Chapter 10

In William's bedroom, the light of crystal chandelier doing nothing to dispel the tension that hung thick in the air. William lay propped against his pillows, his color improved after taking his medication. After hearing my words, Grace's shrill voice cut through the relative calm like a blade.

"Shut up! Who do you think you are?" she demanded, her designer dress wrinkled from her earlier outburst. "Calling me stupid? You're nothing but a gold-digger who trapped my brother!"

"Look at you," Grace continued, her lip curling in disgust. "Standing here in your cheap department store clothes, pretending to be one of us. Do you know what people call you behind your back? The charity case who got lucky because her daddy helped the Harding Family. That's all you'll ever be, a desperate social climber who doesn't even know how pathetic she looks."

She let out a cruel laugh, tossing her perfectly styled hair. "And the way you chase after Henry's attention like a starving dog begging for scraps, it's embarrassing! Everyone knows he only married you because Grandfather forced him to. Did you really think you could compete with Isabella? She was born for this world. You? You're just temporary entertainment until Henry comes to his senses."

Grace's words should have stung. Five years ago, they would have. But as I stood there, watching Grace's hands clench into fists, something inside me shifted. The phrase "money and power control everything" echoed in my mind, and suddenly, five years of attempts to fit into the Harding family crystallized into perfect clarity.

My silence seemed to infuriate Grace further. "Why aren't you responding? Too afraid to admit what you really are?"

I met her gaze steadily. "No, I just didn't want to interrupt you while you're so enthusiastically proving my point about your stupidity."

The room fell silent. Even the usually stoic butler's lips twitched, and a young maid quickly turned away, shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. Grace's face went from red to white, then back to red as comprehension dawned.

"You... you..." she sputtered, then lunged forward, hand raised to strike my face.

I caught her wrist mid-swing, my grip firm but controlled. At this moment, Grace's eyes widened in shock. Clearly, she'd expected me to cower or dodge like I usually did.

"Let go of me!" She tried to wrench free, but I held steady.

"Or what?" I asked calmly. "You'll try to slap me again?"

"You money-grubbing bitch!" Grace screamed, attempting another wild swing with her free hand. "I'll destroy you! I'll make sure you never show your face in New York society again!"

I blocked her second attempt just as easily, leaving her effectively immobilized. The years of martial arts training my father had insisted on, training I'd almost forgotten about during my time as a docile Harding wife, came flooding back.

"Sophia!" Catherine's voice cracked like a whip. "How dare you manhandle my daughter! You forget your place, you're just a middle-class nobody who..."

"Just a nobody?" I cut her off, still maintaining my hold on Grace. "Is that why you've spent five years trying to break me? Because I'm nobody?"

Catherine's perfectly lined eyes narrowed. "You think having William's protection makes you untouchable? You're still just an outsider!"

"An outsider?" I laughed, the sound startling in its genuineness. "Is that what you tell yourself to justify treating me like dirt for five years? Tell me, Catherine, does it make you feel better about yourself to bully someone who's only ever shown you respect?"

"You..." Catherine started, but I wasn't finished.

"Or maybe you're just afraid." I continued, my voice steady. "Afraid that William sees something in me that he never saw in you, despite your perfect breeding and social connections."

The silence that followed was deafening. I finally released Grace, who stumbled back into her mother's arms, rubbing her wrists dramatically.

"Enough." William's voice, though quiet, commanded attention. "This situation needs to be addressed. Grace's behavior requires consequences."

I saw an opportunity and took it. "If I may suggest, Grandpa?" At his nod, I continued. "Simply confining Grace to her quarters won't teach her anything. Perhaps some community service would be more... educational."

William's eyes sparked with interest. "Go on."

"Manhattan General is always looking for volunteers," I said smoothly. "A week of service there might provide some valuable perspective. It would also demonstrate the family's commitment to charity, just in time for Catherine's upcoming fundraising gala."

The suggestion was perfect, public enough that Grace couldn't shirk her duties, practical enough that William would approve, and timed perfectly to force Catherine's cooperation.

"An excellent suggestion," William agreed. "Richard?"

"Of course, Father." Richard nodded quickly. "Grace will begin tomorrow."

"But Daddy!" Grace protested.

"Enough!" Richard's voice brooked no argument. "Jenkins, please escort Miss Grace to her quarters. Ensure she understands the consequences of failing to complete her service."

As Grace was led away by the butler, William turned to Billy, who had been watching the scene with wide eyes. "Come, great-grandson. Would you like to walk with me in the garden? I need some fresh air."

Once William and Billy had left, Richard rounded on Henry. "And you! Bringing Isabella here, flaunting her in front of your wife, in front of your father! Have you forgotten everything about being a Harding?"

At this moment, Isabella stepped forward, tears glistening perfectly in her eyes. "Mr. Harding, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I only came because..."

"Because you knew exactly what you were doing," I finished for her, earning a sharp look from Henry.

"I should go," Isabella whispered, her voice trembling artfully. "I never meant to cause such trouble..."

She fled the room with theatrical grace, and predictably, Henry followed without a backward glance. Richard's warning fell on deaf ears as my husband chose Isabella over his family once again.

I watched them go, something inside me finally breaking free. The sight of Henry abandoning everything for Isabella should have devastated me, but instead, I felt strangely liberated. Money and power might control everything in the Harding world, but they couldn't control my heart anymore.