Rise To Power: Death To My Billionaire Husband

Chapter 20: Lilly

"Charlotte is our school’s belle," Lilly said between bites of her apple. "Those girls you saw with her? They’re her cliques. The biggest bullies in school."

Anita listened quietly while peeling fruit for the girl. Earlier, Lilly had been wary of letting Anita stay, afraid that being seen together would put Anita in trouble. But after Anita calmly assured her she could handle it, Lilly reluctantly gave in... and that’s how they ended up here.

With Lilly telling Anita about Charlotte.

"They’re like vipers in designer clothes," Lilly muttered, lowering her voice like the walls had ears.

"Charlotte’s sister-in-law funds half the school’s events. She’s also a board member, so the professors pretend not to see anything. And the students? Most are either scared of her or dying to be in her inner circle."

Anita nodded, placing a slice of pear on Lilly’s tray. "So, how did you end up being her target?" she said calmly, like a curious friend.

It would be a lie to say Anita didn’t suspect Charlotte could be bitchy to her peers. Anita knew her better than her family, because she was Charlotte’s go–to when she messed up and needed someone to clean her mess, considering that her mother and brother were on the harsher side.

Anita spoiled Charlotte to the last letter. She’d been the problem fixer for the whole family, but especially for the girl sitting pretty at the top of her college social food chain –Charlotte.

To Anita, Charlotte wasn’t just a sister-in-law; she was the baby sister she wished she had...or had lived.

Charlotte was barely eleven years old when Anita got together with David, and the baby girl reminded Anita of her premature little sister, who died a few days after birth.

If the girl had lived, she’d have been eleven, just like Charlotte.

The first day Anita met Charlotte, the child called Anita, "Big sister," and that title always did things to her heart. It made her softer, gentler, more patient, and happy.

Charlotte clung to Anita with all the reckless affection of a child who’d finally found someone warm, unlike her mother and brother who didn’t have enough time for her, as they were always off to work.

Anita learned to braid hair all for Charlotte. Her first day in school, Anita had sent her there. She woke up earlier than others to make breakfast and lunch for that ungrateful brat to take to school.

She helped Charlotte pick outfits for school dances, and even snuck her sweets her mother wouldn’t allow.

When Charlotte had bad days, she curled up in Anita’s lap and cried. When she had good ones, she squealed and ran to her first.

And Anita had promised herself that she would always protect Charlotte. Always choose her.

So as the years went by and Charlotte grew into a little mean girl who cared more about guys and proms than academic, Anita saw it as teenage drama and didn’t reprimand her.

She smoothed over her tantrums, gave excuses for her misbehavior, and kept loving her like she was still that eleven-year-old girl calling her "Big sister" with wide, trusting eyes.

When Charlotte wanted to throw impromptu parties during exam weeks, Anita booked the catering and made sure the neighbors wouldn’t complain. When Charlotte had a meltdown over an online scandal involving her and a rival influencer, Anita handled the PR cleanup like a seasoned pro—drafting statements, smoothing over tensions, even contacting legal help when needed.

And of course, Anita was the one funding half the school events. Not because she cared much for college politics or parties, no. But because Charlotte wanted to be seen. To reign. To matter. And Anita, ever the enabler, opened her wallet every time.

She’d defended Charlotte to teachers, parents, even her own husband and mother-in-law. "She’s young," Anita would say. "She’s just finding herself."

It didn’t matter if Charlotte was brash or impulsive or occasionally disrespectful. Anita always found a way to explain it away.

But now, Anita wanted to scoff.

Sitting beside Lilly, this quiet, soft-spoken girl that reminded her of her mother, Anita felt something shift.

Her revenge for Charlotte has been born. Nothing stings better than having the person you’ve been stepping on turn the tables on you.

"I didn’t do anything, actually," Lilly began, her eyes clouding over. "It all started in our first year."

Anita leaned back, knife idle against the cutting board. Her hands stilled, but her attention was on Lilly.

"On my first day of school, I ran into a guy, Kingsley. I spilled coffee on his shirt and panicked. I thought he’d yell or something, but he just laughed. Said it was the best ’welcome’ he’d ever gotten."

Lilly smiled bitterly at the memory. "We started talking after that. Just friends. He was kind, easy to be around... and way out of my league."

Anita arched a brow. "Let me guess... Charlotte liked him."

Lilly nodded. "She never said it out loud, but everyone knew. Kingsley is popular, rich, charming. And good in everything. He’s her type. But he kept sitting next to me in class, walking me to the dorm. One day, I found a note in my locker asking me out... unsigned, but it was his handwriting."

Anita sighed, too predictable. "And someone else found out."

"Charlotte." Lilly’s face darkened. "She cornered me in the hallway the next day with her little army. Said I was a parasite, trying to steal what I couldn’t afford. Called me names I can’t even repeat. Aimee, my roommate and friend stood there and said nothing and distanced herself from me after that incident. It was later I found out she’d been selling me to Charlotte."

Anita’s stomach twisted. The betrayal in Lilly’s voice was too familiar. It reminded her of her own predicament.

"It got worse after that," Lilly continued quietly. "There were unpleasant rumors about me. They sabotaged me in every way possible, just so the school would cancel my scholarship and I’d be forced to drop out. But the school didn’t and it got Charlotte and her friends very angry." She paused to wipe the tears they had unknownly slipped down her cheek.