Chapter 3

Chloe pulled out the chair beside her and waved me over with a smile. "Grace, come sit with me. Ethan picked the whole menu around my favorites. See if there's anything you like."

Nearly everything on the table was raw or chilled seafood.

Ever since I'd gotten pregnant, my stomach had been unpredictable. Even the smell of seafood was enough to make me nauseous.

I asked the server if I could have a bowl of plain chicken soup instead.

Ethan overheard and frowned. "It's a set menu. Don't make things difficult for the kitchen at the last minute."

He'd barely finished speaking when Chloe took a bite of her steak and frowned. "This is a little overdone."

Ethan called the manager over. "Have them make another one. Her stomach is sensitive. Make sure the steak is tender."

The manager apologized repeatedly before whisking the plate away.

I looked down at the untouched silverware in front of me and almost wanted to laugh.

I'd spent an entire day going through prenatal tests and couldn't even ask Ethan for a few words of sympathy without him assuming I was after his money.

Chloe's steak was slightly overcooked, and he couldn't bear to let her take another bite.

It wasn't long before the smell of seafood became too much. I barely made it to the restroom before I threw up. By the time there was nothing left in my stomach, I had to brace myself against the wall just to make it back to the room.

Ethan didn't ask if I was okay.

He only glanced at the time. "You're pregnant, Grace. You're not made of glass. We have important business partners here today. Don't make a scene over something as simple as lunch."

Chloe quickly jumped in on my behalf. "Grace isn't like me. She's always been so independent. I think she's just not used to having anyone take care of her. I've been spoiled my whole life. The second I don't feel well, all I want is you by my side."

Halfway through lunch, the lights in the room suddenly dimmed. A presentation for the company's international renewable energy expansion began playing across the screen.

The moment the first set of figures appeared, my fingers curled tightly beneath the table.

I'd spent an entire year building that project.

Even after I got pregnant, I'd pushed through morning sickness and traveled to four different cities to secure the overseas distribution partnership that made the entire expansion possible.

Every chart in that presentation, every projection, and every last number had passed through my hands. I'd spent countless nights checking and rechecking them until I knew the proposal inside out.

Then, the presentation ended. One final slide appeared on the screen.

"Project Lead: Chloe Hart."

I stared at her name.

The project I'd spent a year building now belonged to her.

Ethan rose to his feet and announced in front of the entire room. "Given Grace's pregnancy, it's best for her to step away from work and focus on herself and the baby. Effective today, Chloe will be taking over the project."

Applause broke out around the room.

Everyone turned to congratulate Chloe.

Not one person had bothered to ask whether I had agreed to give up my project in the first place.

I stood and looked straight at Ethan. "Who said I was stepping away? I built this project from the ground up. I took it from the initial proposal all the way to execution. She hasn't even seen the underlying data. What makes her qualified to take my place?"

Ethan slid a project reassignment agreement across the table toward me.

"Chloe needs this opportunity to get back on her feet. You're only taking some time off. Once the baby's born, you can always come back and start again."

I stared at him. "And what if there is no baby?"

Ethan's face darkened. "Our child isn't some bargaining chip you get to use because you're jealous of Chloe. You never stop talking about how independent you are, but now you can't even bring yourself to step aside and give someone else one opportunity."

I almost laughed.

"So, that's what being independent means? I do all the work, and then I'm supposed to hand it over to someone else?"

Whatever patience Ethan had left finally snapped. "Don't give yourself that much credit. This project happened because of Mercer Group's money and connections. Not because you're some irreplaceable genius.

"Take away the Mercer name and your identity of Mrs. Mercer, and do you really think any of those partners would have given your proposal a second glance?"

The entire room fell silent.

I stared at the man in front of me and suddenly remembered the early days, when Ethan had been struggling to get his company off the ground.

I'd spent two straight weeks surviving on three or four hours of sleep a night just to help him secure his first major investor.

Back then, Ethan had held my hand and told me, "I wouldn't be here without you."

Now he had everything he'd ever wanted.

Somehow, every sacrifice I'd made along the way had been rewritten as a favor I'd only received because I was Mrs. Mercer.

He was so afraid I might want his money.

Yet he was the one who'd taken away my project and cut off the very thing that allowed me to earn my own.

Then, he'd had the nerve to tell me, as if it settled everything, that he could afford to support me.

I stopped arguing.

I simply picked up the pen and signed my name at the bottom of the agreement.

Relief immediately broke across Ethan's face. "See? That's the right decision. I'll go with you to your prenatal appointment tomorrow. As far as the project is concerned, this is over."

I set the pen back on the table and walked away.

The applause started again before I'd even made it out of the room.

Through the narrowing gap between the doors, I saw Ethan personally pin the project lead badge to Chloe's dress.

For an entire year, I'd sacrificed sleep, traveled while sick, and poured everything I had into making that project a success.

In the end, all I'd gotten for it was a view from the doorway as Ethan and Chloe stood side by side beneath the lights, accepting everyone else's congratulations.