Chapter 288 A Story for the Pretenders
Chapter 288 A Story for the Pretenders
Freya’s opinion of the scum in front of h
er dropped instantly. “It’s alright.”
“I heard you’ve been doing some screenwriting lately. Mr. Graham’s really treating you well -setting you up with a career and everything. He must really care about you. You’re so lucky. I also heard you’ve started writing novels. Who would’ve thought you had that kind of talent? I mean, we never really saw it before–what kind of stuff do you write, anyway?”
The tone was getting more and more grating. Freya could tolerate a lot, but anyone questioning her career hit a nerve. “Well, I just figured you all wouldn’t understand if I talked about it. But since you’re curious… how about I tell you a story?”
“Oh? You tell stories now? Sure, let’s hear it.”
This woman had come over with clear intent. Back then, she’d tried hard to charm Louis, but he hadn’t given her the time of day. She’d told herself it didn’t matter–Louis wasn’t into anyone. That didn’t mean she lacked charm.
After all, Louis was unique–disciplined, wealthy, and impossibly attractive. He easily outclassed most men of his age.
But who could’ve predicted that just as she was gearing up to enjoy Louis’s fall from grace, he’d bounce back stronger than ever? And worse–he’d turned the woman she used to look down on into his treasure.
Some of her friends had said maybe Freya had won Louis over with actual ability. But she couldn’t accept that. To her, Freya had just gotten lucky.
At tonight’s event, Freya had been the center of attention from the moment she walked in. Her looks and aura had taken a huge leap, and the scum had clearly seen several men who used to hover around her now eyeing Freya instead.
She hadn’t planned to say anything, but the more she watched, the more bitter she felt. She figured it wouldn’t hurt to toss out a few barbed comments–Freya couldn’t do anything to her anyway.
She just didn’t believe Louis really liked Freya..
Freya had no idea what was going through her head. She was more focused on the story she was about to tell, quietly amused. Without giving anything away on her face, she cleared her throat and began, with Aiden watching her curiously.
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Chapter 288 A Story for the Pretenders
“The thing about Mrs. Walker is… nobody remembers what her maiden name was. The Walker family, and she herself, fully embraced the idea that once you marry, you follow your husband’s name. Even after Mr. Walker passed, she remained Mrs. Walker. When she dies. her gravestone will simply say: Mrs. Walker.”
“Their son, Jacob, was a quiet man. Hardworking, obedient, always did what his mother told him. When it came time for him to marry, Mrs. Walker took stock of their family’s assets- quite a hefty sum–and figured they could afford to be picky.”
“Picky, of course, meant she would be doing the picking. Any girl too flashy or wild was no good. Talked back? Showed no respect for elders? Absolutely not. Too thin or too fat? Nope- bad for childbirth. She had to be careful. What if she died before her daughter–in–law and
young upstart? Funny enough, she never imagined it
left her poor son to be bullied by
would be the daughter–in–law who’d die first.”
“The Walker family picked a girl from a village a hundred miles away, Flora Gail. She had an older brother who was already married with children and still lived with their parents- meaning less burden from her side of the family. And the distance? That was deliberate. Made it harder for her to run back home–or ‘steal‘ from the Walkers to give to her parents…”
“At the wedding, Mrs. Walker wanted to save face, so they didn’t haggle over the bride price- it was paid according to local custom. They didn’t lose out, though. Flora’s family, wanting her to have some financial backing, sent her off with extra cash as part of her dowry.”
“Mrs. Walker asked her for the money, more than once. Flora, soft–spoken as she was, simply said her mother had instructed her not to spend it–said it was for her future children. No one else could touch it.”
“That infuriated Mrs. Walker. How did I misjudge her so badly? she thought. Flora was too stubborn. She needed to be taught a lesson. So Mrs. Walker tugged Jacob’s ear daily, complaining, ‘Your wife is greedy and lazy. You need to discipline her, or she’ll end up walking all over you!“”
“Jacob never said a word about it. Eventually, tired of the nagging, he left for the city to work during the winter.”
“And that’s when Flora’s real nightmare began.”
nough for “Mrs. Walker, getting on in years, didn’t sleep much. Every night she’d strain her ears, waiting to hear Flora’s door creak. At the first sign of dawn, she’d start coughing–lou Flora to hear. If her mother–in–law is up, how could she still be sleeping? Flora had to jump up and start making breakfast, bringing over water for Mrs. Walker to wash with.”
“There was no farm work to do in winter, but Mrs. Walker still kept her constantly on her
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Chapter 288 A Story for the Pretenders
Frw Cons
feet. All three meals, Flora had to cook herself. Mrs. Walker’s logic? My son married a wife to take care of me. Why else would the Walker family feed an extra mouth?”
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