CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE – A BAD REPUTATION

As the evening wore on, Charlotte found herself subjected to a constant barrage of microaggressions and subtle insults, each one chipping away at her already fragile sense of self-worth. Women who had once welcomed her with open arms now looked down their noses at her, whispering behind their hands and casting knowing glances in her direction. "I heard she was nothing more than a glorified secretary before she met Julian," one woman murmured, her voice just loud enough for Charlotte to hear. "I can't believe he actually married her. What could he possibly see in her?" "Well, we all know what men like Julian are really after, don't we?" another woman replied, her eyes raking over Charlotte's form with a lascivious smirk. "She must be very good at certain things, if you know what I mean." Charlotte felt her cheeks burn with shame and anger, but she forced herself to keep her head held high, to pretend that she couldn't hear the cruel words and cutting remarks that swirled around her