Summary: Daphne gets involved in another scandal and its consequences may change her life completely.
Warning: This piece contains psychological issues (cyberbullying, mentions of slut-shaming) which may be disturbing/offensive for some people. Reader discretion is advised.
Late May 2018
Mornings were quiet at the earl of Edgewater estate. Lord Vincent usually had a cup of Earl Grey or coffee at his office at home in the company of his stepson, then joined the rest of the family for a peaceful breakfast (since most days, the Countess sleeps in) if they didn’t have any appointments or early meetings to attend. Daphne also had the habit of waking up early. But instead of tea or coffee, she ate a few pieces of pears, apples and any other fruits that she could share with her pug before taking him for a walk. After she received her title and was pointed as the first in line to take her father’s place when he resigns, she made sure to return in time to have a moment with her father and stepbrother and learn more about politics, business and leading the county.
Peace, however, wasn’t the best word to describe that particular morning. That day started with the incessant buzzing sound of notifications on Daphne’s phone, which she managed to ignore. Yet, it was getting on everybody’s nerves.
“Daphne, I noticed you received six letters of acceptance from different universities, including one in France, one in Cordonia and one in America?” Dominique stressed the last word, trying to ignore the electronic device vibrating on the buffet table.
“I applied to Cornell to see if I could get in. I’m not planning on leaving Europe.”
“But are you planning on leaving England?” The Dowager Countess arched an eyebrow.
“I don’t see why this could be a problem, ma’am. Dad won’t be resigning any time soon. I would have plenty of time to learn about my functions as the future leader of the county.”
“While leaving England for four years?” Dominique pursed her lips.
“Living abroad on her own would also be a valuable experience for her,” Edmund commented.
“I agree,” Vincent nodded.
“All I’m saying is we have great schools in our country. I don’t see why Daphne would choose to go anywhere else,” The Dowager Countess responded, sipping her tea.
“I’ll take all your arguments into consideration. Thank you, grandmother.”
Daphne’s phone buzzed again.
“Dear, who’s calling you so much?” Vincent asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t checked my phone since I took Drake for a walk.”
“Can you shut it down? This buzzing sound on the sideboard is giving me a headache,” Dominique said before taking a cup of tea to her lips.
“Of course, grandmother. My apologies.” Daphne received her phone from her maid and glanced at the notifications from unknown numbers, eyes going wide at the content of each message. “What the fu—”
“Daphne, watch your language and shut down your mobile!” Dominique chided.
“I’m sorry,” she replied looking at everyone. “ I’m shutting it down.” She did what she was told and returned her phone to her maid.
Then again, the sound of a phone vibrating on the wooden sideboard came up.
“Ah, bloody hell… ” Edmund grumbled, glaring at Daphne.
“It isn’t mine!” She objected.
“Daphne has a point. Both of you, shut down your electronic devices and let’s try to finish this meal without any more interruptions,” Dominique demanded.
Following the dowager countess’s orders, both men reached for their phones to shut it down, but Edmund stared at his device for a while.
“Edmund, will you put your mobile down?“ Dominique scowled at him.
He was about to say something when two more text notifications came up.
“Edmund!” Lord Vincent called.
Edmund’s eyes scanned the room, searching for his father’s phone. As soon as he spotted the device, he cleared his throat. “Forgive me, but something just came up and Harry needs my help. May I be excused?”
“Is everything all right?” Dominique asked.
“Yes, it’s just girl trouble. He needs someone to vent.”
“Oh, go on then.”
“Thank you, father,” he said as he stood up, discreetly grabbed Vincent’s phone, placing it inside his trousers pocket, and left the dining room. When he arrived at the Earl’s office, he disconnected the WiFi and called Harry. “I did what you asked, now tell me what is this about.”
Harry hesitated for a moment. “Mate, I can’t. I don’t know how to say this to you. Did you receive any videos?”
“Yeah. Theresa sent one to me.”
“Shit…” Harry grumbled. “Are you still with Dad’s phone? If you are, check to see if he received the video too and delete it.”
“Why?”
“Just do it. You can’t let dad see this.”
“What the hell is in this bloody video, Harry?” Edmund hissed.
“All right. You already got it, so there’s no point in telling you not to watch it. Just make sure Dad learns about it from Daphne, okay?”
“Why? Is it about her?”
“Yeah…”
…
Behind closed doors, shame washed over Daphne’s body. Tears streamed down as her face as she watched a video herself on Briar’s phone. The footage was long and image quality was clear. On her knees, with her wrists tied on her back, she used her mouth to give pleasure to the only man she has ever been intimate with, whose face was conveniently blurred and voice modified. By her side, her friends wrapped their arms around her in silence, allowing her to simply feel their support through the embrace.
“I can’t believe this,” Daphne sobbed.
“We did what we could to stop this video from going viral,” Briar said softly.
“I sent a message to our school subreddit moderator to take down the posts. But by the time Reddit staff took it down, someone posted the video anonymously on a porn website and sent it to the tabloids,” Annabelle explained.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t help more,” Briar hugged her friend tighter.
“How am I going to tell dad and grandmother about this? How can I even look at them in the eye?” Daphne covered her face with both hands.
“Hey, we know you did nothing wrong, we believe you when you say you were with Ernest and you didn’t know you were being recorded. But Sinclaire has some real explaining to do,” Annabelle’s features hardened.
“We’re going to find a way to face this, okay?” Briar added, caressing Daphne’s hair.
A knock startled the three of them.
“We don’t need anything, Irina!” Annabelle shouted.
“It’s me!” Edmund announced himself.
Annabelle opened the door and locked it again after he got in.
On the bed, the lady hid her face behind a pillow, her cries muffled by the feather-stuffed object.
Edmund took cautious steps towards the chair near the bed. As his stepsister looked at him, he began to speak. “Dad knows. I tried to stop him from receiving the video deleting some of his texts and emails, I forbid mother of talking about this to anyone else, but the Duke of Norfolk called him and he made me show the video. Lady Dominique found out through Theresa on the knitting club though I told her not to. Her blood pressure went a bit high, but she’s medicated and resting.”
“Oh my god…” Daphne blurted, hiding her face again.
Briar glared at Edmund and shook her head.
“Hey, I know this looks bad, but we know you. You’re just a girl who had an intimate moment leaked. You can’t keep your head down now,” he tried to reason.
“He’s right,” Annabelle approached the bed and leaned down to whisper in her friend’s ear. “You will not let yourself become a victim. You won’t take shit from chauvinist wankers sending you texts or hypocrites who can’t stand the fact that women enjoy sex. You’re a fighter. You’ll fight against everything and we’ll be right here with you. Is that understood?”
Silence loomed over.
“Daphne, is that understood?” Annabelle said it louder.
She lifted her head up, eyes bloodshot red, face marked with tears, but determination radiated from her when she stared at her friend. “Yes.”
“Good. Let’s wash your face,” Annabelle said, helping Daphne out of the bed and turned to Edmund. “Tell Lord Vincent to wait for her to calm down. She’ll talk to him when she’s ready.”
Edmund nodded and left the room.
…
The family didn’t have lunch together that day. Lady Dominique stayed inside her room the whole day, Lord Vincent and Edmund canceled all appointments downtown and they worked from their home office, Countess Henrietta spent all day shopping blatantly ignoring the crisis and Daphne managed to eat something after her friends ordered her favorite dishes. At night, the family gathered in the living room with a lawyer recommended by one of Vincent’s friends at the Parliament.
“My lords and ladies, the legal request was accepted by Judge Henderson and the video was taken down from social media websites and tabloids. I appealed for the right to be forgotten so search engines will remove any compromising data involving Lady Daphne’s name from the database, as she requested,” the lawyer informed.
“Thank you, Mr. Woods,” Vincent nodded.
“What about the people sharing the video through text messages?” Edmund asked.
“Judge Henderson requested a professional team to monitor all social media and other forms of electronic communications. All the people who shared the videos will be notified in the next twenty-four hours and they will be charged for criminal offence.”
“And the man on the video?” Henrietta asked.
“Also answering Lady Daphne’s request, the man’s identity will remain anonymous, but I assure you he’s cooperating with the investigation.”
“I wonder what’s your fiancé’s opinion about this,” the Countess sniggered only to earn glares from everyone in the room.
“Is there a way to find out who’s the author of the video?” Briar inquired.
“Yes, there is. Judge Henderson also hired a special team to track down the IP address the video came from and once we find the perpetrators, they will also be charged for criminal offence and we will request for the maximum sentence.”
“Which is…?” Henrietta asked.
“Two years in jail. Their only chance not to face a jail sentence will be if Lady Daphne shows mercy.”
“Huh,” the Countess fiddled with the teaspoon on her hand.
Daphne and Dominique exchanged glances.
“You did a good job in such short notice, Mr. Woods. Thank you,” Lord Vincent approached the lawyer and gave him a firm handshake.
“You’re very welcome, sir. Rest assured I’ll do everything in my power to bring justice for Lady Daphne and your family,” the lawyer affirmed.
“Thank you once again, Mr. Woods,” Daphne extend her hand to him.
“It’s an honor to have you as my client, ma’am.” He shook her hand. “Call me if you need anything.”
Dominique looked at her granddaughter, who simply nodded. She stood up and addressed to the lawyer. “Let me escort you out, Mr. Woods.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Biding a polite farewell to everyone, Mr. Woods followed the Dowager Countess.
After Henrietta excused herself to go back to her bedroom, Edmund also headed back to his ensuite. But unlike most days, Briar didn’t follow. “Do you need anything, Daph?”
“Just some time to rest.”
“I called mom to tell her I’m staying with you and we can chill and binge anything you want. Ann will be back soon.”
“Thank you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” Daphne’s eyes welled up.
“We just gave you a little nudge. It could’ve taken you a little more time on your own, but you’d definitely be on your feet, fighting just like you are right now,” Briar encircled her arms around her friend and kissed the top of her head before saying goodnight to the Earl and climb up the stairs.
Daphne looked at her father, gazing out the window. “Dad?”
“Yes?”
“How are you feeling?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you this question?”
“Just because this happened to me it doesn’t mean I don’t want to know how you’re doing. After all, the entire family’s reputation on the line again,” Daphne shrugged.
“Well, I can’t say this was how I expected my day to be, but as far as our family’s reputation is concerned, I have to admit I couldn’t care less.
“But you’re a businessman and a politician!”
“I’m a father first and foremost and my main concern is my children’s well being. So, to answer your question properly, no. I’m not okay. My daughter was publicly shamed today for simply enjoying a private moment with her fiancé. I will never be okay with this.”
“Dad…” her lip quivered as she slid closer to him on the couch.
“What society thinks about us now doesn’t matter to me. What I need is to be sure you will be all right to face the backlash again. Your safety, health, and happiness are and always will be my top priority,” he smiled warmly at his daughter.
“Thank you.” She rested her head on his shoulder.
“Have you talked to Ernest after the conversation with Arthur Woods?”
“No. I don’t know how to face him.”
“Why not?”
“Because I know I’m bringing trouble to his life again. He already has some much going on with the insurance company, Mrs. Sinclaire’s disease, my first scandal,” she looked down her hands. “How bad do you think this is going to affect him?”
Lord Vincent’s expression grew somber as he pondered his daughter’s question.
“Dad, please.” She placed her hand atop his. “I need to know.”
He looked into his daughter’s eyes and caressed her cheek. “His situation won’t be easy, financially speaking.”
“How come?”
“After Ledford Park Inc. lost an important business partner who helped finance the company to be established in Cordonia, Ernest sought the investment of other banks. The one which offered his company the most beneficial deal belongs to Viscount Lochdale. But to officiate the contract, he agreed to include a morality clause. If Ernest gets involved in any sort of scandal, he will be obligated to step down from his position or the company will lose the financial aid.”
“Just like that?! But Ernest’s whole life is about the company! It’s his livelihood!” Daphne exclaimed.
“As you may recall, cancer treatments are expensive. If he steps down from his position, his family will face a big financial debt. But if he remains as vice president, the company will suffer and the board can force him to step down before another deal is settled.”
“Is this why Mr. Woods said his identity should be kept anonymous for now?”
“Precisely.”
“But it will look like I cheated on him.”
“Yes, but Albert had a terrible history with betrayal and would be sympathetic to Ernest if it looked like he was cheated on.”
Daphne stood in silence for a minute, chewing on a nail. Reluctant to what she was going to say, she took a deep breath before speaking. “Dad?”
“Yes?”
“Can you get the jet ready for tomorrow? I need to talk to Ernest in person.”
“Of course, dear.”
…
The following day was a nightmare. To avoid any more rumors, Daphne arrived in Cordonia in the middle of the night and she had to be escorted by the Cornodian Kingsguard to the Royal Palace instead of going to a hotel to keep the paparazzi away. With security reinforced for his own wedding, King Liam made sure his cousin would have all the privacy she needed. But while she waited for Ernest to have some time to meet her, the lady spent most of her days in her room or at the Royal Library.
“I knew I would find you here,” King Liam smiled as he closed the door. “Can I come in?”
“Hey! Of course,” Daphne closed the book she was reading and patted the seat beside her.
The king chuckled before joining her on the couch. “You seem a little better today.”
“Yeah, sort of. You were right, your friends are really fun. Jade is amazing. It’s like she’s the opposite of you, but you complete each other. You both will be great rulers.”
“Thank you. I like to think so too.”
“Liam, I know you faced a lot of criticism because of the scandal involving her name. Have you thought about giving up?”
“Yes.”
“Are you serious?”
“I thought about putting her on a plane back to the States so she could move on, I considered abdicating the throne and fleeing the country with her.”
“Did you tell her that?”
“Yes. More than once, actually.”
“How did she react?”
“The first time I told her we were still meeting in secret. She cried a lot, we thought about our lives would be if we eloped, but she said she couldn’t let me abdicate or let go of me, that we had to fight against the odds together. After my father died, I talked to her about it again. She told me to shut up and get over myself because she isn’t going anywhere.”
Both of them laughed.
“I know it seems selfish to choose love before my duty to the Kingdom, but it turns out the two of them can coexist. Jade helps Cordonia thrive with her people skills, her ideas, her support to my role.”
“It still was a risky move.”
“But it was worth everything.”
Daphne looked down her hand, toying with the engagement ring on her finger.
“I know why you’re asking me about it and it wouldn’t be wise of me not to remind you that you’re nineteen. There’s so much you don’t know about life. What you think, how you feel now… Everything can change. You have so much ahead of you. And you have to be sure of what you want before you commit to something that may change your life forever.”
“Yeah…” Daphne chewed on a nail.
“I apologize if this conversation got more serious than it should have been. I thought about encouraging Leo or Jade to talk to you instead.”
“It’s fine. I appreciate your honesty, Liam. And I did talk to them about it.”
“What did they say?”
“Something similar to what you said, minus your wise kingly voice,” she smiled softly.
Liam chortled. “I hope we could help you, somehow.”
“You did. Thank you.”
“Anytime, Daphne.”
…
Palms sweating, heartbeat racing, stomach fluttering. Daphne had days to thinks things over and consider her options and she thought she was ready to do this. She was not. She would never be ready to say it to the first man she fell in love with.
The door to her private suite opened and Ernest walking in. He looked as dashing as always, but as if he has aged years since she last saw him. Without saying a word, he approached her and his arms encircling her petite frame, pressing her against his chest.
As their lips met, mixed feelings clouded her thoughts. Maybe they should’ve kept some distance, maybe she shouldn’t be trying to memorize the color of the shirt he was wearing, the undertones of his cologne or the taste of his lips. But it was hard to resist it.
He pulled away to look into her eyes and caressed her cheek. “I know what you’re going to say.”
“You do?”
He nodded. “It’s okay.”
Her lips trembled. “Is it?”
“In a way, yes. I can’t say I want to let go of you or hear you say what you’re struggling to tell me, but I understand how you feel. It’s too much for both of us. And as much as I care about you, I can’t allow you to carry this burden for me,” his eyes went glossy.
Daphne closed her eyes, tears rolling down her cheeks as she reached for the engagement ring and took it off. Opening her eyes, she placed the ring on his palm and closed his hand. “I’m so sorry.”
Holding her once again, he kissed the top of her head. “Me too, my darling.”
