Chapter 244

Eleanor's POV

She wasn't wrong. For most people, it would be enough to live on for years. Even with my current lifestyle, it would last quite a while.

"I'm not trying to insult you," she continued, her voice softening. "I just want to offer some compensation. I've known you since you were little, remember? You used to call me auntie. Having no daughter of my own, I truly cherished you back then." There was genuine regret in her voice as she reminisced about the past.

But my resolve was firm: "I won't take it, and I won't leave Drew." Even if someone held a knife to my throat, I wouldn't give him up. With Drew, my mind was made up. I knew he felt the same way about me.

"Aren't you afraid that Drew will end up with nothing, just like you?" Her eyes bore into mine.

"My relationship with Drew has nothing to do with money. Money is just an added bonus-one we can live without," I replied, emphasizing each word.

"You've experienced having nothing before, haven't you?"

I bit my lip, remembering those desperate days when I nearly sold myself to make ends meet. That kind of desperation could drive anyone mad.

Then she dropped a bombshell: "I'm not trying to frighten you or make up lies. Drew isn't his father's only son. Charles has another son, only ten years old, born to another woman."

I froze. Hadn't everyone said Charles and Vivian were childhood sweethearts with an unbreakable bond?

As if reading my thoughts, she said, "Public rumors aren't always reliable. This is why I want Drew to be with Maeve. Their union would secure Drew's position, ensuring his inheritance remains intact. If Drew chooses you, knowing Charles's temperament, he'll be cut off completely."

She continued: "I don't doubt that you could survive together in poverty, or question the authenticity of your feelings. But for Drew's future, I have to intervene. Don't think me cruel-I have my own reputation to maintain in society. If Drew's choices lead to my downfall and public humiliation, I'll use my death to make him regret it. Don't think I'm just threatening you-I always follow through on my words."

I stared at her, remembering what Clara had once told me: Vivian was a woman of steel beneath her gentle exterior. When pushed to the edge, she was capable of anything.

"Eleanor, I don't know how much of what I've said has gotten through to you, but please think carefully. Is it worth destroying Drew's future, possibly even stepping over my dead body, all for what you call love?"

My eyes burning with tears, I demanded, "Why must you force this choice? Have you ever truly loved someone?"

"Yes, I have. And what came of it?" she smiled, though tears seemed to glimmer in her eyes. "He still betrayed me. Tell me, how long can love stay fresh? When Charles and I were first in love, he would stay awake for days just to surprise me. Even that passionate love couldn't withstand time's erosion. I'm not dismissing what you and Drew have, but I want you to consider: if your love eventually fades into mundane routine, do you think Drew won't regret choosing you? Giving up everything for you?"

I bit my lip harder. I didn't have an answer. All I knew was that right now, I couldn't bear to leave Drew, and I was certain he wouldn't leave me either. Otherwise, Vivian would have confronted him directly instead of coming to me.

But she had a point. Years from now, would Drew truly never regret giving up everything for me? Would I forever carry the guilt of causing him to lose everything, even his family's support? I knew too well the pain of being abandoned by family-it was a wound that never truly healed.

Vivian rose to leave. "I'll come see you tomorrow," she said. "For now, I hope you'll keep this meeting from Drew. At least until you've had time to think everything through."

As a woman who had navigated the highest circles of Manhattan society for decades, Vivian carried herself with practiced grace and deliberate purpose. Just as she turned to leave, I found myself blurting out the words that shattered my own heart: "I'm going to leave Drew."

The moment those words left my lips, I lost all composure. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Vivian turned back to look at me, and I could see the genuine sympathy in her eyes. But we both understood the cruel reality of our situation - some things simply couldn't be changed, no matter how much we wished they could be.

She returned to the couch and held out a plain white envelope. "Take it," she said softly.

I stared at the envelope, and she continued, "Accepting this doesn't diminish your love for Drew. If anything, your decision to walk away proves just how deeply you care for him. Please, take it - it will help ease my conscience, at least a little."

When she tried to press the envelope into my hands, my first instinct was to refuse. But her next words made me hesitate: "Otherwise, how will you convince Drew that this breakup is real?"

My fingers clenched involuntarily, but I managed to say, "I have a better way. One that will ensure he never wants to see me again."

"Then consider this my way of thanking you," she replied. "I know your situation, Eleanor. Having resources will never hurt, and if it makes you feel better, think of it as a loan. You can pay me back when you're able."

I looked up at her, and she added, "I'm not a saint, but I'm not heartless either. Eleanor, sometimes I wish you really were Clara's daughter. Things would be so different then."

I couldn't help but laugh - a broken sound that quickly dissolved into more tears. Yes, I too had prayed countless times that this was all just a nightmare, that I would wake up and still be Clara Harrington's daughter, still part of the Harrington family.

Before leaving, she said, "If you ever truly need help, you can come to me. I can offer that much without worrying about Clara's approval."

Watching her walk away, I thought about how Vivian wasn't really the cold, unbreakable person she pretended to be. Life had forced that armor onto her, made her build walls to protect herself.

After she left, I stared at the envelope in my hands, fresh tears falling. This morning, Drew had left with such excitement in his eyes. Who could have known that brief goodbye would be our last?

My phone lit up with a message from Drew: "I'll be home by 8 PM."

My vision blurred with tears, making it nearly impossible to read the words on the screen. I could only imagine how happy and excited he must have been while typing that message. How much pain would he feel when he discovered what I was about to do?

Wiping my eyes, I picked up my phone, forcing myself to ignore his message. With trembling fingers, I found the right contact and began typing. It took me a long time to compose that message, and even longer to find the courage to send it.

I knew that once I hit send, everything between Drew and me would be over. He would hate me for the rest of his life.

Finally, I pressed send.

As I closed my eyes, tears poured down my face like a broken dam. I finally understood that when misfortune strikes, it truly never comes alone. That brief happiness I'd experienced had been nothing more than a mirage.

I knew, with crushing certainty, that I would never be truly happy again. Never be loved again. The weight of this realization pressed down on my chest like a physical thing, making it hard to breathe through my tears.