Chapter 371
The moment Alexander left, Margaret Whitmore finally spoke. “Alright then. Should we begin the wedding preparations immediately? I hope Victoria can get some proper rest now.”
“Of course.” Eleanor Kensington gave her daughter’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “You’ll stay right here, Victoria. I’ll handle everything. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“Okay,” Victoria replied with a compliant nod.
It had all worked out in the end. As long as she married Alexander, her future was secure.
Most of the people in the hospital room filed out to start organizing the wedding. Uninterested, Isabella Montgomery turned to Theodore Montgomery. “If there’s nothing else requiring my presence, Grandfather, I’ll be heading home.”
“Thank you for your assistance today, Isabella. Your sister is in your debt. I’ll put you in charge of the real estate development project next year,” Senior Montgomery stated.
He felt a pang of sympathy for Isabella. She had spent eighteen years with Alexander, only to have her own wedding destroyed. Now she had to watch her sister marry him.
It must be agonizing. No project, no matter how profitable, could truly compensate for that heartache.
Isabella, however, showed no outward emotion. She simply acknowledged his words. “Understood.”
A bitter taste filled Victoria’s mouth. Her hands clenched into tight fists beneath the sterile hospital sheets.
She owed Isabella? Owed her for what? Isabella was the one who had publicly ruined her reputation!
And now Grandfather was just handing the project over to her? That project was supposed to be Victoria’s responsibility! Its success would have brought her significant profit and cemented her standing. Why this sudden change?
Theodore Montgomery turned his attention to Victoria. “Victoria, you must focus on recuperating. You don’t object to this arrangement, do you?”
Object? Of course she objected!
She felt like she could tear them all apart in that moment. But the wedding was imminent. She had to maintain control, to not risk offending the Montgomery family. She had no choice. “Of course not,” Victoria forced out. “As long as Isabella isn’t overburdened.”
“Don’t concern yourself. I’m not pregnant, and my health is excellent. You should concentrate on your recovery. Focus on becoming a good mother and a dutiful wife. I will manage everything else,” Isabella commented, a faint, cool smile touching her lips.
With that, she turned and exited the room.
Victoria watched her leave, teeth gritted. She was gloating. Isabella was deliberately rubbing her face in it—flaunting the project, her vitality, her victory.
If the original plan had held, Isabella would be the one marrying Alexander, destined for a life as a confined housewife. That was supposed to be Isabella’s fate! Isabella should have been the one rendered useless and irrelevant!
But the tables had turned completely. Now Victoria was the one being forced into that powerless role.
Once married, her standing in the modeling world would vanish. She would never reclaim her former glory. She would be forced to watch from the sidelines as Isabella’s star rose higher and higher.
What alternative did she have, though? None. If she didn’t hold onto Alexander, she would have nothing left.
A wave of nausea washed over her, despite the cheerful wedding planning happening just outside her door. Isabella’s final words echoed, eerie and threatening. It was impossible that Isabella would help her without some hidden scheme in motion.
Theodore Montgomery soon left to join the wedding discussions. Not long after, Margaret Whitmore re-entered the room. Her tone was gentle. “Victoria, Alexander just called. He said it’s too late to have a custom wedding gown made. We’ll have to purchase a designer one from a boutique. Also, because of the short notice, The Grand Mariner is completely booked. We’ll have to hold the ceremony at a different hotel. I hope you understand.”
A designer gown? The same mass-produced design anyone with enough money could buy?
And The Grand Mariner was the most distinctive venue in all of Westchester. Built out over the ocean, its spire was visible from every corner of the city, a landmark from any angle!
Every prestigious family and public figure hosted their weddings at The Grand Mariner.
Now, suddenly, Victoria had to compromise on everything.
Compromise. The word curdled in her stomach. Victoria was utterly displeased.