Chapter 4 The Trap

The building was quieter by evening.

Most employees had gone home, leaving behind only the faint hum of the air conditioners and the muted clicking of cleaning staff down the hall

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I was still in my office, gathering files, when the door creaked open.

I didn't need to look up to know who it was.

The soft fragrance of Gwen's designer perfume gave her away before her voice even did.

"Still working late, Jenna?"

I looked up, slowly closing the file in front of me. "Gwen."

She leaned against the doorway, all casual charm and effortless poise. Her red heels gleamed beneath the warm light, her smile perfectly curved - but her eyes held nothing but disdain.

"It's surprising," she said, stepping inside. "You actually take this job seriously. I would've thought by now you'd be tired of pretending."

"Pretending?" I repeated quietly.

She walked closer, her tone almost teasing.

"Come on, Jenna. You can drop the act. We both know you don't belong here - not in this company, not in Elijah's life. You were just... a convenient cover."

Her words hit like tiny shards of glass, but I didn't flinch. Not this time.

I stacked the papers neatly, pretending not to notice her circling around my desk like a vulture.

"If you're here to gloat," I said softly, "you can save your breath. You've already done that in front of the whole board."

Gwen chuckled. "Oh, darling, that wasn't gloating. That was just a little reminder of how high above you I stand."

She reached out and picked up one of my sketches - a design draft I'd spent hours perfecting. Her eyes scanned it briefly before she dropped it carelessly back on the desk.

"Elijah asked me to look over the design proposals. I might make a few changes before he signs them."

My jaw tightened. "You're not part of the design team, Gwen."

"But Elijah trusts my judgment," she said sweetly. "Something you've failed to earn even after two years of marriage."

My pulse quickened, anger rippling through my veins. I wanted to scream, to throw something, to make her see what she was doing - but I didn't.

Instead, I met her gaze, calm and steady.

"You can have his attention, Gwen," I said quietly. "You always could. But what you'll never have is peace. Because no matter how many times you win, you'll still be jealous of what you can't destroy."

Her smile froze. For the first time, her confidence cracked - just slightly.

"Jealous?" she repeated, a small laugh escaping her lips. "Jealous of *you*?"

I didn't answer. I just stood up, gathering my bag.

"You hate me because you need me to exist," I whispered. "Without me, there's no one left to compete with."

Gwen's expression darkened, her voice lowering into a dangerous whisper.

"You think you've won something just because Elijah put a ring on your finger? Please. That ring was a transaction. You were the charity case - the pitiful substitute he needed when I wasn't available."

Her words burned.

For a moment, I froze - my hand tightening on my bag strap.

"You should've stayed hidden, Jenna. You had your quiet, pitiful life. You didn't need to step into ours."

She leaned closer, her perfume suffocating, her voice venom-sweet.

"You'll lose everything soon. Elijah's just playing his role. And when he's done, he'll come back to me. He always does."

I forced myself to breathe, to hold her gaze without breaking.

"If you're that certain," I said softly, "why are you here trying to convince me?"

That single line stopped her.

Her smile wavered - just enough for me to see the flash of insecurity beneath it.

For all her arrogance, Gwen hated one thing more than anything else: doubt.

I stepped around her calmly and reached for the door. "Good night, Gwen."

But just as I reached the handle, her voice sliced through the air.

"Does Elijah even know?"

I froze.

"Know what?" I asked quietly.

She tilted her head, smiling like a predator who had just scented blood.

"That you're pregnant."

My breath caught.

She laughed softly. "Oh, don't look so shocked. I have friends at the clinic. It wasn't hard to find out. Three heartbeats, isn't it?"

My fingers trembled on the door handle.

"How cruel of you, Jenna," she continued, voice low and mocking. "To trap a man who doesn't even want you - with children he'll never love."

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

"You don't know anything about love," I said hoarsely. "You only know how to take it."

Then I pushed the door open and walked out before she could see me break.

---

In the corridor, I pressed my back against the wall, trying to breathe.

My hands shook so hard I nearly dropped my bag.

She knew.

Gwen knew about the pregnancy - and if she knew, it was only a matter of time before Elijah did too.

But the way she said it... the delight in her voice...

I knew she wouldn't keep it quiet for long.

I clutched my stomach protectively, whispering through trembling lips,

"No one will hurt you. Not her, not him. I won't let them."

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside, wiping my tears before they could fall.

As the doors closed, my reflection stared back at me - pale, hollow-eyed, but still standing.

For the first time, I realized:

It wasn't love that kept me here anymore.

It was a war.

And I was done losing.