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Chapter 21
publish date:
2026-10-19 09:17:46
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THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 22
The dining room smelled different already.New candles. New flowers on the table, tall white lilies that Rose had picked herself, still wearing her wedding ring, the diamond catching the light every time she moved her hand. She had swapped Emma's old blue china for a set of pale gold plates that morning. Samuel had watched the delivery truck pull up before school. Watched the old plates get carried out in a cardboard box like garbage.Now Rose sat at the head of the table where their mother used to sit.Not beside Lawrence anymore. At the head."This is nice," Lawrence said, cutting into his chicken, glancing around at all of them like he was admiring something he'd built with his own hands. "All of us together. A real family dinner."Jane swung her feet under her chair, humming to herself, reaching across the table for the bread basket instead of asking for it to be passed.Rose's fork stopped halfway to her mouth."Jane." Her voice was sweet, syrupy, the kind of sweet that had a bla
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 21
Simeon knocked on Emma's door late in the evening.She'd been reading financial journals, market analysis, anything to keep her mind busy."Come in."He entered holding his tablet, face careful and controlled."What's wrong?" Emma asked."There's something you need to see." He sat beside her. "It happened today. I debated showing you. But you deserve to know.""Know what?"He turned the tablet toward her and pressed play."This was posted an hour ago. Live from the wedding."The wedding.Lawrence's wedding.Emma's breath caught in her throat.The screen showed a ballroom. White roses. Crystal chandeliers. Silk everywhere.The camera panned across guests in expensive clothes, tables set with china, centerpieces taller than people.Then the bride appeared.Rose, in a white dress covered in crystals, train stretching behind her, walking down an aisle lined with flowers.Emma's hands started shaking."I can turn it off," Simeon said quietly."No." Her voice came out hoarse. "Keep playing
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 20
The Grandview Estate looked like something pulled straight from a magazine. White roses everywhere. Crystal chandeliers overhead. Silk draping every wall. Tables set with china that cost more than most people's cars. Two hundred guests, all dressed in designer clothes, jewels glittering under the lights. Lawrence stood at the altar in a navy suit, custom tailored, thirty thousand dollars, worth every penny of it. He looked good. Felt good too. The wedding march began. Rose appeared at the back of the ballroom. White dress, thousands of crystals sewn straight into the fabric, the train stretching fifteen feet behind her. Josh walked beside her, uncomfortable in his rented tux, but beaming with pride anyway. Lawrence watched her approach. She looked perfect. Young. Beautiful. Everything Emma hadn't been in years, at least in his eyes. The tiara on her head caught the light. Antique, set with diamonds and sapphires, it had belonged to Emma's grandmother once, passed down through gen
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 19
The clock on Emma's laptop read 4:47 when the words finally blurred together into meaningless shapes. She blinked, rubbed her eyes. The financial reports still made no sense at all. How long had she been awake? Twenty hours? Twenty two? She'd started yesterday morning at five. Training with James. Then lessons with Voss. Then dinner with Simeon and Sara. Then back to her room. To study more. Because she wasn't good enough yet. Wasn't smart enough. Wasn't ready. Her phone alarm would go off in forty three minutes. Time for another training session already. She stood up. Her legs wobbled. When had she last eaten? Dinner. Yesterday. Whatever yesterday even was at this point. The room tilted slightly. She grabbed the desk for balance. Just tired. That's all this was. She changed into workout clothes, hands shaking as she tied her shoes. James would be waiting by the lake. Like always. Five thirty. Rain or shine. Emma splashed water on her face and looked in the mirror. Dark cir
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 18
Dinner that evening was an education for Samuel. The Lowes made no attempt to hide their amazement at the food, the wine, the service. Josh photographed each course with his outdated phone, narrating enthusiastically the whole time. "This here's some kind of steak with a sauce I can't even pronounce. Costs more than our monthly electric bill, I'd bet. And the wine, Carol, what was that called again?" "Something French, dear. From nineteen ninety-something." "Château Lafite," Lawrence supplied. "A good year." "Good? It's miracle juice." Josh held his glass up to the light. "And to think our Rose drinks this stuff every day now. Our girl who grew up on powdered drink mix and tap water." Rose winced visibly. "Daddy, please." "What? I'm proud of you, princess. You set your sights high and got exactly what you wanted." Josh winked at Lawrence. "She always said she'd marry successful. Had it planned since she was twelve. Cut pictures of fancy houses right out of magazines and stuck the
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 17
"Lawrence! Where are the imported cigars I asked for? Daddy loves them after dinner!" Rose's voice echoed through the house, sharp with urgency. Lawrence Carter stood in the kitchen, tie loosened, hair disheveled from running his hands through it too many times. The counter in front of him was covered with shopping bags, proof of his fourth emergency trip to the store that day. Cigars. A specific whiskey. Aged cheese. Everything Rose insisted was essential for her parents' visit. "Check the brown bag," he called back, voice tight with restraint. The financial report he'd meant to review that evening sat unopened on his desk. Another day, another distraction pulling him away from it. Marie, the housekeeper who had worked for him and Emma for twelve years, hurried past with an armful of fresh towels. Her salary was modest next to Lawrence's wealth, but Rose had been hinting about hiring extra staff lately, full time help instead of the weekly service. Another expense he didn't need.
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 7 : She will pay
LUNA’S POINT OF VIEWThe salon was too loud.I did not notice it at first.When I walked in, it felt normal. The low hum of dryers. Women talking over each other. Laughter that came and went in waves. The sharp smell of products mixing in the air.It should have been comforting.It was not.I sat i
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 6 : His other daughter
SARA’S POINT OF VIEWThe drive home felt longer than twenty minutes.It should not have.I had taken that road too many times to count. I knew every turn, every traffic light, every stretch where the streetlights flickered a little before settling. It was a familiar path. A simple one.But tonight
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 5 : The Slap
LUNA'S POINT OF VIEWI almost did not go.I stood in front of the wardrobe for a long time, longer than I should have, my fingers brushing against dresses I had not worn in months. Some still had tags. Some still smelled new. Some smelled like memories I did not want to touch.I was not really seei
THE WOMAN THEY CAST ASIDE Chapter 4 : Know your place
**LUNA'S POINT OF VIEW**I had not slept.Not really. I had layed on my side of the bed in the dark and listened to the house settle around me, staring at the wall, at the patch of ceiling above the wardrobe, at nothing. My mind would not stop. It kept circling back to the same moments, the papers
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