Chapter 95: An extra-marital affair

Valora remembered how Soren had paid for Elowen’s mother’s treatment back then. The Vale family had given her everything she could never have afforded on her own—a respectable name, unimaginable wealth, and a luxurious lifestyle. Yet, apparently, even all that had not been enough for her.

Valora’s lips curled in contempt. ’What else can I expect from someone who had come from such a modest background?’

To her, people like Elowen were never satisfied with what they were given. The moment they got a taste of wealth and privilege, they began craving more. They mistook generosity for something they were entitled to and forgot where they had come from.

In Valora’s eyes, no amount of money or refinement could erase a person’s upbringing. One could dress them in designer clothes, give them an influential surname, and seat them among the most powerful families, but that didn’t change their roots.

She had always believed people from a lower background could never be satisfied. And Elowen had proved that.

"She got so much from this family. She enjoyed the luxurious life the Vale family gave her. Yet, it wasn’t enough to satisfy her. She hooked up with another man. This is the height of ingratitude."

To Valora, Elowen was nothing but trouble.

"Aunt, there is something you should know." Tahlia lowered her voice in a conspiratorial murmur. "Theron has had feelings for Elowen for years. Ever since high school.

Valora looked up sharply. "What did you say? He liked her?"

"Yes. It’s not just an ordinary liking. He has been obsessed with her for years. We all noticed how unusually protective he was of even her photograph."

Valora narrowed her eyes. "So they’ve known each other since they were in school."

This realization only fueled her hatred toward Elowen. It seemed that the woman had been hiding more from the Vale family than she had ever imagined.

Seeing her growing fury, Tahlia smiled sneakily. She hadn’t corrected Valora’s assumption that Elowen knew nothing about Theron’s obsession. She didn’t intend to do that either.

The more doubts she could feed Valora, the better.

"Aunt, do you remember Soren and Theron used to be good friends?"

Valora’s expression turned thoughtful. She nodded slowly.

She remembered the boy who used to visit the Vale estate often in the past.

A pair of jeans, a baggy sweater, and an unassuming appearance. Theron looked like nothing but ordinary. And Valora, the mistress of the prestigious Vale family, never truly liked that friendship.

In her eyes, someone from a family of considerably lower standing had no business getting close to the Vale heir. But she couldn’t stop Theron from visiting because Soren had been quite close to him. She hadn’t wanted to upset her son.

"I remember," she finally said. "I never liked him. Still, I allowed him to come home because of Soren. But I don’t know what happened between them that their friendship ended."

"Exactly, their friendship ended," Tahlia said almost immediately. "And it was all because of Elowen."

"Because of her?" Valora whipped her head toward her, shocked.

"Yes." Tahlia narrated enthusiastically. "Theron had a photograph of Elowen inside his locker. He was so protective of it that he wouldn’t let anyone see it. He used to talk about how much he loved his dream girl, but he never revealed her name or allowed anyone to look at her photo."

She leaned forward. "One day, Soren sneakily tried to look inside Theron’s locker."

Tahlia let out a dramatic shrug. "Theron was so furious when he found out, and he punched Soren. Since then, Theron held a grudge against him. His hatred only grew when Soren married Elowen because of the scandal back then."

Valora listened carefully, her shock only deepening with each word.

"Theron left the country to build his career," Tahlia continued. "He founded his own company abroad. Now he is back, only to compete with Soren."

"Compete with Soren?" Valora scoffed, almost finding it funny. "There is no comparison between them; forget about the competition. Soren is the chairman of the Vale Corporation, the heir of the multibillionaire empire. A mere millionaire doesn’t have the standing to challenge him."

"True, but he is not competing with him in business," Tahlia hurried to explain. "He is trying to humiliate Soren by taking his wife away."

She lowered her voice further. "Even after Elowen married Soren, Theron’s feelings never changed. I thought it was nothing more than an old attachment. But..."

She paused, letting the photographs speak for themselves. "It seems their relationship has become something more."

Valora looked down at the phone again.

The photographs seemed to confirm everything Tahlia had told her. The last bit of doubt disappeared from Valora’s mind.

She was now convinced that Elowen was having an extra-marital affair with Theron.

"She has been cheating on my son." Valora’s voice was chilling.

Tahlia gave a reluctant nod.

"I don’t want to make accusations. But look at these pictures. They are spending time together outside work, meeting privately, and Theron doesn’t hesitate to display their intimacy in public."

Valora’s fingers tightened around the phone. "But Elowen is married to my son. She should at least have considered the family’s reputation. Yet, she got involved with another man. Doesn’t she care about her husband at all?"

"That’s what makes this so terrible." Tahlia sighed, pretending to be deeply troubled. "Elowen seems to have forgotten she is married. She keeps meeting her ex-lover. And now, these photographs have spread throughout the company."

"What?" Valora exclaimed, her voice rising again.

"One of my friends works at Aurevia," Tahlia said. "She told me everything. Everyone there is talking about them, accusing Elowen of seducing Theron to secure the position of the chief designer. And Elowen is still defending herself despite everything. She doesn’t seem to care about the rumors or her marriage to Soren."

Valora’s mouth twisted with disgust. Her face flushed. Every word Tahlia spoke added another spark of fire burning inside her.

"She has brought disgrace to this family," Valora grumbled resentfully.

"Does she think she can marry into the Vale family and do whatever she pleases?"

Tahlia remained silent, allowing Valora’s anger to grow.

"All these years, I have tried to accept her as Soren’s wife, despite knowing she was never the right woman for him. I allowed her into this family because she gave birth to the Vale blood. And this is how she repays us?"

Valora threw the phone onto the sofa.

"She has absolutely no shame."

"Aunt, please calm down. I’m afraid your BP will rise." Tahlia’s words were filled with worry. Looking into her eyes, no one could tell she was faking concern.

She didn’t care whether Valora’s BP shot up. She didn’t give a damn about Valora falling sick. Her main purpose was to fuel her anger and turn her against Elowen.

It was working exactly as she had planned. And she believed Valora would throw Elowen out of the family soon.

"This woman has been taking a fool out of my son," Valora muttered. "I won’t allow it. Where is Soren? Does he know about this?"