When Dignity is Tested
We sat around a table adorned with an array of dishes, too grand, perhaps, for just the four of us. Towering candles stood proudly at its center, flanked by elegant roses. The atmosphere exuded class and quiet sophistication.
A few dishes caught my attention: beetroot salad with feta cheese, grilled sea bass, wagyu steak, creamy mashed potatoes, white wine and red, steamed vegetables, and lemon tart.
“Please, help yourself, Lily. These are Ashton’s favorite dishes,” Mrs. Williams said with a smile. But every curve of her lips always felt forced. I could read her well enough, she didn’t like me.
“Thank you, Mrs. Williams,” I said, trying to stay composed and polite.
“Ashton told me you enjoy cooking and that you even won a competition? Perhaps one day you’ll cook for us,” she added with a restrained, almost reluctant smile.
“Can you really cook? Because you don’t look the part,” Kelly said bluntly. Was it just in her nature to be unfriendly, or did she simply not welcome outsiders into her family?
“And what exactly do I look like?” I narrowed my eyes.
“I’m sorry, but I have to be honest. Even if you’re wearing an expensive dress from my brother, fine jewelry, and a designer bag, none of it makes you look like a woman of high class.” Kelly’s words were sharp as blades. I had never worn anything this luxurious before, but that didn’t mean I didn’t belong in it.
“Forgive me, but what does a ‘high-class’ woman look like?” I asked, genuinely curious to hear their definition.
“She must have a good education, a respectable job, a dignified family background. She should come from a family that matches ours,” Mrs. Williams interjected, her tone lofty. Every word from her mouth carried an air of condescension.
“What’s your highest level of education? And what do your parents do?” Kelly asked, eyeing me coldly.
I paused, glancing at Ashton. He didn’t say a word.
“I only graduated high school. I didn’t get the chance to go to college because I had to work. My mother works in a restaurant. My father ... I don’t know where he is.”
Both Mrs. Williams and Kelly looked stunned. I understood, they had expected someone more… fitting for their elite family.
“Just a high school graduate? And your family’s broken? What makes you think you’re worthy of standing beside my son?” Mrs. Williams’s voice rose, heavy with scorn.
“Mom, please,” Ashton spoke firmly. “I chose her because she has something no other woman has. She’s the best.”
I froze, staring at him. We were pretending, yes—but still, my heart fluttered.
“No, Ashton,” his mother snapped. “Before your father died, he made it clear. He wanted you to marry someone from a dignified family, someone who’s our equal.” Her voice carried the authority of someone who believed she had the final say.
“Lily is from a respectable family too. She may not have had the chance to attend college, but only because she had to work.” Ashton didn’t flinch as he defended me, his fake fiancée.
“Please, give us a chance, Mom. I won’t leave Lily.” His voice softened, but his resolve never wavered.
Mrs. Williams and Kelly fell silent. I felt awkward, unsure if I should say something. Ashton had warned me not to argue, but I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Williams. I may not come from an honorable family, and I never got to attend college, but I have dignity. And I truly love Ashton.” I looked each of them in the eye. Pretending to love Ashton wasn’t so hard in that moment.
“Love? Are you sure it’s my brother you love or is it his money?” Kelly sneered.
“I may have never had wealth like yours, but I would never trade love for money.” I kept my voice firm, my eyes locked on hers.
I might never have known love before, and perhaps I still didn’t fully understand it. My life had been too hard for such luxuries. But I did know this: no amount of money could ever buy true love.
“I want to go home,” I said, turning to Ashton. I didn’t care if it came across as impolite.
“All right. Let’s go.”
We stood up. Before we left, Ashton turned and spoke once more. “Please don’t interfere in my choice of a partner. I’m going to marry her.”
I was stunned. I had always longed for someone to stand up for me, to make me feel like I mattered. Even if this was all a charade, I was still grateful.
Ashton walked me to my room. I felt drained, as if every ounce of energy had been stripped from me. All I wanted was to collapse and forget the nightmare at Mrs. Williams’s mansion.
My irritation surged again when Ashton didn’t stop at the door, but followed me in.
“Why are you coming in? You have your own room,” I snapped. I needed someone to lash out at—and he was right there.
“Why are you so angry?”
“You’re seriously asking that? I was humiliated by your mother and sister!”
“Lily, don’t take it to heart. Even if they’re upset, it changes nothing. I still intend to marry you.”
I paused. “You think that’s why I’m mad? Because I’m afraid the marriage might fall through?” I took a breath. “Honestly, I’d prefer if it did.”
Tears threatened to spill, but I refused to cry in front of him. “I’m angry because they trampled my dignity. They think it can be bought?”
“My mother is the one who sold me off, not the other way around. I gained nothing from this. And you, you’re using me as a weapon.” My voice broke slightly. I was in a grand house, surrounded by luxury. But I missed Kansas. I missed the life I used to know, even if it came with my mother’s constant shouting.
“I’m sorry, Lily. I have to do this. Your father needs to pay for what he did.” Ashton’s face was cold, his tone even colder.
“Why not go after him directly? Why drag me into this?” My voice rose again.
“Because everything works better with you in the picture.” He leaned in, eyes sharpening.
He reached for my chin, tilting my face up to meet his gaze. “I won’t hurt you as long as you do what I say. One day, you’ll understand why I had to do this.”
His eyes pierced through me, leaving me breathless.
His fingers drifted from my chin, tracing along my cheek and jaw with disarming gentleness. The contrast—his cold words and his warm touch, left me dazed.
Then his fingers brushed my lips. My breath caught. He moved closer, our faces now only inches apart. Was he about to kiss me? Should I pull away?
Ashton’s gaze softened. Then he pulled back.
Without a word, he turned and walked toward the door.
I remained frozen, struggling to steady the storm of breath that raced through me.
