Ruth

"Don't worry about her, she will come around," Mr. Westwood's reassuring words washed over Ruth like a gentle wave, his eyes holding a fatherly warmth that tugged at Ruth's conscience. She needed his support more than ever. 

she offered him a grateful smile. It was a smile laden with carefully practiced sincerity, one she had perfected over the course of this charade. She'd become adept at crafting these moments, sewing threads of fabricated emotion into the tapestry of their lives. 

As she looked into his eyes, Ruth adopted the role of a dutiful daughter-in-law. It was a mask she wore so often that it felt like a second skin, despite the dissonance it stirred within her. Her words flowed with practiced ease, every syllable designed to soothe and manipulate in equal measure. 

"Ethan loves you and Mrs. Westwood very much," Ethan's mother has refused to let her call anything other than Mrs. Westwood. "And I, as his wife, want to get close to you. You both became my family as soon as I married him." Ruth said, her voice laced with affection she didn't genuinely feel. 

She turned away from Mr. Westwood, her gaze sweeping across the opulent surroundings of the mansion. It was a setting that had always made her feel like an imposter, a stark reminder of the vast chasm between her upbringing and the world she now inhabited. 

"I hope she will be able to accept me as her daughter-in-law someday," Ruth added, her voice tinged with a hint of vulnerability.

She knew this was her moment to shine, to sway Mr. Westwood's sentiments in her favor. With a well-practiced flicker of her eyes towards him, she observed a glimmer of sympathy and admiration, just as she'd intended. 

It was a gamble, this manipulation of emotions, and Ruth often questioned the morality of her actions. But the weight of her dreams and the freedom she would get after this contract ends had propelled her into this role.

As long as Mr. Westwood remained on her side, as long as she continued to play her part to perfection, Ruth was determined to see this charade through, regardless of the sacrifices she had to make.