There is no wrath in the world like the wrath of a jilted woman. It does not matter who she was jilted by or for whom she was jilted... after the initial wave of sadness and mourning, wrath will conspire to destroy the man who ruined her life.
Diana had been pacing the house all morning, ringing her hands in anticipation. The nerve of him! What had he been thinking, ditching her – again – for some jaunt in the county with one of his Oxford pals? She should have known this would happen... she should have guessed it was all simply too good to be true. He was her perfect man: sweet, kind, gentle, brave, strong, handsome... but he had no respect for her, no idea how much work she did to keep them together. She'd given up so much to be with him. Her nieces and nephews didn't even recognize her anymore! But she'd thought it was worthwhile, just to be his....
His. That was all she'd ever wanted. And all she'd never have... he was commitment-shy, always afraid to promise forever. She wanted to know what he was waiting for... she wasn't getting any younger! Every day, men passed her by, glancing at her, looking her up and down, flirting with her... and she proudly shooed them all away and continued to dream of Alex.
But no more! She was finished, tired of feeling under-appreciated, frustrated with the number of times he'd blown her off to go to his parents' country club or traipse around the woods on some macho, wild-man excursion. She was not going to be backseat anymore.
She'd been formulating her plan all day, gathering the things that she needed as she waited anxiously for her call. She kept glancing at the clock: seven... seven-fifteen... seven-thirty... seven-thirty-five....
Finally it rang, its bright ring startling her even though she'd been waiting for it all evening. “Hello?” she said casually, trying to contain the butterflies flitting around her stomach.
“Di?” his voice on the line melted her heart like it always did, and she felt a pang of guilt hit her in the gut.
“Yes?” she asked, managing (somehow) to keep her voice calm and cool.
“Di, I'm back... I'd love to see you.”
I'm sure you would, she smirked. Then “Fine. Come on over. I'm home.” Like usual....
“I'll be there in ten.” She nodded and hung up the phone without her customary “I love you.” Ten minutes... perfect. She had the champagne chilling in the ice bucket on the coffee table, and the strawberries had been laid out on a cut crystal tray, the chocolate fondue warm in the center compartment of the tray.
It didn't take her long to dress, either. She'd been planning what she'd wear all day. Why, she'd even gone to the nearest Victoria Secret and bought new undergarments for the occasion! The slinky black lace corset slid smoothly over her curves and hooked from there, the matching panties smooth against her ivory skin. She pulled her dress on over her head, being careful not to mess up her carefully-curled ringlets (although knowing Alex, they wouldn't last long anyway). She knew exactly what to wear... it was the black pinstripe sheath that Alex adored. It showed off every asset Diana possessed flawlessly, filling out her figure and glorifying it. She fixed her makeup, dusting on a light blush and just enough mascara to make her lashes stand out against her pale skin. She wore no lip color... she knew full well it wouldn't last a minute once Alex arrived.
Everything is perfect, she thought, satisfied with her effort. She light a few candles and dimmed the lights. After glancing around one last time, she perched nervously on the couch, waiting for the doorbell to ring.
It didn't take long. Again she jumped, a little afraid of what she was about to do. She took a deep breath to calm her crazily beating heart as she glided to the door and opened it. She wrapped her arms around Alex's neck and kissed him soundly, teasing him as her hands caressed his back. He kissed her back – that was one thing he'd never had a problem with – as she pulled him into the room, never once letting go of him or releasing her kiss. She could feel his shock in the urgency of his kisses, and she couldn't help smiling slightly with satisfaction.
“Gosh, I've missed you,” he whispered as she lowered herself onto the couch.
“Mm-hmm,” she mumbled, fumbling with the buttons on his clean, pressed shirt. She'd never even thought of going this far with him before... but it was too late to stop now. They both seemed to know exactly what they wanted, and she let him do with her as he pleased.
She was incredibly grateful for the dim lighting, praying he wouldn't see the agony on her face as she kissed him one last time.
“What's the occasion?” he asked breathlessly, his strong arms still wrapped around her tiny frame.
“No occasion,” she whispered in return. “I just thought you should know what the hell you're going to be missing.” She sat up, a little afraid of what he might do to her. “I'm done, Alex. I'm done being your backup. You can say you love me all you want, but you know as well as I that you only love me when it's convenient for you. You miss me when you go away, when you go to the club, when you fly to important meetings? Then take me with you! You're all talk, Alex, and very, very little action. I'm finished. I'm a strong, beautiful, independent woman... and I don't have forever to wait for you. Surely somewhere in this world there is someone who will love me and respect me enough to marry me, enough to take me everywhere, enough to tell his bloody parents we're together!”
His mouth dropped slightly. “Di....”
“I'm not finished,” she stopped him. “Don't go begging me for another chance. I've given you a million chances. Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I don't know what happens on your 'business trips'? Ha!” she spat in his face. “All those tall, thin, gorgeous women... that's fine, Alex, you can have them all. I don't give a damn.”
“Diana, you know....”
“Go to hell, Alex. I'll show you the way.” She grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet, and he did not try to resist her. She shoved him along, her hands warm against his bare back. She grabbed his shirt and, opening the door, threw it into the hall. “Better go get it,” she growled devilishly. “You'll need it to get into the Club.” He stepped into the hall, tentatively, glancing back at her with pleading eyes. She felt her heart sink to the floor, and every fiber of her body yearned to go after him. But she resisted... she slammed the door in his face, smiled a proud, evil smile... and promptly sank to the ground and poured her heart out in hot, angry, frightened tears that soaked her carpet, slid down her cheek, and burned her raw skin. She had no reason to live now... now that she actually could.
Fin.
