Damien strode into his office building. He still felt hungry after just having a toast. But he knew that Evelyn would have already ordered his favorite breakfast and would be bringing it for him soon. He just needed to wait a bit.
But just the thought of waiting because of her mistake made him frustrated again. The earlier scene with Eve still played in his mind, her calm demeanor when she entered the dining hall, her refusal to grovel when he accused her and the way she had smiled as if nothing had happened. It was infuriating. She used to cry, beg, apologize, and now she acted like she didn't care. It must be because of his grandfather. He was supporting her, an outsider way too much.
He pushed open the office door, expecting to be alone with his fury. But the moment he stepped inside, he froze.
Sitting in the leather chair by the window, with her legs crossed and arms folded neatly across her chest, was his mother. Regina Albrecht, regal as ever, in her perfectly tailored cream suit and pearl earring. But her face radiated nothing but disappointment without saying a word.
She turned her gaze toward him sharply with a cold expression on her face. "Shut the door, Damien."
He obeyed, more from habit than respect. "I wasn't expecting you today."
"That is obvious," she replied curtly, rising to her feet with a grace that only years of being a Albrecht matriarch could cultivate. "If I hadn't come unannounced, I doubt I would ever find out how badly you treat your wife."
Damien stiffened. "This again?"
"Yes," she snapped and glared at her useless son, "I am here for the same matter again! Because it keeps happening. I just received a call from the housekeeper. You walked out on breakfast like some arrogant child throwing a tantrum after asking her to make so many dishes for you! Do you even realize how disgraceful that is?"
Damien's brows furrowed. "Disgraceful? She made me wait thirty minutes!"
"That is because you could not eat what you were offered!" Regina cut him off with a cold voice. "She is not your cook, Damien. She is your wife. When would you start treating her like one?"
He said nothing in response because he knew no matter what he said, he would be wrong and his perfect wife would be right. His jaw grinding as he looked away toward the skyline. "She is not who you think she is, mother."
"She is exactly who I think she is," Regina retorted, stepping closer. "Damien, if not for her father sacrificing his life to save me three years ago, would I have survived? Do you not feel grateful at all? She had never accused us of ruining her family. She has only followed us and since then she is working hard to.."
Damien's temper snapped. "Working hard? She is just a trophy wife you snubbed on me. She knew nothing except cleaning dishes and washing clothes. If I asked her to cook, what was so wrong about it? And if it is the debt you worry about, you should have paid it in money! Not by throwing her at me like a sacrifice!" His hands slammed down on his desk. "I didn't ask for her. I didn't want a charity bride to repay your damn debts."
The silence that followed was deafening.
Regina's eyes burned with anger. "You selfish, ungrateful boy. You think you're punishing her, but all I see is a man so weak, he blames a woman for the life he built." Her voice trembled, not from fear, but fury. "You don't get to keep resenting Evelyn just because she reminds you of your own failure."
Damien turned away, his chest heaving. He didn't want to hear this. So what if Evelyn got better marks than him in exams or teachers praised her more. Now she was nothing but his wife while he was the CEO of the company earning millions.
"She is not a burden, Damien. She is your wife," Regina continued bitterly. "And if you truly despise her, you should free her. You should not trap her in your bitterness. But of course, that would mean giving her the power to walk away, wouldn't it?"
Her words struck something deep. He turned back, and the glint in his eyes was darker than ever.
"Maybe that's exactly why I don't," he muttered. "Letting her go would be too easy for her."
Regina's breath caught. "What do you mean, Damien. What are you planning to do?"
He didn't respond. But his silence made her further infuriated.
With a scoff of disgust, she picked up her bag. "You should cherish what you have gotten son, those scheming girls around you are only for your money. But Eveleyn, she only cared for you."
As she left, slamming the door behind her, Damien sank into his chair, rubbing his temples.
His mother's words echoed in his head, but the only thing that stuck was one thought: she was the only one who loved him.
And yet, the resentment boiling in his chest only burned hotter. He had thought that she was finally fighting her own wars. In the morning, she had stood up when he had asked her to make his meal, only to turn against him the moment he left.
And now, after Regina's outburst, it was clear Evelyn had gotten to her. Who else could have told her about breakfast?
When his assistant finally knocked and announced that Mrs. Evelyn had arrived, he barked, "Send her in."
He stood abruptly, the chair scraping loudly behind him the moment she entered and his eyes were full of hatred, as if he could not wait for her to die.
"You did it Evelyn, congratulations!" the woman frowned and looked at him in confusion only for him to laugh with a mocking look on his face. "Just look at your innocent face. How could you know that my mother had been here to scold me because I hurt your emotions in the morning? Right?"