Chapter 3

The next evening, the lock on her door clicked open. A maid stood in the hallway, her face completely blank.

"Dinner is served, ma'am," the maid said coldly. She tossed a high-necked, long-sleeved silk dress onto the bed. "Mrs. Zimmerman suggests you cover your... marks."

Estrella stared at the dress. She didn't cry. She stripped off her ruined clothes and pulled the silk over her head. She pinned her hair up tightly, pulling her features into a mask of absolute indifference.

She walked down the grand staircase. The dining room was brightly lit, the long mahogany table covered in expensive French cuisine and crystal champagne flutes.

The sound of laughter and clinking glasses died the second she stepped into the room.

Hebert sat at the head of the table in a tailored suit. He looked at her with a sickeningly benevolent smile.

"Sit down, Estrella," Hebert said, gesturing to the chair furthest from him. "We decided to let you join us tonight. For the sake of appearances."

Estrella pulled out the chair and sat. She didn't touch her napkin. She just stared at the people around the table.

Judith raised her glass, her diamonds catching the chandelier light. "Let us toast to Hebert. His nomination for senior partner is officially secured."

Howard raised his glass in agreement. "To my son. A man who endures personal tragedy with grace and continues to build our legacy."

They were rewriting reality right in front of her. They were turning Hebert into a martyr.

Estrella's fingers gripped the heavy silver fork beside her plate. The metal dug into her skin.

Julian sat next to Hebert, cutting a piece of rare steak. He looked up at Estrella, a nasty grin on his face. He picked up a piece of bloody, fatty meat with his fingers and threw it across the table.

It landed with a wet slap on Estrella's plate. Drops of red juice splattered onto her clean silk dress.

"Eat up," Julian sneered. "Trash deserves trash."

Judith didn't scold him. She covered her mouth and let out a sharp, cruel laugh. "The boy has spirit. He knows how to defend his father."

Hebert cleared his throat softly. "Julian, mind your manners," he said, though his eyes were crinkling with amusement.

Estrella looked at Julian. This was the boy she had stayed awake with for three nights straight when his asthma flared up. This was the boy she had stood in the freezing rain for, waiting to secure an appointment with the best pediatric pulmonologist in New York.

Every ounce of love she had ever felt for this family died right there at the dinner table.

Estrella slowly placed her fork down. The sharp clink of silver against porcelain echoed loudly.

She lifted her chin and met Judith's eyes. Her gaze was so empty, so devoid of human warmth, that Judith's smile faltered.

"What are you glaring at?" Judith snapped, slamming her hand on the table.

Estrella didn't answer. She picked up her water glass, took a slow sip, and set it down.

Then, she laughed. It wasn't a hysterical laugh. It was a soft, dark chuckle that made the hair on the back of Hebert's neck stand up.

"Go back to your room," Hebert ordered, his voice losing its fake gentleness.

Estrella stood up. She picked up her linen napkin and dropped it casually over the bloody piece of meat on her plate.

She looked down the length of the table, her eyes locking onto Hebert's.

"Congratulations on your promotion, my dear husband," Estrella said softly. "I hope it was worth the price."

She turned and walked out of the dining room, her spine perfectly straight, leaving a heavy, suffocating silence in her wake.