"What? You and Matthew are already married?" After making sure he'd heard correctly, Bruce brought his fist down hard on the table. "Marriage isn't something to be taken lightly. Do you think this is some game?"
The news was enough to bring tears to Ashley's eyes. Noticing her distress, Suzanne and Kevan hurried over, offering words to soothe her.
Cathleen, in contrast, remained perfectly upright, her expression unreadable. "Three days ago, Edmund personally visited Erin to formally discuss this marriage. If you have a problem with it, take it up with him instead of interrogating me."
Holding the visibly shaken Ashley in her arms, Suzanne felt her irritation toward Cathleen grow even stronger. She shot Cathleen a sharp, icy look. "You did this to take the man Ashley loves, didn't you?"
Kevan chimed in with clear annoyance, "Mom, why even bother arguing with someone like her? She's just envious because we've always cherished Ashley. This is nothing more than petty revenge on her part."
"Please... don't say that! If Cathleen has feelings for Matthew too, I can step aside..." Ashley's voice faltered as she completely broke down in tears.
Suzanne's heart tightened at the sight. She gently wiped Ashley's tears away. "Sweetheart, what are you saying? That marriage was meant to be yours from the start. Don't worry; I'll fix this for you."
She turned toward Cathleen, the warmth in her eyes instantly replaced with cold disdain. "I understand you may hold resentment toward us, but that doesn't justify taking the man your sister loves. Cathleen, you're my daughter as well. I'll find you another suitable match. As for Matthew, you need to return him to Ashley."
"And how exactly do you expect me to do that?" Cathleen shot back.
"Get a divorce," Bruce said flatly, leaving no room for disagreement. "Go file the paperwork tomorrow. I'll handle Edmund myself. All you need to do is end things with Matthew."
Cathleen gave a slow nod. "Since Ashley loves Matthew so much, then..."
She let the sentence hang on purpose. The others visibly relaxed, convinced she was finally about to give in.
Ashley fixed her eyes on Cathleen, her eyes brimming with expectation.
A faint smile curved Cathleen's lips as she went on, "I have no intention of divorcing him."
"What did you just say?" Bruce's voice shook with anger. Turning to the butler, he barked, "Bring me the whip!"
The butler hurried off and returned moments later with it.
Ashley made a show of stepping forward as if to stop him, yet her words only made things worse. "Dad, I'm sure Cathleen didn't mean to talk back to you like that. She's been living in the mountains for so long without proper guidance, so it's not surprising if her behavior is a bit rough around the edges. And after being away from you for all these years, it's only natural she might feel a little distant."
Her remarks hit home for Bruce. Cathleen, who had been absent for years, could never compare to Ashley, the daughter he had cherished and taken pride in for twenty years.
Ashley was bright, considerate, and deeply devoted. Cathleen, on the other hand, had challenged him outright from the moment she returned. If he didn't put her in her place now, how could he expect to keep authority over this household?
"She needs to learn her place!" Bruce snapped, lifting the whip with fury. "Cathleen, since no one bothered to teach you manners these past twenty years, I'll do it myself as your father. Let's see if you still dare to show such disrespect after this!"
With that, he lashed the whip toward Cathleen.
Out of the corner of her eye, Cathleen caught the unmistakable satisfaction in Ashley's expression. Her lips pressed together. She had tolerated enough. Did they really think she would just stand there and take it?
In an instant, she reached out and pulled Ashley in front of her. The whip struck down swiftly and forcefully. With a sharp crack, a vivid red mark spread across Ashley's cheek, her face swelling almost immediately.
"Ah!" Ashley screamed. Everyone in the living room went pale, except for Cathleen.
