Chapter 9: The Uninvited Guest

When Grace returned home that evening, she felt a flicker of hope from the comfort her family had provided. Her mother's reassurances echoed in her mind: Take your time. You're not alone. But as she stepped through the door of her apartment, a strange unease settled in her stomach. The place she had once shared with Andrew—the place where they had built so many memories—felt different now. It felt foreign, like it no longer belonged to her alone.

As she walked into the kitchen, her heart sank. There, standing at the stove, was Sarah. Grace froze in the doorway, her breath catching in her throat. Sarah, with her familiar, self-assured smile, was stirring a pot on the stove as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

For a moment, Grace thought she might be dreaming, but the smell of food—something savory and comforting—was too real. The image of Sarah in her kitchen, in their kitchen, felt like a punch to her gut.

"What are you doing here?" Grace's voice was cold, the words sharp and controlled, even though her insides were a storm of emotions.

Sarah turned, her eyes lighting up with surprise before softening. "Oh, Grace. You're home early. I was just making dinner for Andrew. He'll be back soon."

Grace's jaw tightened. The audacity of Sarah, standing in her kitchen, acting as if she belonged there, as if everything was fine, made her blood boil.

"You will not be making dinner for Andrew in my home," Grace snapped, stepping into the kitchen. "I want you to leave. Now."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, clearly unbothered by Grace's anger. "Grace, calm down," she said, her voice unruffled. "I know this might be hard for you, but Andrew and I are—" she hesitated for a moment, then said with a soft, almost condescending smile, "—we're starting a life together. This is my home too, now."

The words hit Grace like a slap, and for a moment, she couldn't speak. The words Sarah spoke felt like a betrayal that sliced through her like a knife. How could she be so casual about this? How could she be so confident?

"No, it's not your home," Grace said, her voice trembling with the force of her fury. "This is my home, the one I shared with Andrew. You don't get to just waltz in and take it from me. You don't get to act like you belong here after everything that's happened. You're not welcome."

Sarah's expression softened, though there was an underlying smugness in her gaze. "Grace, I understand this is hard for you. I really do. But Andrew and I are going to be married. He's made his decision, and I'm going to be part of his life. I'm not asking you to like it, but I am asking you to understand. I can't just disappear because you're upset."

Grace felt her heart pounding in her chest, each word from Sarah making the room feel smaller, more suffocating. "Understand?" Grace spat, stepping closer to Sarah. "You think I can just accept this? That I'm supposed to be okay with the fact that my husband, the man I gave everything to, is now going to marry you too? You're asking me to accept that?"

"Yes," Sarah said, her tone firm but laced with a touch of sympathy, as if she were speaking to a child. "I know it's a lot, but Andrew loves us both. He wants us both in his life, and that's something you're going to have to come to terms with. You can't keep fighting it forever."

Grace's breath hitched. "Fighting it?" she repeated, her voice trembling with disbelief. "I'm not fighting it. I'm not going to sit back and let you destroy everything I worked for, everything we built. This isn't love, Sarah. This is manipulation. You're both trying to take something from me—something that belongs to me."

Sarah's expression faltered for just a moment, as if Grace's words were starting to seep in. But then, she straightened, and her smile returned, a little more forced now. "I'm not trying to take anything from you, Grace. I'm just trying to build a future with Andrew. He needs us both, and honestly, I don't want to cause any more pain. But I can't change what's happening. We're already making plans for our life together."

Grace's eyes narrowed, the pain cutting deeper. "No, Sarah. You can't have him. Not like this. I won't let him split his life between us. I won't be a part of your world. You can't just come in here and expect me to accept your presence in my life like it's nothing."

Sarah looked at her with a mixture of pity and frustration. "You'll have to find a way to accept it, Grace. Andrew wants us both. He's already told me we're going to work this out, and I'm not going anywhere. Neither of us are."

Grace felt her stomach churn, the finality of Sarah's words hitting her with a force she hadn't anticipated. Her anger boiled over, but it was a quiet fury, a cold rage that gripped her from the inside out. She could feel every inch of her being screaming to run, to get away, to escape the suffocating reality Sarah had just laid out before her.

"This isn't happening," Grace said, her voice calm but deadly. "I won't allow it. Not in this house, not in my life. If Andrew thinks I'm going to accept this, then he's gravely mistaken. And you? You need to leave. Now."

For a long moment, Sarah didn't move. She stood there, her eyes searching Grace's face as if looking for something. But there was nothing left for her to find. Grace had made up her mind. She wouldn't play along. Not anymore.

Sarah sighed, a soft, almost sad sound. "Fine, Grace. I see that you're not ready to accept the truth. But you will be. Eventually. Just... try to understand that Andrew isn't choosing between us. He's choosing us both. And that's something you'll have to come to terms with."

With that, Sarah turned, as if she'd said everything that needed to be said. She moved toward the door, but before stepping out, she glanced back one last time.

"I'll be back," she said quietly. "And you'll have to find a way to live with that."

Grace stood in the doorway, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her heart raced, her whole body shaking with a mixture of anger, disbelief, and hurt. She watched Sarah leave, every word from the woman echoing in her mind.

But no matter how many times she heard Sarah's voice, Grace knew one thing for certain: this was a war.