Taming The Reaper: My Vengeful Comeback

BETHANY POV:

The sight of Kia cowering against Jarrett, playing the fragile, innocent victim, made my blood boil. It was the exact same performance she had used for years in my past life to justify her treachery. And Jarrett, standing there like a noble knight defending his true love, was the ultimate hypocrite.

I slowly stood up from the velvet sofa. The room fell dead silent. Every eye was on me. I took a step forward, my movements deliberate and measured. I looked frail, a wronged woman on the verge of collapse.

"A mistake?" I echoed, my voice trembling just enough to sell the heartbreak. "You call this a mistake, Kia?"

Kia peeked out from Jarrett's embrace, her eyes wide and pleading. "Sister, please... I didn't mean to. I love him. We couldn't help it."

I closed the distance between us. Jarrett puffed out his chest, ready to shield her from my words, but he wasn't prepared for my actions.

I raised my hand and swung with every ounce of strength I possessed.

*Smack!*

The sound of my palm connecting with Kia's cheek echoed like a gunshot in the grand foyer. Kia shrieked, stumbling backward out of Jarrett's arms, her hand flying to her rapidly reddening face. She looked at me in absolute, unadulterated shock. The fragile act was momentarily shattered by genuine disbelief.

"You have the audacity to call me sister?" I hissed, my voice dropping the pretense of sorrow, replacing it with pure venom.

"Bethany! Have you lost your mind?!" Jarrett roared. He stepped forward, his fists clenched, his eyes blazing with fury. "How dare you touch her!"

He reached out to grab my arm, but before his fingers could even brush my sleeve, I pivoted and delivered a second, even harder slap directly across his jaw.

*Crack!*

The entire room gasped. My uncle-in-law, Preston, half-stood from his chair. Meredith let out a strangled cry. Striking a patched member—especially the Vice President—was a severe violation of club rules. It was an act of unthinkable disrespect.

Jarrett's head snapped to the side. He slowly turned back to face me, his eyes dark with a violent storm. For a second, I thought he might actually hit me back. But I stood my ground, my chin raised, daring him to try.

"And that," I said, my voice ringing clear and steady, "is for insulting my family's honor. You made a pact with the Gibbs family, Jarrett. You broke it for a cheap thrill."

"Enough!" Eleanor's voice cracked like thunder, freezing Jarrett in his tracks. She slammed her cane against the marble floor. "Jarrett, step back. You have disgraced this family enough for one night."

Jarrett gritted his teeth, his jaw ticking, but he obeyed, stepping back and pulling a sobbing Kia behind him.

Meredith, desperate to salvage her son's political future within the club, rushed forward. She grabbed my hands, her face twisted into a mask of fake sympathy.

"Bethany, my dear, please calm down," Meredith pleaded, her eyes darting nervously to Eleanor. "We know you are hurting. This is a terrible misunderstanding. But the pact between our families is too important to throw away over a momentary lapse in judgment."

She took a deep breath, her eyes hardening as she looked at Kia with utter disdain. "Jarrett made a mistake. But he is the VP, and he needs a strong Old Lady. You are that woman, Bethany. As for Kia... well, since the damage is done, she can stay. She can be his Sweetbutt. But you will be his wife."

The word *Sweetbutt* hung in the air like a foul odor. It was the lowest rank a woman could hold in the MC world—a disposable plaything, devoid of respect or rights. Kia's sobbing hitched, her face draining of color. This was not the glorious romance she had envisioned.

But Meredith's offer wasn't a punishment for Kia; it was an insult to me. She was asking me to accept a shared bed, to swallow my pride and accept a cheating husband just to maintain their political alliance.

I pulled my hands out of Meredith's grasp, a cold, mocking smile touching my lips.

"A Sweetbutt?" I laughed softly, the sound devoid of any warmth. "You think I would accept a marriage built on a foundation of trash? You think the Gibbs family honor can be bought with a shared bed?"

I turned my gaze away from the horrifyingly arrogant Meredith and let my eyes sweep across the room. They landed on the dark corner where Knox was leaning against the wall, watching me with a predatory intensity.

"The pact stated that a Gibbs daughter would marry a Woodward of the main bloodline," I said, my voice echoing in the silent room. "Jarrett has forfeited his right. But he isn't the only Woodward in this room."