Chapter 1

The last thing I remembered was Chloe' s voice, cold and sharp, "She's just an obstacle, Ethan, her and that baby."

Then, darkness.

A searing pain, then nothing.

My baby, my life, gone because my husband, Ethan Harrison, wanted my stepsister, Chloe, more.

Chloe, who first turned him down flat, only to slither back when his star began to rise.

Now, I gasped, my eyes flying open.

Sunlight, too bright, streamed through a window.

I was in my bedroom in the Harrison estate, the silk sheets cool against my skin.

My hand flew to my stomach, flat in that other life, now... now there was a slight, almost imperceptible curve.

The doctor' s words from yesterday, no, from this morning, echoed in my mind, "Congratulations, Mrs. Harrison, you're pregnant."

This was the day. The very day.

I was back.

A cold, hard clarity settled over me, chasing away the dregs of phantom pain.

This time, things would be different.

This baby, my baby, would live.

And those who wronged me, they would pay.

Ethan. Chloe. My venomous stepmother, Eleanor. Even Brenda, my seemingly harmless assistant, who played her part in my child's demise in that other life.

My mind, once clouded by love and devotion, was now a razor.

Ethan would be ecstatic about the pregnancy, I knew. He needed an heir to solidify his position in the Harrison dynasty.

The intercom buzzed. Mrs. Peterson, the head housekeeper, her voice calm and steady.

"Mrs. Harrison, Mr. Harrison is asking if you're ready to see him. He has the doctor's confirmation."

"Send him in, Mrs. Peterson," I said, my voice smooth, betraying nothing of the storm inside me.

Ethan entered, all smiles and charm, the picture of a doting husband.

"Sarah, darling! The news is wonderful!"

He rushed to my side, taking my hands. His touch made my skin crawl.

I forced a weak smile. "I'm so happy, Ethan."

He beamed, "We need to tell everyone! Your family, my father!"

Mrs. Peterson, who had followed him in, nodded. "It's good news, Ma'am. Perhaps you'd like me to call your mother?"

My stepmother, Eleanor, and Chloe. The thought of their faces twisted my insides.

"Not yet, Mrs. Peterson," I said, feigning a delicate weariness. "I'm still a little overwhelmed. Let's keep it our secret for a little while, just us."

I squeezed Ethan's hand, "Our precious secret."

He melted. "Of course, my love. Whatever you wish."

He was so easily swayed.

Later, Mrs. Peterson respectfully suggested, "Perhaps you should inform your family soon, Ma'am. Your stepmother, Mrs. Eleanor, will want to know."

I smiled sweetly. "Thank you, Mrs. Peterson. I will, in due time."

My pregnancy was my shield now, my first weapon.

I needed to set the stage.

Brenda, Mrs. Peterson's niece, my personal assistant. In my past life, she' d been easily bought by Chloe, a small cog in their machine of cruelty.

I called for her.

"Brenda," I said, my voice soft, full of feigned concern when she arrived. "I'm feeling a bit tired with the pregnancy."

Her eyes, usually dull, flickered with something I couldn't quite place.

"Mr. Harrison has so many needs, and I worry I won't be able to... attend to him as I should during this delicate time."

I paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "You're so capable, Brenda. And he trusts you."

Brenda flushed slightly. "Ma'am?"

"I just want him to be comfortable," I said, looking away as if embarrassed. "Perhaps you could... see to his comfort more directly? Ensure he' s not lonely."

The bait was laid. Ethan, for all his ambition, was weak-willed, easily tempted by convenience and flattery.

Brenda, I knew, was ambitious in her own small way, and resentful of her aunt's long shadow.