Chapter 6
The tedious banquet finally ended, but Caroline couldn't relax yet.
Following the Windsor family's tradition, after formal events they would gather for a simple family dinner.
This time was no different.
At the Windsor Manor, crystal chandelier light cascaded over the long table. As the servant placed the last slice of mousse cake, Tiffany delicately picked up a small piece with her silver fork, bringing it to her lips while her gaze settled on Caroline.
"Caroline," she set down her fork with a crisp clink, her voice layered with false concern. "You didn't look well today. Are you feeling unwell?"
Caroline's fingers tightened slightly around her water glass.
She knew Tiffany wasn't genuinely concerned, and there was no need to announce her cancer diagnosis to everyone.
"I'm fine, just a little tired," she replied softly, her gaze fixed on the intricate lace pattern of the tablecloth, avoiding the other woman's eyes.
"Even when tired, one must maintain appearances," Tiffany remarked with a light laugh, drawing out her final words like a reminder and a warning.
"You are Arthur's wife, the lady of the Windsor household. So many eyes are watching you."
"At the banquet, Ms. White merely spoke a few words, and you sulked with a sour expression—so petty. If word gets out, people might think we Windsors have wronged you, causing you some great grievance."
As she spoke, her sidelong glance drifted toward Arthur, who sat beside Isaac.
Arthur was looking down at his phone, occasional glimpses of tenderness escaping from the corners of his eyes. He paid no attention to the dinner table conversation, as if everything around him was irrelevant.
"You are husband and wife—your glory and disgrace are shared. I don't need to explain this, do I?" Tiffany deliberately raised her voice, ensuring Arthur would hear.
"Even if just for Layla and Logan's sake, you should maintain appearances. Don't let outsiders laugh at us."
Caroline gripped her dessert spoon tightly, the handle digging painfully into her palm.
She raised her head and met Tiffany's pressuring gaze.
"Mother is right," her sister-in-law Irene Powell immediately chimed in. Wiping her hands with a wet napkin, her tone carried unquestionable certainty.
"Parents' every action sets an example for their children. At today's banquet, I noticed Layla and Logan were very close with Ms. White."
At the mention of Heidi, Arthur briefly looked up from his phone.
Caroline's heart felt as if it was being pricked by countless fine needles. She looked toward the two children sitting in their booster seats.
Layla was playing with a silver knife, while Logan bit into a strawberry, his little face full of innocence.
"Layla," Irene suddenly raised her voice, her face stacked with a warm smile. "I noticed you were clinging to Ms. White all day. Aren't you afraid of bothering her?"
Layla's eyes lit up. "Ms. White doesn't mind at all! She's so nice. She even promised to take us to the amusement park next time!"
"Between your mother and Ms. White, who do you like more?" Irene's voice was honey-coated but laced with poison.
Caroline's breath caught sharply. She wanted to intervene, but children don't overthink such questions.
Logan jumped in, "Ms. White tells us stories and takes us out to play. Mom just makes us study all the time."
These words were like a dull knife, slowly reopening Caroline's barely healed wounds.
Her endless household tasks, the educational materials she'd created herself for the children's development, her efforts to be the perfect wife and mother—all reduced to this in her children's eyes.
Meanwhile, Heidi needed only to bring new toys and sweet words to easily win their affection.
"You see?" Irene looked triumphantly at Caroline, barely concealing her schadenfreude.
"Children don't lie. Caroline, you claim to focus all your energy on the children, yet you can't compare to Heidi, a career woman. Where exactly are your priorities?"
Irene had never liked Caroline's lack of career ambition. Now that she'd found a weakness, she was determined to exploit it.
Tiffany added fuel to the fire: "Harmony at home brings success in all endeavors. If you fail to set a good example, not only will Arthur be troubled, but the children will be affected too. Then outsiders will laugh at the Windsor family again."
"I wasn't being difficult," Caroline finally looked up, her voice quiet but stubborn. "I was just—"
"That's enough," Arthur, silent until now, finally put away his phone. "This is a family dinner. Let's not spoil Grandfather's mood with these troublesome matters."
Caroline closed her mouth and looked at Arthur's cold expression.
She knew further explanation was pointless. In these people's eyes, any defense she offered would be seen as immaturity.
When the dinner finally ended, Caroline almost fled from the dining room.
She followed the spiral staircase to the entrance. As her fingers touched the main door, her gaze shifted toward the study on the second floor.
The divorce couldn't wait any longer. Rather than letting others gradually discover it, she should be honest with Isaac now.
Taking a deep breath, she gently pushed open the study door.
Isaac sat in his armchair, holding a newspaper he wasn't actually reading.
"Caroline? Come in and have a seat," he said.
Caroline noticed a trace of fatigue in Isaac's cloudy eyes.
"Grandpa," Caroline approached the desk, her fingers nervously intertwined. Before she could organize her thoughts, Isaac began speaking.
"You were put in a difficult position at today's banquet," his voice was slightly hoarse, with the characteristic slowness of old age.
"So many eyes are watching the Windsor family. The slightest disturbance can be magnified into a storm."
Caroline's heart sank, anticipating what would come next.
"Arthur is under tremendous pressure lately. The company is unsettled, and my health..." Isaac took an extremely slow sip of tea. "Outside predators are waiting to see our Windsor family stumble."
"At times like these, you two must remain stable as husband and wife. Your stability ensures the Windsor family's stability, and the company's stability."
Caroline opened her mouth, but the divorce declaration she had rehearsed countless times in her mind caught in her throat, impossible to voice.
"I know you have a thousand grievances, disappointed that Arthur didn't stand up for you then."
Isaac's gaze settled on her. "But for the sake of the Windsor family, for Arthur, and for the two children—even if you must pretend, maintain the appearance of a loving couple. Once we get through this rough patch, everything will improve."
The words "will improve" struck Caroline's heart like a hammer.
Throughout their seven-year marriage, she had faced one rough patch after another, with no end in sight.
Her happiness, her feelings—in the face of Windsor family interests, she was always the sacrificial lamb.
She said nothing more, simply turning to leave the study.
As the door closed, she heard Isaac's suppressed coughing behind her.
The corridor lights were dim, stretching her shadow long across the floor.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out to find a message from the hospital: [Ms. Hamilton, your follow-up appointment is due. Please come to the hospital as soon as possible.]