The Hollow Apology

"Let's let the kids handle their own relationship matters," Montgomery said earnestly, leaning forward against the plush cushions of the Caldwell living room sofa. His voice carried a heavy weight of calculated patience. "Please, ask Valerie to come down. We have to apologize to her in person no matter what."

Rowena sat opposite him, looking troubled by the request. However, she managed to muster a fake, accommodating smile that did not quite reach her eyes. "All right," she agreed smoothly. She turned her head toward the hallway. "Marta, go tell Valerie to come downstairs. We have guests."

Marta nodded dutifully and hurried toward the grand staircase. As she rounded the landing toward the second floor, she stopped short. Valerie was already waiting quietly on the dark stairs.

The maid sighed inwardly. Looking at Valerie's stiff posture and the cold, distant look in her eyes, Marta knew the young woman had overheard the sickening exchange below. She is a rich family's daughter, yet she lives a life worse than an ordinary girl, Marta thought, her heart aching for the young woman who had endured so much unseen mistreatment.

Stepping closer, Marta gave Valerie a sympathetic, anxious look. "Ms. Kensington," she whispered softly, not wanting her voice to carry down to the guests.

Valerie did not want Marta to worry. Out of everyone in this sprawling, cold house, Marta was the only one who showed her genuine kindness. Offering a gentle pat to the maid's trembling arm, Valerie murmured, "I am okay, Marta."

Marta let out a shaky breath, her eyes brimming with worry. "It is inevitable that you have to listen to them as long as you live here under this roof," she advised in a hushed tone. "Please try to bear with it, okay?"

Valerie stood silently in the shadows of the staircase. Bearing with it would only lead to more losses. Winning a war just to be left standing in ruins was not a victory she sought anymore. She lowered her gaze, coldly observing the wealthy people sitting in the brightly lit living room below. From this elevated vantage point, shrouded in the dim light of the second-floor landing, she saw them for who they truly were. All the years of familiarity vanished. They now felt as unfamiliar as random strangers on the street.

Miranda glanced toward the stairs and noticed her slender figure standing motionless on the steps. She immediately stood up, smoothing down her designer dress, and put on a sickeningly sweet motherly facade. "Ah, you are here, Valerie!" she greeted affectionately, her voice dripping with fake warmth.

Valerie remained fixed to her spot. She refused to descend into their trap.

"Valerie, Mr. Prescott and his family came to see you as soon as dawn broke," Rowena called out gently, playing her part as the caring stepmother to perfection.

Valerie ignored her stepmother's prodding. Her cold, unwavering eyes landed on Donovan, who sat rigidly on the sofa next to his father. Sensing her piercing stare, he averted his gaze, staring at the intricate patterns of the rug.

"What is the matter?" Valerie asked with quiet indifference.

Montgomery kicked Donovan's foot under the heavy glass coffee table. Under his father's strict, threatening urging, Donovan reluctantly stood up from the plush sofa.

He looked up and locked eyes with Valerie. She stood far away on the stairs, wearing a simple white short-sleeved top and a light blue ankle-length skirt, her dark hair loosely braided over one shoulder. She looked pure and innocent. Donovan vaguely appreciated her impeccable demeanor and her quiet devotion to him. But deep down, he could not help but long for the thrill he found elsewhere. In his heart, he secretly preferred Roxanne’s alluring, wild charm and submissiveness over Valerie's supposedly vanilla nature. Roxanne gave him the excitement Valerie's calm temperament lacked.

Yet, with his father's prior corporate warnings ringing in his mind—the threat of losing his position in the family company and the severe dressing down he received yesterday still fresh—he knew exactly what was at stake. He cleared his throat, shifting his weight uncomfortably.

"Valerie," he began, offering a painfully awkward, insincere apology. "I-I was wrong. I am here to apologize to you today."

Valerie remained unmoved. Her face was a mask of ice, watching his pathetic, forced display from afar.

Seeing Valerie's lack of response, Donovan’s sister, Chloe, lost her patience. She slammed her porcelain teacup down onto its matching saucer. The sharp clatter echoed through the quiet living room. "Valerie, enough is enough!" Chloe demanded, her voice sharp and arrogant. "Don has already apologized. Just accept it and let this matter be over!"

"Shut up!" Montgomery snapped at his unruly daughter, shooting her a dark, warning glare that commanded immediate silence. Chloe puffed her cheeks but clamped her mouth shut.

Montgomery knew he had to secure Valerie's favor to save the lucrative alliance. He rose to his feet, stepped forward, and put on a masterful show of paternal warmth. He offered gentle, grandiose promises to smooth things over. "Valerie, I brought Donovan here today to apologize to you. You can scold him or hit him if you want. Just do not stay mad at him, alright? We promise he will not ever upset you again. I am so sorry about the grievances you suffered at the engagement party. When you two get married, I will definitely host a massive, glorious wedding for you. It will be the talk of the city."

Valerie stood still, her hands resting lightly on the polished wooden banister. She was amused by their blatant evasion of the massive elephant in the room. They spoke of empty apologies and grand weddings, yet conveniently ignored the gaping hole in their perfect picture.

She questioned them with utter indifference. "Why isn't Roxanne here?"

The Prescott family visibly stiffened. The living room fell into a sudden, suffocating silence.

Miranda forced a tight smile, awkwardly explaining the situation. "Roxanne is currently in the hospital. The doctor said she is showing threatening signs of a miscarriage, so she needs to be warded temporarily."

Sensing Valerie's coldness, Miranda stepped closer to the foot of the stairs, rapidly promising a solution that made Valerie's stomach turn. "But do not worry about that girl. Donovan will not marry her. Once the illegitimate baby is born, we will simply pay Roxanne off with a massive check. Montgomery and I will raise the child ourselves in the Prescott mansion. That way, the child will not come between you and Donovan, and it will not interfere with your perfect marriage. You will not even have to lift a finger to care for it."

Valerie stared down at the bejeweled woman. She gripped the wooden railing in bitter, nauseating disbelief. They had found a twisted way to have the best of both worlds. It was a shameless attempt by Donovan to literally have his cake and eat it too. They expected her to just swallow this ultimate humiliation, turn a blind eye to his infidelity, and play the role of the forgiving, ignorant wife while they raised the product of his betrayal in their family home.

Taking a deep, steadying breath to control the rising bile in her throat, Valerie looked straight into Donovan's cowardly eyes.

"This matter no longer concerns me," Valerie stated, her voice slicing through the heavy, oppressive air of the living room. "I ended our marriage contract yesterday. Donovan and I are through."

Donovan’s handsome face immediately darkened with ugly anger. His forced contrition vanished in a flash, replaced by a defensive, furious sneer.

"Calm down, Valerie!" he demanded aggressively. "I know I was at fault, but was it really worth what you did at our engagement party? You are acting foolishly over your own petty feelings! This isn't just about you. You are risking both our families' vital corporate reputations. You have always been reasonable and understanding. How could you blow this out of proportion?"

He stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at her, loudly weaponizing the lies he had been fed to shift the blame onto her shoulders. "Besides, Roxanne swore that you had known about the affair and forgiven us long ago! She said you even warned her to stay away from me!"

Valerie let out a wry, chilling laugh that sent a shiver through the room. "If you believe everything she says, why bother asking me? Are you here to apologize, or are you here to interrogate me?"

She glared down at him, her knuckles turning bone-white as she gripped the railing tighter. "Let me set things straight. I only found out about you two yesterday. Had I known earlier, there wouldn't have been an engagement party, to begin with!"

Her voice rose, echoing in the quiet foyer as she roared, "Since you have thought of everything, have you ever once considered my feelings while you cheated on me?"

Montgomery glared fiercely at his son, his face turning a dangerous shade of red with rage at Donovan's sheer stupidity. He hastily interjected to do damage control, loudly insisting, "Valerie, Donovan is poor at words. Please pardon him! You two grew up together, so you know what he is like. He truly, deeply loves you."

Valerie sneered at the cruel irony. They had an illegitimate child on the way, yet they dared to speak of true love as if the concept was not thoroughly tainted by their actions.

Catching his father's terrifying, warning look, Donovan panicked. He realized his aggressive outburst had only alienated her further and put his own inheritance in jeopardy. Desperation crept into his voice as he backpedaled, looking up at the woman standing resolute on the stairs.

He quickly pleaded with her, dropping the ultimate toxic excuse for his vile behavior. "Yes, Valerie, forgive me, okay? I-I messed up. Men are bound to make such a mistake, but my feelings for you have never changed. Despite everything, you still have my heart. Can we just end this here? Do not be mad at me anymore."