The room felt charged with a tension I couldn’t shake. I looked at Ivy, her eyes wide and confused, clutching her glittery card like a lifeline. I knelt down, hugging her tightly. “You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. You’re perfect, remember that.”

As I escorted Ivy to the kids’ table, ignoring Eleanor’s pointed glances, I couldn’t help but feel an eerie anticipation. Eleanor had always been the puppet master, pulling strings and weaving chaos into our lives. But tonight, it felt like she was orchestrating something bigger.

The dining room buzzed with chatter and clinking glasses, but I felt detached, my mind spinning with Eleanor’s cryptic words. What could she possibly mean? Ivy not being part of the family tradition—what tradition? My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a spoon clinking against a glass.

Eleanor stood at the head of the table, her presence commanding attention. “Everyone, if I may have your attention, please.” The room fell silent, eyes on her.

“I want to thank you all for being here to celebrate my 60th birthday,” she began, her voice smooth and confident. “But tonight is not just about me. It’s about family—our family—and the truth that binds us.”

I felt an unease settle in the room, others sensing the gravity of her words. Eleanor paused, savoring the moment, her eyes scanning the room until they landed on me. “Tonight, I want to share something that’s been a family secret for too long.”

My heart raced. I glanced at my husband, who looked as bewildered as I felt.

Eleanor continued, “For years, there’s been a family tradition of revealing truths at significant milestones. And this is a milestone like no other.”

She paused for effect, then said something that took the breath out of the room. “Ivy, dear Ivy, is not just my granddaughter—she is a miracle that carries a legacy far older than any of us. She, my dear family, is the last heir to the family estate that has been in our line for generations.”

Gasps rippled through the gathering. I felt the room sway around me. What was she saying? I looked at Ivy, who was innocently watching the adults, oblivious to the bombshell just dropped.

Eleanor continued, her voice now tinged with pride. “Her lineage links directly back to our ancestors, who founded the very town we live in. For years, I’ve kept this a secret because I wanted to ensure the right time to reveal it—tonight, surrounded by family.”

I struggled to process her words, the implications spinning in my mind. Eleanor’s disdain for me, Ivy’s exclusion from the table—it all made a bizarre sort of sense now. She wasn’t rejecting Ivy; she was setting the stage for this dramatic revelation.

The room buzzed with whispers and shocked expressions. My husband grabbed my hand, squeezing it for reassurance. “Kate,” he whispered, eyes wide, “did you know?”

I shook my head, too stunned to speak.

Eleanor smiled, her eyes meeting mine. “I might not have liked you, Kate, but Ivy… she is the future of our family’s legacy. And tonight, we celebrate her as much as we do me.”

Ivy, noticing the shift in the room, giggled and waved her card. “Grandma,” she called, “look at my card!”

Eleanor beamed, her demeanor suddenly warm. “I would love to see it, darling.”

As Ivy ran over to Eleanor, the air felt lighter. The truth, though unexpected and shocking, brought a strange sense of relief. Eleanor’s revelation had changed everything.