The Heir's Revenge

The Last Straw

The day started like any other.

Ethan Wallace was up before dawn, as usual, slipping out of bed silently to avoid disturbing his wife, Sarah. He watched her for a moment, her delicate face turned away from him as she slept peacefully beneath the sheets.

His chest tightened with a familiar ache, the same sensation that had plagued him every morning since their marriage. He loved her fiercely, but the weight of that love was crushing him.

Quietly, he dressed in his usual attire: a simple, well-worn suit Sarah had once sneered at. “You look like a beggar,” she’d said. It was just one of many dismissive remarks she made. Still, Ethan persisted.

He convinced himself it was temporary, that things would change. But they hadn’t, not in the three years since they’d exchanged vows in the grand Forrester estate.

Their marriage had become a business transaction, one that favored Sarah and her family and left Ethan holding the bag. But Ethan wasn’t naïve. He knew she didn't love him.

He'd heard the whispers, seen the looks, and felt the chill in the air every time he walked into a room with her. Still, his heart held onto the hope that one day, things might change.

"Ethan."

He froze, recognizing the voice instantly, Sarah's father, Alexander Forrester. Ethan turned slowly, and there he stood, the man who had dictated the course of his life for the past three years.

"Heading out early, I see," Alexander said, his tone laced with condescension. "Still trying to make yourself useful, huh?"

Ethan forced a smile.

"Just trying to get a head start. The board meeting is at ten, and I wanted to go over the financials one more time."

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

"As if you could make any difference."

The comment stung, but Ethan swallowed the retort that was on the tip of his tongue. There was no point arguing. Alexander always had the upper hand, and Ethan knew better than to challenge him directly.

"Anyway," Alexander continued, waving a dismissive hand, "Sarah and I have a few things to discuss later. Don’t worry yourself about the company matters. Just... show up and stay quiet, as usual."

Ethan's jaw tightened, but he nodded.

"Of course."

Without another word, Alexander turned and disappeared down the hallway, leaving Ethan standing alone, feeling the familiar burn of resentment simmering beneath his skin.

He had worked tirelessly for the company, putting in extra hours, handling projects, and fixing problems. Yet, in their eyes, he was still nothing more than the son-in-law who had lucked into the family through marriage.

Ethan stepped outside, letting the cool morning air wash over him as he made his way to his car. His mind swirled with frustration, the weight of his circumstances pressing down on him.

He loved Sarah, but the way her family treated him, it was unbearable. And yet, he stayed, hoping for even the smallest sign that things might improve.

As he started the engine, a text message lit up his phone screen. It was from Jason, his best friend and only real confidant in the Forrester empire.

"We need to talk. It's urgent. Meet me at the office ASAP."

Ethan frowned. Jason rarely sent messages like this, and when he did, it usually meant something was wrong.

He set his jaw and drove toward the Forrester Corporation's headquarters, his thoughts racing. Jason had been working with him for years, ever since Ethan had joined the company as part of his marriage arrangement. They were close, and Jason had always been loyal to Ethan, even when others in the company treated him with disdain.

But something about the message unsettled him. There was an urgency in Jason’s tone that Ethan couldn’t ignore.

Jason was waiting for him outside Ethan’s tiny closet office, pacing nervously. When he saw Ethan, his expression was grim.

"What’s going on?" Ethan asked, unlocking the door to his office and stepping inside.

Jason followed him in, closing the door behind him. He didn’t speak right away, as if he were trying to find the right words.

"Ethan," Jason began, his voice low, "I’ve been hearing things. Rumors."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Rumors? About what?"

"About Sarah," Jason said quietly. "And Daniel Stone."

Ethan’s stomach dropped. The name was familiar, Daniel Stone was one of the most powerful business moguls in the city, and someone who had recently formed a close relationship with the Forrester family.

Ethan had always found him... off. There was something unsettling about the way Daniel moved, the way he looked at Sarah during meetings, and the way Sarah smiled back.

"What about them?" Ethan asked, though he had a sinking feeling he already knew.

Jason hesitated, then pulled out his phone.

"You need to see this."

Ethan took the phone, his hands shaking as he swiped through the images. There was no mistaking what he was looking at, Sarah, his wife, wrapped in Daniel Stone’s arms, the two of them kissing passionately on the balcony of a hotel room.

The world seemed to tilt beneath Ethan’s feet. His vision blurred, and his heart hammered in his chest.

"How long have you known about this?" Ethan asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jason looked at the floor.

"I... I only found out recently. I’m sorry, Ethan. I thought... I thought you deserved to know."

Ethan stared at the pictures for a long time, his mind racing. He had suspected that Sarah was involved with someone else, but seeing the proof laid out before him, it was a knife to the heart.

And then, as if the universe had decided to twist the blade even further, Ethan’s phone buzzed again. It was a text from Sarah.

"Don’t bother coming home tonight."

The cold dismissal in those words hit him harder than the photos had. She didn’t even have the decency to lie anymore. She didn’t care that he knew. She was done pretending.

"Ethan..." Jason started, but Ethan held up a hand to silence him.

"I need to be alone," Ethan said quietly, his voice thick with emotion.

Jason hesitated but nodded.

"Of course. But if you need anything... you know where to find me."

Ethan waited until Jason left the office before he sank into his chair, his head in his hands. His thoughts were a whirlwind of anger, heartbreak, and betrayal. Everything he had worked for, his marriage, his place in the Forrester family, it had all been a lie.

But then, amidst the chaos in his mind, something shifted. The hurt began to harden into something else, something cold and calculating. He had been a fool for too long. He had let them walk all over him, treat him like dirt, and humiliate him.

But no more.

He would not be their pawn any longer.

He had spent years playing by their rules, trying to fit into a world that didn’t want him. But now, he would make his own rules. He would take control of his life, of his destiny.

And he would start by confronting Sarah.

With a newfound determination burning in his chest, Ethan grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the office. He was done being the victim. It was time to take back what was his.

As he made his way to the penthouse, the plan fully forming in his mind, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Sarah and the Forresters had no idea what was coming for them.

They had unleashed a monster.

And Ethan was just getting started.

As Ethan arrived back at the penthouse, ready to confront Sarah, he received a phone call from an unknown number. The voice on the other end was calm, but the words sent a chill down Ethan’s spine.

"Mr. Wallace, or should I say Mr. Langston... We’ve been looking for you for a very long time."

The line went dead, leaving Ethan frozen in place, the weight of the revelation crashing over him.

Everything was about to change.