Chapter 14
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It was then that Joseph finally faced the direct consequence of his own making, a “bullet” he himself had fired. He had once naively believed that all the lies he had spun could be fully retracted. But now, those lies had spread like wildfire, creating an inferno that consumed everything and was dragging him into the flames.
Joseph’s grim fate was something the Chapman family withheld from Winona. They chose not to utter his name in her earshot. Their only remark, delivered dismissively on their arrival back in Havenport, was that it had all been taken care of and that he wouldn’t bother her anymore.
Winona didn’t give it much thought when she heard that. She had her own affairs to focus on, after all.
The Chapman family, much like the Lowe family, was a vast and influential clan, with relationships among its members proving even more intricate.
Although Winona’s divorce had remained unspoken among the family, her aunt, Giselle Chapman, who consistently viewed Winona’s branch of the family with disdain, took every opportunity to mock her.
She would disparagingly comment that Winona was “damaged goods” and unmarriageable, then pivot to argue that the presence of a divorced woman in the household would detrimentally impact the marital prospects of her younger relatives.
Upon hearing that, Miranda Smith, Winona’s mother, was so enraged that she immediately slapped Giselle hard across the face, admonishing her to hold her tongue if she couldn’t speak civilly.
Fred Chapman, Winona’s grandfather, witnessed the entire exchange. He remained silent, choosing instead to simply cast a deep, penetrating glance in
Winona’s direction.
Winona, however, still grasped Fred’s underlying sentiment. Fred, with his unyielding traditional views, believed that a family truly flourished only when all its offspring were married. Her divorce, she suspected, had certainly displeased him.
It was just as she expected. When the Chapman family received a phone call from the butler back at Chapman Manor, who, through veiled suggestions, pushed Winona into going on blind dates, they immediately grew concerned.
In a fit of anger, Hank Chapman, Winona’s father, immediately threw the phone down. He snapped, “That’s completely out of the question!”
Having said that, he then turned to reassure his darling daughter, Winona, and said, “You can stay here for as long as you like. I mean, our family is well- off anyway. You don’t have to pay attention to what those back at Chapman Manor have to say.”
Hank, in fact, had put up with those back at Chapman Manor for many years now. Had it not been for their deeply intertwined business dealings, they would have long ago forged their own path independently.
Although they still maintained contact with those in Chapman Manor, their visits were typically limited to major holidays. Thus, Fred’s directives were entirely dismissed.
Miranda added, “That’s right, Winnie. You shouldn’t pay any attention to what anyone else says. You should just live your life the way you want to.”
Upon seeing the sheer adoration in her parents‘ eyes, Winona felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She had kept her past hidden to avoid causing them concern, yet they had silently stood by her side, quietly providing unwavering support for her from behind the scenes.
Having recuperated for a month at home, Winona reignited her dormant artistic pursuits, recommencing her work at the art studio. She was innately brilliant, particularly in the fine arts. Even before she turned 15, one of her paintings could fetch bids in the hundreds of millions of dollars at an auction.
It was only later that she had to set aside her paintbrush to fulfill her duties as the lady of the bowe family. At that moment, Winona had once again submerged herself in her artistic endeavors. She was so deeply engrossed that she remained unaware of the chaos unfolding outside the art studio.
Her art studio was on the third floor of the Chapman residence, overlooking the rear garden. Whenever weariness set in, she would step onto the balcony, recline in the rocking chair, and leisurely enjoy pastries while appreciating the flowers below.
It had been just as peaceful up here with her as it was lively downstairs in the hall.
Having spent some time with Winona, the Chapmans dispersed to their respective duties, leaving the management of all domestic affairs to their butler, Niles Becker.
In that instant, Niles‘ brow visibly furrowed as he eyed the stack of gifts before him, asking, “Is this stack of gifts from that man again?”
The household staff hesitantly explained, “Having received your directive not to accept any more gifts from him, we ceased accepting them. Yet, he found a way to send them under another person’s name. It was also difficult for us to turn them away since that person had business dealings with the Chapman family. You can be assured that we did not trouble Ms. Chapman with any of these occurrences, Niles.”
Niles let out a weary sigh before stating, “You can just dispose of all of it. And while you’re at it, please inform anyone nearby that they are not to assist him with deliveries in the future.”
Meanwhile, there was a rather understated luxury vehicle parked on Cobblestone Street, positioned around a bend just outside the Chapman residence. In the dim confines of the car, Kevin Brown, Joseph’s assistant, addressed Joseph in the rear seat. He appeared sheepish as he said, “The gifts we had someone else deliver were thrown out again, Mr. Lowe.”
Joseph, who had been in the backseat, finally opened his eyes. His deep voice carried no hint of emotion as he simply stated, “Keep going.” Although he was poised to say something, Kevin ultimately held his tongue.
