Chapter 8 - Healing the Rifts
While Victor and Catherine forged ahead with their new lives, the ripples of the scandal continued to touch other members of the extended Williams family. Many relatives who had blindly followed Maris, accepting her invitations and kissing up to her wealth while ignoring the whispers of cruelty, now found themselves shunned by polite society.
Among them was Elena, Victor’s younger cousin, who had always been treated as a second-class citizen by Maris for not being ambitious enough.
One afternoon, while Catherine was reviewing community project proposals in her office at Aegis Development Group, her assistant buzzed her through the intercom.
“Mrs. Williams, there’s a visitor outside who insists on seeing you. It’s Ms. Elena Williams.”
Catherine paused, frowning slightly. She hadn't spoken to any of Victor’s extended family since the day at the birthday gala. “Send her in.”
Elena walked into the office looking nervous, her hands tightly clutching a leather handbag. She didn't look like the arrogant socialite she used to be; her designer clothes were subdued, and her posture was defensive.
“Catherine,” Elena said quietly, standing near the door. “I know I have no right to be here. I know how awful my family—how awful Maris was to you.”
“Have a seat, Elena,” Catherine said calmly, gesturing to the chair across from her desk. “What brings you here?”
Elena sat down, taking a shaky breath. “I came to apologize. And to ask for help.”
Catherine raised an eyebrow. “Help?”
“When Maris went to prison and you exposed the financial corruption, my father’s branch of the family was cut off from the family trusts. My father spent his entire life relying on handouts from your mother, and now he’s lost everything—our home, our cars, all our investments,” Elena explained, tears welling in her eyes. “I tried to find a job, but no one in our social circle will hire me because of our last name. Everyone thinks we were part of the conspiracy.”
Catherine looked at her cousin-in-law for a long moment, remembering how Elena had once laughed along with Maris at family gatherings, mocking Catherine’s modest background. But looking at her now, Catherine saw a young woman desperately trying to escape the toxic gravity well of a dysfunctional dynasty.
“We aren't our parents, Elena,” Catherine said softly, sliding a notepad across the desk. “My division is currently hiring assistant project coordinators for our community housing initiative. The pay is honest, the work is exhausting, and it requires you to get your hands dirty in the real world rather than sitting behind a cocktail bar.”
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Elena stared at the notepad in stunned silence, then looked up, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “You... you’d give me a job? After everything?”
“Only if you’re willing to work harder than anyone else in this building to prove you earn it,” Catherine replied with a warm, steady smile. “Welcome to the real world, Elena. It’s tough, but it’s much more honest than what we left behind.”
