Digging for Revenge

I shouted from outside, "Open the door, Randall! I'm going to freeze to death! Let me in! The hail is still coming down! I don't even have my jacket now! This is murder!"

The hail was falling around me. I quickly stepped aside to avoid being hit. With only a thin blanket wrapped around me, the cold wind made my body tremble uncontrollably.

Randall hesitated for a moment.

"What's the big deal? We've been out fishing on the ice for hours, and we're fine. She's been in the tent this whole time. She's so fat. How could she be cold?"

Tessa's voice could be heard even through the door.

"And I can hear the hail getting quieter. I'm sick. All I want is a bite of potato stew. Are you going to give it to me or not?"

I couldn't hear Randall's response. I just pounded on the door again and again. My palms quickly swelled with pain from the force.

Just then, the door cracked open slightly. I felt a glimmer of hope. Just as I was ready to rush inside, Tessa blocked the doorway and pushed Belle out.

"Belle!"

I caught her, but my knee hit the ground hard. Pain shot through me.

"Here! In case you forget your place and don't focus on foraging for wild vegetables. Take Belle with you! Come back when you've gathered both the vegetables and firewood."

"Mommy…"

Belle was bleeding from her nose. I scrambled to wipe it clean, knowing that if I delayed even a little, the cold would freeze it.

"Don't go to sleep, Belle," I said.

"Mommy, the lady is so bad. Daddy's bad too…"

Belle's body arched, and her neck stiffened. I panicked, not knowing what to do.

My willingness to back down hadn't made them realize their mistakes. Instead, they'd only become more ruthless.

Tears froze on my face, and I screamed at the villa, "Randall Hamilton, Belle is your daughter! She's only five! If you push her out here, she'll freeze to death!"

"Blame yourself for raising her to be so evil and arrogant. She's just a child, yet she dares to challenge adults? She needs to be taught a lesson in manners!

"Tessa has helped me more than anyone. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am today. I won't let anyone hurt her!"

Helped him? I held Belle, whose body was burning with fever. My anger was so intense it almost consumed my sanity.

He always said that Tessa had helped him get ahead in his career and was his mentor.

I admired Randall's ambition and supported him in maintaining that relationship. I bought her dinner, sent gifts during the holidays, and went shopping with her when she was upset. I wasn't sure if he saw her as a boss or something else entirely.

Every time we argued, he'd turn to Tessa for advice, like she was his guiding light in life.

Now, that light was pushing his wife and child toward the abyss and leading him to the brink of ruin. Yet, he was blindly following her.

What a joke! That shameless couple!

The wind and snow stung my face, but it only sharpened my mind.

What Randall didn't know was that I had been watching them closely ever since he got involved with Tessa.

I'd already realized she wasn't a good person.

I'd planned to talk to him about it after the trip, but it seemed there was no need for that now. If I survived this, they'd both have to pay the price.

I wrapped Belle tightly in the blanket, trying to share whatever warmth I could with her.

She began to vomit. The mess landed on my clothes. The wind blew again, and the wet fabric froze solid.

I found a new spot and held her close. "Just sweat it out. Stay awake, Belle. Talk to me. Don't fall asleep."

The cold wind tore at my face, and hail continued to fall around me. I cradled Belle in one arm and used my other hand to shield my head while trying to find tools.

"They're set on killing us both. You can't die, Belle."

I spotted a flowerpot in the corner of the yard. The plants inside were frozen and lifeless, leaving only the stiff branches standing.

I emptied the soil and used the pot to shield my head from the snow and wind.

Inside the villa, just a wall away, they were discussing what food I might be able to bring back.