(Elara’s POV)
I walked slowly through the gates, my soaked heels scraping weakly against the wet ground as rainwater dripped from my hair onto the marble driveway
One of the guards glanced at me before scrunching his nose slightly.
“She’s finally back.”
The other guard pushed the gates open lazily without greeting me.
I lowered my gaze and walked inside silently.
My dress clung heavily to my body from the rain while mascara stains lingered beneath my eyes. My loose bun had almost completely fallen apart after walking endlessly through the storm outside.
I had been too numb to call a taxi after getting thrown out of Mila’s birthday party.
So I walked, and walked… and walked.
While the humiliation replayed endlessly inside my head.
Mila smiling brightly beside Vivienne, my handmade bracelet disappearing beneath the table, the guests laughing and Damien protecting Vivienne.
A painful ache twisted through my chest again.
I swallowed hard and stepped into the mansion.
Warmth immediately wrapped around my freezing body, but somehow, it only made me feel emptier.
A maid passing by near the entrance slowed when she saw me. Her eyes swept over my soaked appearance before she whispered to the lady beside her, “Did you see the videos online?”
The other maid snorted quietly, “She caused such a huge scandal tonight.”
“I heard Mr Vale was furious.”
Their whispers followed me through the hallway.
I tightened my fingers against my wet dress and continued walking silently. The mansion was unusually bright tonight.
As I walked further inside, Damien’s voice suddenly echoed faintly from the living room ahead. He was on a call with his mother.
Fear immediately tightened in my chest.
Damien’s mother wasn’t in the country, but even hearing her voice was enough to make my body tense instinctively.
If she had attended Mila’s birthday party herself, she would have slapped me publicly without hesitation.
That was the kind of woman Evelyn Vale was.
Cold, cruel and proud.
I instinctively stopped beside one of the marble pillars near the living room entrance.
Her furious voice rang loudly through the phone “That useless woman publicly embarrassed our family! The entire upper class is talking about it.”
Damien sat calmly on the couch while loosening his tie. Exhaustion lingered faintly across his handsome face, but unlike his mother’s rage, his expression remained composed.
“The only reason I ever accepted Elara was because she was gullible and easy to control.” Her voice echoed.
I went completely still. She continued, now lowering her voice “Wasn’t the agreement simple?”
Damien answered. “It was. We needed a male heir, and Vivienne didn't want children. She didn't want to go through that stress and ruin her body…”
My breathing became shaky.
“Exactly!” His mother interrupted, “It was the reason I agreed that you married Elara. She existed for that reason.”
My knees nearly buckled, and I grabbed onto the pillar for support. Their voices suddenly felt far away.
My marriage… my acceptance into the Vale family…
It had all been centered around giving them a male heir.
Mrs Vale continued “But now that she’s becoming troublesome. You need to get her pregnant with a son first, then discard her afterward.”
Every word sliced deeper into my chest.
“I know, Mom,” Damien answered.
At that moment, Mrs Nora, Mila’s nanny, noticed me standing there “Mrs Elara?”
The room fell silent instantly.
Damien slowly turned toward the doorway… Our eyes met.
For one long moment, neither of us spoke.
Damien’s expression remained cold, and annoyed. Then without breaking eye contact with me, he lifted the phone toward his ear “I’ll call you later.” he said, ending the call.
Damien’s gaze drifted over my tear-streaked face before he finally said flatly
“Go upstairs.”
That was it.
No explanation… Just another order.
I shivered from the cold, climbing the stairs when it suddenly dawned on me that tonight was another day in the calendar that we “try” for another child.
A lone tear streaked down my cheeks as I headed straight into the bathroom.
Hot water poured over me while I stood beneath the shower silently, trembling slightly.
By the time I changed into my robe afterward, my fingers were still cold.
I had barely tied the belt around my waist when the bedroom door opened.
Damien walked inside calmly… as though he hadn’t just destroyed my entire world downstairs.
“My mother is furious with you,” he said flatly.
I stayed silent.
“You embarrassed me publicly tonight, and upset Mila… Do you know how much trouble you caused me tonight?” He said, sliding his hand around my waist.
His touch used to make my heart race, but tonight I only felt disgusted.
When he lowered his head slightly toward my neck, something inside me snapped completely.
Smack!
The slap echoed sharply across the bedroom.
He froze, shock flickering across his face.
This was the first time I had ever resisted him. The first time I had ever hit him.
“Get your hands off me.” I yelled.
Damien’s expression darkened immediately. “Did you just hit me? Over what? Because you’re jealous and insecure about another woman? Vivienne never even tried to ruin Mila’s birthday.”
A hollow laugh escaped me.
Insecure?
Was I insecure for finally realizing I had only ever been a baby machine to him and his family?
“You’re so petty, Elara. And that is why I don’t like coming home.” Damien said coldly, and grabbed his jacket from the chair nearby.
Before leaving, he turned toward me one last time “Don’t call me again until you’re very sober.”
My throat tightened painfully.
Then he walked out, the bedroom door slamming shut behind him.
The old me would have panicked and followed him desperately. I would have sent apology messages, bought him gifts and begged for his forgiveness even when I wasn’t wrong.
But now… as I stared at the empty room, I muttered “Dear baby, they don’t deserve you. I won’t bring you into this family.”
