Faux Vows, True Desires

"Hey, Johnny."

The old patriarch spoke sternly, "Lucy was brought up well. The Moore family raised her to be polite and well-mannered. Her in-laws are very pleased with her. No need for any further schooling from them. But some people, no matter which family they marry into, need a good lesson from their in-laws."

"Raising kids is about instilling the right values. If their moral compass is off, that's a failure in upbringing. Lucy's got her head on straight. I don't think the Moores failed in raising her.

Hayden protested, "Dad, you're always defending Lucy. She doesn't treat Madeleine right. When Madeleine visits, she's a guest. Is that how you treat a guest? If I, Hayden, say something, she interrupts me. How is that good upbringing?"

The old patriarch's face grew colder, his voice deepening, "I feel like my biggest failure was raising a son like you. That's on me. I was too busy with the company and family affairs to educate you properly. Your mother's spoiling didn't help either."

Hayden was speechless.

The old lady, too, felt dragged into this mess. She didn't like Madeleine much, blaming her for causing trouble in her son's marriage, though she thought Lucinda could be a bit overbearing too.

"Uninvited guests don't count as company. You fail to act like an elder, yet you expect respect from the younger ones? Fix your own mistakes before lecturing others. Don't ruin Lucy with your nonsense."

After saying his piece, the old patriarch stood up to leave, nodding to his wife, "Come along, let's get some fresh air."

The old lady got up and followed him out.

Madeleine's face turned dark with anger.

Hayden quickly tried to appease her, saying, "Madeleine, don't mind my dad. He's getting senile with age."

Madeleine glared at him, snapping, "Everything I've suffered today is because of you."

In the past, whenever she visited the Blue family, everyone treated her as the lady of the house. The elderly couple were especially kind, with the old lady calling her "Madeleine" so affectionately.

not have been warm, but he never embarrassed her like today. Now he was

of footsteps outside-several

Madeleine, you two lowlifes, come

Ashley had arrived.

from anger to a calculated charm, as she snuggled into Hayden's arms,

said, "Hayden, I'm innocent. How could your dad blame me? I'm so

I'm sorry, it's

in with a crowd, though she was the real force to be reckoned with. The others, ostensibly there to hold her

mistress was

with Madeleine, trying to hold Ashley back and prevent her from attacking Madeleine, which led to

started hitting Hayden, while the supposed mediators subtly

Ashley gained the upper

doing? Stop

taken their time arriving to diffuse the

they arrived, the battle was

è from his wife, and Madeleine, in her rage, also lashed out at him, blaming him for ruining her chances of becoming the

looked disheveled, her hair a mess and her shoes nowhere to be found, but she

a tangled mess, and her expensive jewelry had been ripped off,

was swollen and red from Ashley's hard slaps, and her hands

casually glancing up to see her glamorous mother standing at the

drama to notice her dad there, patiently

That couple.

redirected her attention, assessing Ashley's condition-thankfully, no injuries—then looked at Hayden and Madeleine, feeling