A knock was heard on her room door which made the old woman drop the book she was keeping herself busy with, and turned to face whoever it was that was intruding on her quiet moment.
Catleya.
"Hey mom"She called with a smile,carrying in a tray of fresh neatly shaped sliced fruits with a can of apple juice into her room, which made her roll her eyes when she understood what she was trying to do.
Catleya was proving to be stubborn,which was not going to help at all in this situation,but she decided to play along with whatever it is she thinks she's doing.
It seems her talk with Tiana didn't work out fine,which was the reason why she was trying to change her mind by being such a sweet,and caring daughter to her soon to be dying Mother.
She overheard her discussion with Tiana,when she had walked into her room yesterday night to request a message from her.
But it seems her talk with her didn't work out fine, for her to think of this tactics,very good Catleya!very good!
Interesting!
She could commend,this was really interesting, because not only did her granddaughter think that she was doing this to get at her,she was only digging her own grave.
Her decision was final,and the lawyer ,who had been working for the family for years, was not in any way going to be lenient to her if she didn't move along with the procedures.
So,she was only wasting precious time, which she should have chosen wisely if she wanted her inheritance.
Lady Cat knew that this was the only option,which she could use at the moment to stop her granddaughter from destroying herself,from a revenge which she thinks was the fault of her.
"How are you doing today?"Catleya asked,a smile on her face to camouflage the fact that her heart was beating wildly against her cloth covered body,while praying that she gets to talk some sense into her mother's brain without it leading to an argument between the both of them.
Her mother loves a challenge,and arguing was her favorite hobby,and Tiana was nothing, but the exact same replica of her,no pun intended.
She figured out that it was useless, trying to convince her mother in the presence of her brother,who she didn't understand his stand in this situation.
He was lost,which she didn't want to put much thought into, because he had always been such a mommy's boy right from the beginning.
"As you can see,I'm much better than i am yesterday Catleya"She replied curtly, taking off her glasses to place it back after she cleaned it."so, what's the reason for all these?"
"Mom seriously,can't a daughter spend some quality time with her mother?is that too hard to ask ChairLady Catrina Hamilton?"Catleya teased,acting cute which the both of them ended up smiling before she placed the tray in front of her.
"Here,arrh"She took a slice of apple with the fork to feed her mother,which she looked at Catleya,a question popping in her mind which she thought to ask if she had not put something in it.
Catleya can go extreme miles just like her to get things done her way,stubbornness was in their blood and her daughter and granddaughter had been the proof of that,Axel was the only obedient one.
"I can do that myself,thank you Catleya"She said with no sort of emotion on her face,which made Catleya's face flattened at her mother's attitude.
Was she some robot or what?
She wouldn't have died,or lost anything if she have opened her mouth and take a bit of the apple,rather she choosed to do the opposite.
"So,what exactly do you want to talk about?"She asked, breaking her daughter away from her thoughts.
"What?"
"Oh please!drop the act,I can't remember Catleya having the time for her mother when she would rather be busy, planning with Tiana on how to get me more worked up"She spat,taking an extra bite of the fruit to find something flash between Catleya's eyes.
Regret..
She was regretting doing all these, but who was kidding? Does she think she was such a fool not to notice what she was trying to do?
Besides,as they said the truth hurts when it's being told,she's the only one who's supported Tiana,she's the backbone of that ungrateful wench,but she will fix all that.
Time would tell soon,that she was all along only turning Tiana into something else,and also delaying her from taking up her responsibility as the future heiress of Hamilton Corp.
"To be honest mother,I see the reason why Tiana hates you,you are horrible"Catleya said,she couldn't believe that her mother could also think of her as a betrayal.
She was only fighting for peace,to unite this family and here she was, blaming her for being the sole supporter of her granddaughter's nasty attitude towards the family which had been all her fault.
"I should have said the feeling was mutual Catleya,but you are my daughter"She ignored the fact that Catleya was on the verge of losing control,but that's for the best.
Atleast,that would wake her up from dream she was having to think that there was ever going to be any slightest chance, that she was going to tolerate Tiana's behaviour,no!
She wouldn't give her sweat avid everything to some child who had refused to grow up,but rather was nothing but a torn in the flesh of the people who raised her.
"And Tiana's not?"Catleya asked,her voce was on the verge of breaking down in tears,which was not going to be a good idea, because her mother despises that.
To her,that was a sign of weakness,a Hamilton shouldn't shed a tear no matter what happens.
"What exactly went wrong between you,and her mother for you to be this cruel towards your own blood?why are so wicked?!"
'Thats enough Catleya! You should know who exactly it is you are talking to in that manner,have you lost it?"She thundered,dropping the fork in the tray in a frustrating manner.
Why was Catleya choosing to side with that wench over her own mother?
Wicked?
They were all misjudging everything she was doing, to be some sort of revenge on the girl because of her mother.
"You think I'm doing all these out of spite because she came from the womb of some beggar, Catleya, i raised you better to think of me that way,come on"She said, touching her temple,a slight migraine was forming.
All because of Tiana.
All she had ever done to her,was add more stress to her every single passing day,it was all Tiana this! Tiana that!
"And i regret every single day of my life , that you are my mother!"Catleya spat,hot tears were streaming down her face as the both shared contacts for some minutes of speechlessness over Catleya's words.
"Catl…"
"Everyday, i can't stop thinking that there's something wrong with me, for leaving the man i love for who you set me up with, because you always say you know what's best for u…"
"Catle…",and she was cut short again by angry Catleya,who stood up from where she sat to expose her mother's faults right in her face.
"No,let me speak,you denied Axel his happiness, likewise me,and now you are going to repeat the same mistake by forcing her to get married to …"
"Everything i did was only for your own good Catleya, I'm not the reason that Henry divorced you because of your childlessness"Lady Cat retorted back, amidst being at fault.
She was only trying not to lose her face in this argument,but it was made known to her that Catleya didn't make any mistake in what she was saying.
Every single thing was the truth,but she didn't want to admit that, Catleya was only blaming her for her failed marriage because it didn't work out well with her and Henry.
But Jason?
He was out of the conversation, because just like that gold digger ruined Axel's life,Jason was nothing but a mere florist,she couldn't stand and watch her only daughter build a family with that wretched cockroach.
"I didn't ask for any of that mother!"She reminded her,memories of her life with Jason flashed through her eyes.
"Yet,I saved you from years of abject poverty if you had married that idiot!You are nothing but a selfish and ungrateful wench Catleya"
"And for that,I pray you die before you force Tiana to repeat the …."Catleya's words were discontinued, when her face was turned to the sides.
What the…
"Get out!"Lady Cat yelled,black dots formed in her eyes,making her vision dizzy for stressing herself this much.
"I would leave, but know that mother you are the one who ruined this family's happiness,it's all because of you"Catleya said lastly and left, oblivious to the fact of what was happening to her mother.
Clutching her head from the pain that set in after Catleya left,her trembling hands pushed out the drawer and took out her drugs to sate the pain she was experiencing.
After some time she took her medication,relief set in once again,but that was just temporary relief, because not even drugs could heal the pain that was in heart after hearing what Catleya said.
Was it true?
Did she cause all of these?
She couldn't comprehend where exactly and how exactly she went wrong ,when all she ever did was make the right choice for her children, but in the end,their pay back was nothing but ungratefulness for all she did for them.
Looking at her door which was wide open after Catleya left in anger,she couldn't even close it out of gesture.
"Ungrateful bitch"Lady Cat whispered to herself,before she took out her phone to dial a number.
They could do whatever they want,and blame her for everything but that was not going to change she had her mind for Tiana.
Just like her daughter and son,Tiana would only get married to who she seems fit and capable to bear the title of being an in-law of the Hamilton's.
She didn't do anything wrong,she was only a mother who wants the best for her children, Nothing more, Nothing less.
"Greetings,My lady "The familiar voice greeted over the phone, and Lady Cat was not pleased with the slow progress she was making in doing as she was instructed.
"Move on to plan B!"she ordered, hitting her hands in the table before fisting it in anger while looking at the empty space
"As you wish my lady"
With that,she ended the call, Catleya's words still ringing like an alarm in her head,but no attempt of having a change of mind.
To hell with with their feelings and what they want,She won't let them bring disgrace to the family in the name of love.
She knows best, Cartrina Hamilton knows best.