Chapter 55

"Smack-" Eleanor slammed her fork on the table. Her usually gentle face was frozen over, eyes rimmed red. "Jonathan, my daughter is the best there is. No one even comes close!" She glared at him, her voice sharp and cold, "You don't deserve to be Calliope's father!" Jonathan's expression cracked. His face flushed as he shot up from his seat. "You women are all the same! Always caught up in petty drama, never seeing the bigger picture! What do you know about business strategy? Or long-term planning?" He angrily yanked at his tie, irritated. "There's no talking sense into you!" "I've lost my appetite. I've got a meeting with a client tonight anyway!" He snatched his blazer and stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Silence swallowed the dining room. Eleanor rubbed her forehead, clearly done with dinner. "Mia, clear the table," Calliope said softly. She supported her mother as they slowly made their way into the backyard, now blanketed in the evening's deep blue. The breeze was light