Chapter 2

Brenda didn't take long to succumb.

Ethan, after a few token protests about my "delicate condition," readily accepted Brenda as a companion.

He probably thought he was being discreet.

Mrs. Peterson, Brenda's aunt, came to me, her face a mask of gratitude.

"Thank you, Mrs. Harrison, for thinking of Brenda's future, for giving her such an opportunity with Mr. Harrison."

I knew she saw it as a step up for her niece, a way for Brenda to secure a better position, perhaps even a small settlement later. She didn't see the strings I was pulling.

"Brenda is a good girl, Mrs. Peterson," I said, patting her hand. "She deserves some happiness."

But Ethan's attention span was notoriously short. Brenda was a temporary diversion, not a solution.

I needed more chaos, more distraction before Chloe made her grand entrance.

Tiffany.

A social media influencer, more accurately a high-class escort, known for her dazzling looks and opportunistic nature. She was exactly the kind of shiny object Ethan couldn't resist.

I arranged a "chance" encounter at a charity auction Ethan was obligated to attend.

Tiffany, briefed and well-compensated by me, played her part perfectly.

She was vivacious, a little wild, and completely different from the demure image I projected, or the quiet subservience of Brenda.

Ethan was, predictably, hooked.

He started seeing Tiffany, showering her with gifts, taking her to private dinners.

Brenda, I heard, was becoming sulky. Good.

The Harrison household was buzzing with hushed whispers about Ethan's new "friend."

Perfect.

Just as things were simmering nicely, the inevitable happened.

My stepmother, Eleanor, arrived, unannounced, with Chloe in tow.

Eleanor stormed into my private sitting room, her face a mask of outrage.

"Sarah! What is the meaning of this? We hear Ethan is running around with some... some floozy! And another one in the house! While you're pregnant!"

She always favored Chloe, her biological daughter from my father's more prestigious second marriage. I was just an inconvenient reminder of his first, less advantageous match.

"And you didn't even have the decency to tell us about the pregnancy yourself! We had to hear it through the grapevine!" Eleanor spat, her eyes glaring at me.

I remained calm, sipping my herbal tea. "Stepmother, it's lovely to see you. And Chloe, you're here too."

Chloe stood behind Eleanor, the picture of demure concern, but her eyes held a predatory glint I knew all too well.

"I was so worried, Sarah," Chloe said, her voice like honey. "I brought you some special health supplements, for the baby."

Supplements. I almost laughed. In my first life, her "supplements" had been anything but healthy for me or my child.

Eleanor continued her tirade, "You've become arrogant, Sarah, living in this big house. Forgetting your place!"

I simply smiled. "I'm merely trying to rest, for the baby's sake."

As Eleanor was still railing, a commotion started outside. A security guard appeared at the door, looking flustered.

"Mrs. Harrison, we found a woman in the kitchens. She was acting suspiciously, said she was looking for Miss Chloe."

Eleanor whirled around. "What? Chloe is right here!"

Then, another guard half-dragged a disheveled figure into the room.

It was Chloe.

Or rather, a very different Chloe from the composed one standing beside Eleanor. This Chloe's hair was a mess, her dress slightly torn, and she looked like she' d been rummaging through garbage bins.

Eleanor gasped. "Chloe! What happened to you?"

The first Chloe, the one who had been standing there, simply vanished. It was a trick of the light, a momentary confusion, or perhaps my mind playing games, superimposing the memory of her past malice.

No, this disheveled Chloe was the only one present now.

"I... I got lost," the disheveled Chloe stammered, tears welling in her eyes. "I was trying to find the kitchen to prepare Sarah's supplements, and I must have taken a wrong turn in this enormous house. The staff were so rude."

Eleanor erupted. "Sarah! How dare you allow your staff to mistreat my daughter! She was only trying to help you!"

Chloe looked up, her eyes wide and innocent, a damsel in distress.

Right on cue, Ethan walked in, drawn by the noise.

"What's all this shouting?" he asked, annoyed.

Then his eyes landed on Chloe.

The disheveled, tearful, vulnerable Chloe.

His irritation vanished, replaced by a look of utter captivation.

I saw it, the exact moment he was ensnared, just like the first time.

A cold smile touched my lips, unseen by the others.

The game was truly beginning.