How to Destroy a Cheater Without Saying Goodbye novel Chapter 41

"Alright, I'm counting on you."

Blanche returned to her hospital room, only to see Loraine sweep in with the housekeeper close behind. Without warning, Loraine slapped Hedwig so hard that she toppled onto the couch.

Blanche gasped. "Mother, what are you doing? Why did you hit Hedwig?"

It was only the second time Blanche had called Loraine "Mother." The first had been at Blanche and Eddy's wedding, when, encouraged by the crowd, she'd shyly called out "Mother," and Loraine had squeezed her hand, insisting she call her "Mom" from then on.

Loraine seemed taken aback by the title but quickly recovered. "If it weren't for this wretched girl, you never would've been kidnapped by Vincent, and you wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed right now."

"This wasn't Hedwig's fault," Blanche protested, helping Hedwig up and facing Loraine head-on.

She didn't notice Hedwig glaring at her from behind a mess of tangled hair, her dark eyes brimming with resentment.

"There's no need to defend her," Loraine said tersely, steering Blanche back into bed. "I brought you some nourishing soup—homemade, to help you recover. You should drink it while it's still warm."

Blanche wanted nothing more than to ignore Loraine, but seeing the situation Hedwig was in, she forced herself to compromise. "I'm not hungry."

"No appetite? Then at least have a little something to settle your stomach."

The housekeeper stepped forward, each hand cradling a thermos of hot soup. Loraine had come prepared, bringing all sorts of supplements just in case.

Hedwig pressed her stinging cheek, watching as Loraine fussed over Blanche, a wave of bitterness and humiliation crashing over her.

Then Loraine's voice turned cold. "There's a mob of reporters parked outside, waiting to see you humiliated. You and Janet are to leave through the back door—right now. And from this day forward, you are not to set foot outside the house. Not once."

Once upon a time, Hedwig had been so desperate to marry Vincent that she'd threatened to take her own life. Loraine had been forced to give in. To ensure Hedwig's life as Vincent's wife would be smooth and prosperous, Loraine had poured resources into the Yates family, elevating them to the upper echelons of Eclipsed Haven's elite.

Loraine had invested everything, paving the way for Hedwig, determined to shield her from shame.

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