Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Heather didn’t feel even a shred of guilt about Beckett faking his death to impersonate Bennett.
If anything, she thought, if Edith could have children, who would dare come between them? If anyone was to blame, it was Edith herself for being barren.
If she hadn’t been infertile, the Vance family wouldn’t have had to orchestrate this whole charade. Heather wouldn’t have ended up in the humiliating position of apologizing to Cora, that wretched woman.
Seething with resentment, Heather clenched her teeth, grabbed her purse, called for the driver, and stormed out of the hospital.
Beckett, lost in his own thoughts, failed to notice Heather’s sudden mood shift. He only realized she was gone when he looked up to find the space where she’d been standing completely empty.
All the way from the hospital to the Sumner estate, Heather’s fury simmered, building with every mile. By the time she stepped out of the car, it had reached a boiling point.
If Edith had made her look like a fool, then that humiliation would be paid back in full.
With a stormy expression and a “get in my way and you’ll regret it” air, Heather barrelled into the Sumner family home. The roomful of guests, who’d been chatting and laughing just moments before, fell instantly silent, eyes darting toward Heather with a mixture of curiosity and
unease.
Though everyone loved gossiping about Heather behind her back, none of them were brave enough to do it openly. It wasn’t respect for the Vance family that kept them quiet-it was the fact that Heather’s infamous temper was simply too much for most people to handle.
At that moment, Edith was upstairs carefully arranging her dowry. Aside from the shopping spree with Justin at the department store, Jayne had
1/3
12:22
7
Chapter 36
gone out of her way to prepare plenty of gifts for her, hoping to ensure Edith would be treated well once she joined the Hawksley family.
The sentimentality of the moment had Edith’s eyes a little misty-until she spotted Heather, uninvited and brimming with rage, storming into the room. Instantly, Edith’s emotions vanished, replaced by a cool, implacable calm. It was as if she’d donned an invisible suit of armor.
Heather strode straight through the crowd, heading directly for Edith. The guests instinctively parted to let her pass.
Jayne, sensing trouble, tried to intercept her. But before she could get a word out, Heather shoved her aside. Jayne staggered, nearly losing her balance, but Edith was quick to catch her.
Narrowing her eyes, Edith lifted her chin and stared Heather down. “Apologize to my mother,” she said quietly but with unshakable resolve.
Heather let out a derisive snort. “Apologize to her? Are you out of your mind? She raised a daughter with no manners, and you expect me to say sorry?”
Edith wrapped an arm protectively around Jayne. The Vance family really did have a knack for redefining her expectations of shamelessness. “You’re the one who’s out of line, not me. Are you going to apologize or not? If you don’t, I’m calling the police. You’re not on the guest list, and you barged in here, shoving people around.”
Heather flopped into a nearby chair, crossing her legs and staring Edith down with smug confidence. For three years, she’d toyed with Edith like a cat with a mouse; Edith had never once been her match.
“Go ahead, call the police,” Heather taunted. “If your boyfriend can’t handle things at the station, do you really want to bet whether I can?”
Jayne, regaining her composure, tugged at Edith’s arm, signaling her not to act rashly. Then she turned to Heather, her voice placating. “Ms. Preston, today’s a special day for the Sumner family. We’re hosting a reception for our guests. If you have any grievances, could we discuss them another time? I’m afraid we simply don’t have the energy to
2/3
12:22
Chapter 36
entertain you right now.”
3/3
12:22
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.