7. Mother Dearest

Elizabeth

She arrived at White Manor and slipped off her platform heels, walking barefoot from the car hoping her mother would be asleep. Elizabeth knew that her mother would have heard about August’s engagement by now and she would be livid.

From the outside, her life seemed glamorous; the glitz, the glam, the fashion and the money. Her family, The Whites, being the second wealthiest family in Washington, second only to the Dereons. Her father had his fingers in many pies, some even speculating that he had ties to the Chicago mafia underbelly.

But her mother was the matriarch. Agnes White ran this family like her father, Robert, ran his company, no love lost to any mistake made and people cut when they were not deemed worthy. Elizabeth dreaded running into her mother right now. 

But alas, Agnes was waiting for her as she opened the door. Elizabeth blanched. “Mother-“

SMACK!

The sound of the slap resounded through the Manor. Elizabeth grabbed her cheek and looked at her mother in astonishment. Agnes had never laid her hands on her daughter before, and Elizabeth could not understand why. “What was that for, Mother?!” she screamed.

“For failing,” Agnes responded curtly, and turned around, striding away from her daughter with her chin jutted out. Elizabeth could not believe what she was hearing. She ran inside after her mother and pulled her back by her forearm. “Failing?! August Dereon is already engaged to be married in 6 months’ time. Your inside source had it all wrong! The Dereon’s and Grays will merge. How exactly did I fail?” Elizabeth exclaimed. 

Agnes looks at her daughter with disgust and responded, “It was up to you to get the Dereon’s on our side tonight, and you failed. No excuses, Elizabeth. You will make this up to us somehow, I don’t care if you have to sleep with August Dereon and be his mistress for our families to merge, but you WILL get us in with the Dereon’s if it is the last thing you do.”

Elizabeth could not believe her ears. She knew her mother thought little of her, but she did not know she thought of her as a lowly mistress! Not being able to bear this any longer, she straightened her back and looked at her mother defiantly.

“No. I will not.” she said and shook her head. Agnes's eyes widened at her daughter’s disrespect. “Excuse me?!” she asked in disbelief. No one has ever dared defy her and she would be damned if her daughter started now! She went in for another slap, but Elizabeth grabbed her wrist. “I am done with you from here on out, Mother. I am sick of you treating me like I am your property instead of your daughter. I will be packing my bags and leaving. You will never see me again after tonight and I wish you a good life. Goodbye.” She said, a weight lifting from her shoulders.

She stepped past her mother and headed for her room for what she assumed was the last time.. She had only stayed here out of convenience after graduating, but it was time for her to grow up and move on. White Manor would continue to be her tomb, wrapping her in her guilt until she decided to leave. 

Elizabeth could feel the anger coursing off Agnes as she walked past her. “If you leave now, don’t you dare return,” Agnes said. With a heavy heart and tears falling down her cheeks, Elizabeth kept walking.

Agnes 

Agnes snapped back from her anger and walked towards her husband’s study, knowing he would be sipping on his nightcap. She opened the door and spotted Robert in his armchair. and he looked up. “Dear, your daughter failed and refused to help us. Get all the projects Libellule has for the next 6 months and have them cancelled. Tout de suite.” Agnes said as she joined him in a whiskey. He sighed. “Agnes, we have spoken about this before. Elizabeth is your only daughter-”

“One I want nothing to do with from this day on. If Elizabeth would not help her family, her family would destroy her in return.” She interjected and took a sip of her nightcap. Robert shook his head. “If you want to do that, be my guest, but you will not drag me into your pettiness, Agnes. Elizabeth is my only heir and I will not have you ruin what she has tried so hard to build up. If you’ll excuse me.” Robert said gruffly and stood up, leaving her livid at the exchange. 

She could not believe the disrespect from both her husband and daughter this evening. “If you want something done properly, you have to do it yourself.” She murmured and pulled out her cell phone, dialling a number she had not used in years.