Chapter 38: Height of Humiliation

Catharine's P.O.V

I was shocked beyond words, completely frozen in place as Mr. Hawthorn's cruel statement echoed in my ears. The sheer audacity of this man left me breathless. He had just insulted me in the worst possible way, reduced me to nothing more than damaged goods, and now he stood there with that disgusting smirk on his face, acting like he had every right to do so.

But then the shock began to fade and something else took its place. Rage. Pure, white-hot rage that started in the pit of my stomach and spread through my entire body like wildfire.

It wasn't enough that most of New York's elite now saw me as some kind of damaged goods, and whispered about my inability to have children at parties and social gatherings. It wasn't enough that I had to endure the pitying looks and the barely concealed judgment every time I walked into a room.

But now this man, this vile excuse for a human being, had the audacity to come forward and suggest something so disgusting, so completely inap