Author’s Note:
Wow! Season 2 is finished! Thank you for coming on this journey with me!
I wish I could convey how truly thankful I am and how much it means to me that you guys came by and read Grace’s story. I started writing this story back in May and I can’t believe we are here, 2 Seasons, and 7 months later! 😉 Your support, love, and encouragement have been so amazing, you guys keep me going.
Thank you for being here, reading, commenting, and for your support.
See you in Season 3!
-Rory
Heading down the hallway, Sophie and Grace made their way toward the bathroom.
“The bubble bath is under the sink,” Sophie said. “I’m just going to go grab a towel.” Grace started to draw a warm bath and while she was reaching for the bubble bath, her mind wandered back to Molly. Grace’s heart warmed as the thought about how perfect she is.
“Thank you Grace for doing this. I really appreciate it.” Sophie said, as she entered the bathroom.
“Of course.” Grace smiled. “Babies are wonderful, aren’t they?” Grace said, pouring in the bubble bath.
“They are. Hey, why don’t you have children if you love them so much?” Grace stopped pouring the bubble bath and shook her head.
“Because I can’t have any.” Grace lied. Sophie blinked, shocked.
“I’m so sorry.” Sophie said, sadly. Grace didn’t care that she lied, she hated that Sophie had this perfect life. She wanted Sophie to feel bad. To hurt as she did all those years in the orphanage.
“It’s okay.” Grace said. “Now, get in. I’ll go make you a cup of tea for after your bath and I’ll watch Molly so you can relax.”
“You are such an amazing friend, Grace. Thank you.” Sophie said, as she stepped into the warm bath and laid her head back. Grace smiled and closed the bathroom door quietly.
“Looks like my plan has changed.” Grace thought. As she headed down the hallway towards the nursery, Grace devised a new plan, a better plan. Picking up Molly from her bassinet, Grace headed out of the front door and didn’t look back.
Grace stood out front of Sophie’s house. It was a beautiful suburban home. Just like Grace had always wanted. Her heart broke a little.
“No,” Grace thought, “I need to be strong.” Stepping up to the door, Grace rang the doorbell.
“Coming!” Sophie called from inside. Opening the door, Sophie stood there in shock as she stared at Grace. Then, her eyes fell to the bakery box that Grace was holding.
“I thought since you couldn’t make it into the bakery, you would like some Strawberry Fizzy cupcakes delivered to your door.” Grace said, as sweetly as she could as she handed the bakery box to Sophie.
“Thank you.” Sophie said, quietly. Fearful and wary, Sophie took the box and set it down on the table next to the front door then stepped back outside and slowly shut the door behind her.
“Look, I…I’m really sorry for what I did.” Sophie started to explain. “I’m sure by now you heard about the lie I told my parents and how it resulted in me being adopted instead of you.” Sophie explained, awkwardly.
“Yep. I do know. But you know what, we were so young back then and we just wanted to get out of there so badly. I understand why you did it. It’s okay.” Grace lied. She hoped Sophie couldn’t pick up on her rage boiling just under the surface. Sophie’s face lit up as she reached for Grace and pulled her into a hug.
“Oh, Grace! I’m so happy you forgive me! I’ve held onto this guilt for so many years.” Sophie cried. “Come in! Come in! Let me just take this cupcake box into the kitchen and I’ll be right back.” She said, pulling Grace into the house by the arm.
Stepping inside, Grace saw a wall of photos. Like a scrapbook of happy memories on display, Grace looked at them sadly as she saw a very happy Sophie grow up in the stolen storybook life Grace had always dreamed of. She squinted and pretended to see herself in Sophie’s place, enjoying the life that was meant for her.
“Nice family.” Grace muttered to Sophie as she came back into the room, trying her best not to sound hurt.
“Thank you. My parents are amazing people. My grandma is, too.” Sophie said, smiling.
Grace cringed inwardly at how casually Sophie called these people in the photos her Mom and Dad. These people were supposed to be her parents, not Sophie’s.
“Thank you for the cupcakes.” Sophie said, excitedly. “I craved them everyday when I was pregnant.” An uncomfortable silence passed between the two girls and Grace’s eyes fell to a huge golden award sitting on the foyer table. Leaning forward to read the inscription, Grace saw that it was for a man named Tyler Calloway in appreciation for his continued dedication and astounding medical breakthroughs in his continued efforts to eradicate the Llama Flu.
“That’s impressive.” Grace said, motioning toward the award.
“Yeah. My husband and my Dad are doctors. They’ve made a big difference in the world.” Sophie said, proudly.
“C’mon, I want you to meet someone.” Sophie said, smiling. Grace followed Sophie through the beautiful house and into a sweet little nursery. Reaching into the bassinet, Sophie lifted out a tiny bundle and showed her to Grace.
“She’s beautiful.” Grace smiled. “What’s her name?”
“Cheddar.” Sophie teased. Grace laughed, remembering the cheese incident at the orphanage. Grace’s brief moment of happiness was replaced with the now painful memory. Sophie used to be her best friend, they shared so much together. Trying to hold her smile, Grace was again reminded of why she was there.
“No really, her name is Molly, after my adoptive mother.” Sophie said, as she gently set the baby back down into the bassinet.
“May I?” Grace said as she motioned that she wanted to hold the baby.
“Oh my gosh, of course!” Sophie said, happily. Grace picked up the soft, warm bundle and cuddled her in her arms. Looking down at Molly’s face, she saw a purity and innocence that captured Grace’s heart. Putting Molly over her shoulder, Grace took a deep breath. She smelled of baby powder.
Grace closed her eyes and smiled. Placing Molly back into her bassinet, Grace looked down at her.
“She’s so sweet. She has her whole life ahead of her.” Grace thought to herself. Looking over at Sophie, Grace’s eyes teared up.
“She’s perfect.” Grace said, looking at Sophie. Sophie smiled, and looked at her newborn daughter.
“She is.” Sophie beamed. “I never knew I could love someone so deeply.” Walking across the room for a tissue, Sophie noticed herself in the mirror.
“Oh my gosh, look at me. I’m a mess. I haven’t had a bath in days.” Sophie said, embarrassingly.
“How about I draw you a bath and I’ll watch Molly while you relax.” Grace offered.
“Really?” Sophie said, happily. “That would be amazing.”
A few days have passed since Sophie went into labor at the bakery and the town was a buzz with excitement as people came in to bring gifts and offer well wishes to Charlotte for Sophie and her new baby.
Pleased that her mere presence and had sent Sophie into a panic, inducing Sophie’s labor, Grace decided now is the perfect time to put her plan in action. Grabbing a bakery box, Grace walked over to the pastry case and put in a few Strawberry Fizzy cupcakes. With the box in hand, she headed over to Charlotte.
“I hope this works.” Grace whispered, under her breath.
“I was thinking,” Grace started to explain to Charlotte, setting the box on the counter, “With Sophie not being able to come into the bakery with the new baby and all, I was thinking that I’m sure she would love some of your cupcakes. Why don’t I deliver some to her?” Grace asked.
“Oh, you sweet thing. That’s a wonderful idea.” Charlotte said, beaming. Grabbing a pen, Charlotte wrote directions on how to get to Sophie’s house on the bakery box. Excited to see that Sophie only lived a few blocks away, Grace ran her plan of revenge through her head again just to make sure she would get every detail right.
“I’m so excited,” Grace gushed to Charlotte, “She won’t see this surprise coming.”
Author’s Note: Did you see it? A hidden item from The Sims 3 made it into a screen shot today! Shout it out when you see it!
The day passed quickly as happy customers came and went with their cupcake purchases. A few stayed and had coffee while they chatted with friends. Some of the regulars came in and chatted excitedly about the status of Sophie and how she was doing with her pregnancy. It seemed as though Charlotte was really popular around town and her bakery was the local hang out. It was a place where neighbors met and gossiped about each other, teachers came in to buy boxes of cupcakes for school fundraisers, and the local church ordered 3 dozen cupcakes for a bake sale that would raise money to repair the old church bells.
Charlotte treated everyone as family. Grace could see why everyone adored her. She treated the customers as though they were her family. She remembered details of people’s lives. Asking how their kids soccer practice went or slipping a few extra cupcakes in the cupcake box for a sick relative.
Seeing how much Charlotte was adored by the town, it made it a little bit harder knowing that soon, she was going to be breaking Charlotte’s heart by destroying Sophie’s life. But the feelings of guilt were fleeting as Grace always came back to the memory of the day Sophie told a horrific lie and shattered Grace’s world.
“Oh, that’s lucky Grace…” The words of Sophie’s lie still rang in Grace’s ears and still cut her so deep.
“No, Sophie deserves this. She deserves what I’m going to do to her.” Grace thought.
With the day winding down, Grace decided to start clearing the dishes from the tables and that’s when it happened. The door to the bakery opened and person that she had been waiting all of these years for had walked in.
Author’s Note: A HUGE thank you to two amazing people for making and donating Sims for this chapter!
-Yjp19299 for making the beautiful mother and daughter that appeared at the check out counter. They are so sweet!
– Emma-LeeXOXO for making the four adorable ladies that were sitting at the table having cupcakes and coffee. Emma-LeeXOXO writes AMAZING Simlit and her blog can be found here.
Thank you guys for taking the time to create and send your Sims to me! 🙂
Grace was up before the sun the next morning. She wanted to make sure she was ready for Charlotte. She didn’t want to keep her waiting. Heading downstairs, Grace decided to look for cleaning supplies and wipe down the counters and tables before Charlotte got in. She wanted to make a good impression as she wasn’t sure how long she was going to need to rely on Charlotte’s kindness. Grabbing a bottle of disinfectant and towels, Grace got to work.
“Well, well! Good morning, Grace! I see you’re eager to get started!” Charlotte said with a big grin. “I’m so happy you’re up and ready to get started. But first, have you had breakfast?” Charlotte asked.
“Um, no.” Grace replied. She hadn’t even thought of eating. She was eager to get her plan of revenge in motion. Eating breakfast had slipped her mind.
“Well, let me make you some scrambled eggs and bacon. We’ve got a big day ahead and I need to make sure you have your energy.” Charlotte winked as she started to cook.
“Thank you. Can I help you cook?” Grace asked.
“Nope. Just pull up a stool from the back room and I’ll have you some breakfast in no time.” Charlotte said, cheerfully.
“So, on most days, I get here at 4am to prep ingredients and start baking the first batches of cupcakes…” Charlotte explained her entire day as Grace watched how smoothly Charlotte floated about her kitchen making breakfast. Charlotte explained that she needed someone to help with customers, keeping the store tidy, and occasionally help bake, if Grace was interested in learning.
“As for the cupcakes,” Charlotte explained, “I always make sure to have a few Strawberry Fizzy Cupcakes on hand for my little Sophie. She has had such a craving for them during her pregnancy. She comes in almost daily for some!” Charlotte exclaimed happily as she continued cooking.
“Daily, huh?” Grace thought. “That will be the perfect way to get her plan in motion. Surprise Sophie as she steps in for a sweet cupcake from little old Grandma.” Grace smiled to herself, excited her plan was coming along perfectly.
“Oh, what a beautiful smile you have, Dear. Here, eat up. We have a big day ahead.” Charlotte said as she placed the plateful of food in front of Grace.
“Yes, yes we do.” Grace thought malevolently.
Author’s Note: Did you see it? A hidden item from The Sims 3 made it into a screen shot today! Shout it out when you see it!
After Grace got out of the shower, she noticed that Charlotte was gone and a grilled cheese sandwich was on the counter next to a note.
Dear Grace,
Hoping you like grilled cheese, it is a specialty of mine. I left the key to the loft in case you would like to head out and explore Magnolia Promenade. Please, come and go as you please, this is your home. I look forward to seeing you bright and early tomorrow morning. Thank you for taking the job, it’s such a great help.
Have a great night.
Charlotte
Grace couldn’t believe her luck. Not only did she find a way to get to Sophie, but she landed a sweet place to stay and a job. Grace sat on the couch and looked around the loft. It was a great place. She wanted to distract herself from the wall of photos of Sophie. It’s like they were mocking her, showing off the great life that Sophie ripped from her. Feeling the rage and hatred return, she decided now was the best time to decide how she was going to exact her revenge.
Author’s Note: Did you see it? A hidden item from The Sims 3 made it into a screen shot today! Shout it out when you see it!
Grace followed Charlotte up the stairs to the loft above the bakery. As they got to the top of the stairs, Charlotte reached into her pocket for the keys and turned and smiled excitedly at Grace.
“I hope you like it okay. It may be a little musty but I can just open the windows and fix that no problem.” Charlotte said, smiling.
Stepping into the loft, Charlotte flicked on the light and turned to hand Grace the keys. Standing awkwardly in the doorway, Grace could see that it was a beautiful loft. Open and airy, full of light and beautiful furnishings. But Grace felt uncomfortable. She had just met Charlotte and she didn’t know what to do here. Should she just follow her in?
“Feel free to look around while I get some windows open and get some fresh air in here.” Charlotte said crossing the room to open the closest window. Walking back across the room, Charlotte noticed that Grace was still standing outside the door.
“Oh, sweetie. It’s okay.” Charlotte said, smiling encouragingly at Grace. “Don’t be so shy. This is your home. Take a look around.” Charlotte said sweetly. “I’m going to open the bedroom windows, I’ll be right back.” Charlotte pulled Grace into the loft, gave her a hug, and headed off to open more windows.
Stepping into the loft, Grace scanned the beautiful room. Then she saw it. She was shocked. She couldn’t believe it. There, before her, was a wall of photos of Sophie and her adoptive parents and Charlotte. Framed photos of piano lessons, backyard swim parties with family, play dates with friends at the park, camping trips, Christmas memories in front of the tree, a beautiful wedding day, it was all there. A lifetime of happy memories. Grace thought she was going to pass out.
Walking back into the room, Charlotte noticed that Grace was looking at her family photos.
“Oh I see you’ve found some pictures of my family.” Charlotte said, proudly. Trying to hold it together, Grace smiled back at Charlotte.
“What a beautiful little girl.” Grace said, her palms starting to sweat. “What’s her name?”
“That’s my sweet Granddaughter, Sophie. She’s a very special girl. My daughter and my son-in-law adopted her when she was little. She means the whole world to us.” Charlotte gushed. Grace couldn’t handle it anymore. She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry. She could feel herself start to lose it a little. She needed to pull herself together.
“She looks so happy.” Grace said, hiding the sadness and rage in her voice.
“Oh, she’s a wonderful girl. And what’s even better is that I’m going to be a Great Grandmother soon.” And with that comment, everything swirled in Grace’s vision and everything went black.
The driver side door opened with a creak and Grace climbed in. Tossing her bag onto the passenger seat, Grace grabbed the wires that were sticking out from under the steering column and tapped the wires just like Angelo showed her. Sure enough, the truck roared to life. Putting the cassette back into the tape deck, the music continued where it left off.
Throwing the truck into reverse, Grace backed the truck out of the parking spot and put it into drive.
Pulling out onto the street, Grace listened to the lyrics and smiled.
“It’s the eye of the tiger
It’s the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger
Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds ’til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive…”
Tapping the steering wheel to the beat of the music, Grace looked down at the paper that had the directions to Magnolia Promenade.
“I’m coming for you, Sophie.” Grace whispered, a smile creeping across her lips.
“I found her.” The man said.
“Where?” Grace’s heart was racing.
“Magnolia Promenade.”
“That’s all you’re going to tell me?” Grace said, angrily. She had already left the money hidden behind some pipes at Barkerman Steel. She felt cheated.
“That’s all $1,500 will get you. It was nice doing business with you.” The line went dead. He was gone.
Legacies of the Sims 