Chapter 1
The crystal chandelier above the mahogany dining table cast a cold, fractured light over the silver cutlery and the melting wax of decorative candles. Julian stood at the head of the table, his dark grey double-breasted suit sharp against his black shirt. His fingers tightened around the stem of his champagne glass until his knuckles turned white.
Across from him, his mother, Eleanor, adjusted her diamond brooch with agonizing slowness. Her elaborate updo remained immaculate, refusing to betray the heavy tension suffocating the room.
Julian’s gaze snapped toward the doorway. Amy stood there, the beige fabric of her dress rumpled at the hem. Strapped securely to her chest was a baby carrier holding their four-month-old daughter, Lily. Amy’s eyes were bloodshot, her lower lip trembling as she looked down at the infant’s sleeping face.
Julian stepped forward, the ice in his champagne glass clinking sharply in the dead silence.
"Amy! What are you doing?" Julian demanded, his voice cutting through the heavy air with razor-sharp intensity.
Several well-dressed guests around the table froze, forks suspended inches from their porcelain plates. No one dared to breathe.
Amy looked down tearfully, clutching the baby closer to her chest. Her voice came out as a fragile, trembling whisper.
"She said I had to serve everyone first," Amy murmured, gesturing vaguely toward the seated guests who had just finished their primary course.
Julian stared at her with intense anger, his jaw clenched so tightly a muscle ticked violently beneath his left eye. He took another step forward, closing the distance between them.
"This ends right now," Julian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, firm register that left no room for argument.
Eleanor placed her napkin neatly beside her half-eaten dessert, her lips pursed in absolute disdain. She looked up at her son and daughter-in-law without a single ounce of warmth.
"A woman should earn her place," Eleanor stated coldly, her voice dripping with aristocratic entitlement.
Julian ignored his mother. He reached out, his hand gently resting on Amy’s trembling shoulder, guiding her back toward the hallway while glaring at Eleanor with a hatred so profound it silenced the entire room.
"Get your coat, Amy. We are leaving this house tonight," Julian whispered fiercely, turning his back on his mother for the very first time in his life.
May you like
As they reached the heavy oak front door, Amy stopped and pulled a folded envelope from her pocket, handing it to Julian with trembling fingers.
"Read it," Amy whispered, her voice cracking. "She didn't just make me serve them. She had me sign this yesterday."
