Chapter 38

Even if Esther had not crossed paths with Jonathan, some incident would likely have still occurred. Gladys recognized this, and harbored no illusions of remaining unblemished. But she longed to cling onto a vestige of dignity, her last fortress of honor.

Aubrey was a character of pure vexation. Upon seeing Gladys in the news recently, Jonathan had reviewed her professional history from her debut up to now. Her resources were notably lean; it was clear she had lacked any solid backing. Her arrival at this point in time was mainly due to a series of scandals she was tangled in. Perhaps, prior to now, she had managed to evade the unspoken rules of the industry. But the current situation, even if she were to surrender herself to that man, it seemed improbable that the tide would turn in her favor.

Unless she cast away her dignity, appealed to Aubrey, but would he vouch for her after getting what he desired? Would he truly salvage her reputation? Such guarantees were difficul