GraceI couldn’t guess what Tristin really meant by destroying Ethan this time. But in the days to come, I got to know the depth of his words and threats. First, an employee from the Calder Corporation became a whistleblower. He revealed the under-the-table deals that got Calders most of the contracts they bid for. Their stocks plummeted after the news aired. It didn’t stop there. Several people came forth, with accusations of workplace harassment the next day.On the third day, another executive decided to disclose that some of the material used in the construction of the Calder projects was of poor quality, which could become the reason for a building’s collapse under any minor straining condition. I watched new things on the news channel every day. Corruption charges, embezzlement charges, harassment charges, and so much more that I couldn’t even keep up with. Lawsuits after lawsuits, secrets after secrets…everything started drowning Ethan’s name. Whenever the reporters caugh
GraceI thought about telling Tristin but I couldn’t bring myself to approach him. Silently, I slipped out of his mansion and sat inside the car awaiting me. It felt unfamiliar.While we were pretending to be a happily married couple, Ethan never made the effort to bring me to these events. He used to ask me for formality and I always refused because I was not comfortable. That’s it. He never insisted or asked me why I was not comfortable going to these events. He never cared to know that the high society people called me a whore, schemer, or shameless sister. Despite everything I did to save my family’s reputation and Ethan’s special day, I became the villain in everyone’s eyes. Which sister takes her sister’s groom—people used to ask me. And I had no answer to this.Sighing, I got out of the car in front of the building where a famous designer’s boutique was. In the next few hours, I was forced into a sparkly silver dress, that clung to my skin and shimmered under the lights. My
Grace“ Ethan, I need to— ”“ Stay. ” Ethan holds on to my waist, nudging me in the direction of the influential men approaching him.He doesn't let me go, no matter what excuse I present or how I try to pull away from him. In the sea of irrelevant people, I find myself constantly searching for Tristin and when I locate him, I can not look at him for long. The web of search resets, pushing me to continue the same cycle of push and pull again.My heart is beating too fast and my hands are sweating, making me unable to hold still. “ Look at her. Isn’t she Lily’s sister? ” I hear a group of women talking from somewhere behind us.Ethan is engaged in a tense talk with the two expensively dressed men in front of us, while his arm remains around me, keeping me in place.“ Didn’t she recently report her sister for attempted murder? ”“ I bet she was jealous of her and thought Ethan would ditch her for Lily after all. ” Another one sneers.“ Lily is better in every sense. This bitch just pr
Grace“ Tristin, you need to listen to me. ” Instinctively, I leap behind him.He takes long strides, walking away with a predatory ease that makes my heart heavy.Before I can reach him, a hand closes around my wrist and pulls me back. I glance at the hand, and then the face of the man holding me back.Anger simmers beneath my skin, threatening to spill over. Desperate, I take my eyes off Ethan and look in the direction where Tristin disappeared.He didn’t even spare me a look. Not even once.“ Was it you? ” Ethan asks, his fingers digging in my flesh.I wince and jerk my hand free. “ I wish. But you are just too stupid to fight Tristin, Ethan. You should give up now. ”“ This is only the start. A little setback can not stop me, Grace. ” Ethan says, grabbing my wrist again.I grit my jaw, ready to retort but a familiar voice makes me halt. I move towards the railing, my wrist still clenched between Ethan’s hands.Lily stands on the stage, wearing a glittery black dress that highlights
GraceEthan doesn’t look shocked this time. He grits his jaw and looks back at me, his eyes raging.Suddenly, Ethan grabs my arms and pulls me towards him. Silence falls in the Hall, all eyes on us, waiting for this formidable man to take his revenge.“ What? ” I smirk. “ Do you not like your wife anymore? Do you want to kill me? ” “ Forget about it. ” Ethan hisses under his breath, his hold tightening over my arms.“ What?” I search his face.“ Forget about the divorce.” He whispers and pulls me closer. “ Even if you beg and cry— ”“ Ethan.” Lily screams.My brows lift as my gaze rises to Lily. She grabs the side of her head and faints close to the edge of the stage.Before she can drop from the height, Ethan crosses the distance between them and catches her in his arms. “ Lily. ” Concern reflects in his voice, and in the way he holds her body close to his chest.The silence breaks as people start whispering among themselves. “ Did you see that? ” “ Mr. Calder clearl
Grace“ You just never change. How many times has it been already? ” I murmur, attempting to get up but he hovers above me, pressing me down with his weight.“ I will never let you go. ” Ethan seethes, leaning in to press his lips to mine. I turn my head away and glance at the lamp placed on the side table. Ethan grips my chin harshly and makes me face him again. I hold my breath, staring into his half-lidded eyes. “ Your lover boy knows you are here with me. Josh caught his men spying on your whereabouts. ” His lips curl into a sinister smirk. “ what do you think about that? ”I blink, my hands going still by my side. My blank face makes Ethan frown.“ He doesn’t give a fuck if you sleep with me or what I do to you here. ” He hisses, grabbing my left wrist to pin it above my head. “ Why do you think I care about it? ” I sigh, finding it hard to panic.He is on top of me, drunk and furious, yet I find it hard to react. His Tristin talk doesn’t bother me either. Tristin probably re
GraceI sit on the floor silently and stare at the blood that still stains my hands. After the rush of emotions, everything has gone numb inside me again.“ They have asked us to make life difficult for you. ” Detective Marlo stands on the other side of the bars and reveals.“ Did Ethan’s family return from abroad? ” I wonder.“ They want you to suffer for hurting Mr. Calder. Eventually, they will bring some people inside and get them to torture you. ” He discloses, without answering my question.I nod. I expect nothing less from the Calder family. Ethan usually kept them out of the country because they were problematic but now that they are back, and Ethan is not conscious, they will do everything to make life hell for me.“ I didn’t expect you to be such a woman. Why did you do that Mr. Calder? ” He sighs.I don’t know why he came or why he is being so nosy. “ You could have run away instead of calling the police and ambulance for him. Mr. Calder’s people would have dealt with the
GraceI push myself to my feet, ready to defend myself until the end. The woman on the right lunges for me.I raise my arm in front of my face protectively. A gasp erupts from my mouth as the blade slashes across my wrist. The other two surround me and grab my arms. I thrash, trying to free myself but they have more strength than me.They pull my arms down, exposing my face to the one with the blade. I twist and turn, and watch as she shoots me a vicious look.The glint of the blade appears terrifying in the darkness. My throat dries as I direct my gaze to her face.She grabs my cheeks and squashes harshly. “ Now stay still, Bitch. You don’t want me to poke your eyes. ”I grit my jaw and shake my head, refusing to stop fighting. She grabs me harder and brings the blade closer to my face.Instinctively, I lift my leg and kick her in the stomach. She shrieks, stumbling a few steps back. “ You slut! ” The one holding me from the left smacks my head so hard that my vision blackens for a
Grace“ Wait— ” I hiss quickly, stepping closer to Tristin to squeeze some space for myself. “ Tell Mom to come here and—”Before I can finish, the door slams shut. I let out a scream of frustration just as Tristin’s arm wraps around my waist. A startled gasp escapes me as he lifts me off the floor and carries me to the bed easily. “ Tristin, put me down! ” I thrash against him, but his grip is unyielding.He presses me down onto the mattress and hoves above me, leaving me no room for escape. “ Do not act like I am holding you hostage… ” He mutters, his voice returning to the soft note he has reserved for me. “ We are just having a couple’s fight. ”Is he being serious?!I laugh bitterly. “ This is not a couple’s fight, Tristin. When Mom comes, I am leaving, and you will never see my face again. I will make sure of that. Never! ”His jaw tightens as I smirk. I think I have won. But then, in one swift motion, Tristin flips me onto my stomach and yanks my zipper down. My breath cat
GraceI sit stiffly in the wing chair, my arms crossed across my chest and my glare fixed on Tristin. He stands by the locked door, his back against the wall, looking calm—too calm. He has lost his mind. That is the only explanation for this whole thing. I scoff. He cannot stay here forever. That bitch is in the house, and sooner or later, he will have to leave. I tell myself that is why I am so composed right now—because I want to see how long he can keep this up. But deep down, I know the real reason.When I saw Serena here, a dark thought crept into my mind. Maybe another woman had given him a family. Maybe he did not need me anymore. And that thought nearly shattered my heart into pieces.Before I can dwell on it, my phone rings. I glance down, and a frown etches between my brows.Why didn’t I think about calling someone? I reach for my phone and see Talia’s name shining on the screen. Before I can answer the call, Tristin’s shadow looms over me. Not even giving me the chanc
TristinI watch as Grace pushes against my chest, forcing distance between us. The fire in her eyes is like nothing I have ever seen before—not directed at me. Not like this.Her words echo through my head. ‘ We are done here. I am leaving. And you can't stop me. ’I can’t breathe.She turns away from me and grabs her packed suitcase. I want to say so much more, but no words come out of my mouth.She leaves me standing there and moves toward the door without hesitation. I should let her go. I should step back and give her space. I should fix this in a way that doesn’t involve desperate measures.But right now…This doesn’t feel like something that can be handled by giving her space. She looks like if she leaves, she won’t return and will never talk to me again. Panic surges through me like wildfire. My body moves on its own, faster than my mind can process, and before she can even reach the handle, I slam the door shut.Click.The sound of the lock twisting into place is deafening.
GraceI finish packing Sebastian’s things and glance at the bed, my chest tightening when I see him curled up. He fell asleep when he saw me packing for too long. His tiny fingers clutch the edge of the blanket, his breathing soft and even. He looks so peaceful. For a moment, my heart wavers. He loves his Daddy so much. How will he live away from him? I walk towards him and press a gentle kiss to his forehead, lingering for a second longer than intended.If we stay, my son will get more hurt when he realizes he has a brother who shares the same name with him.I straighten up and call the nanny over. She comes rushing and stands by my side. “ Stay with him… ” I say, my voice quieter than usual. “ Don’t leave him alone until I come back. ”She nods, and I force myself to walk away.When I reach my room, I head straight to the walk-in closet and pull out my suitcases. This time, I pack my own things. My fingers move automatically, folding clothes and stuffing them into the bag. I fe
Grace“ Whose child is that? ” I question.An eerie silence falls in the space. Looks are exchanged. Heavy breaths are released.The question must be too hard to answer even if it is so clear. I look into the child’s blue eyes and don’t look away. He stays rigid on his spot, never wavering, even under my penetrating gaze. “ What is your name? ” I find myself asking when the silence stretches for too long.A frown forms between the child’s brows, and he replies without hesitation. “ Sebastian. ”My breath hitches, my chest tightening as if the air has thickened around me. My fingers tremble slightly at my sides, and I curl them into fists to stop the shaking.Sebastian. My son’s name. A dizzying wave of nausea rolls over me, tightening its grip on my lungs. I can barely breathe.I swallow hard, my throat dry, and my heart pounding in my chest.“ Sebastian… ” I whisper, the name foreign on my tongue even though I have said it a thousand times before.The boy tilts his head slightly,
GraceTristin underestimates my understanding of him.I know when he is lying. And when he said that ‘no’, he was clearly, desperately trying to make me believe that there is nothing he is hiding from me. But everything I wanted to know was written right on his face.The question is…Will I ask him that question again? No. I gave him a chance. He didn’t take it.Now, I need to find out everything in my own way. As he tells me that we will go home together and that he just has one meeting to attend, I nod and tell him that I will wait for him.After he leaves, I take out my phone and see the contact information Talia has sent to me—the private detective.Her Aunt has already told the detective about me. So, I click a picture of Serena from the photographs and sent it to him with her name.A message appears on the screen, asking me about what kind of information I seek.I stare at the screen for a moment. What do I want to know? Her connection with Ethan or why Tristin looks so uncomfo
Tristin“ Leave, Luca. Do what I said. I want them gone. Tonight. ” I tell Luca while keeping my eyes on her.“ Yes, Boss. ” Luca hurries out and moves past her.Grace walks inside once he has left and closes the door behind her. I straighten up, my gaze flickering to her fingers that are turning white around the envelope she is gripping too tight.“ What is this? ” Grace’s voice stays low as she comes to stand on the spot where Luca sat moments ago.“ What? ” I blink calmly.Her hands shake as she rips the envelope open and takes out some pictures. Before I can open my mouth, she throws the pictures towards me.They fly across the space and hit my chest before dropping on the desk. Instinctively, my hands clench into fists, and my jaw grits. She is rightfully angry—I reason with myself. But a voice inside me keeps whispering…I have seen her in a more compromising position. But I have not reacted this way. I look down at the pictures. Just like I thought…That bitch kneeled between
TristinHe must have sent her something by now. I rotate the phone in my hand, watching the blank screen. Luca sits on the other side of the desk, watching me closely.“ Boss, you should have explained everything to her. ” He suggests.I lean back and drop the phone on the desk. I have been waiting for her to call me and ask if I have slept with Serena.But Grace has not done that. Now I think she will come here personally, to confront me. In about an hour or so. Luca is right. I should have explained everything to her. But what do I tell? Do I say…Oh Grace, you know what? We have a new family now and you can just accept them. Or maybe she will readily accept everything even if I do not want to.I am…a selfish bastard, and the only people I care about in this world are my mother, sister, my wife, son, and my friend sitting from across me.The rest of the people…They can burn for all I care.It has always been this way.That’s why…I don’t know how to handle this sudden slap in th
GraceA woman should never ignore her intuitions.When something feels wrong…She should believe that something is wrong instead of trying to find reasons to prove that nothing is wrong.Because when you try so hard to prove nothing is wrong, and it turns out to be a mistake, it hurts more.I stare at the three pictures on my desk. In the first one, Serena is kneeling between Tristin’s legs, holding onto his knees In the second, she is hugging him from behind.In the third, she is on her toes, her hands over his coat, and her lips so close to his. Why did he smell like her so thoroughly? It was because she was all over him. It was because…he was doing things he shouldn’t have done with her. I grip the edge of the desk, my fingers digging into the wood, the unease in my chest tightening with every second I spend staring at those pictures. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be looking at these images, shouldn’t be letting my mind spiral like this.But I can’t help it. Every inch of