Chapter 3

The penthouse, Chloe's laughter, Ethan's cruel words, they echoed in Sarah's mind.

Her family, their businesses "neutralized," he'd said it so casually, like swatting a fly.

It wasn't just financial ruin, it was a calculated destruction, a message to her.

Chloe's voice, dripping with malice, "She's broken, just as planned."

Sarah had seen Ethan's portraits of Chloe, the intimacy, the obsession, it was a brutal confirmation of his lies.

The "renovations" to their estate, the ones he claimed were for Sarah after the first Chloe incident, were a lie, a cover to build this secret access, this shrine to his betrayal.

Every grand gesture, every loving word from the past five years, now replayed in her mind, twisted, ugly, a meticulously crafted deception.

Maria wheeled Sarah back to her wing, her face a mask of controlled fury.

"That monster," Maria whispered, "he will pay, Sarah, I swear it."

Sarah nodded, her gaze fixed on the small, locked box where she kept her notes for Ms. Albright.

"He will, Maria," Sarah said, her voice surprisingly calm, "but we do it my way, piece by piece."

She thought of Ms. Albright, the discreet, retired lawyer, her quiet guidance, the slow, methodical gathering of evidence.

The Lexington Dossier, it was her only path to justice, to freedom.

She had to be patient, she had to be smart.

Ethan returned to their wing later that night, the scent of Chloe's perfume clinging to him, a faint, cloying sweetness.

He tried to kiss her, feigning affection, but Sarah turned her head, a slight, almost imperceptible movement.

"Tired," she murmured, closing her eyes.

He didn't press, probably relieved.

He would occasionally ask, a casual tone, "What are you always writing, Sarah? A diary?"

She would smile faintly, "Just thoughts, Ethan, just trying to make sense of things."

He never pushed, too arrogant to imagine she could be plotting against him.

The next phase of Ethan's plan began, the public integration of Chloe and Jett.

"Sarah," he said one morning, his tone serious, "Gold Enterprises needs a clear line of succession, for stability, for the future."

He paused, looking at her with feigned sympathy.

"With your... condition... and Jett being my son, it's time the world knew, I need you to accept Chloe and Jett, publicly."

Sarah looked at him, his manipulative eyes, understanding the veiled threat, if she refused, he would paint her as bitter, unstable.

Her internal scorn was a burning fire, but her face remained calm.

"Of course, Ethan," she said, her voice even, "for the good of the company."

He looked relieved, "I knew you'd understand, Sarah, you always were practical."

Practical, yes, she was very practical.

The company gala was the chosen stage for this public humiliation.

Eleanor Gold, Ethan's mother, was there, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

She had always despised Sarah, seeing her as "new money," too career-focused, not deferential enough.

Now, with Sarah broken and Chloe providing the Gold family heir, Eleanor was in her element.

She fawned over Chloe, holding Jett like a precious trophy, her voice loud, carrying across the room.

"Such a beautiful boy, Chloe, a true Gold, and you, my dear, you are a blessing."

Eleanor then turned to Sarah, her smile a cruel slash.

"Sarah, dear, you're looking... pale, perhaps the excitement is too much for you."

Chloe, standing beside Eleanor, gave Sarah a look of pitying condescension.

Ethan stood by, saying nothing, watching his mother publicly slight his wife, the woman who had co-founded his empire.

Then came the gifts.

Ethan presented Chloe with a significant block of company shares, "A token of my appreciation, Chloe, for giving me a son, an heir."

The crowd murmured, this was a huge gesture.

Then, a brand new, custom luxury car, Chloe's favorite color, a model she had idly mentioned wanting.

Ethan had never made such public, extravagant gestures for Sarah, not even in the early days of their success.

His gifts to Sarah had always been private, almost perfunctory.

Chloe beamed, "Oh, Ethan, it's too much, will Sarah be angry? These are things a wife usually receives."

A direct, public taunt.

Ethan looked momentarily awkward, "Sarah understands, Chloe, this is for the future of Gold Enterprises."

Sarah watched, her heart a block of ice, remembering all the times she had needed his support, his attention, and received so little.

He had dismissed her lost child so easily, now Jett was the "future," her baby, a "wasted" potential.

Chloe then feigned a slight dizziness, "Oh, I feel a little faint, the excitement."

Ethan immediately rushed to her side, "Let me take you somewhere quiet, my dear."

He swept Chloe and Jett away, leaving Sarah alone in her wheelchair, the eyes of the crowd on her, a mixture of pity and scorn.

Eleanor Gold walked past, pausing to deliver a final blow.

"You see, Sarah," she hissed, "you are useless now, a cripple who couldn't even keep her husband or produce an heir, you should just disappear."