Mandy’s career is ruined by her boyfriend’s nasty actions when she declines his impromptu proposal, leaving her unemployed and in debt. However, Mandy is aware of Jeff’s most sinister secrets, and since she has nothing else to lose, she decides to get revenge.
I’m a junior attorney, 26 years old, and I’m fully committed to my work. Jeff, my partner, is a 29-year-old who is driven and ambitious. We have spent a year and a half together. Before he proposed, everything was going really well.
Our family made the decision to visit Disneyland for the day last Saturday. The plan was for the family excursion to be enjoyable, complete with rides.
The sun was setting as we stood in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Jeff suddenly went down on one knee. A beat skipped in my heart. Jeff grinned up at me, full of optimism, as his brother gave him a bunch of roses.
He enquired, “Will you marry me?”
A man making a woman feel special | Source: Pexels
I was taken aback. Kind of like a deer caught in headlights. My thoughts were racing. Sure, we had discussed the future, but not marriage. We were both very career-focused. How could he have known that this was the correct moment?
Observing the delighted expressions on our families’ faces made my heart race. Dad was looking at me so proudly, and both of our mothers had their phones out, documenting everything every minute.
I was sorry to let them down, but I had to be honest with Jeff.
A woman’s clenched mouth may be seen at Pexels.
“I-I’m not ready,” I stumbled as a panic attack hit. “This is too soon.”
The people in the vicinity began to whisper. I heard others gasping, and one person even said in a whisper, “Did she just say no?”
Jeff’s expression darkened. The grin of optimism faded and was replaced by a grimace of pure betrayal. With a low, menacing voice and clenched teeth, he hissed, “You will regret this.”
The air became cold.
Our relatives were taken aback. Jeff’s mom looked like she was going to cry, and my mom’s jaw was hanging open. Disneyland’s enchantment was totally destroyed.
Soon afterward, we drove home, the stillness in the car becoming intolerable. Though I knew deep down that I wasn’t ready for marriage, I couldn’t get over the sensation that I had just made a grave error. Not quite yet.
Jeff refused to even look at me when we arrived home.
I attempted to convey my feelings to him, but he seemed uninterested.
He yelled, “I thought we were on the same page.” “I thought you loved me.”
With trembling in my voice, I responded, “I do love you, Jeff.” But love isn’t the topic here. It’s about preparing yourself for a lifetime of dedication. I simply haven’t arrived yet.
I had never seen him look so upset as he shook his head. “You made me look bad in front of everyone.” It will be on you.
And it was only the start of this terrible dream. Attempting to give Jeff some space, I hoped that things would get better. Although our relationship remained strained, he assisted me in resolving some technical problems with my laptop, and that weekend, we even went out to dinner.
I had no idea that Jeff had started his plan of retaliation while I was dreaming of our relationship returning to normal. Something was about to completely upend my life.
My employer summoned me into his office that Monday.
“What have you done?” Mr. Barnes was irate as soon as I walked in. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out?”
“Find out about what, sir?” I questioned, completely perplexed by his inquiries.
He turned his laptop around so that the screen was facing me and said, “About this!” My heart skipped a beat as I drew closer.
In an internet forum, private information about one of our most important clients was going viral. The shared documents were all from cases I was working on, and they were all on letterhead from our company.
“I didn’t do this, Mr. Barnes, I swear!” I stated. “We must’ve been hacked, or—”
“These files were shared from your laptop!” Mr. Barnes gave his desk a thumping motion. “That has been verified by the IT division.
I realized at that point. The week before, when my laptop started acting strangely, Jeff had helped me fix it. My reputation must have been ruined by him sharing the materials. Mr. Barnes interrupted me as I was trying to explain the matter to him.
“It doesn’t matter if your boyfriend shared the files,” he said. “The truth is, you were watching when it happened. these type of error is unaffordable, especially at these time.”
“I apologize, sir. I know. I’ll use every effort to resolve this.”
“There is no fixing this, Mandy!” He shouted. “You’re fired.”
I was shocked that Jeff had treated me in this way. My coworkers avoided eye contact as I packed away my belongings, whispering behind me down the corridor.
I felt as though I was stuck in a horrible dream.
Things deteriorated much further once I got home. Jeff was no longer living there. If you could call it that, he left me a message written angrily on the back of an envelope that said, “You brought this on yourself.”
He had not only vanished, but he had also left the premises in disarray. The dining chairs and coffee table were smashed, and the TV stand was in pieces as well.
Since the lease was in my name, I was responsible for paying the rent. I already had college loans eating up the majority of my resources, so I had to find a way to cover the losses.
I was hurt, desperate, and completely deceived. How could I let someone I trusted and loved hurt me like this? It was difficult every day, and I was shocked at how chaotic my life had become.
That evening, I made a choice. Jeff was not going to get away with this from me.
He had bragging rights about his involvement in dubious financial operations and insider trading throughout the months we were together. He believed himself to be unbeatable, but I knew otherwise.
I began compiling proof, remembering every aspect he had failed to provide. Although it was a laborious process, it offered me a feeling of direction. Using my legal expertise, I assembled all the information into an extensive file that was flawless.
Lastly, I forwarded the dossier, under pseudonym, to the SEC, the HR department of his firm, and a number of important clients.
I had nothing left to lose, so it was a bold move.
I had both relief and terror as soon as I pushed submit. I felt relieved that I was finally taking charge of my life, but I was also afraid of what would come next. Even though I knew there would be severe consequences, it felt justified in light of what Jeff had done.
I received a call from one of our common acquaintances a few days later.
“Hey, have you heard about Jeff?” she said, a hint of interest in her voice.
“No, what happened?” My heart was racing, but I attempted to maintain my composure while speaking.
“It appears that they immediately dismissed him after calling him into a meeting at work. After some sort of inquiry, he is currently facing serious consequences.
I was relieved and vindicated when I hung up. There was a twinge of shame, though. Had I overreached myself?
A bit later in the week, more information began to surface. The SEC was chasing Jeff, and his business had opened a full-fledged internal inquiry. As it happens, the proof I offered was sufficient to launch a significant investigation against him.
Financial fraud and insider trading are serious crimes, and Jeff was about to face the full force of the law.
I received a call one evening from a former coworker who was acquainted with both of us.
“This is unbelievable,” she said. “The industry has banned Jeff. Nobody wishes to come into contact with him. His pals are starting to distance themselves too.”
When I heard it, I had an odd feeling of fulfillment. Jeff had always been such a cockiness, so confident in his ability to get away with anything. He was now bearing the cost of his conceit.
My money had been depleted, I had lost my job, and my faith in humanity had been destroyed. However, I felt that I had closure after witnessing Jeff suffer the repercussions of his deeds.
Though in the end it was his own collapse that was most stunning, he had sought to shatter me.
Am I pleased with my actions? Not totally. There’s a part of me that wishes the story had ended differently. However, I also know that occasionally it’s necessary to carry out justice, even if it means getting a bit unclean.
How do you feel? Was my retaliation appropriate, or did I go too far?