Chapter 3

But I was wrong. On the day of the family dinner, as soon as I arrived at the Clark family estate, I saw Grace standing right at the entrance.

Grace stood in the courtyard, dressed in a pale blue dress, her hair elegantly pinned up. She was bending down, carefully adjusting Tommy's collar.

I knew that dress the moment I saw it.

Last year, Rosemary had personally picked out the fabric, telling me she wanted me to wear it for her birthday this year.

But now, it was Grace who ended up wearing it.

I stopped in my tracks, and my best friend, Lucy Turner, who'd come with me, muttered under her breath, "That's shameless."

Lucy and I go way back to college. She's a family law attorney now, and we always toss cases to each other and cover each other's backs.

She came along with me today.

It was not like I needed backup. Lucy was just brutally honest.

She said, "His old flame has already moved into your house, and you're still going in solo? Are you here for the birthday party or just asking for trouble?"

She was right. Sometimes, having someone experienced by my side wasn't a sign of weakness. It was smart insurance.

Grace saw me too. Her smile faltered for a moment before she managed to pull one off.

She said, "Connie, you're here. I didn't really want to come, but Rudy told me Mrs. Clark likes things lively, and Tommy was eager to wish her a happy birthday."

I glanced at the dress Grace was wearing and gave her a tight smile.

"Looks like it suits you just fine," I said.

Grace instinctively lowered her head, looking a bit awkward and self-conscious.

"Rudy thought it'd be a waste to leave it there, so she let me try it on first," Grace explained.

Lucy almost rolled her eyes right there. But I stayed calm.

I said, "Sure, the dress looks great. Shame about the person wearing it. Clothes can be borrowed, but faces can't."

Grace's smile stiffened.

Just then, Edward's mom, Rudy Pearson, came out to greet us. The moment she saw me, her enthusiasm faded, and she reached out to take Grace's hand instead.

"Grace, why are you standing out here? It's windy. Don't let Tommy catch a chill," Rudy said.

Only then did she turn to me. "You too, Connie. Come on in already. Why are you just standing around at the door?"

I didn't respond, my gaze falling to Grace's wrist.

An emerald bracelet glinted there. Rosemary had given it to me as a wedding gift.

I always thought it was too precious to wear, so I stashed it away in the jewelry box in the master bedroom.

And now, it was sitting pretty on Grace's wrist.

My smile slowly faded away.

"Who gave you that bracelet?" I asked.

Grace visibly panicked, shooting a nervous look at Rudy.

Rudy replied, sounding completely unapologetic, "I gave it to her. It's just a bracelet. You never wear it anyway, and it matches Grace's dress perfectly today."

Lucy sucked in a sharp breath beside me.

I stood quietly for a couple of seconds, then strode over and held out my hand.

"Take it off," I said.

Rudy's face darkened. "Connie, what's your problem? It's Rosemary's birthday. Why are you making a scene?"

"My stuff isn't up for grabs. If I want to lend it, that's my decision. Not anyone else's."

I locked eyes with Grace, enunciating every word. "Take it off."

People were already starting to stare.

Grace's eyes welled up with tears, her fingers trembling as if she were the victim here.

"Connie, I'm sorry. I really didn't know this was yours," Grace stammered.

I cut her off. "You knew. You didn't just know. You knew exactly what people would think when you showed up wearing it."

Grace's face went pale.

Rudy was fuming. "So you just have to stir up drama right here, huh?"

I scoffed. "Me? Making a scene?"

I reached out, firmly took hold of Grace's wrist, and slid the bracelet off her hand.

She winced, sucking in a sharp breath as tears sprang to her eyes.

I handed the bracelet to Lucy for safekeeping, then looked at Rudy.

I said, "Rudy, it's Rosemary's birthday, so I'm not going to make a scene. But let me be clear. Edward and I are still married. Anything in this house that has 'Mrs. Clark' on it is not for outsiders to touch."

I practically spat out the word "outsider," making sure everyone heard just how hard I hit it.

Grace broke down, her sobs getting even louder.

Right then, Edward stepped out and caught the whole scene. His face clouded over.

"What's going on?" he snapped.

Rudy jumped in first. "Isn't it obvious? It's just a bracelet, and she had to humiliate Grace in front of everyone."

Edward shot me a look, his eyes burning with barely contained anger.

"Connie, that's enough. Stop it already," he said.

I suddenly let out a mocking laugh. "So what? am I supposed to step aside for her because she's wearing my dress, my bracelet, and brought Tommy here to celebrate your grandma's birthday?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what do you mean?"

I stared at Edward, my smile fading, turning cold.

"Edward, do you really think that as long as I don't make a scene, you can act like I don't exist?" I said.

The courtyard fell silent. Everyone was watching.

The party hadn't even started yet, and the drama was already kicking off.

Edward lowered his voice. "Let's talk about this at home."

"No, I'm saying it right now," I shot back.

I stepped forward, locking eyes with him. "I gave you a week. That's plenty. If she could sit there and finish her meal quietly, I'd honestly have to hand it to her for having nerves of steel.

"But she's standing here, dressed like this, right in front of me. So tell me, was this your idea? Did you let it happen?"

Edward stayed silent.

Sometimes, silence hurt more than any admission, because it showed he knew it hurt me.

He thought it over and figured I could handle it.

Suddenly, I didn't want to say another word.

Just then, Rosemary came out of the house, leaning on her cane. Her eyes swept over all of us before finally settling on Grace.

"Who is this?" she asked.

No one dared to answer.

I stepped forward, steadying Rosemary, my voice calm and even. "She's just a guest living under my roof."

Rosemary wasn't someone you could fool. She saw right through everything.

She took one look at Grace in that dress, then at the bracelet I'd pulled off her wrist, and got the whole picture in a heartbeat.

Rosemary didn't bother with any extra questions. She turned to Rudy, her voice soft, but it shut everyone up.

She said, "I'm still here, and so are the Clark family's rules. Who wears what, who sits where, so don't go messing with things you have no say in."

Rudy's face went from flushed to ashen in a heartbeat.

Grace looked like her legs might give out, tears streaming down her cheeks.

As I helped Rosemary inside, I heard Lucy mutter under her breath behind me. "Serves her right."

On the surface, the birthday party finally settled down.

But the real fireworks were just about to go off.

Before the party started, everyone was lounging around in the hall. Tommy darted back and forth, hugging his toy car one moment, crawling under the tables the next.

He was just a kid, after all. No matter how sharp he was, he was still a pawn in someone else's game.

I never planned to hold it against him.

Until Tommy ran over and grabbed Edward's leg, looking up at him with those innocent eyes, then called out, "Daddy."

The whole place went dead silent.

Glasses froze mid-air, and the chatter was cut off like someone had hit the mute button.

Edward was frozen in place.

Grace jumped up, panic all over her face, and rushed to grab Tommy.

Grace cried, "Tommy, don't call him that!"

But even though Grace was telling him to stop, she was dragging her feet on purpose.

Tommy shouted again, even louder, "Daddy, pick me up!"

This time, even Rudy's face changed.

Everyone started giving us those knowing looks.

Some were shocked, some were itching to gossip, and a few were already whispering behind their hands.

I stayed put, not moving a muscle.

Under the table, Lucy gave my hand a little squeeze, silently asking if I wanted to blow up the whole scene right then and there.

I didn't move. Because it suddenly hit me. This whole setup wasn't just thrown together at the last minute.

Grace actually showed up wearing my dress, my bracelet, brought Tommy to the party, and even made him call Edward "Daddy" right in front of everyone.

She wasn't just here for a free meal. She was here to see if she could stake her claim.

She was here to see if the Clark family would let her slide right in and claim a place for herself.

And I was the stepping stone she needed to use to climb her way up.

As I looked at Grace, whatever sadness I had left inside me disappeared in an instant.

All that was left was cold, clear-headed resolve.

After the party, I didn't go home. I went straight to the law firm with Lucy.

It was one in the morning, and the conference room lights were still on.

Lucy shoved a stack of papers in front of me, her voice practically sizzling with anger.