Chapter 53
Chapter 53
THIRD PERSON POV
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The Imperial living room radiated understated luxury, as it always did. The polished marble floors gleamed under the soft glow of the chandelier, and the carefully curated artwork on the walls whispered old money and impeccable taste. Eleanor Hale, seated with perfect posture on the grand beige sofa, sipped her tea delicately while her husband, Richard, leaned back in a leather armchair, thumbing through the day’s financial reports.
Their conversation had been light so far–an upcoming gala in Paris that Eleanor was eagerly anticipating and a few notes about the Hale family businesses, which continued to thrive despite the occasional public scrutiny.
“You’ll wear the navy, of course,” Eleanor said, barely glancing at Richard.
He hummed in response. “As if I have a choice. You’ll have it laid out before I’ve even packed my bag.”
She allowed herself a small smile, but it quickly faded when rapid footsteps thundered down the staircase.
Vivienne and Elise, their youngest daughters, burst into the room, their faces a mix of fury and indignation, each clutching a phone in hand.
“Mum! Dad! Have you seen it?” Vivienne practically shrieked, waving her phone wildly in the air. Elise, ever the more composed of the two, held hers out with a grim expression.
“Seen what?” Eleanor frowned, setting her teacup down. “Vivienne, what are you shouting about?”
Vivienne thrust the phone in front of Eleanor’s face, her manicured finger jabbing at the screen. “This! Look at this nonsense! Your darling daughter–in–law has embarrassed us again!”
Richard leaned forward, adjusting his glasses as he looked over Eleanor’s shoulder. The phone displayed a blurry set of photos plastered across a social media page. The images were unmistakably Rosalie, her cheeks flushed, her hair disheveled, laughing loudly as she staggered in what appeared to b a house party. The caption read:
“Hale Family’s Wild Card! Rosalie Hale Spotted Wasted!”
Below it, the comments were brutal.
“So much for grace. Hale family’s reputation just plummeted.”
“How does Damien put up with this embarrassment?”
“Looks like the in–laws picked the wrong sister.”
Elise crossed her arms, her lips curling in disdain. “Everyone’s talking about it. The comments are everywhere. They’re laughing at us, Mother. At our family.”
Eleanor’s face darkened as her sharp eyes scanned the photos and the accompanying vitriol. “Mannerless,” she hissed under her breath. “Absolutely classless.”
“Eleanor,” Richard said cautiously, lowering the phone. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We don’t know the full story.”
Vivienne let out an exasperated laugh. “Oh, come on, Dad. Look at her! There’s no misunderstanding”
Elise.chimed in, her tone cold. “She’s a disgrace, Dad.”
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“That’s enough!” Richard snapped, his voice firm, but the girls only glared at him.
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Eleanor, however, wasn’t finished. She rose from her seat, smoothing her pristine skirt, but the fury in her expression was unmistakable.
“I warned Damien,” she began, her tone icy, “I warned him repeatedly about marrying that girl. But did he listen? No. He w blinded by her doe eyes and that helpless little act she puts on so well. And now look where we are–dragged through the mud because of her!”
“Mum, people are saying she’s the reason the family is losing credibility,” Elise added, clearly fanning the flames.
Eleanor scoffed. “Credibility? Rosalie doesn’t even know the meaning of the word! She’s uncultured, ungrateful, and utterly unsuitable for this family. From the moment she set foot into this house, she’s been nothing but a liability”
“Eleanor,” Richard tried again, his voice softer now. “Maybe she made a mistake. We’ve all had moments of-”
“A mistake?” Eleanor spun on him, her voice sharp enough to cut through glass. “This isn’t a mistake, Richard. This is a pattern. A woman with no upbringing, no class, no sense of responsibility. If Damien was so intent on marrying from that family, why didn’t he choose Charlotte? At least she knows how to behave in public!”
Vivienne smirked, clearly agreeing with her mother. “Exactly, Charlotte wouldn’t have humiliated us like this. She’s polished, elegant. Rosalie is…”
“A joke,” Elise finished for her.
Richard rubbed his temples, a deep sigh escaping him. “We don’t know what led to this. Rosalie isn’t the kind of woman to deliberately embarrass herself, let alone us. Maybe something happened that we’re not aware of”
“Oh, please,” Eleanor snapped. “Stop trying to play the sympathetic patriarch, Richard. It’s pathetic.”
His head snapped up at that, a flicker of anger crossing his face. “Eleanor, don’t-”
“No, I will,” she interrupted, her voice rising. “Because I am tired of cleaning up after your son’s poor choices. Damien knew better. I raised him better. And yet he insists on tying himself to that… that girl!”
Richard stood now, his frame towering over hers, though his voice remained calm. “You don’t know all the facts, Eleanor. Jumping to conclusions isn’t going to solve anything. And humiliating Rosalie further isn’t going to help Damien.”
Eleanor glared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Do you know what people will be saying about us, Richard? About me? That I’m the mother–in–law who let this chaos into her family. That I failed to guide my son. I will not sit idly by while our name becomes a laughingstock.”
Vivienne and Elise exchanged triumphant looks, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding.
“Maybe Damien should just cut ties,” Elise offered, her voice dripping with venom. “It’s obvious this marriage is a disaster.” “He should have done that months ago,” Eleanor muttered, pacing the room. “But no. He’s too stubborn, just like his father.”
“That’s enough!” Richard barked, his patience finally snapping. The room fell silent, Eleanor freezing mid–step as his voice
echoed off the walls.
“You’re angry, Fine. So am 1. But this family doesn’t solve its problems by pointing fingers and tearing each other down. If there’s a problem, we’ll address it. Together, Like adults.”
Eleanor narrowed her eyes at him, her anger still simmering. “And what do you propose, Richard? That we sit down with Rosalie over tea and politely ask her to explain herself?”
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“Yes,” he said firmly. “Because unlike the rest of you, I don’t believe she’s beyond redemption She’s part of this family. whether you like it or not. And if Damien has chosen her, then we owe it to him to at least try to understand her
Eleanor’s laugh was bitter. “You’re delusional. She’s a lost cause.”
The tension in the Imperial living room was thick, and Eleanor’s piercing, glare shifted from Kichard to their daughters Vivienne and Elise stood awkwardly, their phones still in hand. Elise kept sneaking uneasy glances at her sister, while Vivienne seemed more hesitant than before.
“What is it?” Eleanor demanded sharply, narrowing her eyes at the girls. “I can tell you’re holding something back”
Vivienne shot Elise a warning look, but Elise refused to meet her gaze. Instead, she crossed her arms and took a small step back, clearly deflecting responsibility.
“It’s nothing, Mother,” Vivienne said hastily, her voice higher than usual.
Eleanor’s lips tightened. “Don’t play games with me, Vivienne. If there’s something else I need to see, show me now Vivienne hesitated, clutching her phone tightly as if it were her lifeline. “It’s it’s just another video, but it’s not worth-
“Let me see it,” Eleanor interrupted, stepping forward.
“No, really, it’s not-“Vivienne started to protest, but Eleanor didn’t wait. In one swift motion, she snatched the phone out of her daughter’s hand.
“Mother!” Vivienne gasped, but Eleanor ignored her, her sharp eyes already scanning the screen.
Richard, watching from his armchair, frowned. “What is this now?”
Eleanor didn’t answer immediately. Her face paled as her eyes widened, and then her expression hardened into one of pure
shock.
On the phone was a video–clearer than the one of Rosalie–showing Damien locked in an unmistakable kiss with a woman who was not his wife. The captions and comments were relentless:
“Hale heir caught cheating–trouble in paradise?”
“Drunk wife, cheating husband. Perfect couple!”
“Rosalie’s drinking makes sense now. Who wouldn’t with a husband like that?”
“Oh, my God,” Eleanor whispered, her grip tightening on the phone.
Vivienne stepped closer, her voice a mix of guilt and defensiveness. “It’s everywhere, Mother. People are calling him a cheat, and they’re dragging the whole family into it.”
Richard stood, moving to Eleanor’s side to get a better look. As his eyes scanned the video and the mocking comments beneath, he sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping.
“This….” he began slowly, running a hand through his graying hair. “This is bad.”
Eleanor turned to him, her expression a mixture of fury and disbelief. “Bad? This is a disaster, Richard! Do you see what they’re saying about us? About Damien?”
Richard nodded grimly. “I see it. But there’s no use panicking now. We need to address this rationally.”
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Eleanor’s voice rose sharply. “Rationally? While the entire world is watching our son humiliate himself–and us–in real- time?” She thrust the phone toward him, as if the images alone were proof of her point.
Vivienne, emboldened by her mother’s outrage, chimed in. “Honestly, what was Damien thinking? This is going to ruin everything! Our reputation, our business partnerships-”
“Enough, Vivienne,” Richard said firmly, raising a hand. “Speculating won’t help right now.”
Eleanor wasn’t done. She paced the room, the phone still in her grasp. “This is what I’ve been saying from the start. Ever since Damien married that girl, everything has gone downhill. He’s not the man he used to be!”
Richard frowned, stepping toward her. “What are you implying, Eleanor?”
She spun to face him, her eyes blazing. “I’m saying this is all because of her! Rosalie! If she had been a proper wife, Damien wouldn’t need to go looking for solace in another woman’s arms. A decent, dutiful wife would’ve kept her husband happy and focused. But no. She’s too busy getting drunk and embarrassing us!”
Richard’s mouth tightened as he took in her words. “You’re blaming Rosalie for this?” He gestured toward the phone. “For Damien’s infidelity?”
Fakes!” Eleanor snapped, her voice cutting through the room like a blade. “I warned him about her. I told him she wasn’t fit
for this family. And now look where we are. Scandal after scandal, all because he was too stubborn to listen to me.”
Richard stared at her in disbelief. “Eleanor, Damien is a grown man. He made this mistake. Not Rosalie.”
“Rosalie made her share of mistakes, too!” Eleanor shot back, her tone venomous. “Don’t act like she’s some innocent victim in all of this. She’s the genesis of the problem. If she hadn’t been so insufferable, if she hadn’t driven Damien to the brink, he wouldn’t have-”
“That’s enough,” Richard interrupted, his voice low but firm. “You’re angry, and I understand that. But this isn’t just about Rosalie. Damien made his own choices. He is responsible for his own actions. Blaming his wife won’t change that.”
Eleanor’s lips thinned, but she refused to back down. “If Rosalie had any sense of decency, she would’ve seen this coming and fixed it before it got to this point.”
Richard shook his head, his expression weary. “Do you even hear yourself right now? You’re so caught up in your anger that you can’t see how absurd you sound.”
Eleanor let out a bitter laugh. “Absurd? What’s absurd is defending that woman after everything she’s done to this family!”
“Eleanor,” Richard said firmly, stepping closer. “This family is falling apart, and pointing fingers isn’t going to fix it. We need to handle this together.”
Eleanor turned away, crossing her arms. “Handle it however you like, Richard. But don’t expect me to play nice with her. Not after this.”
Richard exhaled slowly, clearly trying to maintain his composure. He glanced at Vivienne and Elise, who were watching the exchange with wide eyes.
“I’ll arrange a family meeting,” he said finally. “We’ll call Damien and Rosalie, and they’ll explain what’s going on. Until then, I don’t want anyone making assumptions or spreading gossip. Is that clear?”
Vivienne and Elise nodded reluctantly, though their expressions suggested they weren’t entirely convinced.
Eleanor didn’t respond, her gaze fixed on the window as if she could will away the scandal with sheer force of will.
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“Eleanor,” Richard said, his tone softer now. “We’re a family. And families stick together, no matter how messy things get.”
She didn’t turn to face him, but her voice was cold and clipped when she replied. “A family, Richard, is only as strong as its weakest link. And right now, we have two.”
Richard sighed but said nothing more. Instead, he turned and left the room, his mind already racing with plans for the meeting.
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