Chapter 31
If Hedwig were willing to end her marriage, breaking free from this wreck would be all too easy.
But this no longer had anything to do with Blanche-she was done involving herself.
Suddenly, Loraine’s voice cut through the air, cold and unyielding. “I won’t allow you to get a divorce. You’re Miss Simmons. If word got out that you can’t even manage your own marriage, you’d become a laughingstock.”
“You are the lady of the Yates family. What you should be managing is our family’s power, our standing, our wealth-the legacy you’ll leave for your children.”
“And yet here you are, letting yourself fall to pieces over a mistress who’s not even worth mentioning. You disappoint me.”
Hedwig dropped to her knees, unable to believe these words were coming from her own mother. “Mom, he betrayed me-he cheated on me! And you still expect me to just grit my teeth and accept it?”
“Vincent made the kind of mistake every man makes. As long as he treats you with respect, keeps up appearances, you shouldn’t fuss over the rest.” Loraine pulled Hedwig to her feet, her tone growing even colder. “I’m not telling you to swallow your pride. I’m telling you what really
matters.”
“With the Simmons family behind you, Vincent wouldn’t dare go too far.”
“He’s been begging your brother for an investment, hasn’t he? This is your chance. I’ll help you put him in his place-make him leave that woman and come back home where he belongs.”
“Don’t talk about divorce again.”
“Mom, that woman is already pregnant with Vincent’s child. He’s been taking her out in public, parading her around like she’s Mrs. Yates. Is this your idea of respect?” Hedwig’s voice was raw, tears streaming down her reddened cheeks.
“You only have one daughter-Tia. If that mistress gives Vincent a son, bring the boy home and raise him yourself. Vincent won’t dare object.” Loraine didn’t bat an eye at Hedwig’s outburst; instead, she offered this “solution” as if it were sound advice. “If she wants to present herself as Mrs. Yates, let her. At least she knows her place. With her around, you won’t have to worry about Vincent’s other flings.”
“Isn’t that the best of both worlds?”
“So status and reputation mean more to you than your daughter’s happiness? Is that really how you see things?” Hedwig was nearly hysterical.
Hedwig had grown up as the darling princess of the Simmons household, Loraine’s treasured child. She never imagined her mother would treat her with such cold calculation. “If you won’t help me, then I’ll talk to my brother.”
She had barely gotten to her feet when Loraine slapped her, hard.
Loraine radiated fury, her eyes brimming with disappointment. “How did I raise such a useless daughter? Every woman in our circle faces this. They all turn a blind eye and keep their dignity. The ones who cause a scene, who demand divorce-what good does it do them?”
“Take Ms. Harvey, for example-she left her marriage with nothing, threw her husband out, and what happened? The man suffered for a few years, then made a comeback, living happily ever after with his mistress. And Ms. Harvey? She wasted all those years standing by his side, lost everything in the end, earned herself a reputation for being jealous and difficult, and died not long after.”
“Is that what you want for yourself? To follow in her foolish footsteps?”
The Ms. Harvey Loraine spoke of was none other than Blanche’s mother, Sheila Harvey.
So this was how Loraine saw things: nothing mattered more than the image of a respected matriarch, not even her own daughter’s happiness. If she could so easily manipulate her own child’s emotions, what hope was there for anyone else?
To her, Blanche’s mother had been nothing more than a cautionary tale-a friend to her face, yet always looked down upon as naïve and weak.
Blanche’s mother had been strong and decisive, qualities Loraine saw as worthless.
Blanche could not stand to hear her mother belittled, could not stand to see her legacy trampled on-or to let Loraine keep playing puppet master with their lives.
She threw open the study doors and strode to Hedwig’s side, helping her up as Loraine stared in disbelief. “Hedwig, don’t be afraid. I’ll stand with you-you have my support if you want to divorce Vincent.”
