Chapter 4

Cecily' s words hung in the air, a barbed insult. She continued, her gaze sweeping over Isabella with blatant approval. "Isabella, on the other hand, understands responsibility. She's nurturing the future of this family." Her tone was a thinly veiled jab at my own inability to conceive.

Then, she turned her full, icy attention to me. "Harper, it' s become clear that with Isabella's... delicate condition, and the necessity of her constant care, the main residence is simply not suitable for dual occupancy. It' s too large, too much commotion." She paused, letting her words sink in. "We've decided it would be best for Isabella to occupy the master suite. Permanently. The west wing, of course, is perfectly adequate for your needs."

My blood ran cold. The master suite. My home. My sanctuary.

Mrs. Gable, who was serving tea, gasped softly, nearly dropping a cup. "But Mrs. Logan, that's Madam Harper's... and Mr. Jensen's... home!"

Cecily shot her a withering look. "Mrs. Gable, that is enough. A Logan wife's primary duty is to provide an heir. Harper has unfortunately failed in that regard. Isabella has not. Therefore, Isabella's needs, and the needs of our future, take precedence."

Isabella, with a practiced sigh, reached for Jensen' s hand. "Oh, Cecily, please. I couldn't possibly. Harper must be so upset. I can manage in my old room, truly. It's just a little cramped for a growing family, but I'll make do." Her eyes, however, gleamed with triumph. Every word was a calculated dagger.

Just then, Isabella winced, clutching her stomach. "Oh! A little kick. You're so strong, my little one." This was her cue, her ultimate weapon.

Jensen, his face a mask of concern, immediately turned his attention to Isabella. He stroked her hair, then looked at me, his eyes hardening slightly. "Harper, look. This is important. Isabella needs space, tranquility. For the baby. It won't be forever. Just until the child is born, and Isabella is settled." He offered a placating smile, a hollow echo of the man I once loved. "You can have it back then. I promise."

My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. The humiliation was a raw, burning agony spreading through my chest. To be evicted from my own home, my own bed, for the woman my husband had betrayed me with.

But my face remained impassive. I simply nodded. "As you wish, Jensen." My voice was as dry and brittle as autumn leaves.

Jensen blinked, taken aback by my lack of protest. He had expected a fight, tears, an argument. My calm acceptance seemed to throw him off.

Isabella, sensing his momentary distraction, quickly interjected. "Oh, Jensen, the baby just kicked again! Feel!" She guided his hand to her stomach, her action possessive and deliberate. Jensen, his face softening, immediately focused on her, on the burgeoning life within. My existence, once again, had become an inconvenient afterthought.

I turned and walked away, my back ramrod straight. I went straight to my room, the west wing, the "adequate" space. Mrs. Gable followed me, her face a storm of indignation.

"Madam Harper, this is an outrage! They can't just throw you out of your own home!"

I turned to her, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on my lips. "Don't worry, Mrs. Gable. I won't be staying here for long." My words, though vague, held a chilling promise.

That evening, Jensen came to my new room. He looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight. "Harper, I'm sorry about this morning. It wasn't ideal." His apology was as flimsy as a spiderweb.

"Wasn't ideal?" I echoed, my voice soft, but each word a shard of ice. "You gave my heirloom to your mistress, moved her into my bed, and now you're apologizing because it 'wasn't ideal'?"

His face flushed crimson. "She's not my mistress, Harper! She's the mother of our heir! It's a duty!" His voice rose, tinged with a defensive anger. "You're being unreasonable. Immature. This is how the Logan family operates. You knew that."

"Did I?" I challenged gently. "Did I know that 'the Logan family operates' by discarding wives when a more fertile option appears? Did I know that my husband's 'duty' conveniently allowed him to sleep with his brother's widow?"

He slammed his fist against the doorframe, a hollow thump that reverberated through the quiet room. "It's temporary, Harper! All of it! Just for a little while. Once the baby is here, things will settle down. You'll see." His words were a desperate plea, but I heard only the hollow ringing of lies.

My heart was no longer breaking. It was simply... cold. Empty. There was nothing left for him to hurt.

In the weeks that followed, Isabella' s presence became a suffocating blanket over the entire mansion. She redecorated my master suite, chose new draperies, and even commissioned a portrait of herself and the unborn child to hang in the main hall. Jensen was her constant shadow, attending every doctor's appointment, every late-night craving. My interactions with Jensen dwindled to brief, awkward exchanges, his eyes always darting away, unable to meet mine. I was a ghost in my own house, a forgotten relic.

But I was not idle. While they celebrated their burgeoning family and their fabricated future, I was meticulously preparing for my own, very real, escape.