Chapter 7 - The Grand Rejection BallWord travels fast among the elite of Connecticut. Within two weeks, the rumor mill had exploded: Ethan Blackwell had not only fired his mother's staff and banished Elizabeth to the Hamptons, but he had elevated the former maid to the status of fiancée, announcing a grand gala at the Blackwell estate to introduce her formally to high society.
Elizabeth Blackwell returned to Briar Glen on the night of the gala, fueled by absolute rage and convinced she could still salvage her family's reputation.
She arrived uninvited, sweeping through the front gates with a pack of prominent society gossips and tabloid reporters she had secretly tipped off, hoping to humiliate Lily in front of the entire eastern seaboard.
The grand ballroom was packed with glittering chandeliers, champagne towers, and hundreds of high-society guests in designer gowns and tuxedos.
Lily stood at the top of the grand staircase beside Ethan, wearing a stunning, custom-tailored emerald silk gown that Ethan had specially commissioned for her. She looked radiant, the pale exhaustion completely gone, replaced by a quiet, breathtaking confidence.
Suddenly, the heavy ballroom doors swung open.
"Well, well, well," Elizabeth's sharp voice echoed across the silent room. "I see the circus is in full swing."
All heads whipped around. Elizabeth marched down the center aisle, flanked by several prominent board members and flashing camera lights from the uninvited reporters.
Ethan’s jaw tightened so hard it looked like it might shatter. He stepped forward to shield Lily, but Lily gently placed a hand on his arm, stepping out from behind him to face the matriarch head-on.
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"Elizabeth," Lily said clearly, her voice echoing off the marble pillars. "You're trespassing. Security escorted you out once; they can do it again."
Elizabeth laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Trespassing in my own family home? You arrogant little gold-digger! You think a fancy dress and a shiny ring make you a Blackwell? These people—" she gestured to the stunned crowd of elites "—laugh behind your back. They know you scrubbed toilets here a month ago!"
