Chapter 19 - The Matriarch's Lie
By 8:00 PM, the grand parlor was completely packed with the most powerful members of the Sterling family hierarchy.
Uncle Julian, Uncle Richard, and Aunt Beatrice were all present, alongside the senior estate staff lining the walls.
Eleanor arrived exactly ten minutes late, dripping in heirloom sapphires and projecting absolute dominance.
"It is tragic, really,"
Eleanor said, taking a flute of champagne from a passing server.
"I have tried to tell William from the very beginning that the girl simply wasn’t built for our world."
"Is it true she had an accident this afternoon, Eleanor?"
Aunt Beatrice asked, leaning forward with gossipy interest.
"Oh, a dreadful, clumsy tumble,"
Eleanor scoffed softly.
May you like
"The girl has absolutely no balance. She tripped entirely over her own feet in the dining room. A total liability to the family name."
The family members nodded slowly, conditioned to accept Eleanor’s version of reality without question.
