hapter 54
DAMIEN
M
སོ ཊཱི, 42%
I sat at my desk, staring at the mountain of paperwork in front of me. My pen tapped rhythmically against the glass surface as my thoughts swirled with frustration. The scandal had thrown everything into chaos, and I had spent the better part of the morning putting out fires. Business deals were on the line, investors were becoming skittish, and my phone hadn’t stopped buzzing with reporters demanding statements.
It didn’t help that Rosalie’s face kept flashing in my mind. Her teary eyes from our last argument. The way she looked at me, like I was suffocating her. I clenched my jaw and shoved the memory aside. I didn’t have time to dwell on that now.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
“Mr. Hale,” my new PA’s voice came through the intercom, soft yet cautious. I could sense the hesitation, and I wasn’t in the mood for it.
“What is it, Amanda?” I barked, my tone sharper than I intended.
“You have visitors,” she said. “Your parents are here to see you.”
I froze, my pen hovering mid–air. My parents? Now? Of all times? I exhaled through my nose, trying to rein in my irritation. What could possibly be so urgent that they’d show up unannounced? My mother hated to leave the comfort of her perfectly curated home unless absolutely necessary.
I almost told Amanda to send them away. I didn’t have the energy for my mother’s sharp tongue or my father’s thinly veiled disappointment. But I knew better than to deny them.
“Fine,” I said curtly. “Let them in.”
The door opened moments later, and Amanda stepped inside, her hands clasped nervously in front of her. Behind her were my parents.
My mother entered first, her heels clicking against the tiled floor with an authority that filled the room. She wore an elegant cream suit, her hair styled to perfection, but her face was a storm of barely restrained anger. My father followed close behind, his demeanor calm, as always, though his eyes were assessing me closely.
Amanda started to speak, but my mother cut her off with a sharp wave of her hand.
“Don’t waste time, young lady,” my mother snapped. “We’ve been waiting far too long downstairs as it is.”
Amanda flinched, her cheeks reddening.
“Mother,” I said firmly, standing from my chair. “That’s enough.”
Her eyes darted to me, her lips pressing into a thin line. I turned to Amanda, softening my tone.
“You can leave us now,” I said. “Thank you.”
Amanda nodded quickly, retreating from the room. The door clicked shut behind her, and I turned back to my parents, irritation simmering beneath the surface.
“What’s this about?” I asked, gesturing for them to sit.
My mother didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she surveyed the office with a critical eye, as though searching for
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something to complain about. Finally, she settled into one of the chairs opposite my desk, crossing her legs gracefully.
“This is what it’s come to, Damien,” she said, her voice cold. “We have to track you down like common beggars because you refuse to answer our calls.”
“I’ve been busy,” I replied, sitting back down and folding my hands on the desk.
“Too busy for your own family?” she shot back, her voice rising slightly.
“Eleanor,” my father interjected, his tone calm but firm. “We didn’t come here to argue.”
My mother huffed, but she stayed quiet, her sharp gaze fixed on me.
“Damien,” my father begun, his voice firm and loud, cutting through the silence of my office. He didn’t bother with greetings or small talk. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
I sighed, rubbing my temple. “I assume you’re here about the video,” I muttered.
“Assume?” he shot back, his tone incredulous. “It’s plastered all over the internet! Headlines are calling you a cheat, a disgrace to this family, and you’re sitting here like it’s nothing?”
“I know what it looks like,” I said, trying to keep my voice even, though frustration bubbled beneath the surface. “But it wasn’t premeditated. It happened in the heat of the moment.”
“The heat of the moment?” my father repeated, his voice rising. “Damien, you’re not some reckless teenager! You’re the head of a multimillion–dollar empire. Every move you make reflects on this family, on the Hale name.”
My mother, who had been pacing silently up until now, scoffed loudly. “This is what happens when you let cheap distractions into your life. Women like that… they’re beneath you, Damien.”
“I don’t need a lecture, Mother,” I said, keeping my tone sharp. “I’m handling it.”
“Handling it?” she sneered, crossing her arms. “Your father and I have been fielding calls from every business partner we’ve ever worked with. People are questioning our reputation, our judgment, because of you. And don’t get me started on the party and the shameful scene your wife displayed. That… disaster.”
I tensed. I should have seen this coming. She was never one to miss an opportunity to criticize Rosalie.
“This isn’t about Rosalie,” I said through gritted teeth.
“Isn’t it?” she snapped, stepping closer to my desk. “If she were doing her duty as a wife, you wouldn’t be out seeking solace elsewhere. But no, Damien, you had to marry a girl who has no sense of decorum, no class-”
“Enough,” I interrupted, my voice low but firm.
She ignored me, her voice growing louder. “I warned you, didn’t I? I told you she was trouble. But you wouldn’t listen. You thought you could mold her into something respectable, but look at what she’s done! She’s dragged you–and us–through
the mud!”
“Mother, I said enough,” I snapped, standing abruptly.
My father raised a hand as if to calm the situation, but I wasn’t interested in being calmed. My mother’s words cut too deeply, and my patience was wearing thin.
“You don’t get to blame Rosalie for this,” I said, my voice sharp. “This is my mess, and I’ll deal with it. But don’t you dare make her the scapegoat”
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“Scapegoat?” she repeated, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, please. I’m just stating the facts. Ever since she came into your life, it’s been one disaster after another. If you had married Charlotte instead-”
“Charlotte has nothing to do with this,” I said, cutting her off. My chest felt tight, anger surging through me. “And neither does Rosalie.”
My mother’s face turned red, a mix of shock and fury. “Are you defending her? After everything she’s done?”
“Yes, I am,” I said, my voice unwavering. “And I’m done listening to you tear her down. She’s my wife, and whether you like it or not, she’s part of this family.”
“She’s destroying this family!” my mother shouted, her voice echoing in the room. “And you’re too blind to see it!”
“That’s enough, Eleanor,” my father said sternly, stepping forward. “This isn’t helping.”
She rounded on him, her anger spilling over. “Don’t you dare take his side, Richard. You know I’m right. This girl has been nothing but trouble from the start!”
“That’s enough!” I bellowed, slamming my hands on the desk. Both of them froze, their eyes wide with surprise. I rarely lost my temper, but this was too much.
“You’ve crossed the line, Mother,” I said, my voice cold. “You can insult me all you want, but leave Rosalie out of it.”
“Damien…” my father began, but I raised a hand to stop him.
“No,” I said firmly. “I’ve had enough of this. You come into my office, uninvited, and lecture me about my personal life like I’m a child. You insult my wife, blame her for things that aren’t her fault, and expect me to just sit here and take it? Not anymore.”
My mother’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. For once, she was speechless.
“I want you to leave,” I said, my tone final.
“Are you… Are you ordering us out?” my mother asked, her voice trembling with rage.
“Yes,” I said. “I am.”
She let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “You’re throwing us out because of that… that stupid girl?”
“I’m asking you to leave because you’ve overstayed your welcome,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside
- me.
My father placed a hand on my mother’s arm, his expression a mix of disappointment and concern. “Come on, Eleanor. Let’s go.”
She shook him off, glaring at me. “This isn’t over, Damien,” she said, her voice low and venomous. “You’ll regret this. And as for Rosalic… she’ll pay for what she’s done.”
I didn’t respond. I simply stood there, watching as they left the room. The door closed behind them with a finality that
echoed in the silence.
As soon as they were gone, I collapsed back into my chair, my head in my hands. My chest felt heavy, my mind racing with everything that had just happened.
What was happening to my life? My marriage was falling apart, my family was at war, and my reputation was in shambles. I had always been in control, always the one to hold everything together. But now, it felt like everything was slipping through
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my fingers.
< 3428
自
I let out a long, shaky breath, staring at the ceiling. I needed to fix this. Somehow, I needed to fix everything But where did I
even start?
