Up For The Challenge

A Higher Rating Story

Forty-three-year-old Sadie Falconer stood at the corner of the ballroom for the wedding reception of her friend Vanessa Storm and her husband Rick Black. A red cocktail dress complemented her well-toned five-foot-seven-inch figure. She returned home to Manchester from Sydney to take a head Nurse role at The Alexandra Hospital. She keeps fit; she loves tango dancing, yoga, and kickboxing.

She also loves something else, being a homewrecker. The thrill of stealing another woman's man gives her a high that no drug can deliver. She scans the ballroom. Her forty-four-year-old friend Lizzie is beside her; both sipping on overpriced craft gins and sodas.

Her attention stops at table six. A short guy in his early forties about five foot five dressed in a white shirt, blue silk tie with black polka dots, and black suit trousers stands up from his seat. He is talking to a lady who is sitting down. She is quite overweight, dressed in an expensive two-piece tailormade silk blue trouser suit. She watches as the lady waves her plump hands about with every word. The guy nods while she adjusts her glasses, they both wear glasses. The woman continues to talk with her hand.

Sadie bites her lower lip as her mind races with thoughts of mischief. She gently nudges her elbow against Lizzie's waist and directs Lizzie's attention towards the couple "Who are they?" she whispers.

Confused Lizzie squints as she twists her head in all directions "Who?" She asks confused.

Sadie sighs "The short guy and the fat one!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh don't be mean" whines Lizzie "That's Donald Sternwood and his wife, Prudence, she's Vanessa's cousin. She's a wealthy businesswoman, she has her own Financial Services and investment firm"

Sadie smiles wildly on realisation she's identified her latest target, "So she has herself a toy boy!"

Lizzie takes a sip of her drink "Oh no he's older than her, she works hard, Vanessa says she works seven days a week, loads of money, Vanessa was joking she should kidnap her to pay for the wedding"

Sadie's eyes now zoned in on her target Donald "He's a handsome guy, she done well!".

Lizzie nods in agreement "She has; but he's too short"

Lizzie gasps at the wildness in Sadie's eyes "You know what they say, Lizzie, small jockey, big whip".
Lizzie freezes momentarily "Oh Sadie don't! please don't!".

Sadie watches as Donald adjusts his tie and walks away from the table. She hands her drink to Lizzie "Hold this!".
Lizzie takes it "Sadie please don't go near him, not here, not Vanessa's wedding"

Sadie stretches her smile as wide as possible, misbehaviour etched all over her facial expression "Please Sadie, Vanessa and some of the other are quite cruel to her behind her back, don't be mean, please don't do this!"

Her pleas fall on deaf ears "You're right, it is wrong to steal another woman's man, how horrible it must be to see another woman steal your man and not know, back in five minutes" She winks and strides confidently towards table six.

Sadie's heart races in anticipation, she is going to turn this into a dangerous game, she loves the danger. A sinister smirk shapes her lips as she stares at the plump back of Prudence Sternwood. Not only is she going to steal a woman's man she is going to steal him from an extremely wealthy lady.

Prudence sat bored at the table waiting for Donald to return with her glass of wine. There was no more small talk to make with the couple that sat beside them who were now deep in conversation with the other couple on the opposite side of them. She watches with envy the cliques of Vanessa with her friends and other family members her age but she fits in with none of them. Another glass of wine or two and they will call it a night. Her thoughts are interrupted by the shadow of Sadie as she pulls out Donald's chair and sits with confidence beside Prudence.

Sadie extends out her right hand, Prudence gut tells her there was something off with this lady. "Hi Prudence, I'm Vanessa's friend Sadie!".

Prudence offers her soft plump right hand which Sadie squeezes a little too tightly, causing her to grimace slightly "Nice to meet you, Sadie".

Sadie smiles "Vanessa has told me all about you, says you're a successful businesswoman with your own financial services firm, very impressive!!"

Prudence adjusts her glasses on her nose and shifts her eyes nervously behind them wishing Donald would return with their drinks. "Well, I hope it was all good that she told you about me!". She doubts very much it was. She extends out her hands , "What about you Sadie, what do you do and how do you know Vanessa?".

Sadie purses her lips and draws a fake smile "Oh it was all good, I'm a good friend of hers, we go wayyyyyyyyyy back! As for me, I'm a nurse, just returned from Australia!".

Prudence rests her right palm on her tummy "Congratulations. I worked for a bank in Melbourne for five years between 2001 to 2006. It's a lovely country." Prudence adjusts her glasses with her left hand followed by rubbing her lower chin, Sadie's disinterest visible. Butterflies tumble in her stomach like a washing machine on spin mode.

Sadie yawns and smiles at Prudence clearly symbolising her boredom with Prudence and her time in Australia. Prudence shuffles uncomfortably in her seat, she squints towards the bar, Donald is still waiting to be served, she wishes he would hurry up"

"Isn't it great for Vanessa and Rick, they are such a lovely couple?"

Prudence forces a nod in agreement "They are"

Sadie leans in towards Prudence and rests her right palm on Prudence's extensive left thigh "Are you married long Prudence?"

Prudence shifts uncomfortably, hairs rising at the back of her neck "Can you please take your hand off me" she gasps in horror.

Sadie removes her hand "Oh sorry, how rude, so how long are you married".

Prudence's heart races as her airway struggles with anxious shallow breathing "If you must know six years!" snarls Prudence while massaging her tummy. The wildness in Sadie's eyes concern her.

"Shame, not long at all" moans Sadie.

Prudence anxiously glances towards the bar, it appears that Donald is now being served. Sadie watches her, who also looks towards the bar and turns and stares with a crazy smile at Prudence "I like your husband Prudence, you done well".

Prudence gasps, her cheeks feeling flush "You mean he done well" she snaps as she fans her flush cheeks.

Sadie claps her hands together "I like your husband a lot and I am going to steal him from you because I can!!" her tone oozing confidence.

Prudence gasps in disgust at Sadie's audacity. She trembles in fear of this threat to her marriage. A metallic taste fills her throat. Her lower chin wobbles, and she waves her right index finger at Sadie angrily "You stay away from me and my husband you hear, he won't touch you with a barge pole!!" she quivers.

Sadie stands up and stares down at Prudence "Oh I get what I want" She blows Prudence a kiss and struts away confidently.