Chapter 497

The younger generation of the Caldwell family treated Evelyn with far more warmth than they ever showed Vanessa.

Vanessa seethed with resentment. Ethan had left early that morning, and Harold was out for his usual stroll. Only Evelyn and Vanessa remained at the breakfast table, giving Vanessa the perfect opportunity to unleash her bitterness.

Evelyn set down her teacup and met Vanessa’s glare with an unreadable smile.

"Does it bother you? Seeing how easily they accept me?" Evelyn tilted her head slightly. "I could tell you exactly how I won them over, but why would I? Watching you squirm is far more entertaining."

Vanessa’s nails dug into her palms. "Don’t get too comfortable," she hissed.

She hadn’t forgotten the child she’d lost—the child she blamed Evelyn for. But reclaiming Ethan’s affection was her priority now.

One day, she would make Evelyn pay.

She just needed the right moment to strip Evelyn of everything—her dignity, her pride, her place in this family.

"Alexander didn’t return home last night," Vanessa remarked casually, though her tone dripped with venom.

Gossip traveled fast in Cresthaven, and Vanessa had her sources. Her circle of friends thrived on whispers, and their group chat was a constant stream of scandal.

The latest rumor? Alexander Whitmore had been seen leaving the Eclipse Lounge with an unfamiliar woman.

Vanessa smiled to herself.

This could be exactly the opportunity she’d been waiting for.

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows as Evelyn Carter scrolled through the messages in the group chat, her fingers moving swiftly across her phone screen. The situation was becoming clearer by the second.

"It's perfectly normal for a man to have a wife and a mistress, especially in a family as wealthy as ours. And who knows? There might be more women in the future. You’d better get used to it, Aunt Vanessa!"

"He made breakfast for you, but do you really think it means anything? It’s just guilt! After spending the night with another woman, Uncle Alexander puts on this act of affection. Do you honestly believe he loves you?"

Vanessa’s words were sharp, designed to wound.

They struck right at Evelyn’s most vulnerable spot.

Vanessa watched her closely, eager to see the pain flicker across her face—that delicious moment of suffering she so desperately wanted to witness.

But she was disappointed.

Evelyn remained composed, her expression unreadable, as if none of it mattered to her at all.

A slow, knowing smile curved Evelyn’s lips. "You’re absolutely right. But at least Ethan can’t even be bothered to pretend in front of you anymore. Vanessa, Vanessa… how utterly pathetic you are."

"You—!"

Vanessa’s temper flared at the taunt, but she clenched her fists, forcing herself to stay still. This was Whitmore Manor, after all, filled with staff who reported directly to Alexander. She couldn’t risk making a scene.

Because no matter what, Evelyn was Alexander’s wife—her elder. And that alone demanded respect.

Evelyn Carter let the half-eaten sandwich slip from her fingers, shooting Vanessa Hart a glare before storming off.

Her appetite was completely ruined.

Vanessa set down her spoon with deliberate calm.

"I recall how, in the early days of your marriage, you fought the maids for chores just to win Eleanor's approval. Pathetic, wasn't it?"

Vanessa's face darkened at the sudden reminder of her past humiliation.

Eleanor had despised her from the start. Desperate to please, Vanessa had resorted to scrubbing floors and playing the dutiful housewife, thinking it would earn her favor.

Instead, it only deepened Eleanor's contempt.

It was Grace Caldwell who later enlightened her—the Whitmore family expected elegance and poise, not a glorified servant. Especially not for a man like Alexander Whitmore, whose reputation in Cresthaven demanded nothing less than perfection.

"I'm done. Clean up."

Vanessa stiffened. "Excuse me?"

"What did you just call me?"

"Aunt Evelyn."