Chapter 3

The next morning, I pushed open my bedroom door and froze.

Mavis was wearing my pajamas and slippers, sitting comfortably at my vanity as she browsed through my jewelry. She looked perfectly at home, as if the place belonged to her.

Susan had personally decorated Mavis's room, while Clement had even taken down the painting I'd treasured for years and replaced it with a portrait of her.

"Mavis, this is my house," I said through gritted teeth.

She turned to me with a sweet smile. "Carter said this is my home, too. You don't mind, do you?"

She opened the jewelry box and took out a vintage bracelet. It was the only keepsake my biological mother had left me.

"I need something to wear for tonight's gala. Do you mind if I borrow this?"

"Put it down!"

I rushed forward to snatch it from her, but she quickly stepped aside. My foot slipped, and I crashed to the floor.

A sharp, tearing pain shot through my lower abdomen. I curled up, cold sweat soaking my back as I struggled to breathe through the agony.

By the time it was time to leave for the gala, my face was deathly pale, and I could barely stand.

"Carter, I'm not feeling well. Can I stay home and rest tonight?"

Before I could finish, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of bed.

"You're the hostess. What will people think if you don't show up?"

At the gala, Carter kept Mavis on his arm the entire evening. The two of them stood side by side, accepting congratulations as though they were a real couple.

Everyone praised Mavis for finally stepping out of the shadows, calling it a miracle. Meanwhile, I huddled alone in a dark corner, shivering as I held a hand over my aching abdomen.

Mavis approached me, wearing my mother's bracelet. As she passed a waiter, she suddenly veered sideways and bumped into his tray.

The next moment, a large bowl of scalding broth spilled all over me. Searing pain engulfed my legs and abdomen. I screamed and collapsed to the floor, black spots dancing before my eyes.

Mavis let out a sharp gasp and stumbled backward. Her wrist, with the bracelet still on it, struck the sharp edge of a table.

A crisp snap cut through the air. My heart lurched as the bracelet broke into several pieces and scattered across the floor.

Tears immediately filled Mavis's eyes.

"Eliza, even if you hate me, you didn't have to push me on purpose. Carter gave me this bracelet. I couldn't even bear to take it off!"

Carter rushed over and pulled her into his arms.

"That's not true!" I screamed through the pain. "That bracelet was the only thing my mother ever left me!"

For a fleeting moment, I saw a trace of distress in Carter's eyes. But the instant Mavis whimpered, he scooped her into his arms without a second thought.

"Mavis can't handle any more stress right now," he said. "I have to take care of her first. Find a medic and get some ointment for yourself."

I looked down at the blood spreading beneath the hem of my dress and suddenly burst out laughing, tears streaming down my face.

Carter didn't stop or look back once.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and called Henry.

"Please... save my baby..."

The phone slipped from my fingers.

Blood mingled with the broth, soaking through my dress and spreading into a bright red pool beneath me.