Chapter 23 - The Ex-Wife's Plea
Jack exits the lawyer's office, the acquisition papers for Derek's café in his hand. He can almost taste victory – Derek's fall is imminent, and Jack is ready to rise.
As he walks down the street, he hears a familiar voice. "Jack?"
Jack turns around and freezes. It's Lisa. His ex-wife. The woman who betrayed him and watched as Derek destroyed him in his past life.
"What do you want, Lisa?" Jack asks coldly.
Lisa forces a weak smile, her eyes red and puffy. "Can we talk? Please?"
Jack crosses his arms. "Talk? About what? How you and Derek tried to ruin me? How you lied to me for years?"
"Jack, it wasn't like that," Lisa says, stepping closer. "Derek... he's ruined me too. I had no idea he was in so much debt. He's lost everything. And now\... he's left me."
Jack's expression remains stone cold. "So now that he's down, you come running back to me? Pathetic."
Lisa's eyes fill with tears. "Please, Jack. I have nowhere to go. You were always so good to me... Can't we just go back to how things were?"
[Warning: A significant character from your past is attempting to re-enter your life. Proceed with caution.]
Jack's fists clench. The system's warning echoes in his mind. He can feel the rage from his past life bubbling up, but he forces himself to stay calm.
"You want to go back to how things were?" Jack says, leaning in close. "Then go back to Derek. Because as far as I'm concerned, you're both dead to me."
He walks away, ignoring Lisa's sobs echoing behind him. There's no place for her in his new life – and no mercy for those who betrayed him.