9: The Guest of Honor

Hannah's POV:

I didn't turn around when the front door opened.

I sat at the head of the long dining table, slowly moving a glass of red wine in a circle. The house was quiet until the sound of heavy suitcases hit the floor in the hallway. I wasn't wearing that old, pilled grey sweater Daniel loved so much. I had on a black silk dress that felt like ice against my skin. It was the kind of dress a woman wears when she’s about to fire someone, not the kind she wears to bed.

"Daniel? Why is it so dark in here? Did she forget how to turn on the lights again?"

Grace’s voice was too sweet. It was that fake, high tone she used to act like she was a saint for helping her "sick" cousin. She didn't see me yet. She probably thought I was upstairs, knocked out by the pills Daniel usually made me take before bed.

"Hannah is... she’s in the dining room, Grace," Daniel said. His voice sounded like he’d been screaming into a pillow for an hour. He sounded empty.

I heard the sound of Grace’s heels on the floor. She came around the corner, holding Samuel’s hand. Samuel was three now, with messy brown hair and eyes that looked exactly like Daniel’s. Grace looked like she was posing for a family photo. When she saw me sitting there...wide awake and looking like a million dollars...her smile slipped. Just for a second.

"Hannah! Oh, look at you, you’re up!" Grace said, acting like she lived here. "Daniel told me you were having a really bad time. We were so worried. That’s why we moved in, honey. To take care of things so you can just... rest."

She reached out to touch my hair. I didn't move, but I looked at her with eyes that were cold and flat. She pulled her hand back like I’d burned her. She knew I had caught them together in that bedroom. She knew I had seen every ugly inch of their betrayal, but she still had the nerve to try and play the worried cousin.

"I’ve done enough resting, Grace," I said. My voice was steady. "And you brought a lot of bags. It looks like you’re planning to stay for a long time."

"Well, Daniel and I talked," Grace said, looking at Daniel. He was standing in the doorway looking like he wanted to crawl into a hole. "With the boy and your... health... it just made sense. We’re going to help you get the house back in order."

Suddenly, Samuel let go of her hand. "Auntie Hannah!"

The little boy ran to me and threw his arms around my legs. I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I had helped raise him. I had changed his diapers and read him stories, all while Daniel was telling me he was just my "nephew." I put my hand on his head, my fingers moving through his soft hair. He was innocent in all this, but he was also a walking reminder of the lie I’d lived for three years.

"How thoughtful," I said, looking over Samuel’s head at Grace. "Daniel, don't just stand there. Grace must be tired. Take their bags to the guest room at the end of the hall. The one by the laundry room."

Grace’s face went stiff. "The guest room? But Daniel said we’d be in the master suite. He said it would be easier for the boy."

"The master suite is mine, Grace," I said. I didn't raise my voice. I didn't have to. "I think Daniel just got confused. He’s been very forgetful lately. Right, Daniel?"

Daniel’s face was white. He looked at me, then at Grace. He remembered what Alexander Mercer told him in that office. He knew I could end his career with one phone call.

"The guest room is fine, Grace," Daniel said, his voice very low.

Grace stared at him. Her eyes were wide. "Daniel? What are you saying? You said this was going to be our home! You said she wouldn't even know what was happening!"

"I know exactly what’s happening," I said. I stood up, and Samuel let go of my legs to go back to his toys. I walked right up to Grace. She smelled like my favorite perfume...the one she’d stolen from my vanity. "I see everything now, Grace. Especially that diamond bracelet. Daniel, did you tell her the company is looking into your spending tomorrow morning?"

Grace pulled her arm back, her face turning red with anger. "What is she talking about, Daniel?"

"Nothing," Daniel snapped. He grabbed the bags. "Just get the kid settled. I’ll be in there in a minute."

He ran out of the room like a coward. Grace dropped the act the moment he was gone. Her eyes turned mean and sharp.

"You think you’re so big because you’re having one good day," Grace said, stepping closer to me. "But Daniel loves me. He’s loved me since before you two even got married. You’re just a placeholder, Hannah. A boring, sick placeholder."

I didn't get mad. I just smiled. It made her look nervous. "If I’m just a placeholder, Grace, why is he in the kitchen right now making me dinner while you stand here holding a diaper bag?"

I leaned in so close I could see the makeup sinking into her skin. "He’s terrified of me. And you should be too."

I walked past her and went into the kitchen. Daniel was at the stove, staring at a pot of water like he’d forgotten how to cook.

"I want the truffle pasta, Daniel," I said. "And use the real cheese. Not the cheap stuff."

"Hannah, please," he whispered. "Grace is upset. She didn't think it would be like this."

"She didn't think I’d be the one in charge?" I asked. "Well, she’s wrong about a lot of things. Now, get moving. I'm hungry."

For the next twenty minutes, I sat at the table and watched my husband serve me. Grace sat across from me, her face was tight with rage. She wanted Daniel to sit by her and hold her hand. She wanted to show me she was the new queen of the house.

Instead, Daniel stood by the counter like a waiter, watching me take the first bite.

"It’s a little salty, Daniel," I said. I pushed the plate away. "Grace, you’re his fiancé. Why don't you fix it for him? I’d hate for your first night as my guest to be a total mess."

Grace looked at the food, then at Daniel. She was finally realizing that moving in wasn't a victory. It was a trap.

"I'm not your servant," Grace said.

"No," I agreed, standing up. I smoothed out my dress. "You're just a guest. And guests should be careful how they talk to the person who owns the house."

I started walking toward the stairs. I felt strong. I felt like I was finally winning. But when I got to the bottom step, Grace’s voice stopped me.

"You're real brave now that you have Alexander Mercer protecting you," she yelled, her voice was shaking. "But what happens when he finds out what you did three years ago? What happens when he finds out you're the reason your father lost everything and went to jail?"

I stopped. My blood felt like it turned to ice.

"What did you just say?" I turned around slowly.

Grace had a nasty look on her face. She saw she’d finally hit a nerve. "Oh, did you think Daniel was the only one with secrets? I know what you told the police back then. Does Alexander know he’s helping a woman who

betrayed her own father to save herself?"