Be Grateful When Someone

The heavy iron gates of Vane Manor closed behind them, and Evangeline let out a massive sigh of relief. The silence of the sprawling estate was a stark contrast to the chaotic party, yet her mind still struggled to make logical sense of the evening's events. During the dark ride back, she had studied Dominic’s sharp profile in the rearview mirror. Why did he intervene? He wasn't the type to play the knight in shining armor for a damsel in distress. A tiny part of her wondered if, deep down, he was a good guy who possessed the rare ability not to judge people by their hideous outward appearances.

Pushing the confusing thought aside, she retreated to her room. She peeled off the torn velvet dress and changed into a pair of old-fashioned, unflattering pajamas. Gathering the oversized suit jacket in her arms, she marched straight to Dominic’s private study.

"Here's your suit jacket," she said, placing the heavy garment near his scattered business documents. "Thanks for helping me out just now."

Dominic didn't bother to look up. He shot the jacket a cold, dismissive glance. "You don't need to give it back to me," he stated.

Assuming he was being a snob about pool water or sweat, she offered a reasonable compromise. "If you think it's dirty, I can send it to the dry cleaner tomorrow."

At this, Dominic raised his head. His dark eyes locked onto hers with chilling indifference. "I don't want it anymore."

A flash of suffocating anger flared in Evangeline's chest. The sheer wastefulness of the man stung. So much for him being a decent guy, she thought. That brief, fragile illusion of his kindness shattered into pieces. She sneered right back at his impassive face. "You're leaving this to me? Then, I'll just throw it away."

With that, she scooped up the garment and dumped the custom suit jacket straight into the nearby trash can. Realizing with intense annoyance that she had read far too much into his fleeting act of kindness, she turned on her heel to leave the room.

Her exit was blocked. She found Finley standing still at the open door, his eyes wide with shock as they darted from her to the crumpled fabric in the bin.

"Excuse me," Evangeline snapped, trying to push past.

Finley’s shock morphed into fury. "Is this your doing?" he demanded, pointing a shaking finger at the trash can.

"Yeah," she confirmed without apology. "Why?"

Finley blew his top. "As expected of an uneducated bumpkin from the countryside!" he mocked, his harsh voice echoing in the silent hallway. "Who are you to copy Paige's sophisticated way of dressing? I almost laughed myself to death watching you try to fit in. Dominic saved you from embarrassment today, yet you throw his clothes into the trash can. Do you have any idea how much that suit jacket cost? Pay for it, right now!"

Exhausted to her very bones but refusing to tolerate being called a bumpkin, Evangeline shoved past his shoulder. She marched down to her bedroom, retrieved her personal checkbook, and tore off a blank check. She scribbled a massive amount across the line.

Storming back down the hall, she shoved the piece of paper hard against his chest. "Here, take it. Is that enough?"

Finley stumbled back. He cast a suspicious look as he scrutinized the slip of paper in his hand. Squinting at the long string of zeros, he questioned aloud if it was a counterfeit. Before Evangeline could retort, a mischievous, cruel grin stretched across his face.

"Since you're from the poor countryside, I won't force you to fork out the money," he sneered. "How about this? We'll drop the matter if you get on your knees and apologize to Dominic."

Had this been any normal day back in the countryside, Evangeline would have crumpled the check and flung it right into his smug face. But playing her part in the grand ruse meant keeping her true identity under wraps. She shot him a look of pure, concentrated disdain.

"Why should I apologize when I've done nothing wrong?" she demanded.

Finley puffed up his chest, his face turning red. "Be grateful I'm giving you an out, Evangeline!" he bellowed.

Just as the tense shouting match reached its peak, Grandpa Jeremiah emerged from his master bedroom down the hall. He looked startled by the aggressive noise. "Apologize? For what?"

Not wanting to cause a massive fuss in the elder's presence, Evangeline tried to smooth things over. "It's nothing, Grandpa Vane," she said. "It's just a minor misunderstanding."

Finley saw his opening and accused her with spite. "Grandpa, this bumpkin threw the clothes Dominic lent her into the trash can! I wanted to spare her dignity, so I only asked her to make an apology. But I didn't expect her to be so shameless."

Jeremiah’s expression darkened. He closed the distance in three swift strides. "Mind your language, you ungrateful brat!" he snapped. Reaching out, he gave Finley a sharp, painful noogie right on the top of his head.

"Ouch! It hurts!" Finley yelped, clutching his scalp. He turned to glare at Evangeline.

Evangeline stood her ground and returned the glare. Deep down, she knew her hands were clean. She had done nothing wrong in this situation. The expensive jacket was in the trash because she was following Dominic's cold instructions.

The silent hallway fell into a tense, heavy standoff. Finley stood there rubbing his sore head. He seethed with bitter resentment, unable to believe his own grandfather had taken the side of a poor outsider.

Then, Jeremiah turned to face Evangeline. The stern anger vanished from his features, his face softening. "What's the matter exactly, Evangeline?" he asked her.