CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 8
THE MISTRESS WHO WANTED HER LIFE
Brenda had always believed she was waiting for her future.
She thought the future was a mansion.
A private driver.
Designer clothes.
Exclusive parties.
A powerful husband whose name opened every door.
She thought she was one step away from becoming the woman everyone admired.
She never realized…
She was not chasing Andrew Hamilton.
She was chasing a life that had never belonged to him.
The morning after the charity gala, Brenda woke up expecting victory.
That was the strange thing about people who built their happiness on someone else’s destruction.
They always believed the destruction would benefit them.
She stood in front of the mirror inside the luxury suite Andrew had arranged for her.
A suite that was no longer being paid for.
A suite that belonged to a lifestyle she could no longer afford.
She adjusted her hair.
Applied lipstick.
Practiced a smile.
Because Brenda had survived her entire life by performing.
The perfect woman.
The supportive woman.
The woman who deserved more.
But when she picked up her phone…
Reality finally appeared.
Twenty-three missed calls.
Three messages from her bank.
Two from her personal assistant.
One from a designer boutique.
She ignored all of them.
Instead, she called Andrew.
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
No answer.
Her smile disappeared.
Andrew had never ignored her before.
Never.
Even when he was with Mariana.
Even when he was busy.
Even when he was angry.
He always answered.
Because Brenda had convinced herself of one thing:
She mattered more.
Finally, he called back.
She answered immediately.
“Andrew.”
His voice was exhausted.
“What?”
The coldness shocked her.
She sat down.
“Are you okay?”
A bitter laugh came through the phone.
“Am I okay?”
She frowned.
“What happened?”
A pause.
Then:
“You watched the news.”
It wasn’t a question.
“Yes.”
“And?”
Brenda didn’t answer.
Because she knew what he meant.
The world had seen Mariana.
Not as the quiet wife.
Not as the woman standing beside him.
But as someone far more powerful.
“She surprised everyone,” Brenda said carefully.
Andrew was silent.
Then he asked:
“Did she surprise you?”
The question made her uncomfortable.
Because the honest answer was no.
Not completely.
Deep down, Brenda had always known there was something different about Mariana.
The calmness.
The intelligence.
The way executives listened when she spoke.
The way important people respected her.
She had mistaken humility for weakness.
Just like Andrew did.
“She hid it.”
Brenda tried to defend herself.
“She lied.”
“No.”
Andrew’s voice changed.
“She protected herself.”
The sentence bothered her.
Because it was the first time Andrew had defended Mariana.
Brenda stood.
“Andrew, listen to me.”
“What?”
“You need to stop thinking emotionally.”
A pause.
“You still have options.”
He laughed quietly.
“Options?”
“Yes.”
She lowered her voice.
“You need to fight.”
“For what?”
“The company.”
“The company belongs to her.”
“Then take it back.”
Silence.
Brenda realized too late.
She had said the wrong thing.
“Take it back?”
Andrew repeated.
“You mean from my wife?”
Brenda hesitated.
“She humiliated you.”
“No.”
His voice was low.
“She exposed me.”
That answer frightened her.
Because Andrew wasn’t angry.
He sounded defeated.
And Brenda had never loved defeated men.
She loved powerful men.
After the call ended, Brenda stared at herself in the mirror.
For the first time, she saw something she hated.
Not failure.
Not fear.
Truth.
She had spent months believing she was better than Mariana.
More beautiful.
More exciting.
More suitable.
But now the world knew something.
Mariana had never been competing with her.
Because they were never on the same level.
Brenda remembered the first time she met Mariana.
It was at a business dinner.
Mariana had arrived wearing a simple dress.
No expensive jewelry.
No attention-seeking accessories.
She had smiled politely.
Everyone ignored her.
Everyone except Brenda.
Brenda noticed something.
The executives.
The investors.
The older businessmen.
They treated Mariana differently.
Not like a socialite.
Not like a wife.
Like someone important.
At the time, Brenda had wondered why.
Now she knew.
She wanted Mariana’s life.
Not Andrew.
Not really.
That was the truth she refused to admit.
She wanted the power.
The respect.
The confidence.
The certainty.
Everything Mariana carried without trying.
That afternoon, Brenda went to the Hamilton mansion.
She needed to talk to Margaret.
If anyone understood how to fight Mariana…
It was her.
But when Brenda entered the mansion, something felt different.
The servants were polite.
Too polite.
The atmosphere had changed.
The place still looked beautiful.
But it no longer felt powerful.
It felt like a museum.
A reminder of something that used to exist.
Margaret sat in the living room.
No jewelry.
No guests.
No confidence.
Brenda stopped.
She had never seen Margaret like this.
“Margaret.”
The older woman looked up.
“What do you want?”
Brenda sat down.
“We need to do something.”
Margaret stared.
“About what?”
“Mariana.”
The name alone changed Margaret’s expression.
“She ruined us.”
Brenda almost laughed.
Almost.
Because even now…
Margaret still couldn’t accept the truth.
“No.”
Margaret looked at her.
“No?”
“She didn’t ruin you.”
Brenda swallowed.
“She revealed you.”
Margaret’s eyes narrowed.
“You sound like you’re defending her.”
“I’m being realistic.”
The older woman looked away.
“She fooled everyone.”
“No.”
Brenda whispered.
“She didn’t.”
Silence.
“She was exactly who she always was.”
A pause.
“We just refused to see it.”
Margaret looked at Brenda carefully.
“You’re afraid.”
Brenda didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
“You thought you would replace her.”
The words hit.
Brenda’s expression changed.
“I didn’t—”
“Didn’t you?”
Margaret smiled sadly.
“You thought you would become the new Mrs. Hamilton.”
Silence.
“You thought you would wear her jewelry.”
Brenda looked away.
“You thought you would sleep in her room.”
The truth hurt because it was accurate.
“I loved him.”
Margaret laughed.
Not cruelly.
Sadly.
“Did you?”
Brenda looked offended.
“Yes.”
“Then why did you never care about him before he became successful?”
That question stayed.
Because Brenda knew.
She had met Andrew when he was already powerful.
She had fallen in love with the image.
Not the person.
Meanwhile, across the city…
I was sitting in my office reviewing financial reports.
The Hamilton transition was progressing.
Employees were relieved.
Investors were calmer.
The company was recovering.
Everything was moving exactly as planned.
Then my assistant entered.
“Mrs. Escalante.”
“Yes?”
“There is someone here to see you.”
“Who?”
She hesitated.
“Brenda Carter.”
I looked up.
For a moment…
I felt nothing.
Not anger.
Not jealousy.
Not pain.
Just curiosity.
“Send her in.”
Brenda entered my office alone.
No designer confidence.
No perfect smile.
No performance.
She looked tired.
Small.
Human.
Something I had never seen before.
“Mariana.”
I nodded.
“Brenda.”
She looked around.
The Escalante headquarters.
The place where I belonged.
The world she had never known existed.
“I wanted to talk.”
“About what?”
She swallowed.
“About Andrew.”
I leaned back.
“Why?”
Her eyes met mine.
“Because I think I finally understand.”
I waited.
“You were never the woman standing behind him.”
A pause.
“You were the reason he was standing at all.”
I said nothing.
Because hearing that from her felt strange.
Not satisfying.
Not victorious.
Just sad.
“How long did you know?”
She looked down.
“I didn’t.”
A pause.
“But I knew you were different.”
“Different how?”
She hesitated.
“Like someone who didn’t need anyone’s approval.”
The answer surprised me.
Because it was exactly what I had forgotten about myself.
“Why are you here, Brenda?”
She took a breath.
And for the first time…
The woman who had spent months pretending finally admitted the truth.
“I wanted your life.”
Silence.
“Not your husband.”
My expression changed slightly.
She continued.
“I wanted what you had.”
“What did I have?”
Her eyes filled slightly.
“Everything.”
I looked at her.
“No.”
She frowned.
“No?”
I shook my head.
“I had everything.”
A pause.
“But I spent four years believing I had nothing.”
Brenda looked at me.
And I realized something.
She wasn’t my enemy anymore.
Not because I forgave her.
Not yet.
But because I finally understood.
People who chase someone else’s life usually don’t understand the price that person paid for it.
Before leaving, Brenda stopped at the door.
“Mariana.”
“Yes?”
“Do you hate me?”
I thought about it.
The messages.
The betrayal.
The humiliation.
The pain.
Then I answered honestly.
“No.”
She looked surprised.
“Why?”
“Because hate means you still have power over me.”
A pause.
“And you don’t.”
After she left, I looked out the window.
For years, Brenda wanted my place.
My name.
My life.
But she never understood the truth.
Being Mariana Escalante was never about money.
It was about knowing who you were.
And that was something no one could steal.
That evening, Andrew received a message.
Not from me.
From Brenda.
Only four words.
I know the truth.
And for the first time…
Andrew realized something worse than losing his empire.
The people who once stood beside him…
May you like
Were beginning to see him clearly.
END OF CHAPTER 8
