Chapter 17 - The Echoes of Arrogance
The common room of the Oakwood Assisted Living Facility was painfully quiet, save for the ticking of a grandfather clock and the hum of the television.
Eleanor Sterling sat in a floral armchair, staring blankly out the window. Her silk pajamas and champagne flutes were long gone, replaced by standard-issue cotton gowns and weak tea. She was largely ignored by the staff, who had quickly tired of her demands and condescending tone.
A nurse walked by and dropped a single, thin envelope on Eleanor's lap. "Mail for you, Mrs. Sterling."
May you like
Eleanor opened it with trembling, arthritic fingers. It was a generic, store-bought birthday card from Adrian. There was no handwritten note inside, just his hastily scribbled signature. He hadn't visited in over a year.
She looked around the sterile room, realizing with a chilling clarity that this was her legacy. She had raised her son to value status over compassion, wealth over kindness. She had taught him to be ruthless. In the end, that ruthlessness had left them both entirely alone. A single tear slipped down her wrinkled cheek, but there was no one there to wipe it away.
