"no! no! no! please don't do this."
"I'll give you anything else, I'll do whatever you want…I'm begging you don't do this…..aaaahhh!!!"
"Miss Scarlett?" Orla's voice brought Scarlett back to the virtual meeting.
"Yes? Contract renewal with the model from BG Agency, I heard you." Scarlett recounted. "I'll look into it."
She had been trapped in her nightmare since she woke up that morning. Her mind had been thrown into an inexplicable state of commotion and insecurity.
Fear lurched itself ever so closely to her heart, that the past would repeat itself in the worst possible way.
Indeed, getting over childhood trauma is no easy job.
Not to mention the fact that she had stubbornly rejected the idea of seeing a therapist. At this point, even her back to back schedule couldn't pull her out of this hopeless abyss of hellish nightmares.
"Alright, now that we have finalized our designs for this spring season, contact the fabric manufacturers and let them know what materials are needed." Scarlett instructed.
"Understood, Miss." Orla spoke up for the design team. "I'll follow up on this and send the feedback to your email." She finished.
Scarlett nodded and exited the meeting, heaving a long sigh. She glanced at the clock. It was 08:00 am.
She stood up, stretching and walking towards the window.
It was sunny. The sun shone gently into her room. She closed her eyes, breathing in and out repeatedly…..like she was trying to calm herself.
The spring fashion season was near, and this year's preparation was quite stressful. The constant pressure to make her grandfather proud, to retain her spot at the top, to give her mother a peaceful and be reunited with her brother as they were as young kids.....
Her desperacy to get revenge on her father had become her daily mantra, sucking her dry of every bit of emotion that remained in her. At every and any cost, she must satisfy her panging thirst for his loud cries and screams when he goes through treacherous and agonizing pain, that would be inflicted on him once he falls into her trap.
Her jaws and fists were clenched together. Her eyes were still closed as she imagined and ruminated over her plans. Sweat dripped from her forehead even in the air conditioned room.
Her mind was already beyond her control. It was at the mercy of fear, revenge, bitterness and anguish.....
'ring ring ring' Scarlett's phone rang, snapping her out of her thoughts. She straightened up herself, walking back to her bed slowly to pick up her phone.
"Hello mom. Good morning. How was your night?" Scarlett said all at once.
"Good morning my dear. My night was good." Tracy answered. "How was yours?"
"It was just okay, mom." Scarlett smiled. Hearing her mother's immediately put her troubled heart at ease.
"Well..you got back to your hotel late last night, isn't it? You made me and your brother so worried, we thought something bad had happened to you."
"You know you can tell me anything and everything. Now were where you last night?" Tracy inquired firmly but lovingly.
Scarlett was as quiet as a thief breaking into its victim's house. She didn't even know how she got back to her Hotel room.
The last thing she remembered was...…..
"Baby girl, I have to use the bathroom. Wanna come along? Luna asked Scarlett, who was already so drunk.
"Noo. I'd rather dance here on my own than go to the poop house." Scarlett replied, laughing and pushing Luna away.
20 minutes had passed and Luna hadn't returned. Scarlett walked back to the bar stand to get a drink and fell asleep on the counter.
Antonio, Scarlett's bodyguard, who had been watching the two girls like a mother Eagle, went up to the counter. He pad for the drinks they had and carried Scarlett into the car and back to the Hotel.
The other guards followed suit and drove right behind them…..
Scarlett realized her mistake and felt sorry for her actions. "I'm sorry mom. I just wanted to catch up with an old friend and lost track of time." She apologized whole heartedly.
Tracy sighed. "It's alright my dear. Just remember that you're a lady. No matter how security you have, you still need to take care of yourself." Tracy spoke softly.
"Yes mom. I won't forget this." Scarlett beamed.
"Mom?" She called out.
"Hmm? I'm listening." Tracy replied her
"I would be going back to Milan tomorrow morning. I have to be there to oversee the preparations for the upcoming fashion show." She said. "So I was wondering if you and big bro could see me off at the airport. I would totally understand if you can't make it but….."
"No buts Letty." Tracy cut her off. "We are family. Why won't we leave everything to see you off. What time is your flight?" Tracy asked her.
"It's by 10:00am." Scarlett answered. "Thank you mom." She sniffed.
"No thanks. Family never says thank you." Tracy comforted her daughter.
"I'll get going now. Rowan would have talked to you but he went for some kind of training. I'll let him know we're seeing you off tomorrow. Take care."
"Okay. Byee." Scarlett waved even though her mom wasn't right there before her.
Even though Scarlett's name was as popular as common salt, she really couldn't do without her mother and brother. They were her backbone, the only ones she could fall back on when she encountered difficulties.
She might seem so unapproachable in real life, but deep down she had the kindest heart that ever existed.
If only she hadn't been bruised repeatedly...….
"Who was that on the phone?" Bryan suddenly asked from Tracy's back. He had been listening to her conversation.
He knew it wasn't right, but he couldn't help but want to know why his wife would sneak out of their bedroom to make a phone call. He had a hunch she was going to call Scarlett. He wanted to hear what they were going to talk about.
His guilty conscience made him believe they would badmouth him and make a fool of him. He had expected them to talk about how much they hate him and how they regret his presence in their lives.
He would have appreciated it if they expressed their spite towards him, but no. They were just relating like nothing happened yesterday.
"It's none of your concern." Tracy stated matter-of-factly. She had expected him to eavesdrop on her conversation….like he always did.
He was always monitoring her movements like she was going to plan something atrocious against him.
She walked past him like he didn't exist, towards the kitchen. She needed a cool glass of lemonade to calm herself down.
Bryan started to get agitated. His own wife had disrespect him right under his nose…right to his face.
'What sort of arrogance was that?' he thought to himself.
"Get back here! I'm not done talking to you. How dare you walk out on me?" He barked ferociously. "Do I still mean anything to you?"
Tracy paused in her steps and turned around to face him. She looked straight into his eyes very clearly and steady. "I guess I'm the one that means nothing to you. How dare you yell at me like a diseased animal?! I am nit some worthless creature you can speak to as you please.
I am a human being. A woman worthy of the most respect there is in this world. I am not your employee.
I am your wife. Mrs Tracy Chevalier, the most precious daughter of Russell Romano. Even if you do not regard me as your wife, I am the daughter of a powerful business mogul, and I myself hold a lot of power and prestige in society.
Don't you ever question me ever again!" She thundered and stormed off to the kitchen.
Bryan was surprised and infact, dumbfounded at her sudden outburst. She had never spoken to him in such an outrageous manner since they were married. 'This is definitely not the woman I married.' He thought to himself.
'The woman I married is calm, humble, reserved and doesn't object anything I say. But this…this Tracy is different. Like something has been triggered in her head.'
He couldn't believe his eyes and ears.
His wife walked out on him just like that?!
Tracy walked into the kitchen, fuming with rage. Her fists were clenched so tight, her hands were already as red as blood.
Since yesterday Scarlett came back home, she finally felt accomplished as a mother.
She would not allow anyone separate her and her daughter again.
The joy that came with a mother seeing her two children around her, laughing and creating hearty moments to remember, was something she would never trade for even the highest amount of shares in this world.
She was ready to fight for her freedom.
She was done being controlled like a toothless dog by Bryan.
This time, she was going back to business, back to being the best mother for her children.