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Chapter 73 – The Hot Chocolate Takedown
I froze mid–step, staring at Eleanor’s sudden theatrical outburst. The café patrons were now openly watching our interaction, exactly as she intended. My stepmother had always been skilled at creating public scenes where she could play the victim.
“Eleanor,” I replied evenly, refusing to match her volume, “we’ve been sitting here talking for ten minutes. What are you doing?”
Her eyes narrowed as she positioned herself more prominently for her growing audience. “I’m confronting the ungrateful girl who destroyed her family! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
slowly sat back down, maintaining my composure. “I think it would be better if we discussed this privately.”
“There’s nothing to discuss privately!” Eleanor hissed, her perfect blonde bob swinging as she leaned across the table. “Your father is facing jail because of you. Julian’s family is suffering. And now you parade around town with that new man of yours like some conquering queen!”
I took a deep breath, studying her carefully. Despite her designer outfit and immaculate makeup, I could see the cracks in her façade – the slightly smudged mascara, the tremor in her manicured hands, the desperation behind her rage.
“Let’s be clear about something.” I said quietly. “Dad is facing jail because he committed fraud. That’s on him, not me.”
“Don’t you dare act innocent,” she snapped, dropping her voice slightly as she realized her audience was losing interest in what appeared to be just another family squabble. “Harrison built that company from nothing. Everything you have, you owe to him.”
I couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped me. “Everything I have? Dad stole my mother’s family business, drove her to depression and death, and then spent years trying to control and manipulate me. What exactly do I owe him?”
Eleanor’s face contorted with frustration. She glanced around, clearly disappointed that the other patrons had returned to their own conversations.
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“We need money,” she finally admitted bluntly. “Fifty million. Or shares in your
company.”
I nearly choked on my hot chocolate. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Her eyes were cold, calculating. “Harrison’s assets are frozen. Julian’s family tried to help with legal expenses, but they can only do so much. We’re about to lose everything”
“And that’s somehow my problem because…?” I asked, genuinely curious about her mental gymnastics.
“Because we’re family!” she insisted, as if repeating it would suddenly make it true. “And because if you don’t help us, Harrison might start talking about certain things he knows.
I set down my mug carefully. “You’re actually trying to blackmail me. Wow.”
“It’s not blackmail,” she said defensively. “It’s just… leveraging information. Harrison knows things about your new boyfriend that could cause quite a scandal.”
“You mean the made–up things Dad claims to know about Damien?” I clarified. “The same Damien Sterling whose family has more power in their little finger than Dad ever dreamed of having? Please, go ahead and try that route. I’m sure it will end wonderfully for you both.”
Eleanor’s confident expression faltered slightly. She hadn’t expected me to call her bluff so easily.
“Fine. Let’s talk about something else then,” she said, switching tactics. “The jade bracelet.”
I raised an eyebrow. “What about it?”
“The one Ivy accidentally broke years ago,” Eleanor continued. “You made such a fuss about it being some priceless family heirloom from your mother’s side. You even made Harrison replace it.”
“And?” I prompted, curious where she was going with this.
“We both know it was a fake,” she said triumphantly. “A cheap replica worth…aybe a few hundred dollars at most. You lied to get an expensive replacement out of your father’s guilt.
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I couldn’t help it – I laughed out loud.
“What’s so funny?” Eleanor demanded.
“The bracelet Ivy deliberately smashed? It was real,” I informed her, enjoying the way her eyes widened. “Worth about three hundred million, actually. A museum piece from the Qing dynasty that belonged to my mother’s family for generations.”
“You’re lying,” she whispered, but uncertainty had crept into her voice.
“I’m not. The replacement Dad bought? That was the fake. The jeweler confirmed it years later when I had it appraised.” I leaned forward. “So actually, you owe me about three hundred million. I’ll take that instead of the fifty you’re asking for.”
Eleanor’s face paled visibly. “That’s… that’s impossible.”
“Feel free to verify it,” I said with a smile. “Though I doubt you’ll have the chance, given Dad’s current legal situation.”
I could see her processing this information, recalculating her approach. The calm confidence I now projected was so different from the timid, easily intimidated girl she was used to bullying.
“You’ve changed,” she finally said, her voice laced with bitterness.
“I’ve grown up,” I corrected. “And I’ve learned that people like you and Dad only have power over me if I give it to them.”
Eleanor’s lips thinned into a hard line. “So you won’t help us?”
“Not a chance,” I replied pleasantly.
Her hand shook as she reached for her coffee. I recognized the gesture – Eleanor always drank something when she was trying to hide her rage. But instead of sipping it, she suddenly raised the cup higher.
Years of
- do.
With her had honed my instincts, I knew exactly what she was about to
In one fluid motion, I grabbed my mug of hot chocolate and threw its contents directly at her, a split second before her coffee would have hit my face.
Eleanor gasped as the dark liquid splashed across her cream–colored designer coat,
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staining the expensive fabric instantly.
“You–you-” she sputtered, jumping up from her chair.
“Oh my goodness!” I exclaimed, loud enough for the entire café to hear. “I’m so sorry!! completely misread the situation. I thought you were about to throw your coffee at me, but you were just… what were you doing with your cup raised like that?”
The other patrons were staring again, this time with clear judgment directed at Eleanor, whose positioning had indeed made it obvious what she’d been about to do,
“You did that on purpose,” she hissed, frantically dabbing at her ruined coat with napkins.
“Just like you were about to, I replied softly, for her ears only.
I reached into my purse and pulled out a fifty–dollar bill, placing it on the table.
“For the dry cleaning,” I said loudly, my voice dripping with false concern. “Though I’m not sure that stain will come out. Hot chocolate can be so persistent, you know? Almost as persistent as the truth.”
Cherry, who had been waiting by the door instead of returning to the office as I’d thought, hurried over with more napkins.
“Ms. Ashworth, is everything okay?” she asked, playing along perfectly.
“Everything’s fine, Cherry. Mrs. Ashworth was just leaving,” I said, standing up. “She came to ask for fifty million dollars, but unfortunately, I had to decline.”
Eleanor’s face flushed deep red as several people openly stared and whispered.
“This isn’t over,” she warned quietly as I walked past her.
“Actually, it is,” I replied, not bothering to look back. “Give my regards to Dad. I hear prison visits can be so dreary this time of year.”
Cherry and I walked out of the café together, maintaining our composure until we
Then we both burst into laughter. were halfway down the block
“Did you see her face?” Cherry giggled. “When the chocolate hit that white coat?”
“I know I shouldn’t feel good about that,” I admitted, “but after all these yours of her tormenting me, it felt… justified.”
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I glanced back over my shoulder at the café. Through the window, I could see Eleanor
sm standing there, looking down at her stained clothes, her body rigid with helpless
fury. In that moment, I knew I’d finally broken free from her power over inc.
But I also knew this victory would only intensify her hatred. Eleanor Ashworth wasn’t the type to accept defeat gracefully. Whatever came next, I’d have to be ready.
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