Chapter 1

The doctor smiled, his words a distant hum.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Prescott, the test is positive. You're pregnant."

Ethan, my husband, was beside me, his hand gripping mine.

His face lit up, a wide, genuine smile I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Ava! This is wonderful news! An heir!"

He pulled me into a hug, his voice booming with joy that echoed in the sterile room.

But I felt a chill, a cold dread that had nothing to do with the air conditioning.

This exact moment. I remembered it.

The joy on Ethan's face, the sterile scent of the clinic, the weight of his hand.

It was the beginning of the end in my last life.

A life where this pregnancy, this supposed joy, became a weapon used against me.

Chloe, Ethan' s first choice, the woman he was supposed to marry, had returned.

She regretted turning him down for a supposedly better catch, especially when she heard I was pregnant with the Prescott heir.

She used her "wellness expertise," a sickeningly sweet facade, to get close.

She whispered poison in Ethan' s ear, and then, she orchestrated my "accident."

A fall. The loss of my child. My own death soon after, wasted and broken.

I remembered Chloe's voice, soft and venomous, as I lay bleeding.

"You were always beneath us, Ava. Just in the way."

Her mother, Eleanor, had nodded in agreement, her eyes cold.

The memory burned, a raw wound in my soul.

But this time, the knowledge was a shield, not a shroud.

I blinked, forcing a fragile smile onto my face.

"Yes, Ethan. It's... wonderful."

My new goal was clear, etched in the pain of my past: survive, protect my child, and destroy them.

Ethan was still beaming, oblivious. "We must celebrate! And you need to rest, my dear."

An idea, sharp and sudden, pierced through my feigned daze.

Brenda. Mrs. Gable's niece. Ambitious, eager to please, and in my past life, a minor tool for Chloe.

"Ethan," I said, my voice deliberately soft, a little weak.

"With the pregnancy... I might need more help around the house. Especially with your busy schedule."

He frowned slightly. "Of course, anything you need."

"Mrs. Gable is wonderful, but perhaps her niece, Brenda? She seems so capable. She could... assist you directly, with your papers, your calls. Take some burden off you, so you can focus on important things, and I can rest."

I made sure to sound concerned for him, for the family.

Ethan considered it. Brenda was young, eager. Mrs. Gable, their long-time housekeeper, was loyal to Chloe' s family connections, and easily swayed. Having her niece closer to Ethan might be... useful for him.

"That's a good idea, Ava. Very thoughtful of you." He patted my hand. "Brenda it is. You focus on staying healthy for our baby."

I nodded, a demure, dutiful wife.

Inside, the first piece was on the board.

Brenda, close to Ethan. A small seed of chaos, ready for Chloe' s eventual return.

This time, Chloe wouldn't find an easy path.

This time, I was ready.