The disapproval of the family

All was going great so far. They had both made some valuable connections. They had chatted a bit with various guests and had even danced together. That was until Frederick's wife, Caroline, decided to use the information she had gotten from her husband. As she was looking at Jenny many thoughts crossed her mind. Ché, as if she didn't dislike that stupid nobody enough already, Jason had to go and steal her husband's spot as the number one. A spot he had worked hard to obtain and keep for the past four years! Four years in which she had barely seen him and she had to see him come home stressed and exhausted. Finally he was able to be home with her more often and they had been talking about starting on building a family of their own. Only to have those plans all crumble before her eyes when Jason overtook him. This to her was something unforgivable and she would show the two of them that they couldn't steal that position away so easily. She would let them experience the pain and loneliness she had felt.

So, after dinner was finished and Jason was called for another round of socializing, Jenny was left behind with the other partners of the candidates. That was when Caroline made her move. Combining forces with some of the other wives and a few of Jason's disapproving aunts. One by one they would make snide remarks. Just loud enough for her to hear it.

"Did you see that, Jason is so impressive to be able to do all that by himself. Meanwhile look what he is supposed to marry. A girl who can't even hold her own at a social event. Needing Jason every step of the way. Ché."

"I know right. That girl is a liability. Doesn't she care that Jason being with her might cause him to lose something that is already practically his?"

"Causing him troubles, when she should praise herself lucky that she could even get a chance to marry a person like him."

"How much more will she disgrace him, till she realizes that she isn't good enough for him."

With every few comments, they would look over their shoulders at Jenny. To see her response. Seeing her stand tall, sipping her drink casually, they worsened their comments.

"Running away from home. How shameful. Any woman from our circles would know not to do that. Not only would they stay out of his way, they would help him achieve his goal. What can a person like her do, other than create trouble for him?"

"My word, running away?"

"Yes, didn't you hear? Apparently she ran away from home after a fight causing him to make a mistake with his company and losing an investor. Despite him being watched so closely in his last two years."

"How irresponsible. How could a future Mrs. Westwood behave that way. How could she not know of the importance of this time for his future career. But why should she care right? As if a person like her understands how important this is for him. As long as she has enough to spend, why should she care about his dreams and aspirations."

Hearing the disapproval of the family, time and time again, wasn't leaving Jenny unaffected. The first comments had been things she had heard many times before. So, they didn't get to her much and were things she could pass of as jealousy. However, she couldn't treat these words the same. How did they even know about her running away? Did she really cause him problems? The hotel belonged to the Westwoods and she had checked in using the card she had gotten from Jason. So, perhaps it wasn't that hard to find out for someone within the same family...She should have thought about that during her temper tantrum. Jason and her mother-in-law had passed it off as nothing much, but had it really not been a problem?

Seeing that Jenny finally appeared somewhat affected, they continued to pile their comments on, without any mercy. Hoping to have reached a point of insecurity with Jenny. That was the point to try and deepen the wound.

"If only he had chosen my Scarlet. She has gotten an early acceptance to Princeton you know and she had her heart set on marrying Jason in the future. She has developed a company of her own in order to help him when it is time for him to join the Westwood empire. Something that would have been a great asset to Jason. Plus she is going to study business management. So, even after he would inherit Westwood International, she would have been a great partner in life and in the office. She knows her responsibilities and they would make some beautiful babies. Unlike that imp he has chosen now, who might or might not have a brain to learn something of use to Jason."

"My cousin Juliet is the same. She has gone to all girls schools since birth. Possessing the grace and poise befitting a true lady. Being someone suitable to stand by Jason's side and even bringing in a fortune of her own. Not only did she get into the stock market at an early age, her father owns multiple banks. Which would have greatly helped Jason solidify his position in the family business. Instead he has settled for someone who cannot help him in any way and has yet to learn to behave herself at a dinner party without needing Jason to hold her hand for her. Now I hear she could have cost him his position at the last moment, that makes her esteem drop even lower in my regard. This is what you get when you try to marry outside your own circle. Were there no accomplished ladies left in England, that he had to get together with some poor shrimp from across the sea."