Chapter 32
Elora had always held herself above Evelina in the role of mother-in-law. Now, to imagine her conceding error to Evelina seemed utterly beyond the realm of possibility.
Not only Elora, but even the servants who leaned on her support exhibited too much pride to offer Evelina an apology, given her lack of familial support.
lan chose not to waste his breath. With a simple motion towards Evelina, he said, "Ms. Marsh, we should leave."
Understanding lan's tactic, Evelina realized that the Gibsons, given their stature, would likely avoid causing any upset to the Russells from Ireah. With this in mind,she confidently walked away.
As predicted, no sooner had they started to leave than Elora came rushing after them, pleading, "Mr. Russell,I implore you not to hold a grudge. I will apologize this instant."
Both Evelina and lan stopped to witness how Elora would proceed. Unexpectedly, Elora's apology came out as a whisper,barely heard.
Evelina, anxious to reunite with Demi, had no desire to linger over disputes, yet lan was not inclined to let Elora off the hook so quickly.
Prior to their arrival, Jasper had emphatically instructed him to protect Evelina from any slight or mistreatment by the Gibson family.
Confronting Elora, lan said, "Coming from a modest background yourself, Elora, you should certainly recognize the proper way to apologize. Are you dismissing us because you feel superior to the Russell family?"
The insinuation that she disrespected the Russell family left Elora profoundly alarmed.
"You're wrong, Mr. Russell,there's been a misunderstanding..."
She attempted to clarify, but lan was beyond hearing her out. He signaled to a bodyguard of the Russell family to demonstrate how to make a proper apology.
The bodyguard bowed deeply before Evelina and earnestly said, "Ms. Marsh, I apologize. My actions were incorrect, and it won't happen again. I hope you can forgive me."
Witnessing this, the servants of the Gibson family quickly mimicked the gesture, each bowing and offering apologies to Evelina.
Meanwhile, Elora remained unmoving, her visage contorted with barely contained anger.
She pondered the repercussions of such a gesture.How could she command respect and run the Gibson Mansion if she submitted to Evelina?
With eyes burning with anger, Elora confronted Evelina, saying, "Do you expect me to apologize in such a manner? I am your mother-in-law. It is unseemly for you to demand an elder's apology."
Evelina was aware that forgiving Elora now would only embolden her further.
Moreover, lan had made significant efforts on her behalf.Disappointing him was not an option.
"Actually, you're no longer my mother-in-law.Considering the ordeal you put me through over the past three years, an apology is indeed what you owe me."
The need for apologies extended beyond Elora to almost everyone in the Gibson household, with the exceptions of Demi and Asher. Evelina had contributed so mnuch to the development of Gibson Group, only to be relegated to the status of a servant, her dignity constantly undermined.
Elora opened her mouth to retort, but lan, showing his irritation, quickly interrupted her, "Mrs. Gibson, we really must be going. You don't have to apologize if you choose not to, though I must warn you,the future of the Gibson Group could look quite grim."
A wave of humiliation washed over Elora, her hands balled into fists at her sides.
She had erased from her memory the incident years earlier when she had forced Evelina to kneel outside in the rain all night for a minor infraction.
Eventually, Elora bowed her head and grudgingly whispered, "sorry," but at that moment, Cary rushed up, exclaiming, "Mom, what are you doing?"
In a quick, covert motion, Elora pinched herself,forced tears, and cried out dramatically, "This is the most shameful day of my life. I can't bear to live with this disgrace..."
She believed her son to be Evelina's weak spot,expecting that her theatrical despair would compel Cary to defend her.
Filled with animosity towards Evelina, Cary was furious to see his mother submit to her. He exploded with anger at Evelina.
"Kneel before my mother!" Cary yelled furiously."Evelina, how dare you come into our home and bully my mother? Are you seeking your own ruin?"
While Elora's tears subsided, a small, satisfied smile played on her lips.
lan, witnessing Cary's outburst, scoffed. "Impressive authority, Cary," he replied, his patience clearly worn thin.
lan wondered how much worse Evelina's treatment might have been when he wasn't there to witness it if the Gibsons were bold enough to mistreat her so openly.
lan responded with cold disdain, "Your mother was out of line and insulted a respected guest of the Russell family. I simply requested an apology for Ms.Marsh. How can you call that bullying?" He scoffed,"It seems the Gibson family is courting disaster!"
A wave of anxiety clenched Elora's heart as she realized she had infuriated Mr. Russell once more.
She had calculated that with her son so incensed,Evelina would be groveling for forgiveness as she had in the past. Yet, Evelina remained defiant. Why hadn't she crumbled?
Cary,wary of antagonizing the Russell family directly,redirected his frustration toward Evelina."Why aren't you on your knees apologizing?"
His anger directly targeted at his former wife, who lacked any familial support, he escalated his tone."Remember, you are the reason for today's debacle!"