# Chapter 13: The Reckoning of Debts Paid and Truths Revealed
The night air hung heavy with tension as Nicole's voice cut through the chaos like a blade—sharp, final, and utterly unbreakable.
"Eric Ferguson, this is what you've paid me throughout the three years for my blood. Now that I've paid you back, we don't owe each other anymore..."
Her words echoed through the stunned silence of the banquet hall. Every person present understood exactly what had just transpired. Wendy Quade had painted Nicole as nothing more than a gold-digger, a woman who clung to Eric for his wealth and status. But in one devastating act, Nicole had shattered that narrative completely—returning every cent Eric had ever given her over their three-year marriage.
The crowd murmured among themselves. Wendy's reputation, which she had so carefully cultivated, crumbled like sand between fingers. Nicole walked away with her head held high, leaving Wendy shivering not just from the cold water that had drenched her, but from the cold truth that had just been exposed.
"This woman is my nemesis!" Wendy thought, her teeth chattering as much from rage as from the chill.
Eric stared after Nicole's retreating figure, his dark eyes clouded with emotions he couldn't quite name. Wendy tugged at his sleeve desperately.
"Eric, Nicole must be mad at me again. Let's just go."
But something held Eric back—a need for clarity, for answers. "Wait for me at the entrance," he said, and before Wendy could protest, he was walking into the crowd after Nicole.
He found her sitting gracefully on a deck chair, but what made his blood run cold was the sight before him. Grant Stanton, the notoriously cold and unreachable business tycoon, was kneeling beside her, his hands gently rubbing her ankles where her high heels had chafed the delicate skin. Grant's gaze was so tender, so protective, that Eric felt an unfamiliar tightness in his chest.
Both of them looked up as Eric approached. Grant's smile was calm, almost smug, as he settled next to Nicole and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.
"Mr. Ferguson, shouldn't you be comforting your companion? You're still in the mood to settle scores right now?"
Eric's jaw tightened. His gaze fixed on Grant's hand with barely concealed hostility. "Nicole, if I've done something to upset you, you can look for me to settle the score. But you should apologize for what you did to Wendy."
A slow, dangerous smile curved Nicole's lips. She met his eyes without flinching. "What if I don't? Will you throw me into the water?"
The casual defiance in her voice grated against Eric's nerves. Seeing her so comfortable with another man, so quick to move on, stirred something dark and possessive within him.
"Since we used to be married, let me give you a word of advice. Be kind to others."
"Mr. Ferguson, I guess you don't know me very well. I was born evil."
Eric was left speechless. This was not the Nicole he remembered—the woman who had once looked at him with longing, who had tried so desperately to earn his affection. This woman was untouchable, unafraid, and utterly done with him.
"Fine." He turned and walked away, forgetting entirely why he had come. He had wanted to explain, to clear the air between them, but what was the point anymore?
As Eric disappeared into the crowd, Nicole's confident smile slowly faded. Grant squeezed her shoulder gently. "Lil N, do you still like him?"
"How's that possible?" Nicole's laugh was bitter. She had learned her lesson. Once burned, twice shy. She would never make the same mistake twice.
---
In Eric's car, Wendy was wrapped in his coat, already rehearsing her excuses. She needed to explain herself, to twist the narrative back in her favor. But before she could speak, the driver's startled exclamation cut through the air.
"Eh? Isn't that Ms. Quade?"
The car slowed to a stop. Outside, the massive digital billboard atop The Hilton Hotel—prime advertising space worth tens of millions of dollars per minute—was playing footage on a loop. The surveillance video from the poolside banquet.
Faces were blurred, but anyone who had attended the event knew exactly who was involved. The silent footage told the story no words could twist: Nicole never touched Wendy. The blonde woman had stepped back on her own, lost her balance, and fallen into the pool.
The air in the car turned to ice.
Eric's face hardened into something terrifying—cold, stern, and filled with dawning fury. Only minutes ago, he had confronted Nicole and demanded she apologize to Wendy. And now, this.
Ridiculous. Simply absurd.
Wendy's face drained of all color. She trembled violently, not from cold this time, but from pure terror. Who had done this? Who had taken the footage and broadcast it for the entire city to see?
"Bang!" The car door slammed shut.
Eric stood outside, his back to the vehicle, his voice dropping to a tone of absolute finality.
"I'll have someone send you to France first thing tomorrow morning!"
---
**Reader's Impressions & Star Rating:**
This chapter was an absolute triumph of poetic justice. Watching Nicole dismantle Wendy's lies not once but twice—first with her dignified repayment of every dime Eric had given her, and then through the public broadcast of the truth—was incredibly satisfying. The moment when Eric realizes he has been manipulated and foolishly demanded an apology from the wrong woman is pure gold.
Grant Stanton's presence adds an intriguing layer to the story. His tenderness toward Nicole and the way he instinctively positions himself as her protector creates delicious tension, especially when contrasted with Eric's coldness. The question "Does she still like him?" and her immediate denial shows real growth, but the way her smile faded after he left suggests the heart takes longer to heal than pride.
The pacing was perfect—from the confrontation to the aftermath to the explosive reveal at the end. The digital billboard sequence was cinematic and devastating in the best way.
⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
**Next Chapter Prediction:**
With Wendy being shipped off to France and Eric facing the bitter taste of his own foolishness, the next chapter will likely explore Eric's realization of what he has lost. He will try to approach Nicole again, but Grant Stanton won't make it easy. Meanwhile, someone must have orchestrated the broadcast of that footage—perhaps Grant's doing, or perhaps Nicole herself. Either way, the power dynamics have shifted dramatically. Nicole is no longer the scorned wife begging for love; she is a woman with allies, resources, and a spine of steel. Eric's pursuit of her may just be beginning, but this time, Nicole holds all the cards.