The Chen residence glittered in the evening light, its chandeliers and marble floors reflecting a grandeur that felt hollow to Sara. Dinner had ended in silence, her father retreating to his study, leaving Sara alone with Grace.
Sara had hoped to escape to her room, but Grace's sharp voice halted her halfway up the stairs.
"Sara. We need to talk."
Sara's stomach tightened, but she turned, her face carefully blank. "What is it?"
Grace glided toward her, a wine glass in hand, her smile polished yet predatory. "Don't play innocent. You know what this is about."
Sara remained silent.
Grace's eyes narrowed. "The Zhao family has been more than patient. They're expecting an answer about their son. And yet, you've been wasting time… playing around with boys from school."
Sara's chest burned. "You mean Daniel."
Grace smirked. "So you admit it. Do you think I don't notice the way you look at him? The way he hovers around you? Don't be foolish, Sara. You're a Chen. You don't get to choose love. You fulfill obligations."
Sara's hands curled into fists at her sides. "And what about my happiness? Or does that not matter to you?"
Grace's expression hardened, her veneer of warmth cracking. "Happiness? Your mother chased that fantasy, and look where it got her. Dead and forgotten. I won't let you destroy the Chen family's standing because of some childish notion of love."
Sara's breath caught, her heart twisting at the cruelty of those words. For a moment, the pain threatened to crush her, but she forced herself to stand taller.
"I won't marry Zhao Ming," she said, her voice trembling but firm. "I won't be used as a pawn."
Grace's smile vanished completely. She stepped closer, her perfume sickly sweet, her words low and sharp.
"Then you leave me no choice."
Sara's pulse quickened. "What do you mean?"
Grace's eyes glittered with malice. "You like school, don't you? Your friends, your grades, that little circle that makes you feel safe? Well, all of it can disappear. One word from me, and your reputation will crumble. I can make sure no school will accept you, no university will take your name seriously. You'll be nothing but a disgraced heiress with nowhere to go."
Sara's blood ran cold. Grace wasn't bluffing. With her connections and influence, she could destroy everything Sara had built.
But even in the suffocating fear, something inside Sara burned brighter.
"You can take everything from me," she whispered, her voice shaking. "But you'll never control me."
Grace's expression twisted, a flash of fury breaking through. For a moment, Sara saw the truth — not a graceful stepmother, but a woman obsessed with power and control.
Then Grace's smile returned, smooth and practiced. "Very well, Sara. Defy me if you wish. But remember this: every choice has consequences."
She set her wine glass down on the side table with a soft clink, her heels clicking against the marble as she walked away.
Sara stood frozen on the stairs, her heart pounding, her body trembling with anger and fear.
Later that night, Sara sat by her window, hugging her knees as the city lights flickered in the distance. Grace's words echoed in her head.
They can take everything. They can destroy your future.
Her phone buzzed beside her. A message from Lina lit up the screen: "You okay? Haven't heard from you."
Sara stared at the message for a long moment before typing back: "I'm fine. Just tired."
It was a lie. But how could she tell her friends about Grace's ultimatum without dragging them into her family's poisonous web?
Another notification appeared — this time from Daniel. "If you need me, I'm here."
Sara's throat tightened. For the first time that day, the crushing weight eased just a little. She wasn't as alone as Grace wanted her to believe.
But as she looked out at the night sky, she whispered to herself, "I have to get stronger… before they take everything from me."