Chapter 3

Morning light streamed through the penthouse windows as I arranged a vase of fresh-cut lilies on the breakfast table. My sanctuary had become my battleground, and I moved through it with calculated precision, placing each bloom exactly where it should be. The sound of heels clicking against marble announced Rebecca's arrival before I saw her.

She swept into the dining room in a silk robe that I recognized as one I'd ordered from Paris last year—Eleanor must have given her access to my closets already. Her honey-blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her hand rested protectively over her still-flat stomach.

"Good morning, Grace," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "The chef prepared my eggs exactly as I requested. You've trained the staff well."

I offered a placid smile. "I'm glad they're meeting your standards."

As our housekeeper Maria entered with a fresh pot of coffee, Rebecca straightened, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. This was a performance, and she wanted an audience.

"Maria," she announced, her voice rising dramatically, "I have the most wonderful news to share with everyone."

I discreetly pressed the button on my pen recorder in my pocket, sliding it partially out to capture her words clearly.

"I visited Dr. Whitman yesterday," Rebecca continued, practically glowing with triumph. "The ultrasound confirmed it—I'm carrying triplets! Three heirs for the Hamilton family!"

Maria gasped appropriately, offering congratulations while shooting me a sympathetic glance.

"Eleanor is absolutely thrilled," Rebecca went on, watching me closely for any reaction. "Marcus too, of course. He said it was like hitting the jackpot on the first try."

The barb found its mark, but I kept my expression neutral, even interested. "That's wonderful news, Rebecca. Triplets are quite rare."

"Well," she said, running her hand over her stomach, "some women are simply more naturally suited to motherhood than others."

She turned to address the staff who had gathered at the commotion. "I'll be making some changes around here, as the mother of the Hamilton heirs. Grace will be taking on more of a... hostess role. After all, we need to utilize whatever talents she does possess."

I maintained my smile, letting the recorder capture every word of her monologue as she detailed her plans for redecorating, staff changes, and her vision for "modernizing the Hamilton legacy."

"I'm sure you'll do wonderfully," I said when she finally paused for breath. "The first trimester can be quite delicate, though. You should be careful not to overexert yourself."

A flicker of concern crossed her face—my first seed of doubt successfully planted.

---

The crystal chandelier cast prism-like shadows across the formal dining room as Eleanor presided over dinner that evening. Marcus sat at the head of the table, Rebecca to his right—my former seat—while I was relegated to the far end, opposite Eleanor.

"The Carmichael gala is next weekend," Eleanor announced, cutting her beef with surgical precision. "Rebecca will attend as Marcus's companion, of course."

"Of course," I echoed, taking a sip of my wine.

Rebecca preened, adjusting the diamond bracelet on her wrist—another piece from my jewelry collection. "I've already selected the most divine Valentino gown. The red will be striking against the Hamilton emeralds."

"The emeralds have always complemented Grace's coloring," Marcus remarked absently, not looking at either of us.

A flash of irritation crossed Rebecca's face. She reached for her water glass, but her movement was too sudden, too deliberate. Her arm swept across the table, knocking her wine glass directly into my lap.

Red liquid bloomed across my cream silk dress like blood. I didn't flinch, even as the cold wetness seeped through to my skin.

"Oh!" Rebecca's hand flew to her mouth in mock horror. "How terribly clumsy of me! Or perhaps it was the placement. Grace should really be more careful about where she sits."

Eleanor's lips twitched in amusement. Marcus didn't even look up from his plate.

"No harm done," I said quietly, dabbing at the stain with my napkin. "Some things are simply irreplaceable, while others..." I let my gaze drift to Rebecca, "...are quite disposable."

The double meaning hung in the air for a moment before I excused myself to change.

---

Two days later, I found myself in the leather-scented exclusivity of the Manhattan Club, where Marcus and his circle conducted their "business meetings"—drinking aged scotch and congratulating each other on their brilliance.

"Grace insisted on joining us," Marcus explained to his friend Julian Croft as we settled into a private booth. "Something about wanting to understand more about the business."

"Always the dedicated wife," Julian smirked, his eyes lingering inappropriately on my neckline.

I smiled demurely, placing my handbag on the table, the recorder already running inside it. "I find it all fascinating."

Three drinks in, Marcus had forgotten my presence entirely, leaning toward Julian with the loose-lipped confidence of the privileged.

"It's like trading in a reliable sedan for a Ferrari," he laughed, swirling his scotch. "Grace served her purpose, but Rebecca—she's an upgrade in every way."

"And fertile as hell," Julian chuckled. "Triplets on the first try? That's some potent Hamilton DNA."

"Mother's thrilled," Marcus continued. "Says it's proof I made the right decision. The old model couldn't perform its basic function, so we found one that could."

I sat silently, my face a perfect mask of wifely patience, as my husband reduced our ten-year marriage to a vehicle transaction and my worth to my broken reproductive system.

"Doesn't it bother you having them both in the house?" Julian asked, glancing at me with uncomfortable awareness.

Marcus waved dismissively. "Grace knows her place. Always has. That's what made her a good wife, if not a complete one."

The recorder captured every word, every laugh, every moment of casual cruelty. And behind my placid smile, I added another floor to the tower of vengeance I was methodically constructing.

They saw only what they expected to see: a dutiful wife, accepting her humiliation with grace. They never thought to look deeper, to see the executioner sharpening her blade.

And that would be their final mistake.