Chapter 3

The living room was blazing with light, the dining table crowded with dishes.

Steamed sea bass, braised pork ribs, poached jumbo shrimp, rich chicken soup.

Every dish I'd told Violet to buy so we could welcome my parents was sitting right there on the table, not one of them missing.

And in the seat of honor at the head, Violet's daughter Mary Fox sat wearing my silk robe, tearing into that spread like she owned it.

Fred had ordered that robe for me last year at Paris Fashion Week, a limited run of three in the entire world, and I'd never even brought myself to wear it.

Now it was on Mary, smeared with grease.

Violet was still carrying more dishes to the table.

"Mary, hurry, try this tonic broth. Mr. Henson paid a fortune for it to build Monica's strength back up. I could never bring myself to make it on a normal day."

"You've been working so hard lately with all the overtime. Eat up, get your strength back."

The words were barely out of her mouth when Violet looked up on instinct, toward the doorway.

She saw me, and the doting smile froze on her face.

I stepped forward, looking at Mary, and kept my voice low.

"Who told you to put on my clothes?"

"And all these dishes, what's going on here?"

Mary didn't even stop chewing. "My mom said she bought a whole load of food, more than you could finish, so she called me over to eat it," she said, careless as anything.

"I took a shower while I was at it, then went through your closet and picked out something to wear. You've got so many clothes, you won't mind, right?"

My chest went tight with fury. I couldn't help turning on Violet.

"Violet, I gave you money for groceries so you could take proper care of my parents."

"And instead you make my parents one plate of steamed greens, and cook every other dish for your daughter alone?"

"This is your idea of thrift, of looking out for the Henson family?"

Violet answered without a shred of shame. "Those two country bumpkins of parents you've got, what would they know about fine food, good or bad? Serving them a spread like this, isn't that just waste?"

"Your parents left anyway. If nobody eats this it all goes to waste. My daughter's been working hard lately, so what's the harm in me building her strength back up?"

What twisted logic.

"So making it all for your daughter, that's not waste?"

Violet's voice shot up. "Mary is my daughter. She's family!"

"If you hadn't come out of nowhere and shoved your way in, Mary might've married Mr. Henson long ago and been the lady of this house!"

The words stopped me cold.

"So you've been quietly fighting me, working against me all this time, because you think I stole your daughter's place?"

Violet dropped the act entirely. "That's right."

"I've looked after Mr. Henson for ten years, and my daughter has known him just as long. If you hadn't shown up out of nowhere and stolen his heart away, the two of them would've been together already."

"Everything you've eaten, used, and lived in at the Henson house all these years belongs to my daughter!"

She'd truly lost her mind.

"Violet, get one thing straight. You are nothing but a housekeeper my husband pays to do a job."

"And your daughter has nothing to do with my husband, none at all."

"You and your daughter sitting here eating my food, wearing my clothes, that is against the law!"

Violet frowned, her whole face soured. "Don't stand there trying to scare people. This is Mr. Henson's home, and my daughter and I are both part of the Henson family."

"We use a few of the family's things, so what?"

She was beyond saving.

I couldn't be bothered wasting another word on Violet. I just pulled out my phone.

"Fine. Then let the police decide whether you two are family of the Hensons or thieves in the Henson house."

With that, I hit the call button, ready to report them.

Violet's face changed. Panic flooded in at once.

"She can't call the police."

"Mary, stop her, quick!"

And with that, the two of them, mother and daughter, threw themselves at me like they'd gone mad.

Mary grabbed at the phone in my hand and wrenched, while Violet clamped down on my wrist and dragged with all her strength.

The three of us twisted into one tangle, and the force of it knocked me off balance.

Bang! I crashed hard to the floor, my belly slamming into the corner of the table, and a stab of pain tore through me all at once.

The next moment, warm blood was sliding slowly down my thigh.

"My baby, my baby…"