Living under someone's shadow

Previously

…As Arthur spoke of guest lists and menus, Eleanor’s gaze drifted to the window. The moon hung high in the inky sky, a silent witness. And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, Eleanor Vance saw not just a reflection of Arthur’s world, but the faint, flickering outline of her own. The gilded cage, though still intact, suddenly felt a little less secure, its bars no longer an insurmountable barrier, but a challenge waiting to be overcome. The journey, she knew, would be fraught with fear, but for the first time, the prospect of stepping out of the shadow no longer felt like an impossibility, but a necessity. The first tentative step, she realized, had already been taken.