Chapter 41
Blanche returned to her hospital room, only to see Loraine sweep in with the housekeeper close behind. Without warning, Loraine slapped Hedwig so hard that she toppled onto the couch.
Blanche gasped. “Mother, what are you doing? Why did you hit Hedwig?”
It was only the second time Blanche had called Loraine “Mother.” The first had been at Blanche and Eddy’s wedding, when, encouraged by the crowd, she’d shyly called out “Mother,” and Loraine had squeezed her hand, insisting she call her “Mom” from then on.
Loraine seemed taken aback by the title but quickly recovered. “If it weren’t for this wretched girl, you never would’ve been kidnapped by Vincent, and you wouldn’t be lying in a hospital bed right now.”
“This wasn’t Hedwig’s fault,” Blanche protested, helping Hedwig up and facing Loraine head-on.
She didn’t notice Hedwig glaring at her from behind a mess of tangled hair, her dark eyes brimming with resentment.
“There’s no need to defend her,” Loraine said tersely, steering Blanche back into bed. “I brought you some nourishing soup-homemade, to help you recover. You should drink it while it’s still warm.”
Blanche wanted nothing more than to ignore Loraine, but seeing the situation Hedwig was in, she forced herself to compromise. “I’m not hungry.”
“No appetite? Then at least have a little something to settle your stomach.”
The housekeeper stepped forward, each hand cradling a thermos of hot soup. Loraine had come prepared, bringing all sorts of supplements just in case.
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Hedwig pressed her stinging cheek, watching as Loraine fussed over Blanche, a wave of bitterness and humiliation crashing over her.
Then Loraine’s voice turned cold. “There’s a mob of reporters parked outside, waiting to see you humiliated. You and Janet are to leave through the back door-right now. And from this day forward, you are not to set foot outside the house. Not once.”
Once upon a time, Hedwig had been so desperate to marry Vincent that she’d threatened to take her own life. Loraine had been forced to give in. To ensure Hedwig’s life as Vincent’s wife would be smooth and prosperous, Loraine had poured resources into the Yates family, elevating them to the upper echelons of Eclipsed Haven’s elite.
Loraine had invested everything, paving the way for Hedwig, determined
to shield her from shame.
But Hedwig had managed to turn everything into a disaster.
Now, gossip spread like wildfire through their world: the Simmons heiress had no grace or tolerance—she’d ruined her husband’s family over a petty
homewrecker.
Leroy Yates had suffered a stroke and died. The Yates family was left in ruins. Hedwig had gone from victim to perpetrator.
She’d even turned Eddy into a cold, ruthless executioner for her sake.
There had been a hundred ways to deal with the mistress, even with Vincent. But Hedwig had chosen the worst path-and reaped the worst
consequences.
She had insisted on marrying him, and now everyone was paying the price for it.
She had destroyed her own reputation, compromised Tia’s interests, and put her family’s safety at risk.
That, Loraine could never forgive.
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Chapter 41
Seething, Hedwig stormed out of the room.
She scrolled through the contacts in her phone and dialed a number. “Miss Doyle? You don’t need to know who I am.”
“All that matters is, I can help you take your place as Mrs. Simmons-the wife of the CEO.”
“In two days, it’s Sheila’s memorial.”
“That name should ring a bell, shouldn’t it?”
“I’ll arrange everything for you to put on a show that day.”
“Blanche is fiercely proud. If her husband’s affair with you is exposed to the press, she’ll have no choice but to divorce him-she won’t be able to
stay.”
“Sleeping with her man, on the anniversary of her mother’s death. Tell me, isn’t that the perfect script?”
