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Novel Catalog
Chapter 80
The reporters fell silent for a moment, taken aback by Catherine’s sharp retort. They had clearly expected her to falter or be caught off guard, but Catherine stood there with a calm demeanor, the corners of her lips curling up into a confident smile. Her response had not only deflected their questioning but also turned the tables on them.
One of the reporters quickly recovered and asked, “Are you suggesting the Jones family paid us to harass you?”
Catherine glanced at them, her eyes cold and piercing. “You can take it any way you want. I’m here for my grandmother’s birthday. The Jones family didn’t lock me up, but if they think I’m going to bow to them and play their little games, they are sorely mistaken.”
The tension in the air was palpable. The reporters looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed now that Catherine had firmly taken control of the conversation. They had been expecting a scandal or some dramatic outburst, but instead, they were confronted with the calm strength of a woman who had clearly learned how to navigate the storm.
A few of them hesitated, glancing at their instructions on their phones, but Catherine had already turned her back on them, walking past the group toward the entrance of the banquet hall. She could feel their eyes on her, but she didn’t care anymore. She had no intention of playing into their narrative.
Inside, the ballroom was dazzling. Exquisite jade-colored decorations adorned the walls, and the scent of fresh flowers filled the air. But none of it impressed Catherine. She had been here before, dreaming of a different life, but now she was simply a guest in a story she no longer belonged to.
The Jones family was gathered at the front, and Catherine’s gaze briefly lingered on Ethan, who was talking to Rebecca with a smile that she had once hoped would be directed at her. But now, all she felt was a hollow sense of loss—a loss not just of Ethan but of the future she had once imagined with him.
As she made her way to her seat, she noticed several people in the crowd whispering, some of them casting curious glances her way. The spotlight was now on her, but she was determined to stand tall and own the room. She wasn’t there for Ethan or Rebecca. She wasn’t even there for Shaun, despite everything that had happened between them. She was there for her grandmother.
Catherine walked confidently to the front, where the old lady was seated, her eyes lighting up when she saw her. Granny Jones, despite her frailty, still exuded a sense of power and grace that Catherine had always admired.
“Grandma, happy birthday,” Catherine said, kneeling beside her and taking her hand.
The older woman smiled warmly, squeezing her hand. “Thank you, my dear. I’m so glad you could make it.”
Catherine’s heart tightened as she looked into her grandmother’s kind eyes. The warmth in her heart was a sharp contrast to the icy calmness she had been forced to adopt with the rest of the family. She wasn’t just here for the Joneses or for any other hidden agendas. She was here to honor the woman who had been there for her when no one else was.
“Enjoy yourself tonight, Catherine,” Granny Jones added, her voice gentle but firm. “Let nothing distract you from this moment.”
Catherine nodded. Tonight was for her grandmother. She would make it count. No more games, no more manipulation. She wasn’t going to let anyone, not even the Jones family or Ethan, ruin this special moment for her.
But as the night wore on and the engagement ceremony proceeded, Catherine couldn’t help but notice the glances, the whispers, the subtle hints of judgment and disapproval from the guests around her. They may not have known her story, but they were quick to assume.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she glanced at Ethan and Rebecca, standing at the center of the room. They looked perfect together, but Catherine knew better now than to believe in fairy tales. They could have each other, for all she cared. She had her own life to live now.
She rose from her seat and excused herself, stepping out onto the balcony for a moment of quiet. The cool breeze felt refreshing against her skin, and she closed her eyes, taking in the calm of the night.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, snapping her out of her thoughts. She pulled it out, half-expecting it to be Shaun, but it was a message from Wesley again.
[You’re stronger than you know. Keep going. You’ll find your way. – Wesley]
Her fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before she typed back.
[Thank you. I’m trying.]
As the night continued on, Catherine stood there, embracing the freedom that had come with leaving the past behind. For the first time in a long while, she was truly free. Free to find her own path, free to rediscover who she was, and free to make her own choices.
And as she stood in the stillness, she realized something profound: her journey was far from over. It had only just begun.