Chapter 3

The "emergency" had worked. Hamilton arrived home a frantic mess, his tie askew, a sheen of sweat on his forehead. He burst through the door, calling my name, the picture of a worried husband. But I knew better. His panic wasn't for my well-being, but for the potential scandal of his wife collapsing on the eve of the election.

"Caroline! My God, darling, what happened?" He found me in the living room, curled on the sofa, a damp cloth on my forehead. I had meticulously rehearsed this scene. My face was pale, my movements slow.

"Just... a sudden wave of dizziness," I whispered, my voice weak. "Felt like the room was spinning. I think I'm better now. Just needed to lie down."

He rushed to my side, his hand immediately on my forehead, checking for a fever. His touch, once so comforting, now felt alien, cold. "You frightened me, love. You know how important your health is. Especially now." He smoothed my hair, his eyes scanning my face, searching for reassurance. Not a trace of genuine concern, only a carefully constructed performance.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, turning my face away slightly. "The stress of the campaign, I suppose. It's all getting to me." I let a tear escape, tracing a path down my cheek. A convincing performance.

He sighed, a long-suffering sound. "My poor, beautiful wife. Always sacrificing for me. For us. Let me get you some soup. You haven't eaten properly all day." He moved to the kitchen, his voice already lighter, the crisis, in his mind, averted.

I lay there, listening to the sounds of him in the kitchen, clanging pots and pans. The domestic scene, so outwardly normal, was a cruel parody of our life. He was a master illusionist, and I had been his most devoted audience. But the show was over. The stage was set for a different kind of performance.

A few minutes later, he returned, a tray in his hands: a bowl of chicken noodle soup, a glass of water, and a few crackers. "Here you go, my love. Something light. And then you need to rest." He sat on the edge of the coffee table, watching me, his eyes full of that practiced, empty affection.

"Thank you, Hamilton," I said, forcing a small smile. I took a spoonful of soup, the warm broth tasteless in my mouth. Every fiber of my being screamed to push it away, to throw it in his face, but I maintained my composure. The game wasn't over yet.

"Where's Bryanna?" I asked, my voice still weak. "I thought I heard her come in."

He stiffened almost imperceptibly. "Oh, yes. She's in her room. Studying, I imagine. Big test coming up soon." He cleared his throat. "I just checked on her. She's fine. Said she had a great day."

I nodded, pretending to believe him. "Good. I'm glad."

"Anyway," he said, standing up, "I should probably go finish up that call. Mayor Thompson was quite insistent. Don't want to seem unreliable, do we?" He smiled, that perfect, charming smile. "You rest, my dear. I'll be back down in a bit." He leaned down to kiss my forehead again, his lips brushing my skin. I held my breath until he was gone.

The moment his footsteps receded, I sat up, my heart pounding. He was going to call Kalie. I knew it. He would reassure her, tell her I was "fragile," "histrionic," anything to minimize my role and rush back to her.

I crept silently towards the master bedroom, my bare feet making no sound on the plush carpet. The door was ajar. I heard his voice, low and urgent. My breath hitched. He was on the phone.

"Kalie, darling, I'm so sorry. My wife had one of her episodes. You know how she gets. Drama queen. I had to rush back. You understand." His voice was laced with a patronizing tone that turned my stomach. "No, no, she's fine. Just seeking attention. Always has been. Don't worry, she's practically comatose now. I just needed to make an appearance. God, she's such a burden sometimes."

A new kind of coldness settled over me. He wasn't just betraying me; he was demeaning me, ridiculing me to his mistress. The wife who had built his career, managed his life, sacrificed her own ambitions for his. I was a "burden," a "drama queen."

Then I heard Bryanna's voice, chirpy and clear, from her bedroom down the hall. "Dad? Is Mom okay? What's going on?"

Hamilton's voice, now hushed, but still audible. "Just your mother being dramatic, sweetie. Don't worry about it. Go back to your studies."

"Oh," Bryanna's voice floated back, laced with a casual indifference that pierced me deeper than any knife. "Okay. Is Kalie still with you?"

My heart stopped. My blood ran cold. The air thickened around me. I leaned against the doorframe, my body rigid, every nerve ending screaming.

Hamilton hesitated for a moment. Then, his voice, smooth as silk, "No, sweetie. Kalie... she had to leave. Important campaign work, you know. She's invaluable. So much more efficient than... well, than some people." He paused, and I knew he was referring to me. He was praising his mistress to our daughter, disparaging me in the same breath.

"Oh, too bad," Bryanna said, a genuine note of disappointment in her voice. "She's so cool. And so smart. She actually gets you, Dad. Unlike... you know."

The unspoken words hung in the air: Unlike Mom.

A wave of nausea washed over me, stronger than any headache. My own daughter. My flesh and blood. Openly preferring his mistress to me, validating his betrayal. She didn't just know; she approved. She saw Kalie as "cool" and "smart," a better fit for her father, while I was the "drama queen," the "burden."

"She is, isn't she?" Hamilton chuckled, a self-satisfied sound. "Kalie understands vision. She understands ambition. She's a breath of fresh air. So much drive, so much potential."

"Totally," Bryanna agreed. "Mom's just... so stuck in the past. Always talking about 'integrity' and 'ethics.' Kalie says you have to be pragmatic to win. And she's right. Mom just doesn't get it anymore."

The words hit me like a barrage of stones, each one leaving a bruise on my soul. "Stuck in the past." "Doesn't get it anymore." My own values, the very principles I had instilled in her, were now dismissed as outdated, boring. Kalie, the homewrecker, was her new moral compass.

"She's too worried about appearances," Hamilton continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Always worried about what people will think. It stifles innovation. It stifles... us." He was actively turning our daughter against me, using Kalie as a tool to further alienate me.

"Yeah," Bryanna agreed, her voice full of teenage scorn. "Kalie says you need someone who truly believes in your vision, Dad. Someone who's not afraid to push boundaries. Someone who's not... well, you know." Her voice trailed off, but the implication was clear. Someone who wasn't me.

My throat tightened. I felt an unbearable pressure in my chest, as if my heart was being squeezed in a vice. The world spun again, but this time, it was from a different kind of pain. The pain of a mother, utterly betrayed by her child.

"You know, Dad," Bryanna continued, her voice thoughtful, "Kalie would make a great first lady. She's young, energetic, she connects with people. Much better than... you know."

The final blow. My daughter wanted his mistress to replace me, not just in his bed, but in our family, in my role. The world went silent, then roared back to life, a cacophony of sound. My head throbbed, my vision swam. I had to get out of there. I had to escape this suffocating, poisonous air.

I stumbled back, my foot catching on the carpet. A loud thud.

"Caroline?" Hamilton's voice, sharp with alarm.

My blood thrummed in my ears. I couldn't face them. Not now. Not like this. I had to maintain the charade. I had to be strong.

I forced myself to straighten up, rubbing my left temple as if the headache had returned with a vengeance. "Just a little dizzy again," I called out, my voice strained, but passable. "I think I need to lie down in my room for a bit. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Hamilton appeared in the doorway, his phone still in hand, his face a mask of concern. "Caroline, are you sure? Do you want me to call the doctor?" He moved towards me, his hand outstretched.

"No!" I snapped, the word escaping before I could rein it in. I immediately softened my tone. "No, I just... I need some quiet. I just need to rest. Please, Hamilton. Just... leave me be for a while."

He hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly, trying to gauge if this was a genuine health crisis or another "episode." But the campaign, his precious image, was paramount. He needed me well, or at least, appearing well.

"Alright, my dear," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "Whatever you need. Just rest. We have that big election-eve rally coming up in a few days. You'll need to be at your best. You're introducing me, remember? It's going to be a huge night." He smiled, that dazzling, empty politician's smile.

The election-eve rally. The words echoed in my mind, a chilling whisper. A massive, televised event. A stadium full of supporters. Millions watching at home. The perfect stage. The perfect moment.

I looked at him, truly looked at him, and forced a watery smile. "Of course," I said, my voice barely audible around the lump in my throat. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." I even let a few tears escape, allowing him to think they were tears of weakness, of fear. He looked relieved, a faint smile touching his lips, believing he had successfully navigated another of my "emotional outbursts."

He reached out, trying to pull me into a comforting embrace. I flinched internally, but held my ground. "Just tell me you'll be okay," he murmured, his breath warm on my hair.

"I will," I promised, my voice thick with unshed tears. "I just need a moment alone." I subtly shifted my weight, making it impossible for him to pull me closer without seeming aggressive. My body language, a carefully curated message of vulnerability, convinced him to back off.

"Of course," he said, stepping away. He walked back towards the other room, his footsteps light, confident. He thought he had won. He thought he had me placated, managed. He was so wrong.

I shut the bedroom door behind me, the click a sharp, final sound. I walked to the full-length mirror, staring at my reflection. My eyes, red-rimmed and swollen, met my own gaze. The woman staring back was no longer the loving wife, the doting mother. She was a stranger, stripped bare of all illusions. The pain was still there, but it was now overlaid with a cold, hard resolve. The tears stopped. My face hardened.

The election-eve rally. Yes. That was it. That was where I would burn his world to the ground. That was where I would reclaim my name, my dignity, my life. And I would do it with a smile.

A chilling calm settled over me. This wasn't just revenge. This was justice. And it would be televised.