Betrayed revenge

It started as an act of revenge. An act that was meant to evoke jealousy.

Johan had not only broken my heart but ripped it out of my chest and then went even further by shredding it to pieces. I was gutted. My confidence was in tatters. Even though I was now an educated, independent, and a successful businesswoman, this betrayal exposed the part of me that was broken. All of my achievements were overshadowed by the darkness of my past. The memories that still haunted me some nights. I recalled the lyrics "Where do you go to my lovely, when you're alone in your bed" sang by Peter Sarstedt. A memory that still had the power to make me feel insignificant and visualize a life of loneliness. 

How many times did my mother say that no one would ever love me, that I was cursed as I was dark of complexion, had thick spectacles, that made my eyes look like a deer caught in the headlights, that my hair was coarse and curly. My sister was the apple of my parents' eyes. She was olive skinned with amber eyes and straight black hair that cascaded over her slim shoulders.

He had cheated on me with Kathy. Kathy with the porcelain skin, beautiful green eyes and blonde hair. The exact opposite of me. How could I compete. Could I compete?

Enough was enough. 

This times I was not going to crawl back into that darkness. I would not let my insecurities win.At 35-years-old,it was time for me to toss back my curly black hair and shine. I sat at the corner table in the coffee shop opposite from the roaring ocean waves . The air was so fresh that inhaling it was painful, or was it just painful to breathe after being betrayed? The coffee beside me was no longer appealing. I scrolled through my iPhone searching through all of his friends I had met in the last five years we had spent together. Then zeroed in on Phil. Yes, he would be the perfect one. He had twinkling blue eyes that mesmerized women. His salt and pepper hair, well, mostly salty coloured and in actual fact very little of it, but he had the kind of hair that was baby soft that most women would like to run their hands through. He was short

( vertically challenged) but his suave manner made up for his lack in height. He was an engineer, a very successful one and the big attraction for me was his sailing boat. Johan lived for Wednesdays and Saturdays sailing at the Cape Royal Yacht Club. I knew that Johan was striving to earn Phil's respect, to achieve what Phil had both professionally and personally, including the entourage of women that always buzzed around him .Yes, Phil was the perfect candidate. Phil could get any woman, not because he was good looking ,but because he had the gift of the gab. If I nailed him( well fucked him is the more appropriate word) then I would, in my mind, cut Johan off at the knees. It did not matter that Phil was 20 years older than me, that he had already graduated from university when I popped into this world, or that he was married. In my mind, this would be the ultimate revenge. And it would be a relatively easy conquest. The few times we had met, we always shared an interest in music. We both liked local singer and not quite famous James Stewart, not to mention, Amy Winehouse with Back to Black. wondered if this was the attraction. Our secret desire. Phil's milky white skin against my shiny black skin.

I had been an ugly duckling 30 years ago, but now with green contact lenses that made my dark brown eyes look hazel, the naturally curly black hair cut in a bob to perfectly frame my heart shaped face and my body that finally filled out with curves in all the right places, it was easy to win a man’s attention. It was time to show off my sexual prowess. The pole dancing lessons that I had taken after we broke up had helped my confidence.

All it took was one call to Phillip. Needless to say he fell hook, line and sinker for the quivering voice and tears as I informed him of the betrayal. He instantly invited me to his boat which was docked at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

The next day with a skirt that just managed to cover my sexy derriere( such an unsexy word if I may say for a part of the anatomy that makes most men and women drool), and a tiny Mickey Mouse t-shirt that just about covered my perky breasts, I walked with just the right amount of wiggle in my hips to cause most of the men on their boats to follow me with their hungry eyes. Phil also watched me with hooded eyes and a wolf-like grin.

What started off as an act of revenge, lasted four years. I achieved my goal. Johan was begging me to take him back. Not only had he lost me but he lost the privilege of sailing. It was too late for Johan. I had already fallen in love with Phil's charm and wit. I adored the way his blue eyes twinkled when he saw me,or the way he caressed my lips with his fingers He always said he loved my mouth and could spend hours kissing it.

Then that fatal day arrived. Phil had flown out to dreary London to visit his ailing mother. It should have been for a mere two weeks. But it was two weeks too long since he had seen me. He arranged to meet the next day but all he could do on his arrival at his marital home was to dash to his library and call me.

I heard a click on the line - was someone listening to the steamy conversation? He assured me that his wife was with the girls as it was book club night.(Do they really discuss a book or just drink lots of wine and gossip? Who knows? I have never felt the need to hang out with such snobs).

His pants was around his ankles when his wife 

pushed open the library door. His wife was regal looking with blond hair and was unhealthily thin. Her angry green eyes assessed the situation. He dropped the phone and attempted to retrieve his pants. The game was over .Well, it was over for me. For Phil and his wife, needless to say, it reinforced their commitment to each other. Funny how 90% of the time an affair solidifies a marriage. Hurtful as it may be, it still can be the glue that holds the relationship together. As for me, I still considered myself to be the winner. My revenge was sweet. Was I heart broken? Not at all. I had experienced unconditional love for a while. It ended, not by his choice but by a third party(wait… was I or his wife the third party? It really does not matter). I walked away confident I was no longer the ugly duckling. The world was literally my oyster.

the sequel is she realizes she wants Phil back and decides to murder the wife. Then finally is sentenced to death by lethal injection.