Strategies and Manipulations

**Point of View: Vanessa**

The morning sun flooded the kitchen as I poured myself a cup of coffee. Richard had already left for work, and the silence that settled over the house was almost deafening. But unlike the previous days, I didn’t feel paralyzed by anxiety. Today, there was a clarity of purpose that gave me the strength to move forward.

I had spent the night formulating a plan, a strategy to ensure that Sophia wouldn’t have the slightest chance of taking Richard away from me. The first step involved infiltrating his thoughts, making him see me again as the woman who had always been by his side, as the only person he could truly trust. To do that, I needed to reactivate the memories he had of us, rekindling the feelings he undoubtedly still harbored.

I picked up my phone and sent a message to Richard, something simple but loaded with intention. "Good morning, darling. I’ve been thinking about us today. I miss the moments we shared. How about dinner together tonight, just the two of us? ❤"

His response took a while, but when it came, I felt satisfied. "Sure, let’s have dinner together. I need that too."

I smiled to myself, knowing this was just the first step. I was determined to bring Richard back to me, and to do that, I would need to play every card I had at my disposal.

After finishing my coffee, I sat at the kitchen table with my laptop, ready for the next phase of the plan. I needed to know more about what was happening between Richard and Sophia. Watching them from a distance wasn’t enough; I needed concrete information, something I could use to my advantage.

I called my informant again. "I need you to be more aggressive in your approach," I said bluntly. "I want to know their every move, every meeting. And if possible, I want access to Richard’s phone. I need to know what he’s saying to her."

"This might take some time, but I can do it," the voice on the other end of the line replied. "You’ll need to be patient."

"I know," I responded, forcing myself to stay calm. "But be quick. I don’t have much time."

I hung up the phone and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to maintain focus. I knew I was playing a dangerous game, but I had no other choice. Sophia couldn’t win, and I would do whatever was necessary to ensure that.

In the afternoon, I went to the mall, determined to find something special for that night’s dinner. I walked through the stores, choosing a dress I knew Richard would love, something that would remind him of the early days of our relationship, when everything was still simple and full of passion.

As I strolled through the mall, I spotted a family in the distance, a couple laughing and playing with their children. The sight made me pause for a moment, the tightness in my chest reminding me of what was at stake. I wanted that with Richard—I wanted a family, a stable life, something Sophia could never destroy. And to achieve that, I needed to play my cards right.

When I returned home, I began preparing dinner, carefully choosing every detail. I knew Richard was a man of simple tastes, but he also appreciated effort and dedication. I wanted him to feel how much I was willing to fight for him, how much he meant to me.

When Richard arrived home, the aroma of dinner had already filled the air. He walked into the kitchen, and for a moment, I saw something in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long time—a softness, perhaps even a reminder of what we once were.

"Dinner smells great," he commented, taking off his jacket and hanging it on the chair.

"I wanted to do something special for us," I replied, smiling as I approached and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "I think we need this."

He nodded, and for a brief moment, the wall of coldness he had built between us seemed to crumble. We sat at the table, and the conversation flowed more naturally than I had expected. We talked about simple things, the routine, work, carefully avoiding any mention of Sophia.

As the night wore on, I knew I needed to take advantage of that moment of vulnerability. After dinner, while we were sitting on the couch, I moved closer to Richard, resting my head on his shoulder, a gesture that had once been so familiar but had become strange in recent months.

"Richard," I began, my voice soft, "I know things are difficult right now, but I want you to know that I’m here for you, I always have been. And I want us to find our way back to each other."

He was silent for a moment, and I could feel the tension in his body, as if he were fighting an internal battle. Finally, he sighed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

"I know, Vanessa," he said, his voice low, almost as if confessing something. "I just... need time to sort everything out. But I want you to know that this doesn’t mean I don’t care."

Those words were the closest thing to a commitment I could hope for at that moment. I knew I couldn’t push him any further, that I needed to let him believe he had control of the situation while I worked behind the scenes to ensure Sophia never again had the chance to come between us.

As he stroked my shoulders, I felt a twinge of triumph but also sadness. I was playing a dangerous game, manipulating the situation to keep Richard by my side. But at the same time, I knew that if I didn’t, everything I had built could crumble.

And so, as the night wore on, I continued to play my part, maintaining the mask of a loving and dedicated wife while, inside, I prepared my next move. Sophia wouldn’t win. I would do whatever it took to ensure that.

And Richard... well, he would learn that I was the only woman he truly needed.