CHAPTER THREE

The voices grew louder downstairs.

Her entire body went rigid.

Tony was home.

And he wasn’t alone.

Leslie’s stomach dropped as she recognized the second voice.

Catherine. His mother.

“Absolutely humiliating,” Catherine was saying. Her voice carried up the stairs like venom. “Do you know how many people saw that?”

“I know, Mother.” Tony sounded tired. Annoyed.

“Do you? Because right now our family name is attached to a girl who showed up to a charity gala covered in dog shit.”

Leslie closed her eyes.

“Where is she?” Catherine demanded.

“Probably hiding in her room.”

“Good. I want to talk to her.”

“Mother.”

“Now, Tony.”

Footsteps on the stairs. Heavy. Purposeful. Angry.

Leslie stood up quickly, her heart racing.

The footsteps stopped outside her door.

A sharp knock. Three times.

“Leslie.” Catherine’s voice was ice. “Open this door.”

Leslie’s hands were shaking. “I, I’m not dressed.”

“I don’t care. Open the door. Now.”

Leslie took a breath and unlocked it.

The door swung open immediately.

Catherine stood there in an elegant black pantsuit, her gray hair pulled back severely. Her eyes were cold. Furious.

Behind her, Tony leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He didn’t look at Leslie.

“Sit,” Catherine commanded, pointing at the bed.

Leslie sat.

Catherine stepped into the room, towering over her. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“I didn’t, it wasn’t my fault.”

“I don’t want to hear excuses.” Catherine’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “I want to hear how you plan to fix this.”

“Fix what? I don’t understand how.”

“Don’t play stupid with me, girl.” Catherine leaned down, her face inches from Leslie’s. “You embarrassed this family tonight. You made us look like fools. Like we’re so desperate that we’d allow someone like you to represent us.”

“Someone put that, that stuff in my hair,” Leslie said desperately. “I didn’t know it was there.”

“And whose fault is that?” Catherine straightened. “A proper woman would have checked herself. Would have been aware of her surroundings. Would have conducted herself with dignity.”

“I tried.”

“You tried?” Catherine laughed. It was harsh. Mean. “You ran away crying like a child. You made a scene. You drew more attention to yourself.”

“People were laughing at me.”

“Because you gave them a reason to!” Catherine’s voice rose. “Because you showed up looking like you didn’t belong there. Because everyone could see exactly what you are.”

Leslie felt tears burning her eyes. “What am I?”

“Poor,” Catherine said simply. “Desperate. Common. Everything this family is not.”

The words hit Leslie like physical blows.

Tony finally spoke. “Mother, that’s enough.”

“No, it’s not enough.” Catherine turned to him. “You brought this girl into our lives. You married her. And now we have to deal with the consequences.”

She turned back to Leslie. “Let me make something very clear. You are here for one reason. One purpose. To smile. To look presentable. To not embarrass us. That’s it. That’s all we need from you.”

“I was trying.”

“You failed.” Catherine’s voice was final. “Spectacularly. And now the entire city is talking about it. There are photos. Videos. Social media posts. Our family name is being mocked because of you.”

Leslie’s voice came out small. Broken. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t fix this.” Catherine walked to the door. “From now on, you don’t go anywhere without my approval. You don’t wear anything without my approval. You don’t speak to anyone without my approval. Do you understand?”

Leslie nodded, tears streaming down her face.

“I asked you a question.”

“Yes,” Leslie whispered. “I understand.”

“Good.” Catherine looked at her with disgust. “Clean yourself up. You smell like garbage.”

She walked out.

Tony lingered in the doorway for a moment.

Leslie looked up at him, hoping, desperately hoping, that he might say something. Anything. That he might defend her. Comfort her. Show even a tiny bit of humanity.

But he just shook his head slowly.

“You really fucked up tonight, Leslie,” he said quietly.

Then he walked away.

The door closed.

And Leslie was alone again.

She sat there on her bed, tears streaming down her face, her whole body shaking with silent sobs.

She’d thought the humiliation at the gala was the worst thing that could happen.

She’d been wrong.

This was worse.

Being destroyed by strangers was one thing.

But being destroyed by the people she lived with? The people who were supposed to be, what? Her family? Her husband?

That was something else entirely.

Leslie pulled her knees to her chest and cried until she had nothing left.

Until she was empty.

Until she was numb.

And somewhere in that darkness, something inside her shifted.

Not hope. She had no hope left.

But something harder. Colder.

Something that whispered: You don’t have to stay here forever.

Something that whispered: Remember this. Remember how they made you feel.

Something that whispered: One day, you’ll make them regret it.

Meanwhile, downstairs in Catherine’s private study.

“That was quite the performance tonight.”