Chapter 5 Resolve Amidst Insults

• At the Stratton family estate, everyone had gathered in the grand villa. The atmosphere in the main hall was tense. Celeste’s grandma, Margaret Stratton, sat in a large red master chair, surrounded by lavish decorations that reflected the family’s status as one of the wealthiest in the country.
• Standing before Margaret was Adrian, exuding his usual arrogance. Celeste’s brother had always been the family’s favorite—an ambitious man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
• “Celeste,” Adrian said in a commanding tone, “hand over the family business. You know it should have been mine from the start. You’re only holding onto it because of grandma’s pity.”
• Celeste stood tall in front of her brother, her face flushed with anger. “Pity?” she snapped, her voice filled with emotion. “I worked hard to build that company from nothing! You have no idea what I’ve been through!”
• Margaret raised her hand, signaling them to stop. Her wrinkled face bore both wisdom and authority. “Enough,” she said firmly. “Adrian, Celeste. We’ll settle this without fighting. Celeste, you need to think about what’s best for the family.”
• “And giving everything to Adrian is what’s best?” Celeste almost shouted. “grandma, this isn’t just about the company. It’s about principles! I won’t give up what I’ve built!”
• At that moment, the sound of wheelchair wheels broke through the tension. Everyone in the room turned to see Damien entering with an aura of quiet strength. His gaze shifted from Margaret to Adrian.
• “Celeste isn’t alone,” he said with a firm voice. “And I’m here to make sure no one takes anything from her without a fight.”
• Margaret’s sharp eyes narrowed at Damien, while Adrian scoffed, almost mockingly. But Celeste couldn’t hide her surprise. She had thought Damien had truly left her for good after their last argument. Beneath her angry expression, however, there was a flicker of gratitude for his presence at such a critical moment.
• “Damien,” Celeste said softly, “why are you here?”
• “Yes, Damien, why are you here?” Adrian sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm and disdain.
• Though Celeste was slightly relieved, she started to feel anxious as the already tense situation turned colder with Adrian’s sharp insults and mocking laughter aimed at her husband.
• Damien rolled his wheelchair to one end of the room, maintaining his composure despite the barrage of scorn. He wore a simple suit, a stark contrast to the extravagant attire of those around him.
• “Celeste,” Adrian’s voice echoed through the hall, addressing his sister with a mocking tone. “Do you seriously believe in this man?” He pointed at Damien with a derisive smirk. “He’s crippled, broke, and useless. Even if he could stand, what could he possibly do? You’re delusional if you think he can help you.”
• Laughter erupted around the table, loud and echoing against the grand walls. Celeste bowed her head, her hands gripping the wine glass in front of her tightly. She tried to stay calm, even though her blood boiled at the ridicule.
• On the other side of the table, Eleanor rolled her eyes, visibly annoyed. She massaged her temples as if trying to fend off a headache.
• “Damien, I warned you,” she said sharply, loud enough for everyone to hear. “You’re just embarrassing Celeste by showing up here. If you really want to help her, you should leave her life and give her the space she needs to move forward.”
• Damien didn’t respond. His expression remained calm, but his eyes burned with unshakable resolve. He took the insults as a test of his endurance, a reminder that his journey was far from over.
• Celeste looked up, meeting her mom’s gaze. Her beautiful face was tired but still radiated courage.
• “mom, please,” she said softly but with a sharp edge in her tone. “This has nothing to do with Damien. They’re trying to take away what I’ve worked so hard to build over the past five years.”
• Although frustrated by Damien’s unexpected appearance, deep down, Celeste couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy seeing how poorly her family treated him.
• grandma Margaret Stratton sat gracefully at the head of the table. Despite her advanced age, her eyes remained as sharp as a blade. She held a wooden cane with intricate carvings, which she tapped lightly on the floor to command attention.
• “Celeste,” she said coldly, “how dare you defy your family’s decision? What right do you have?”
• Celeste gazed at her grandma with deep sorrow. “grandma, I only want to protect what I’ve built. Five years—five years of my life dedicated to Stratton Enterprises. Why am I being forced to hand everything over to Adrian? Is it just because I’m a woman?”
• The room fell silent for a moment before Margaret smiled icily. “As a woman, you should know your place,” she said sharply. “Leading this family is not your role. Adrian has more experience, more influence, and—”
• “—the advantage of being a man?” Celeste interrupted bitterly. “grandma, you’re a woman too. You took over this family after Grandfather passed away. Why are you making things harder for me now?”
• Margaret struck her cane against the floor forcefully. “Enough!” she snapped. “What I did was different. I protected this family. You don’t have that ability. If you keep forcing your way, Stratton Enterprises will become nothing more than a laughingstock in the business world. You must choose, Celeste. Join the family to support Adrian, or leave this family and sever all ties with us.”
• Her grandma cast a disdainful glance at Damien before adding, “Do you really think that man can save you? Well, perhaps you should leave with him and hand over the company to your brother. A woman should follow her husband.”
• Adrian smirked faintly, but the smirk was filled with mockery. “Sister, stop being stubborn. You know this is for the family’s good. Besides, I’ve already arranged everything. If you give up control of the company, I’ll ensure you still receive a share of the profits. Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
• Feeling insulted, Celeste glared at Adrian with fiery resentment. “You know nothing about my struggles. Five years ago, I started with nothing. Grandfather gave us all the same initial capital—ten million dollars. But I turned it into a billion-dollar company. You? You wasted it on failed projects.”
• Adrian chuckled. “That’s in the past. Now, I have grandma’s full support. There’s no point arguing anymore. And Grandfather’s rules don’t apply anymore either. The idea that whoever builds the company leads it? That’s outdated. A man from the family should be the one to lead!”
• Celeste straightened her back, though her body trembled with emotion. “I won’t give up this company, Adrian. If you want to take it from me, you’ll have to do it another way.”
• Adrian leaned closer to Celeste, his voice low but filled with menace. “You know, I actually wish you would leave the family. Your presence is just a hindrance. Why don’t you leave with your useless husband?”
• Celeste felt a tightness in her chest. The insult was like a thorn piercing her heart, but she refused to show any weakness.
• Amid the growing tension, the sound of Damien’s wheelchair wheels sliding across the thick carpet broke the silence. He maneuvered closer to Celeste, drawing all eyes to him. Damien lifted his chin, his gaze unwavering and filled with conviction.
• “Enough,” he said firmly, his voice resonating throughout the room.
• Everyone fell silent. The laughter and jeers that had filled the room vanished instantly. It was as though they were spellbound, waiting for some miracle from the man they saw as insignificant.
• Damien fixed his determined gaze on Margaret. “Celeste will not give up Stratton Enterprises. Five years ago, all of you abandoned her. She worked day and night, fighting against all odds to build this company. And now you want to take it from her? That won’t happen.”
• Margaret squinted, unimpressed. “And what will you do, Damien? You can’t even stand without help.”
• Damien paused briefly. The words stung, but he refused to let them waver his resolve. He continued, his voice lower but brimming with intensity.
• “I’ll say this only once, because you’re still part of my wife’s family. If you don’t want this business to collapse, you’d better leave it in Celeste’s hands and stop funding Adrian’s ventures. In the future, he’ll bring nothing but losses.”
• Celeste looked at Damien with tears welling in her eyes. For the first time that evening, she didn’t feel alone. Despite the constant insults thrown at them, Damien’s presence gave her renewed strength.
• Adrian scoffed mockingly. “Look at you, Damien. You talk as if you can see the future. What did you say? I’ll bring losses?”