CHAPTER 4

“That’s fine,” Dominic said without the slightest hesitation.

The coldness in his voice disappeared the moment he looked at Sophia. His expression softened into a gentle smile—the same smile that had once been meant only for me.

He lovingly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

“If that’s what you want,” he said tenderly, “I’ll do anything for you… and for our baby.”

“Thank you, Dominic,” Sophia replied with a bright smile before wrapping her arms around his neck.

My heart shattered all over again.

Once upon a time, I had been the woman he spoke to with such tenderness.

Now, every ounce of his love belonged to someone else.

I slowly took a step back, quietly moving out of their way. I lowered my head, refusing to let them see the fresh tears that slipped down my cheeks.

Standing there, I suddenly felt like a stranger in the very home I had once called mine.

"Thank you, Dominic," I muttered.

"No, Anna, don't thank me," Dominic snapped, his warmth vanishing the moment he turned his face toward me. "You should be thanking Sophia. I am only letting you stay here for two months because of her and the child she is carrying."

Sophia offered a sweet, mocking shrug. "It's fine, honey. This is just what we do for charity. We have to look out for poor orphans and barren women. I don't need her thanks."

"That's true," Dominic agreed blindly. He kissed her cheek. "Take care of yourself, alright? I have an important meeting to catch up with. Call the servants to take your luggage upstairs."

With that, Dominic turned and walked out the front door, leaving me alone with the woman who wanted to destroy me.

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore her presence, and quickly moved toward the staircase to escape to my room. But I didn't even make it two feet before her sharp voice sliced through the air.

"Not so fast, Anna," Sophia called out.

I stopped. She stepped into my path, folding her arms across her chest with a smug expression.

"What is it, Sophia?" I asked.

"You have exactly two months to stay under this roof," she purred, her eyes narrowing with malicious intent. "And I promise you, these two months will be the absolute worst months of your life. I am going to make it a living hell for you. But let's start with right now—pick up my luggage and carry it upstairs to the master bedroom."

I stared at her like she had completely lost her mind.

"First of all, why should I touch your luggage?" I countered, standing my ground. "And second... What do you mean by your master bedroom? That is my room. Mine and Dominic's."

Sophia let out a harsh, aggressive laugh, spitting her words right in my face. "Have you forgotten your place so quickly? You are here as a maid now, Anna, not a wife. And secondly, I am the one sleeping in the master bedroom with Dominic from now on. Did you really think he'd keep sharing a bed with a useless, barren stick like you?"

Her words cut deep, but the fire inside me didn't go out. "Sophia, what could you possibly gain from all this wickedness?" I asked, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain.

"I gained a lot," she smirked, stepping closer until we were practically nose to nose. "Because seeing you suffer gives me absolute joy. Now, you better pick up these bags before I call Dominic and have him throw you out on the street right now. Unless you just want to stand there being completely useless."

Without waiting for an answer, she turned around and marched up the stairs, her heels clicking loudly against the wood.

I looked down at the heavy suitcases scattered across the floor. My chest burned with humiliation, but I didn't have a choice. I swallowed my pride, grabbed the heavy handles, and began dragging the heavy bags up the stairs, one painful step at a time.

By the time I reached the top of the stairs and approached the doors of the master bedroom, I was exhausted. I paused, catching my breath, when I heard a muffled voice coming from inside the room.

Sophia was talking to someone.

I let go of the luggage handles carefully, making sure not to make a sound, and pressed my ear closer to the crack of the door.

"Our plan is finally working," Sophia whispered excitedly into her phone. "We just need to completely gain his full trust first."

What plan is she talking about? And who on earth is she talking to?

Before I could process her words, a loud click echoed. The door handle suddenly turned downward, and the bedroom door swung wide open.