William stood in the doorway, pale as chalk, his gaze dark and almost threatening. His hands gripped the doorframe, and his shoulders trembled not from cold but from the fury that had seized him.
“What’s going on here?” His voice, low and grave, cut through the air of the room.
Eleanor felt her heart tighten. She loved him, yet fear prickled in her chest at this moment. She couldnt bear the thought that the man who had saved her might now face a choice between her and his own mother.
Margaret lifted her eyes with practiced calm, like an actress who knew she held control.
“Whats happening, my dear, is that Im trying to save you from yourself. Think for a momentwhat are you doing with this girl? In three months, youve spent more on her than on yourself all last year.”
“Mother” William closed his eyes briefly, as if steadying his temper. “Ive told youEleanor isnt some passing fling. Shes the woman I love.”
“Love?” Margaret let out a cold laugh. “Love isnt found by the rubbish bins. She comes from there, William! Do you have any idea what that means for our name?”
Eleanors cheeks burned. She wanted to speak, to shout, but an invisible weight pressed against her chest. Instead, her eyes filled with tears.
William took a step forward, closer to his mother.
“You know where I found her? Yes, by the bins. But do you know why? Not for herselffor an ailing old woman who had nothing to eat. Yet its easier for you to see filth than kindness.”
“Kindness doesnt pay the bills,” Margaret snapped. “And lets not forget, a man of your standing can have any woman he wants.”
“Thats true,” he said, firm. “And Ive chosen Eleanor.”
A sharp silence settled between them.
At last, Eleanor found her voice. “William, you dont have to”
“I do,” he interrupted gently. “She needs to hear the truth.”
Margaret folded her arms like a judge awaiting final argument.
“The truth is simple, Motheryou measure love in pedigree and bank accounts. I measure it in moments when someone stands by you even when you have nothing.”
Eleanor watched him, the knot in her throat dissolving.
“When I met her,” William continued, “she could have refused me. She tried to. Knew it was dangerous to trust a stranger. But she was exhausted, starving. And since then, Ive never seen her ask for a thing for herself.”
Margaret bit her lip but said nothing.
William took another step.
“If you cant accept my choice, then Im sorrybut this is my life. And shes part of it.”
Eleanor shuddered. She could scarcely believe his words.
“William” Her voice was a mix of gratitude and fear.
“No, Eleanor,” he said firmly. “Ive been silent too long, torn between what Mother wants and what I want. Now I choose. And I choose you.”
Margaret rolled her eyes, but Williams tone left no room for debate.
“Very well,” she said at last, rising from her chair. “But dont come to me when she leaves you with nothing.”
And with that, she left, trailing the faint scent of expensive perfume and a heavy void in her wake.
Eleanor stood motionless.
“You did that for me?” she whispered.
“Not just for you. For us. And because I wont live knowing I lost someone like you to anothers pride.”
Tears streamed down her face, but for the first time in ages, they were tears of relief.
William pulled her close, holding her tight.
“Well manage,” he murmured. “It wont be easy, but well manage.”
“And if your mother never forgives you?” she asked faintly.
“Then well live with it. Ive made my choice.”
In the days that followed, the house felt quieter, colder without Margarets presence. Eleanor noticed the neighbors wary glances, but whenever William smiled at her, she remembered she wasnt alone.
They began searching for a smaller flat, just for them. William adjusted his business affairs, and Eleanor found part-time work at a nearby café. Their life no longer held the luxury of his mothers home, but it had something elsefreedom, and mutual respect.
One spring evening, as they walked home, William stopped and took her hand.
“I made you a promise the day we metremember?” he said.
“That youd stand by me, no matter what,” Eleanor smiled.
“And I have. And I always will.”
Beneath the glow of the streetlamps, they kissed, and for Eleanor, the world narrowed to that moment. She knew their path wouldnt be free of trials, but she was readyfor at last, she wasnt the girl by the bins. She was the woman a man had chosen to love, whatever the cost.
