Listen well! Im wealthy now, and its time we parted ways,» declared the husband with a haughty air. Little did he foresee the reckoning to come.
«Youve no idea how your dullness grates on me,» sneered Edward, his eyes sharp with contempt. «A plain little thing like you? I deserve far better!»
«Do you truly believe riches make you superior?» murmured Eleanor, her voice thick with sorrow as she fought back tears.
The warm glow of twilight bathed the kitchen where Eleanor prepared supper. The comforting scent of hearty stew and freshly baked bread lingered in the air.
Edward burst in, brandishing an envelope, his face alight with triumph.
«Nell! Nell! Youll never guess!» he cried, still in his boots. «A letters arrivedan inheritance from some distant kin! Im a rich man now!»
Eleanor turned, wiping flour from her hands.
«How wonderful, Eddy,» she said softly. «But who was this relation? We knew of none»
«Who cares!» Edward laughed, sweeping her into an embrace. «Now we can have anything we desire!»
Eleanor arched a brow but had no chance to speak as Edward prattled on, dreaming aloud of grand purchases and lofty ambitions.
Yet by the next morning, after a sleepless night as a man of means, Edward was transformed. He regarded Eleanor with disdain, barking orders and demanding deference. Every word dripped with self-importance, as if the letter had crowned him king.
«You know, Nell,» he remarked over breakfast, avoiding her gaze, «now that fortunes favoured me, we ought to reconsider our arrangement.»
Eleanor stiffened, her cup trembling.
«What do you mean?» she whispered.
«Simply that Ive risen above this,» he said, biting into toast. «Youre too ordinary.»
Shock rooted her to the spot. That afternoon, she met her dearest friendsMargaret and Beatricein a quiet tea shop.
«Girls, you wont believe it,» she began, her hands unsteady. «Edwards come into money and now thinks me beneath him!»
Margaret scoffed. «Ridiculous! Whos this phantom relation?»
Beatrice frowned, stirring her tea. «What will you do?»
«I dont know,» Eleanor sighed. «Hes become monstrous.»
Margaret shook her head. «Surely its some mistake? The mans lost his senses!»
Eleanor twisted her napkin. «This isnt the Edward I married.»
Beatrices frown deepened.
The evening ended thus. Eleanor returned home to find Edward poring over catalogues of fine carriages. Dread settled in her chest, but her friends steadfastness kept her afloat.
Days passed, and Edward grew insufferable. Though the inheritance remained unclaimed, he strutted like a lord, treating Eleanor as a mere servant.
«Nell, wheres my waistcoat?» he bellowed one morn. «Ive business with gentlemen today!»
She fetched it silently.
«Edward, might we talk?» she ventured.
«Not now,» he dismissed. «Trifles bore me.»
Tears pricked her eyes. The man shed loved had vanished, replaced by this cold stranger. That evening, she sought her friends again.
Over coffee in their usual corner, Eleanor unspooled her grief.
«I cant endure this,» she confessed. «He speaks as if Im some burden to discard.»
Margaret set her cup down sharply. «The brute! You must stand your ground. He hasnt a penny yet!»
Beatrice squeezed her hand. «Were with you, Nell. This storm shall pass.»
Weeks wore on. Edwards cruelty festered.
«Youre a simple creature, Nell,» he sneered one night. «I see through you nowyoure naught but a gold-digger.»
Her breath caught. «After all these years, how can you»
«Spare me,» he interrupted. «Youd cling to my coattails, wouldnt you?»
The next day, she met Margaret and Beatrice, their faces grim.
«Nell,» Margaret began, «weve something to confess.»
Beatrice nodded. «The inheritance letter it was feigned. We orchestrated it.»
Eleanors world tilted. «A lie?»
«We wished to reveal his true nature,» Beatrice explained. «And see? Greed unmasked him.»
Betrayal and relief warred within her. «You thought this would help?»
Margaret winced. «We never imagined hed be so vile.»
Eleanor sat silent, then rose with resolve.
That evening, she faced Edward in the parlour.
«The letter was false,» she stated. «A test you failed utterly.»
His face purpled. «Preposterous! Youd trust scheming women over me?»
«You showed your heart,» she replied coolly. «A bitter, shrivelled thing. Leave.»
Spluttering, he packed his trunks and stormed out.
The moment the door shut, Margaret and Beatrice arrived, finding Eleanor pale but steady.
«Nell,» Beatrice whispered, «theres more. A solicitor from London contacted me weeks pasttrying to reach you about a genuine inheritance. We held our tongues till we knew Edwards character.»
Eleanors hands flew to her mouth. «Truly?»
Margaret nodded. «Ring him tomorrow. Fortunes truly yours nowand that cads gone for good.»
The solicitor confirmed it: a vast sum from a forgotten aunt. That night, the three friends raised glasses of sherry.
«To freedom,» toasted Margaret.
«To true friends,» added Beatrice.
Eleanor smiled through tears. «To new beginnings.»
Laughter filled the room as the fire crackled. Whatever lay ahead, shed face itunshackled, and unafraid.
