3
When I returned home, my closest friends were already waiting for me.
“Are you alright? The whole town is buzzing about Julian showering some ‘femme fatale‘ with outrageous sums!”
This Julian is a real piece of work. He promised everything when he proposed, and look how little time has passed!”
“I’ve seen that woman. She parades around at parties, flaunting her powerful husband. Turns out, she’s just his mistress.”
“Before, they said Julian kept a clean house, no mistresses, no side affairs. Called him a model man. Guess I was blind!”
After carefully choosing my words to calm my friends, who were even more outraged than I was, I sent Grace, my young assistant, to gather more information about the rumors. Grace returned, looking distressed. The rumors detailed the messy drama between Julian and me with sickening clarity. The ignorant masses, unaware
of the truth, spoke even harsher words.
“What are they saying about me?”
Grace lowered her head. “Miss, outsiders don’t know the truth. It’s best not to listen.”
Finally, under my persistent gaze, Grace spoke. “They’re saying you’re the mistress, and Seraphina is the one Julian truly cherishes.”
“They even claim you’re shameless, seducing a married man!”
Though I’d braced myself for the worst, hearing it articulated brought an inexplicable stab of pain. I, who was legally married into this family, was now called a shameless hussy by strangers.
After dismissing Grace, I curled up on the couch, my eyes empty, my mind numb. For this rumor to persist, to even escalate, it had to have Julian’s explicit approval. Did he truly love me, as the bullet comments claimed? Did his ‘love‘ condone people twisting the truth, endlessly slandering me? I closed my eyes in agony.
After a long while, I summoned a few aides, my voice raw, and instructed them: “Go suppress these rumors. Immediately.”
The bullet comments became active again:
[My heart aches for Ellie, I can’t take it. If only she’d just softened a little, flirted a little, it wouldn’t have come to this…]
[What a bunch of mindless sheep, just following the crowd. Seraphina is the mistress! It infuriates me]
[Julian is indeed a bit much, but Ellie is too independent. He still wants to see her relying on him, helpless without him]
I don’t think these rumors will be easy to suppress. Ellie’s real identity is probably exposed. Her family, the Hayes, will probably blame her.]
My gaze lingered on the last comment. Sure enough, the aides who’d just left rushed back to report: “Miss, someone is constantly spreading news outside. We supp-
ress it here, and over there, they say even worse things. We can’t stop it.”
I said nothing. The aide hesitated, then said, “Miss, Julian’s influence stretches across the city. If he were to step in…”
–
But it was he who was ruining my reputation the man who should be my closest confidant. Though… not for much longer.
When my father arrived later that evening, his voice crackled with fury. “Eleanor! What is going on?! If someone hadn’t come asking me, I wouldn’t even know!”
I remained still. “Julian found another woman. Is that my fault?”
“Men having mistresses is common practice, but how could you let this become such a public spectacle?! And let that woman flaunt herself shamelessly right in front of you?!” My father’s voice abruptly rose.
I patiently explained, “Julian himself spread these rumors. He’s the one who took a mistress. Father, this has nothing to do with me.”
My father scoffed. “If you can’t hold a man’s heart, it’s your fault.” With that, he turned and left.
My father’s words were so self–righteous. Back then, my mother had defied our entire family to get him that minor position, and he’d been endlessly grateful to her. But soon enough, it was all new love, and old tears forgotten. Was giving your all, wholeheartedly, truly a mistake?
