“Oh my, Chloe. You decided to come to the party. The power of a scandal is truly something, isn’t it?” Alice laughed as she linked arms with Chloe, who sighed in response. She had only just entered the grand ballroom, and already her head ached.
“Forgive me, but could I ask you to handle the rest of the hosting?” Chloe inquired.
“Of course. You should take a break.”
“I have some overdue matters to attend to.”
“You work far too hard,” Alice remarked with a touch of pity.
Leaving her younger sister to entertain the guests, Chloe slipped away from the lively party. Only once she was away from the crowd did she feel she could breathe again.
I knew I shouldn’t have come.
When she had first heard the rumors of a scandal involving her spreading through society, she had lashed out at the maid who relayed the gossip. She had insisted that such trivial matters need not be reported to her. Yet, the rumors only grew with each passing day.
