The Art Of Revenge (Thalia Nash and Brandon)
5

Chapter 5

Thalia's Pov

I swallowed and cleared my throat, unsure where to begin. Deep down, I didn't want to reveal or expose myself to the stranger next to me. But then I realized I was going to die, and he was going to die as well.

Only those in court heard my story, and I saw their cheeks light up as they laughed at me for my folly. It wasn't going to make any difference if one more person laughed. It would, at the very least, serve as a diversion.

Plus the divorce was going to be on every front page in the morning for the whole world to laugh.

My useless existence was so twisted up that it was difficult to know where to begin. I swallowed my saliva and said.

"Alright, my name is Thala Nash, and I am the world's most foolish and useless lady." I said, to which he stared and smiled. I could tell he was hitting since he was already aware of it.

I swallowed my pride and proceeded. At the age of 21, I graduated from Harvard University with honors in biomedical engineering and research. I was a genius, and education took precedence in my life. My father was an engineer as well, and the proprietor of a medical invention firm that created devices and equipment that made life easier for hospitals all over the world.

He was preparing me for the takeover, and I was a proud daughter ready to make my father pleased. I didn't have any friends, therefore books were my closest companions. You could argue I lost out on some of that human socializing. fun, and getting to know people.

Josh Nelson and I met when I was ten years old. His father and my father were great friends for a long time. His father also ran a large Biotech equipment company, and the two families would gather together for holidays.

I always had a crush on Josh since I was a child. Despite the fact that he never expressed interest in me. I was certain he was aware of my feelings for him. He was the type of guy who was into the popular expensive girls, so I knew he'd never be mine because I was the bashful, naive, neophyte that I was.

But as we grew older, I always looked forward to the family holidays and dinners that the two families would enjoy since they allowed me to spend time with him.

Then something miraculous happened, or rather, what 1 fought was miraculous. Josh's father's business went bankrupt, and in order to rescue it, my father agreed to merge his company with theirs.

They changed paperwork and merged them, and Josh's father proposed marriage to seal the deal. A contract like that would allow us to pass the company along to our children.

My father's company already had a clause in place that stated that no one could acquire it and that it would be passed down through the generations.

I never forgot the happy tears that welled up in my eyes as my father entered my room and informed me of the proposal.

My mind came to a halt, and I consented without hesitation. The date had been planned, and everything seemed to be going according to plan; fate had provided me with the man I had been lusting after for years.

I only wanted to make him the happiest man on the planet. I made the decision to be a stay-at-home mom.

Yes, I packed all of my degrees and doctorates; nevertheless, love was more essential to me; it was something that had been missing in my life for a long time.

My father and I were often in labs or studying, despite the fact that we grew up in a rich family. But when I was with Josh. I felt complete, and all the science and papers seemed pointless.

The initial years were rosy, or so I was led to believe. But when my father's health began to deteriorate, he agreed to delegate his responsibilities to me, but before I could sign, Josh recommended that we invest the company's power in our future children

The prospect of him and I having a child together piqued my interest, so I agreed and he forced me to sign a slew of paperwork that I didn't bother to read.

In my head. I was picturing a son for Josh Not the company, although that was my top priority.

I trusted and loved Josh, but I had no idea that I had given half of my shares to him and the other half to a kid we would never have because he had made sure of it

After a year without a child, he came home one day with some tablets and told me they were fertility pills when they were actually birth control pills. He would go to a clinic once a month to receive a refill and swap bottles. And, like an idiot, I'd drink without a second thought.

hapter 5

I got depressed and thought I was unworthy of being his wife. He was there for me at all times, soothing me and standing by my side.

1

I grew so preoccupied with the prospect of being pregnant that I completely forgot about my company. And he gradually took over, beginning with replacing all of my father's faithful board members with his

own.

And I signed everything over without question or fired everyone he told me to. All I wanted to do was make him. happy.

1 agreed to whatever he proposed. It was Josh Josh Josh Josh Josh Josh Josh Josh

Alter my father died, I met the real Josh, the monster, the animal who had been hidden for years. My father left everything to me because I was an only child. Josh forced me to sell all of my other properties and houses.

He came home one day and told me he had a friend in the pharmaceutical industry and that their firm had a new miracle fertility drug that could help us conceive but it was expensive. He asked me to sell all I had inherited, but I had no idea he was the buyer.

He brought me some fake pills, which I started taking without realizing I was taking vitamins.

He became emotionally and ment*lly abusive to me after he realized he had grabbed everything from me. He made it clear that I was his property.

He used to bring prostitutes into our home, directly into our matrimonial bedroom and in front of my eyes. When I was sleeping, I would occasionally hear movement on the bed. When I awoke, he'd laugh and invite me to join them. I blamed myself, believing he was treating me badly because I couldn't give him children. Every morning. I'd tell myself that I was a failure. He'd made sure I didn't have any family or friends. He never let me leave the house, and he never took me to any social engagements. He was always by himself. He always went alone.

I wouldn't blame him because I never questioned everything he did or said. I always agreed with everything.

Then he met Jessica and became an even larger monster; the abuse escalated, and when he was tired of it, he filed for divorce. I had nothing, no money, and no legal representation.

One day, an old schoolmate ran into me at the courthouse, heard my story, and asked her husband to represent me pro gratis.

My lawyer had already hinted that I would lose the lawsuit, especially that I had even signed a prenup unknowingly. Josh had meticulously arranged everything. My lawyer tried to use the abuse and manipulation against him, but I signed everything before the abuse, and most of the papers when my father was still alive.

The folks in the courtroom looked at me as though they'd never seen such a foolish woman before. For that matter, a Harvard graduate.

My lawyer attempted to utilize the bogus medicines that Josh had been giving me, but when I was called to testify, his lawyer made me doubt everything to the point that I started crying.

When my lawyer's wife discovered the pills in my luggage and swallowed one, I realized they were fakes. When I yelled at her to spit the pill, you should've seen her expression.

She inquired as to why, to which I replied, but she chewed it over and informed me that it was a vitamin. We went to a drugstore and she asked me what other pills Joshi had ever given me.

I

And we took them to a pharmacy and that's when I got the shock of my life. It was all lies lies lies lies. I had been used and dumped like tissue paper. How an old woman like me could not distinguish between vitamins and birth pills was a disgrace.

During his lawyer's interrogation, he made it appear as though I was aware that I was on birth control. I was unable to respond to any of his questions. He made it look as if I was lying and fabricating stuff.

I didn't know the name of the clinic or the pharmaceutical company that had provided Josh the magical fertility medication. I couldn't help but cry in front of everyone; I couldn't even defend myself; I was helpless, defeated, and embarrassed.

How can a full-grown lady with a degree from the country's top university be duped and played?

Finally, the decision was read, and Josh was handed everything. I couldn't bear looking in the mirror. My only possession was a small bag containing the clothes that I bought before my father died, two years ago.

The shame, the worthlessness, the ignorance is what was eating me up all the way to this bridge.

"So Brando would you continue living if you were as stup*d as me?" I asked and looked up at his shocked face.