Annabelle.
The moment I saw her, my entire body stiffened.
What on earth was she doing here?
Of all places.
Of all days.
Why today?
Why this party?
Annabelle was the last person I expected to see here. She wasn't the type to attend social gatherings or glamorous birthday celebrations.
Annabelle lived in boardrooms.
In meetings.
In offices filled with executives and endless business strategies.
Parties were not her world.
Which left me with one burning question.
Who invited her?
As far as I knew, Annabelle and Sharon barely tolerated each other. I had rarely seen them speak, let alone stand in the same room for longer than necessary.
Both of them were ambitious.
Competitive.
Dangerously focused women who lived for success.
Annabelle was the executive director of her mother's luxury fashion empire.
Sharon owned one of the most successful beauty brands in the city—designed for elegant, confident women who wanted the world to notice them.
Two powerful women.
Two different empires.
Which made this even stranger.
So why was Annabelle here?
My mind spun with questions.
The glass in my hand suddenly felt lighter, as if it might slip through my fingers at any moment.
And then I saw her clearly.
Annabelle.
She was stunning.
Dangerously stunning.
Her curves were sharper than mine, her figure more defined. Her face looked like it belonged to an angel sculpted from perfection.
But behind that beauty lived something colder.
Something crueler.
Annabelle didn't have an angel's heart.
She had the heart of a devil.
And when she walked…
Her hips swayed with a confidence that felt almost aggressive, like every step carried a silent challenge to anyone watching.
Then suddenly—
She was walking in my direction.
Her eyes locked forward with that familiar, icy expression.
Danger.
War.
Challenge.
My heartbeat quickened.
Was she coming for me?
But just as she passed me—
She didn't stop.
She didn't greet me.
She didn't even acknowledge my existence.
Instead…
She walked straight toward Johnathan.
Of course.
My stomach tightened.
So that was why she came.
Annabelle never wasted time.
When she wanted something, she took it without hesitation.
In my mind, she had always been the wicked stepmother in my personal Cinderella nightmare.
Beautiful.
Manipulative.
And always trying to steal what didn't belong to her.
She approached Johnathan slowly.
Her eyes gleamed with dangerous amusement as she looked at him, like a predator studying its prey.
Johnathan shifted slightly.
Even he could feel the heat she carried with her.
Annabelle reached forward and lightly brushed her fingers against his chest.
Her smile was polite.
But her touch wasn't.
Her hand lingered there longer than necessary.
Too long.
My chest tightened.
For a brief second, I almost turned toward the door.
Almost.
But something deep inside me screamed.
Go to him.
Or you'll lose him.
My feet moved before my mind could stop them.
I walked toward them quickly.
Close enough to hear every word.
"I love your suit tonight, Johnathan," Annabelle purred softly.
Her voice dripped with sweetness.
"My honeycomb… you never fail to impress me."
She stepped closer to him.
Closer.
Too close.
If she leaned any further, their lips would touch.
And if that happened…
I might actually destroy her.
Annabelle knew me.
She knew my temper.
She knew the history between us.
And she had learned—many times—what happened when she pushed me too far.
Yet here she was.
Still pushing.
Johnathan leaned back slightly, clearly uncomfortable.
He tried to create some distance between them.
But Annabelle was relentless.
Her presence alone was overwhelming.
At least he tried.
And strangely enough…
That pleased me.
Don't worry, my love.
I'm here now.
"Annabelle… don't you think you're standing a little too close?" Johnathan said carefully.
His voice remained calm.
"Let's not make a scene. Everyone is watching."
"I don't care," Annabelle replied immediately.
Her eyes darkened.
"I could kiss you right here in front of everyone and—"
"Hello, Annabelle."
My voice cut through the air sharply.
Both of them turned.
I smiled sweetly.
"You look a little fat today," I added calmly. "I hope you'll have mercy on us and cool down that unbearable heat you're carrying."
Annabelle slowly removed her hand from Johnathan's chest.
Then she turned to face me fully.
A slow grin spread across her face.
"Well, well," she said smoothly.
"Hello, poor rat."
Her eyes sparkled with mockery.
"I thought you'd still be hiding in your little sewer by now… probably chewing on old shoes."
I didn't respond.
Instead, I looked directly into Johnathan's eyes.
The look I gave him said everything.
Leave her.
Now.
Or regret it for the rest of your life.
Immediately, Johnathan seemed to regain his senses.
He stepped away from Annabelle, pulling his hands away from her hips.
Yes.
His hands had been there.
Exactly where they shouldn't have been.
"Annabelle," I continued calmly, "who invited you to this party?"
I tilted my head.
"I thought you hated fun. Shouldn't you be stuck inside your boring office right now… pounding away on your keyboard like a frustrated man?"
Annabelle laughed softly.
"If you're so curious about who invited me…"
She gestured toward Johnathan.
Her movement was slow.
Deliberately seductive.
"Your lover invited me," she said sweetly.
She leaned closer to him.
"Or should I say… my future husband."
"Shut up, Annabelle," I snapped instantly.
My eyes burned.
But she didn't flinch.
Not even slightly.
"And who exactly is going to make me?" she asked coolly.
Her gaze swept over me mockingly.
"You look like a starving dog… the kind that eats grass because it can't find real food."
That was it.
I stepped forward, my hand lifting instinctively.
But before I could slap her—
Johnathan grabbed my wrist.
"Vanessa, please," he said quickly.
"Not here."
His voice was tense.
"People are watching."
I didn't care.
I wanted to feel my palm collide with that perfect angel face.
Even if she fought back.
Even if she broke my nose.
It would be worth it.
"Let her come," Annabelle said coldly.
"She walked straight into the lion's den."
Johnathan finally snapped.
"Enough!"
His voice cut sharply between us.
"Both of you stop!"
He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
"Why do you always fight like this? Can't you settle things like normal people? Maybe over a glass of wine?"
Annabelle scoffed loudly.
"Wine?"
She grabbed a nearby bottle and lifted it slightly.
"I'd rather smash this over her head than drink with this hypocrite."
She glared at me.
"At least I'm not a sheep pretending to be innocent."
Her voice dropped lower.
"Everyone knows what you really are."
Her words were venom.
"A girl who spreads her legs for any man willing to look her way."
"Shut up!" I shouted.
My fists clenched.
"You're just jealous because you could never look like me!"
My voice shook with fury.
"Your dry, lifeless body could never compete with mine!"
"That's enough!"
Johnathan shouted again.
He looked exhausted.
"Why did you invite her?" I demanded, turning on him suddenly.
"You're the one who caused this!"
He hesitated for a second.
Then he answered quietly.
"My mother asked me to."
The words hit me like cold water.
My anger paused instantly.
Mrs. Patricia.
Johnathan's mother.
The one woman I feared more than anyone else.
"Wh-what?" I stammered.
"She told me to bring Annabelle," he explained. "She called earlier… right before I called you."
Annabelle smirked triumphantly.
"Don't pretend you don't want me here, Johnathan."
She stepped closer again.
Her hand slid slowly up his chest.
Lower.
Lower.
I saw red.
Before she could go any further—
My hand moved.
SLAP.
The sound echoed through the room.
Annabelle's head snapped slightly to the side.
Across the room, I saw Sarah rushing toward us.
She knew exactly what was about to happen.
Meanwhile Sharon sat comfortably nearby, scrolling through her phone like nothing was wrong.
Typical.
Annabelle slowly turned back toward me.
Her eyes burned with fury.
Her fists tightened.
She was ready.
Ready for war.
And honestly?
So was I.
Because this fight…
was going to be unforgettable.
And it was about to begin. 🔥