Bitter Ends

Chapter Five: Rage Beneath

The cabin was silent, but inside Izzy's mind, there was a storm brewing. She stood in the middle of the room, staring blankly at the wall where the engagement ring had bounced off. Her breath came in shallow, uneven gasps as the weight of everything Ethan had done crashed over her like a tidal wave.

She had never felt this kind of anger before—this deep, simmering fury that threatened to consume her from the inside out. Her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists, her nails digging into her palms. She felt hollow, gutted. Every memory of him, every kiss, every promise it was all tainted now.

The ring still lay on the floor, a twisted symbol of everything she had lost. She had poured herself into designing it, and had taken her time choosing every detail. It was supposed to be a reflection of their love, unique, perfect, just for them. And now it was nothing but a lie.

No. It was worse than a lie.

He had given it to her.

Lauren. The woman he had been sneaking around with behind Izzy's back. He had taken the ring that she designed and put it on another woman's finger, as if it meant nothing. That thought alone made her blood boil, the rage inside her sparking like a live wire.

She had given him everything. And he had taken it, ripped it apart, and handed the pieces to someone else.

Her phone buzzed again, the screen lighting up with a new text. She didn't even have to look at it to know it was Claire, worried after their last exchange. But Izzy couldn't talk to her right now. She didn't want sympathy, didn't want to be comforted.

No. She wanted revenge.

A wild, reckless idea began to form in her mind, fueled by the fury coursing through her veins. Ethan had taken something precious from her. He had stolen her future, her happiness, and twisted it into something ugly and vile. And now, she wanted to take something from him.

She wanted to make him feel the same way she did.

With a sharp inhale, Izzy grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found the name she hadn't expected to call again. Her finger hovered over it for a moment, a flicker of doubt tugging at her. But then she remembered Ethan's face when she had confronted him. The way he had looked at her with guilt, but no real remorse. As if she was something to be pitied.

She pressed the call button before she could talk herself out of it.

It rang twice before a familiar voice answered, smooth and cool, with just a hint of surprise.

"Izzy? Wow, I wasn't expecting to hear from you. What's up?"

It was Marc, Ethan's best friend—the one who had posted that photo. The same friend who had always flirted with her just enough to make her uncomfortable, but who Ethan had always assured her was harmless. The same friend who was undoubtedly in on Ethan's little secret.

"Marc," Izzy said, her voice colder than she had intended. "I need your help."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, as if Marc was trying to gauge the seriousness of her tone. When he spoke again, his voice had dropped an octave, curiosity piqued.

"My help? Now this sounds interesting. What kind of help are we talking about?"

Izzy took a deep breath, steadying herself as she stared out at the lake, the calm surface a stark contrast to the chaos inside her.

"I want to make Ethan pay," she said quietly, her words laced with venom. "And you're going to help me do it."

Marc chuckled, a low, almost amused sound. "Well, well. This is unexpected. What did our boy Ethan do to deserve such wrath?"

Izzy's hand tightened around the phone as she closed her eyes, willing the hurt to stay buried under the anger.

"He cheated on me," she said, her voice shaking slightly but firm. "For months. And he gave *her* the engagement ring I designed. I'm done with him. But before I'm done, I'm going to destroy him."

There was a long pause on the other end. Izzy could almost hear Marc processing what she had just said, the shift in his tone when he responded catching her off guard.

"That son of a bitch," Marc muttered, a hint of genuine surprise in his voice. "I knew something was going on, but I didn't think he'd go that far. He actually gave her your ring?"

"He did," Izzy confirmed, her teeth clenched. "And now, I want to take everything from him. Piece by piece."

Marc exhaled slowly. "You know, I always told Ethan he was playing with fire. Guess he didn't listen. What exactly do you have in mind, Izzy?"

Izzy's heart pounded in her chest as she paced the room, the adrenaline coursing through her. She hadn't mapped out the details yet, but she knew one thing: she wanted Ethan to feel the same emptiness, the same betrayal she felt now. But she wasn't going to let it be as simple as confronting him and walking away. No, this would be drawn out, methodical, and ruthless.

"I want to hit him where it hurts," she said, her voice steady now. "His reputation, his career, the people he cares about. Everything. I want him to watch as his perfect little life crumbles right in front of him."

Marc was silent for a moment, and Izzy could almost picture the wheels turning in his head. He had always been good at reading people, knowing their weaknesses. It was why he and Ethan had been so close—they understood each other's games. But now, Marc seemed more than willing to play on her side.

"You know," Marc said slowly, "if anyone knows how to hurt Ethan, it's me. He trusts me. Too much, if you ask me. I could help you take him down, but I have to ask... how far are you willing to go?"

Izzy didn't hesitate. "As far as it takes."

Marc chuckled again, this time with a darker edge. "Alright then. We'll need to be smart about this, Izzy. You can't just storm in and ruin him all at once. We need to be strategic. Slowly dismantle everything he's worked for. By the time he realizes what's happening, it'll be too late."

Izzy's stomach churned, but the thought of making Ethan suffer outweighed the unease. "That's exactly what I want," she said, her voice cold. "No quick endings. I want him to feel it."

Marc's voice softened, his tone almost sympathetic. "You really loved him, didn't you?"

The question caught her off guard, but she didn't hesitate in answering. "I did. More than anything. And that's why I'm going to make sure he never forgets what he did to me."

Marc sighed, and there was a brief moment of silence before he spoke again. "Alright. We start slow. I'll get close to him, see what I can find out, get him to trust me even more. We'll hit him where it hurts the most when the time's right. But you need to be patient. You need to trust me."

Izzy nodded, even though Marc couldn't see it. Patience was something she had never been good at, but for this—for revenge—she would learn.

"I can do that," she said, determination hardening in her voice.

"Good," Marc replied. "This is going to be fun."

As the call ended, Izzy stared at her phone, her hand still shaking. She had crossed a line, one she couldn't come back from. She had always been the reasonable one, the one who kept things calm and together, but now everything was different.

Now, she was someone else. Someone willing to burn down everything in her path.

She stepped over to the window, watching as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a red-orange glow over the water. In the reflection, she barely recognized herself—eyes hard, lips pressed into a thin line.

This wasn't about getting back at Ethan anymore. This was about reclaiming her power, about not being the woman who was walked over and discarded. It was about watching him lose everything he thought he could control.

And as the shadows grew longer, so did her resolve. She wasn't going to just hurt Ethan.

She was going to destroy him.