The price of betrayal (Jack and Ashley) novel Chapter 2

The slap echoed through the courtyard.

My cheek stung, but the parents' jeers hurt worse.

"Playing innocent now? Maybe think twice before stealing someone's husband."

"Bet she's got a whole list of rich married men on speed dial."

"Women like her are the worst. And that poor kid's going to grow up just like mommy."

More parents gathered around, phones out, filming everything. Some even spat in my direction.

I took off my Burberry coat - worth more than their monthly mortgages - and dropped it in a nearby bin can.

Then I turned to Ashley.

"First you get your kid to attack my daughter. Now you're hitting me in public. Where do you get the nerve?"

Ashley tossed her hair back. "A wife has every right to slap her husband's mistress."

She smirked. "I'm married to Walker Corp's CEO. I could do way worse to you and that brat of yours, and no one would dare say a word."

The crowd ate it up.

"If you hadn't chased after her husband, none of this would've happened."

"You're just a homewrecker. Keep your head down and be grateful that's all you got."

"Yeah, drop the victim act. We see right through you."

Their words just made Ashley bolder.

She glared at my car. "Look at you, spending my husband's money! A Rolls-Royce? You're nothing but a gold-digger."

Her voice turned venomous. "I hate women like you. You all deserve to die!"

She pulled out her keys and scratched three words across my car:

"HOME WRECKERS DIE"

I stared at the jagged letters. "You'll regret those words soon enough."

That set her off.

"Living off my husband's money and acting all high and mighty?" She grabbed a brick from the garden. "Time to pay it all back!"

She smashed every inch of my car. Windows. Lights. Hood. Nothing escaped her rage.

The other parents joined in, grabbing whatever they could find. My hundred-thousand-dollar car turned to scrap metal in minutes.

One of the moms snatched my phone and smashed it. "Calling your sugar daddy for help?"

"Probably has a whole lineup of rich men on call!"

They roared with laughter, thinking they were so clever.

I looked at my crushed phone and said quietly, "Keep laughing. You won't be for long."

They found that hilarious.

"A mistress trying to act tough?"

"Ashley's husband runs Walker Corp. You're nothing but an ant to squash."

The mockery grew louder. Some spat at me again.

Ashley dug her heel into my face, grinning. "Me? Regret anything? Never. Let's see you try to make me."

I turned to Mrs. Thompson. "You knew they were hurting my daughter, didn't you?"

She looked at me like I was dirt. "Yeah, so what?"

"Tyler did us all a favor. Taking out the garbage isn't a crime."