Halfworld

Phoenix Rising: The Scarred Heiress's Revenge

Xiao Hong Mao

I lived as the "scarred ghost" of the Stephens penthouse, a wife kept in the shadows because my facial burns offended my billionaire husband's aesthetic. For years, I endured Kason's coldness and my family's abuse, a submissive puppet who believed she had nowhere else to go. The end came with a blue folder tossed onto my silk sheets. Kason's mistress was back, and he wanted me out by sunset, offering a five-million-dollar "silence fee" to go hide my face in the countryside. The betrayal cut deep when I discovered my father had already traded my divorce for a corporate bailout. My step-sister mocked my "trashy" appearance at a high-end boutique, while the sales staff treated me like a common thief. At home, my father threatened to cut off my mother's life-saving medicine unless I crawled back to Kason to beg for a better deal. I was the girl who took the blame for a fire she didn't start, the wife who worshipped a man who never looked her in the eye, and the daughter used as a human bargaining chip. I was supposed to be broken, penniless, and desperate. But the woman who stood up wasn't the weak Elease Finch anymore; she was Phoenix, a tactical predator with a $500 million secret. I signed the divorce papers without a single tear, walked past my stunned husband, and wiped the Finch family's bank accounts clean with a few taps on my phone. "Your money is dirty," I told Kason with a cold smile. "I prefer clean hands." The cage is open, the hunt has begun, and I'm starting with the people who thought a scar made me weak.

Modern Revenge

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20 Years Ago. . .

Kenna sits quietly at the backseat of the car, playing with her tiny fingers as she waits for her mother to appear from the office building her father owns but she had waited for the past thirty-five minutes, her mother had not yet appeared. She knows how well-attached she is to her work.

Just as she's about to let out a deep sigh, a familiar woman with dark brown hair and light blue eyes begin to walk towards the car's direction. Kenna's lips curve up into a smile, eyeing her mother as she enters the car, giving her an apologetic smile.

''I'm sorry, Kenna. Forgive me?'' Her mother says, causing her to nod her head. Even though she's only a six-year-old, she understands?quite?a lot about her parents' busy career. She had heard enough excuses.

In fact, Kenna has a soft-heart, known by their family chauffeur, Jeffrey. She gets attach to someone easily and she forgives them like a speed of lightning as soon as they seek for forgiveness. . . that's why Jeffrey is fond of her.

''Straight to the kindergarten, ma'am?'' Jeffrey asks, looking up at the rear-view mirror as both of his hands are gripping onto the steering wheel.

Jeffrey has worked for the family ever since he got out of high school. He's around the same age as Kenna's father, if not a couple of years older. Even though, they're not too much years apart, Jeffrey has a visible crease near his eyes and in the middle of his forehead, making him look older than he is supposed to look, somehow.

''Yes, Jeffrey.'' Mother replies, applying another layer of red lipstick onto her lips before closing onto the compact mirror, putting it back insider her leather handbag.

Kenna stares at her mother, eyeing the way she sits with full of grace and poise, defining herself as a woman. Her dark brown hair curls nicely down onto her shoulders, making her look?professional?yet casual, at the same time. Even as someone who spends more time at the office than at home, she has never asked for a break nor complain.

''Excited, sweetheart? You'll get to meet new people and make friends, '' She says, turning to look at Kenna and see that she has been playing with the hair-tie in her hand. She would always bring it anywhere she goes as it is known as her?lucky?hair-tie, something not easily achieved.

''What if they hate me? What if I won't make new friends?'' Kenna asks, her voice loud enough to hear yet quite low if her mother was standing further.

Her mother grabs onto her hand, gripping it as a sign of support before smiling down at her. ''Kenna, honey, you are the most wonderful girl in the world. You are smart, beautiful, talented, funny. . . we have to work a little on the funny?part?but you are capable of everything, '' Both Kenna and her mother chuckle, happy that her mother is boosting her confident level for her to make new friends.

The car comes to a stop, Jeffrey turning to look at them with a smile as soon as his eyes landed on her. Then, Kenna and her mother step out of the car as they walk towards the entrance of the kindergarten, hand-in-hand.

''Hi, you must be Mrs. Roosevelt, '' A woman starts to make her way towards them as they stand in the middle. ''I'm Ms. Cooper. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, '' The woman continues to say as Kenna's mother shake hands with her, leaving Kenna stand with a slight smile.

''Likewise, Ms. Cooper.'' Kenna's mother reassure.

The woman known as 'Ms. Cooper' turns to look at Kenna, her brown eyes glint with amusement. ''You must be Kenna, '' She says, crouching down to Kenna's height. ''There are a couple of kids who are also registering today, Kenna. . . why don't you join them at the playground?'' She turns to point her at the playground which can be seen from the inside through the glass window.

Kenna's eyes meet her mother's as she nods, ''Go on, Kenna. Make some friends, '' Her mother says, causing her to walk straight towards the playground after glancing twice at her mother who is currently talking to Ms. Cooper.

As soon as Kenna steps outside at the playground, she is met with a couple of boys playing near the sandbox while another boy is playing alone near the slides. Kenna is left furrowing her brows as she realises that there are only boys here in the playground. . . leaving her head towards the swing, gripping tightly onto the sides as she gets on.

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