Chapter 3: No Turning Back     

Violet stood in the hallway of the hospital, still raw from her encounter with Clyde's father, Richard. She had barely managed to process the weight of what she had agreed to when a loud, haughty voice echoed down the corridor, pulling her back to the present.

"Well, well, well, isn't this a surprise," the voice was sharp, full of disdain.

Violet turned around in time to see two women headed toward them. One was older, in a cut-to-fit suit that screamed money, her chin held high as if she smelled something rancid on the soles of people's shoes. The other one was much younger, almost a carbon copy of the older woman in a designer suit with an icy expression to boot.

Clyde straightened up beside her. "Sharon," he said in a low mutter, not concealing his annoyance. "Eva."

Violet said nothing. She didn't have any idea who these women were, though by the look on Clyde's face, it wasn't going to be a pleasant meeting.

She came to a stop in front of Clyde, where the older woman Sharon glared at him with her glass-cutting eyes. "Where did you get this sister of yours?" she snapped, dripping sarcasm with every word escaping her lips. "Or did you just pluck her off the streets to make your dying father happy? Desperate, desperate.

The hostility that was laced in Sharon's voice cut through the air and took Violet aback, but she didn't back down. She was used to people looking down her nose, judging her because of where she came from, for being a "nobody." She had been through worse than this.

"I knew you'd pull a stunt like this, Clyde," Sharon huffed on, crossing her arms over her chest. "You want the lion's share of the family inheritance. That's why you have magically found your 'sister' now, of all times. You really think this little performance is going to get you more of the estate? That's not going to happen."

Violet looked to Clyde, not uttering a word; his face was impassive, neutered. He squeezed her arm reassuringly, or for reassurance, that everything was under control.

Clyde finally spoke; his tone was even, though an edge was carried deep. "Sharon, Eva, this is Violet," he said, nodding in her direction. "I apologize for their rudeness, Violet. This is my stepmother, Sharon, and her daughter, Eva."

Violet nodded slightly, unsure how to respond to the venomous stares being shot her way.

Eva-younger-wasn't holding back sneers; her eyes raked Violet as if she was something they picked off their shoe. "Where did you even find this girl?" Eva's voice was high-pitched, mocking. "She looks "nothing” like your mother."

The slur had no more left Violet's lips than Clyde was firing back; his eyes flashing almost menacingly. "How would you even know what my mother looked like?" he asked in a low, dangerous tone. "You never knew her."

Eva let out a strident, derisive laugh. "Yeah, because she's dead, idiot," she flung back, rolling her eyes as if stating an already obvious fact of the world.

The tension was palpable, thick enough to be cut with a knife. In her chest, Violet felt a surge of anger rise. She was used to insults thrown at her; big deal. But the way Sharon and Eva disrespected Clyde by using his dead mother as a weapon set her blood boiling. But she kept quiet, unsure of her place within this dysfunctional family dynamic.

Sharon obviously enjoyed the tension as she stepped closer to Violet, narrowing her eyes as she sized her up. "You must be feeling pretty lucky, huh?" she said with a cold smirk. "Getting to play the long-lost sister. But don't think for a second that you're going to benefit from this little charade. Clyde may be desperate enough to stoop this low, but I won't let you or him get a cent more than you deserve."

Violet fisted her hands, willing herself to remain calm, but it was taking everything in her not to snap back. Who was this woman to speak to her like this? 

But before she could say a word, Clyde stepped between them, his voice colder than she'd ever heard it. "That's enough, Sharon," he said, deadly serious. "You and Eva can leave now."

Sharon's eyes widened a bit, apparently not having anticipated that Clyde would stand his ground quite so frankly. Eva merely snorted in laughter.

"Leave? Oh, Clyde, you're in no position to give any orders," Sharon said, her voice full of sarcasm. "But fine, we'll go. Just know this isn't over. You really think this little sideshow you're running is going to help you curry favor with Father, but the board will see right through it. The inheritance is a “business” decision, not an emotional one. You won't get any more than your fair share, no matter how many 'lost sisters' you find.

With that, Sharon spun on her heel, turning in the opposite direction, her expensive heels clicking sharply against the polished hospital floor. Eva shot one last glare at Violet before following her mother down the hall, laughing.

The tension in the air lingered long after they had disappeared from view.

Violet finally exhaled, as if she had been holding her breath the entire time. She looked up at Clyde and saw him still tense- his jaw clenched; his eyes hard.

"Are they always like that?" Violet asked softly, breaking the silence.

Clyde exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Pretty much," he muttered. "Sharon's been like this ever since she married my father. Eva's just as bad. They're obsessed with the estate, the family wealth. They don't care about anything else."

Violet nodded, at a loss for words. She couldn't imagine growing up with people like that-people who cared more about money than their own family.

I'm so sorry you had to put up with them," Clyde said, much softer now, almost apologetic. "I didn't expect them to show up today."

"It's fine," Violet replied, though she wasn't so sure it was. She'd felt like she'd been tossed into a lion's den, and the more she learned about Clyde's family, the more treacherous it seemed.

Clyde glanced down the hall to make sure Sharon and Eva were out of sight before turning back to her. "We should go," he said. "Father will be resting for a while, and I don't want to run into them again today." 

Violet nodded, glad for an excuse to leave the uncomfortable tension behind.

Clyde turned and walked silently back through the hospital, his mind obviously a thousand miles away. Violet couldn't help but speculate on his thoughts: Was he regretting bringing her into this mess? Did he doubt she could pull this charade off?

Finally, as they reached the parking lot, Clyde spoke up. "Don't mind them, girl." His voice was low but firm. "Sharon and Eva-they're just vultures. They're going to try and scare you, but they don't do a thing except run their mouths. Long as we keep doing this, they can't touch us."

Violet nodded even though her nerves weren't quite so still now. "I'll do my best," she said, with more firmness than she was feeling.

Clyde opened the car door for her. His expression softened, and he gave her a small, reassuring smile. "You're doing great, Violet," he said. "Better than I expected."

Violet raised an eyebrow. "That's the second time you've said that."

Clyde chuckled and shook his head, starting the car. "Maybe I'm just surprised by how well you're handling all of this.

Violet said nothing, but within her mind, a whole different story was playing. Coping? She wasn't really coping with anything. It was all spiraling out of control, and she had no idea how much longer she'd be able to pretend that everything was all right.