Marvel: The Journey

"IT WAS THE WRONG DECISION!" Jean shouted at the top of her lungs in her room a few days later. She clenched her fists, glaring at the mirror before her. She saw her fiery eyes flickering with anger and disappointment in the reflection. Her red hair seemed to float around her slightly, stirred by her intense emotions. Her face was red with irritation as she muttered, "I am a dumbass idiot for believing that cheating fucker."

She closed her eyes, trying to escape the tormenting memories, but they rushed back, unbidden, vivid, and painful.

- - -

A short while ago, Jean bid her thanks to Professor Salvadore as both left the Biology classroom.

"Make sure you focus on your studies, Ms. Grey," Angel said with a smile before departing toward a small cluster of students engaged in discussion.

Taking heed of Angel's counsel, Jean nodded appreciatively and set out. Her day's classes concluded. With an unexpected pocket of free time, she contemplated surprising her boyfriend, Scott, by paying an impromptu visit to his room.

Upon reaching Scott's room, she paused, her hand hovering over the doorknob when she heard...

"Uff.. Scott! What are you doing?!" Emma's whimpering along with the rustle of clothing.

'WHAT?!' Jean's disbelief resonated in her mind, 'Is he—fucking Emma?!'

Summoning her courage, she swung the door open, and the scene that unfurled before she etched itself into her memory. Scott stood by the bed, clad only in boxers, his back to the door, towering over a blonde figure—Emma. She wore a skimpy, black lace bra showcasing her bountiful assets and black panties to match. Jean glanced at the floor and noticed their clothes lying as if discarded and torn.

There was no denying it; Emma and Scott had been intimately engaged just before Jean arrived, and the moment the door swung open, the reality of their betrayal crashed down on her like a tidal wave.

Scott blinked in confusion, a sense of dread washing over him as he slowly turned his gaze toward the figure at the door. He was horrified when he realized that Jean was a witness to the compromising situation.

A deafening silence hung as if time had slowed to a crawl. The minds of all three individuals raced to formulate an appropriate reaction to the bizarre tableau they found themselves in.

Breaking the silence, it was Emma who, with a touch of playful nonchalance, decided to address the elephant in the room.

"Oh, hello, Jean! I didn't expect to find you here," she said in a lighthearted and deceptively innocent tone. She nudged Scott gently, urging him to respond to Jean, "Scott and I were just checking out our relationship status, aren't we, sweetie?"

Caught in a whirlwind of anxiety, Scott hastily chimed in, "Y-yes," his voice trembling as he stood up abruptly. In his nervousness, his fingernails accidentally grazed Emma's delicate skin, eliciting a small cry of pain.

"Ouch, that hurt!" Emma exclaimed, lightly swatting his butt, "But it seems your 'girlfriend' needs some explanation, so get to it, will ya?"

Scott's mind raced, struggling to form a coherent response. His gaze darted around the room, searching for his discarded clothes scattered haphazardly across the floor. The evidence of his cheating was irrefutable, each article of clothing serving as another piece of incriminating evidence. With desperation and anxiety, he turned his attention back to Jean, blurting out, "J-Jean! I-I swear... I-It's not what it l-looks like!"

Jean felt a surge of anger and sorrow intertwine within her. She took a step back, her face contorted with disbelief and pain. The weight of the betrayal pressed heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe. She clenched her fists so hard that blood trickled down from the point where her fingernails sank into her palm.

On the other hand, Emma casually scooted to the edge and leaned against the bed, extending her legs out in the air while playing around with her nails.

Seeing Emma's carefree attitude and Scott's genuine fear only fueled Jean's anger further, pushing her to a breaking point. She forced out her words with immense effort, each syllable seething with restrained fury, "WE—ARE—OVER!"

"J-Jean..." Scott scrambled to his feet, leaving Emma behind as he tugged on his boxers while running after her, shouting desperately, "Wait... Jean, wait!"

But Jean's heartache and rage had reached the limit. Without hesitation, she slammed the door in Scott's face, cutting off his pleas, and ran to her room, tears streaming down her cheeks.

- - -

Jean opened her eyes and stared at her reflection while saying, "The nerve of that fucker, lying to me! All his bullshit and pathetic groveling was just a goddamn act, and I fucking fell for it."

"I want to beat the shit out of him and rip his throat to shreds." She said vehemently, rubbing her tear-streaked cheeks, "Aarrrgghhh! I am so angry at them. I want to do something for them. I want to... I want to..."

"Revenge!" A voice interrupted her thoughts, and Jean snapped out of her reverie, her bewildered gaze locking onto her reflection in the mirror.

In the reflection, she saw herself, yet not quite the same. Those once-fiery red eyes now held a depth of wisdom and experience. The reflection exuded a warm and reassuring presence, starkly contrasting Jean's anger-ridden countenance. Her appearance mirrored Jean's, but she carried herself with a confident grace that Jean found lacking in herself.

"Get revenge, Jean! They deserve it. The two deserve the worst." Her mirror self declared with a sly smirk on her lips, "Come on, girl. You have to stand up for yourself."

"Revenge?" She muttered, the temptation of having her way with them increasing with each passing moment, "Is that the only way?"

"Revenge is the only way you're going to make them pay." the mirror Jean pressed, her confidence unwavering.

"Yeah, they will pay making a fool out of me." Jean felt her anger intensify and could feel the flames in her eyes grow stronger with each heartbeat, "They'll regret ever screwing with me. But... how should I do it?"

"Hehehe!" A wicked grin twisted the mirror Jean's face as she chimed in, "You know something those two fools don't."

"Wait! Are you..." Jean's eyes widened in realization, awe creeping in, "Are you talking about—"

"Yes," The mirror Jean cut her off, an even more sinister grin forming, "I'm talking about Adrienne Frost!"