.

Then I had his "brothers" brought right in front of him.

Talk about awkward reunions. You could practically see the daggers in Mark's eyes; they were nearly bulging out of his head.

I had a guard bring me a chair from the side, and I sat down.

"Alright, whoever paid off Jenna's debt, it doesn't matter now. Consider it void."

"You thought working on the factory floor was too hard for Jenna? Fine. Starting tomorrow, transfer her to janitorial services. She can be in charge of cleaning all the company restrooms!"

The guys who took my orders were about to scatter, but then an idea struck me.

"Wait a second. Isn't today Mr. Mark Riley and Ms. Jenna Whatever-her-name-is's wedding day?"

"Since it's a wedding, wouldn't it be wrong not to have a little fun with the happy couple?"

I pointed at Mark's buddies.

"You guys, pick up the bride and groom. Take them out to the street, let them soak up some good luck!"

Then, lowering my voice, I added, "And remember, I want them stripped bare. Not a stitch on."

Hearing this, those losers suddenly perked up.

Before I could even finish, they were already pawing at Jenna.

In an instant, the room dissolved into chaos.

Jenna's screams echoed through the space.

It wasn't until half an hour later that the whole messy affair finally wound down.

By the end, Mark and Jenna were unrecognizable messes.

They were tied, stark naked, to a utility pole out on the street.

Afterward, I stood in the room, coolly admiring my handiwork.

A sharp sting flared from the scar on the back of my hand. I covered it with my sleeve. This was just the beginning.