Chapter 19: Madam Harper’s Son Is David!
Harper stared at Caroline, her eyes wide with shock. She blinked several times, as though trying to convince herself that she wasn’t seeing things incorrectly.
Caroline, equally stunned, froze in place, not sure how to react.
“Madam Harper?” Caroline asked hesitantly, her voice a whisper of disbelief. “Why… why are you here?”
The two women locked eyes, both lost for words, their minds struggling to process the strange twist of fate unfolding before them.
David’s face darkened as he turned his gaze from one woman to the other.
“Mom, you know her?” he asked, his voice edged with a hint of confusion and growing concern.
Harper quickly regained her composure, and the expression on her face shifted into one of pure delight.
“Know her? I know her so well! Too well!” Harper exclaimed with a laugh, as if this were the most wonderful revelation.
She stood up and walked over to take Caroline’s hand in hers, holding it tightly.
“It’s fate, absolute fate! I’ve been wishing and hoping for you to marry David, and now, it turns out you’re already my daughter-in-law! This is destiny!”
Caroline’s heart sank as she tried to process the whirlwind of emotions that had swept over her.
“Madam Harper, your son is… David?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, disbelief evident in her tone.
“Yes, yes!” Harper nodded enthusiastically. “I had no idea you were already married! How could you not tell me about something this big?”
Caroline forced a bitter smile, her mind racing.
“I married into the family to bring luck, Madam Harper. It wasn’t exactly a joyful occasion, and I didn’t think it would last long. I didn’t want to worry you, so I kept it from you,” she explained, trying to downplay the situation.
“Don’t say such nonsense,” Harper chided warmly, squeezing Caroline’s hand. “With me here, you’re officially married into this family, and it will last forever! A lifetime together!”
Harper’s words were filled with warmth, but for Caroline, they sounded like a chain locking her even more tightly into a situation she couldn’t escape.
Meanwhile, David stood off to the side, his expression dark and unreadable. His earlier anger had transformed into something far more chilling, as he tried to make sense of his mother’s words and Caroline’s involvement.
Caroline’s thoughts were in turmoil. Her mother-in-law was Madam Harper, the very woman who had been controlling David’s life from the shadows. The revelation made her feel small and powerless in this vast, ruthless family. A divorce, something she had once hoped for, now seemed utterly impossible.
Harper, oblivious to Caroline’s inner turmoil, waved her hand in the air excitedly.
“David, come here!” she called out. “This is the girl I told you about! I had no idea you two were already married. What a wonderful surprise—everything’s worked out perfectly!”
David’s face turned stormy at his mother’s words. His posture was tense, his jaw set. Caroline, however, felt defeated, unsure whether she should laugh or cry at the ridiculousness of it all.
But Harper didn’t seem to notice any of the tension. Her joy was infectious, and she continued on, oblivious to the storm brewing in the room.
“No divorce! Absolutely no divorce!” she declared, a look of finality in her eyes. “You two must stay together and live happily. Work hard. I’m counting on you to give me a grandchild! David, you’d better treat Caroline well. If you ever dare to bully her, I’ll be the first to make you regret it!”
She turned to Caroline, her tone softening.
“Don’t worry, Caroline. With me here, I’ll have your back. If he ever mistreats you, come straight to me, and I’ll take care of him.”
Caroline was at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond.
“Madam Harper…” she started, but Harper cut her off, the playfulness in her voice now apparent.
“Oh, stop,” she interrupted, lightly tapping Caroline’s hand. “What should you call me?”
Caroline hesitated, unsure of how to address the woman now.
“Mom?” she asked softly, testing the word on her tongue, feeling a strange weight to it.
Harper’s face lit up with joy, her eyes shining with pride.
“That’s right!” she beamed.
Harper clasped both their hands together, holding them tightly in a symbolic gesture that made Caroline feel more like a puppet than a participant in this grand family drama.
David, still standing in the corner, cast a cold, sharp glance at Caroline, his eyes filled with unspoken warning.
Caroline felt the intensity of his gaze, the weight of his silent threat pressing down on her. This was far beyond her control now.
“David,” Harper said, her voice trembling with emotion. “My greatest wish in life was for you to marry Caroline. I’ve never asked you for much, but for this, you have to promise me that you must take care of her. Do you hear me?”
David didn’t contradict his mother, though the sharp, blade-like look in his eyes was firmly fixed on Caroline. His words would come soon enough, but his gaze was more than enough to tell Caroline that this was a dangerous game she had no choice but to play.
Caroline understood the message loud and clear—she had to tread carefully, or else face David’s wrath.
“Actually, David and I don’t have any emotional foundation, and I…” Caroline started to explain, but Harper was quick to interrupt.
“Feelings can be cultivated,” Harper interjected firmly. “I believe in the two of you.”
It was clear now that Caroline’s expectations of escaping this family situation were entirely shattered. What she thought would be a quick and irreconcilable dispute had turned into a tangled web of family expectations.
The final unexpected turn came from Richard, who approached David and pulled him aside.
“From now on, I’ll accept Harper moving into the Ellison home,” Richard said calmly, “but I have one condition…”
The storm inside Caroline’s chest raged on, her mind bracing for whatever was about to unfold next. The Ellison family, with all its power and secrets, had her trapped now more than ever.
