When I returned to the dining room to take my seat, I discovered that Anna was already sitting in the hostess's chair.
"Iris, dear, the light bothers Anna's eyes. The head of the table faces away from the window, so it won't strain them."
"I've had a chair added for you by the service entrance. It's closer to the kitchen, so it'll be easier for you to help with the dishes."
Jean arranged all of this in a tone of bored indifference.
I didn't argue.
She picked up an aromatherapy box from the table and praised it in front of everyone.
"Anna is always so thoughtful. This imported calming incense she brought back from abroad... just the scent alone makes my headaches disappear."
"Unlike some people, who trek off to some run-down chapel to bring back a dried-up little good-luck charm that reeks of ash."
My heart plummeted.
I had carried that charm back while pregnant, bowing at every step, climbing three thousand stairs on my knees to pray for her health.
Under the table, Simon squeezed my hand, his eyes soft with reassurance.
Then the butler began serving dinner.
The table was covered with raw marinated crab, sweet shrimp sashimi, and every variety of chilled seafood.
I froze.
I was pregnant.
"Why was the menu changed?" The words escaped before I could stop them.
I had specifically ordered warm, nourishing cooked dishes.
Simon smiled lightly.
"I thought the menu you picked was too heavy. Anna's been craving authentic seafood ever since she was abroad, so I went ahead and swapped everything out."
"Iris, you've never been a picky eater, have you?"
His gentle gaze reflected nothing but the color draining from my face.
I stared at the table full of raw, ice-cold seafood. A dull ache bloomed low in my abdomen.
"My stomach isn't feeling well today. I can't eat anything raw or cold." I set down my chopsticks.
Before Simon could respond, Anna's eyes were already rimmed with red.
"I'm sorry, Iris. Is it because I took your seat? Did that upset you? Maybe I should just skip dinner..."
"Anna, don't overthink it. Iris isn't that petty."
Simon pulled a tissue from the holder and handed it to her with tender concern, then turned to me.
"Iris, Anna's marriage abroad was suffocating. She went through hell. Don't use that tone with her. You'll scare her."
"How about I have the kitchen make you a bowl of plain noodles?"
I watched him peel crab for Anna with painstaking care, and my eyes burned.
From the side, Jean let out a cold scoff.
"If you ask me, we never should have let Anna go abroad in the first place."
"Some people only looked after the house during a vacancy and actually started believing they were irreplaceable."
My nails dug deep into my palms.
Looked after the house?
Three years ago, when Simon's company was on the brink of bankruptcy, the investor had demanded access to Anna's family connections before agreeing to any deal.
It was me who sat with that investor, drinking until I vomited blood, spending three days in the ICU, just to secure the contract that saved his company.
Simon had held my hand, bruised and swollen from the IV lines, and said, "Iris, thank you for being so understanding."
So that was the price of being understanding. Being replaceable at a moment's notice.
After dinner, everyone moved to the living room.
I sat in the corner of the sofa and took out my tablet, reviewing the final drafts for my solo exhibition the following week.
Anna walked over carrying a cup of tea. Her foot caught on something.
"Oh—!"
The scalding tea splashed across my tablet and spattered the few remaining paper drafts beside me.
Water stains bled through the pages in an instant. Three years of work, destroyed.
I shot to my feet. "What are you doing?!"
Simon lunged forward and seized Anna's tea-splashed fingers.
"How could you be so careless? Are you burned?"
Once he confirmed Anna was unharmed, his brow furrowed and he turned to me.
"Iris, what's gotten into you lately? You left the cup right on the edge. Anna didn't notice it and knocked it over. That's all."
