Chapter 23
RUBY
She knew from the diabolical look on Natalie’s face that she was up to no good, but never in a million ye
years could she have guessed that Natalie would be brave enough to take a direct shot at Tina Blackwood. Especially in such a public setting.
“No one knows more about happy marriages than Tina Blackwood”
Ruby stared in confusion, but she could see the exact moment when Tina froze, and she definitely didn’t miss the awkward glances that were thrown at her around the large table.
“Tell us, won’t you? How have you managed to stay happy all these years? Hasn’t it been over thirty years? It’s been that long,. right?” Natalie asked, nodding at Tina with a sly smile gracing her lips.
Tina tensed even more, and Ruby looked at her in concern, but Natalie didn’t give her a chance to do anything as she spoke again. “That reminds me, where is Mr Blackwood anyway? Has he gone on another business trip?”
The room was as quiet as a graveyard now, and Ruby’s heart ached for Tina, she didn’t know what exactly was happening at the moment but she felt like she had an idea about it. She had long suspected that things weren’t okay between Tina and her husband, but having been away from this circle for so long, she couldn’t say for sure. It looked like her suspicions had been right. But while she had thought that the news of Mr Blackwood Straying was a secret, it looked like it obviously wasn’t. Everyone at the table seemed to know what Natalie was driving it. Ruby knew she had to do something, and she had to do it
She faced Natarie with a stern gaze, making sure not to blink as he spoke. “Let’s forget all the boring details about marriage,” she said. “You know, my brother never even told me about how the both of you met. Tell us all about it, won’t you? How did you two meet and how did you fall for my brother? Her eyes were stern and unblinking as she asked the question, knowing fully well that Natalie cheated on Alex with her brother, and that everybody at the table knew it too.
Natalie blushed and her eyes flashed angrily. She started to reply but Ruby turned away from her, not interested in whatever lie she was about to spew
She felt Tina grab her hand underneath the table and squeeze in gratitude. And when she looked up at her mother in law, the same old lost expression she’d gotten used to seeing was back on her face, and it broke Ruby’s heart. Tina wore the same sad smile throughout the rest of the charity lunch, and by the time they walked out at the end of the event, she was absentminded and resigned. They walked in silence to the car, with their bodyguards trailing behind them.
Tina instructed the driver to wait outside the car as they got in. “you’re my daughter in law now, Ruby,” she said softly. “So it’s only fair that you know- everyone else does anyway. Alex and Scott think that Tin unaware, and they try their best to kill every rumour and news article before it comes out in a bid to protect me from the truth, but there’s no escaping something like this
She looked up with a sad smile at Ruby which was reciprocated with one of comfort and support.
“I married for love, exactly as your mother did, but James was dillerem,” she told Ruby, referring to her husband. “My father didn’t approve of him, not initially, You know how marriage works in our world. It’s all about connections. It’s a very sad but true fact. And you see, James was from a very poor family, and his parents were divorced. And those were two things my father used to frown upon” she sighed and ran her hand through her hair, ruining her perfect hairdo.
“But I was in love, so all of my father’s arguments and complaints fell on deaf ears. Eventually, I wore him down and he gave up but still, it took close to a year for my father to agree to let me marry James- provided he took the Blackwood name, and our future children did too.” she mhaled shakily and Ruby held her hand, squeezing softly,
When I think back to it, I cut even remember a time when we were ever luppy once we got married James Icht embarrassed and emasculated, he felt indebted, and he resentede for it I was crazy about him and I wanted our marriage to work. I wanted to make it up to him in some way. I thought giving him some sense of control would do that, so I signed off the company to him. I gave him everything, but I didn’t mund. I just wanted him to love me again, and he did, fora while. But of course it didn’t last. James reveled in the money, the pressure, the glitz and the glamour. All of it. But our
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Chapter 25
marriage suffered for i–My sons suffered for it too Just look at what he did to Alex. And on top of that, he made shady business deals with your father and forced you and Alex to get married And Alex. he only agreed to it because of me. All
treasured family heirloom of mine from his father. There’s a section in the contract that says that my sons mp and everything back if we ever get divorced, but that doesn’t scare James. He knows I’ll never go through
with f
Everything was starting to make sense now Ruby recalled asking Alex at their wedding for the reason he had agreed to the
rage, so this was it. Ruby took Tina’s hand back in hers, her heart breaking. “So why do you stay? Why don’t you leave?” she asked, genuinely concerned
Tina looked up with a painful look in her eyes. “Blackwoods don’t divorce. That has never happened before. Asking for a divorce means going against everything that we stand for It means cutting ties with my family. It means being completely alone. And sometimes sometimes I wonder if it might be better. But I’ve let my father and my entire family down so many nimes, this would just break all of them. The humiliation.”
“Oh Tina.”
“I see the damage that witnessing my marriage did to Alex. I see how he tries so hard to protect me even when I know that he should resent me instead. But in protecting me, he’s hurting himself. His father’s affairs combined with what Natalie did to him. it made him close off himself and lose faith in love. He’s built high walls around himself. He doesn’t believe that love can ever last. He sees it as a weakness, and that is largely my fault.
A tear ran down her cheek and she caught it with her thumb, inhaling shakily and trying to pull herself together. Ruby watched as she smiled through her tears. “Ruby, my son’s heart is broken, and it has been since he was just a boy. But maybe, maybe with the right touch, he’ll be able to heal
