Chapter 9

Evangeline knew that going would only make Soren resent her even more, yet she couldn’t refuse Helena–not with her authority in the family.

She often found herself trapped in this painful tug–of–war, torn between her own. dignity and Helena’s demands.

“Evangeline, I don’t care who you were before or what tricks you used to marry into the Fawkes family. Now that you’re here, you need to remember your place,” Helena scolded, her voice sharp and unrelenting.

“You let your husband disappear for three days, and then you vanish yourself for just as long! What kind of wife does that? Or have you forgotten you’re married to Soren p>

Helena’s tirade went on and on.

But this time, Evangeline didn’t endure it in silence as she used to. With divorce looming, she found no reason to let Helena trample all over her.

She cut in, her tone unusually firm. “Mom, as you said, I’m his wife, not his mother p>

“That’s your son, not mine. I’m not responsible for teaching him how to behave p>

Helena’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What did you just say? Have you lost your mind, speaking to me like that p>

“I’m just stating the facts p>

Helena looked ready to explode, but then paused, as if a new thought had struck her. She gave a cold, dismissive laugh. “I see. You’re just jealous, aren’t you p>

“Is it because Poppy’s back? Has Soren been with her these past three days p>

Evangeline said nothing, holding her silence.

Helena was always well–informed–her knowing about Poppy’s return was hardly a surprise. And Evangeline knew too well: Helena was just fishing for a reaction, as she always did.

When Evangeline didn’t respond, Helena seemed to take it as confirmation, a smug little smile curling on her lips.

“I knew it. You’re just throwing a tantrum because of Poppy p>

“But don’t forget, I’m Soren’s mother. If I want him with someone, he’ll be with her. And if I want him to divorce you, you’ll be packing your bags and out of this house

21:03

by tomorrow p>

I

“So I suggest you remember your place before you speak to me again p>

Evangeline still didn’t answer. Helena, mistaking her silence for submission, grew even more pleased with herself–so much so that she failed to notice how different Evangeline was today.

In truth, Helena disliked Poppy even more than she disliked her current daughter–in–law. Evangeline might have come from a family in decline, and she was nothing like the ideal daughter–in–law Helena had imagined. But she was mild–mannered, easy to control, and–at the end of the day–the Whitmore family still held some standing in Serenity City, even if their glory days were long gone.

Poppy was a different story. Smart, accomplished, even educated abroad, but her background was ordinary, and she carried herself with a pride that Helena found deeply threatening. A mother’s intuition told her that if Poppy ever married into the Fawkes family, she wouldn’t be so easy to manipulate.

She’d fought hard to keep Soren and Poppy apart years ago. But when Evangeline married in, Soren had made his feelings clear–spending their wedding night and the two days that followed at a private club, wanting nothing to do with his new wife.

Ever since, he’d avoided home as much as possible, his smiles only growing more rare. As a mother, it hurt to watch.

So, when she heard Poppy had returned and Soren had spent three days with her, Helena’s feelings were conflicted. She couldn’t bear to break them apart herself, so she turned to Evangeline–one last time.

“Evangeline, as a mother, I’ll help you one more time. But I suggest you wake up and realize the danger you’re in. If you don’t, you might not be Mrs. Fawkes much longer p>

With those parting words, Helena hung up before Evangeline could reply.

Once, hearing “you might not be Mrs. Fawkes much longer” would have left Evangeline feeling as if her world was collapsing. But now, maybe because he heart had already prepared for it, she simply let out a quiet, relieved laugh.

So what if she lost the title? She didn’t want it anymore, anyway.

Chapter 10