A cruel husband shoved his wife out of a helicopter for a hefty insurance payout — and her response left everyone utterly shocked

Tomorrow Sophia Martinez would die. But Elena Rodriguez would be born, and she would be Richard’s worst nightmare. The staged death went perfectly.

At 6.47 a.m., Sophia Martinez was officially pronounced dead from internal bleeding caused by complications from her helicopter accident. The doctor who signed the death certificate was one of Nicole’s contacts, a woman who had her own reasons for helping victims of domestic violence escape their abusers. From her hiding place in the hospital basement, Sophia watched through a small window as Richard arrived to identify her body.

He played his part perfectly, collapsing in apparent grief when told that his wife had died during the night. The tears looked real, the devastation seemed genuine. If Sophia hadn’t known better she might have believed his performance herself.

Nicole had arranged for everything. Within hours of the official death, Sophia was smuggled out of the hospital in a laundry cart. A car was waiting to take her to a safe house across town, where she would stay until after the funeral.

The funeral was held three days later. From her position in a car parked across the street from the cemetery, Sophia watched as Richard stood beside her empty casket, accepting condolences from friends and co-workers. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit and had managed to look appropriately devastated.

But Sophia noticed something else Amanda was there standing in the back of the crowd. She wasn’t sitting with the family or receiving condolences as Richard’s girlfriend. She was trying to be inconspicuous, but Sophia could see the way she watched Richard, the way her eyes followed his every movement.

After the service, Sophia followed Richard home to the house they had shared for 5 years. Through the window she watched him pour himself a drink and sit in his favorite chair. For exactly 10 minutes he sat there with his head in his hands, looking like a man destroyed by grief.

Then Amanda arrived. Sophia watched in disgust as Richard’s mourning mask slipped away. He opened the door with a smile, pulled Amanda into his arms and kissed her passionately.

They were celebrating. Her husband was celebrating her death. I can’t believe it worked, she heard Amanda say as they moved to the living room.

I was so scared something would go wrong. I told you it would be fine, Richard replied. The pilot didn’t see anything and even if he had, who’s going to believe that I pushed my own wife out of a helicopter.

It was the perfect accident. When do we get the money? Amanda asked. I filed the insurance claim yesterday.

They said it should be processed within 30 days, but given the circumstances, it might take a little longer. $2 million baby. We’re going to be rich.

Sophia felt sick listening to them talk about her death like it was a business transaction. But she forced herself to keep watching, to keep listening. She needed to know everything about their plans.

So what now? Amanda asked. Do we wait a while before we start dating publicly? We’ll give it a few months, Richard said. Make it look like we found comfort in each other during our grief.

You were her friend after all. Amanda laughed. I was never her friend.

I couldn’t stand her. She was so, good. So perfect.

Always volunteering at the hospital always putting others first. Made me sick. Well she’s gone now, Richard said.

And soon we’ll have enough money to start our new life together. I was thinking we could move somewhere warm maybe Florida or California. Start fresh.

Sophia had heard enough. She slipped away from the window and returned to her car, her mind racing with plans. Richard and Amanda thought they had won, but their victory was about to become their downfall.

Over the next few weeks, Sophia settled into her new identity as Elena Rodriguez. Nicole had done an incredible job creating her backstory. Elena was a 32-year-old widow whose husband had died in a car accident two years earlier, leaving her with a substantial inheritance from his construction business.

She had moved to the city to start fresh and was looking for investment opportunities. The apartment Nicole had found for her was in an upscale neighborhood across town close enough to keep an eye on Richard, but far enough away to avoid accidental encounters. It was a beautiful space with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern furniture that looked nothing like the cozy home she had shared with Richard.

Sophia spent her days learning everything she could about Richard’s life and work. She studied Hartwell Insurance Company until she knew more about their business than most of their employees. She researched Richard’s colleagues, his clients, his daily routines.

She even learned about his hobbies and interest things she had never paid attention to during their marriage. The transformation wasn’t just mental. Sophia had always been beautiful but now she made herself stunning.

She hired a personal trainer to help her regain her strength after the accident. She bought a new wardrobe of expensive, sophisticated clothes. She had her hair cut and styled in a way that made her look completely different from the woman Richard had married.

Most importantly she studied business. She had always been intelligent, but now she channeled that intelligence into learning about investments, acquisitions and corporate strategy. She read books, took online courses, and even hired a business consultant to help her understand the intricacies of buying and selling companies.

Six weeks after her death, Sophia was ready to begin her revenge. She had built a new life, created a new identity, and armed herself with the knowledge and resources she would need to destroy Richard completely. The plan was simple in concept but complex in execution.

She would approach Hartwell Insurance as a potential investor, someone interested in acquiring the company when old Mr. Hartwell decided to retire. She would gain Richard’s trust, learn about his embezzlement, and then use that information to destroy him personally and professionally. But first she wanted to see him again.

She wanted to look into his eyes and see if there was any part of the man she had loved still there, any trace of guilt or remorse for what he had done. She chose a restaurant downtown where Richard often took clients for lunch. She made a reservation for the same time she knew he would be there and she waited…