"What do i want from you?" She sneered at me.
"Yes Chloe! What do you want from me?" I repeated, colder than before.
"You think I want something from you." Chloe let out a demeaning chuckle. "Ahhh! You're such a silly fool to think you have anything to offer me."
"Everything you own is mine, Elizabeth. EVERYTHING." "I'm here to collect what's rightfully mine, starting from your seat right here." She stated, her hands resting on my chair, swirling me slowly.
"Chloe, we're sisters. We shouldn't be doing this." I sighed, trying to be rational. I didn't want to stoop to her level or compete with her.
"Sisters?" "Who? Me, you?" "You must be delusional to think I consider you my sister." "I can see this pregnancy is getting to your head."
"I can and will never be your sister, Elizabeth." "You're just an illegitimate child, who will suffer the consequences of her mother's actions."
"That's enough, Chloe," I roared angrily. I hated when my mother's name was mentioned in such manner. I hated being referred to as an illegitimate child. I hated the fact that it was the truth—a painful truth that taunted me, no matter how much I tried to hide it.
"Oh, dear sister." "I... are you offended by the truth?" I didn't mean to hurt you." She began shaking as if acting sorry, but it was all pretense.
"Sweetheart, your mother was a whore just like you." "Didn't you snatch Ethan from his fiancée with your act?" "You're just a homewrecker like your mom." She spat more hurtful words out.
My eyes were already reddened from her demeaning words. I was battling to keep the tears from running freely down my cheeks. I needed to be tough. I couldn't let Chloe see me break down. This was what she wanted, and I wouldn't let it happen.
"Chloe, my mother didn't do it." I said with a shaky voice, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
This conversation between Chloe and I was long overdue. I knew she resented my mother and me. I knew she was hurt from my dad's betrayal, and from losing her mom too. Chloe was way older than me, so she must have witnessed it. I knew how hard her childhood must have been.
"She didn't do it?" "Defending someone you never got to meet. How sweet!" Chloe scoffed. "Your mom poisoned mine! She led her to an early grave just to have Dad. You think she's some righteous superhero for choosing you over her during childbirth? You think you're deserving to be called a Douglas."
"Chloe, stop!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the large, empty room.
The sharpness of her words was cutting deep into my skin, my heart clenched in pain from everything she said. I knew I had listened to enough from Chloe for today, but I had to stand my ground. I couldn't let her defame my mother like that. It hurts already to not get to know my mother.
Chloe didn't need to rub it on my face. I didn't get to know her, but the servants around me had testified that she was a kindhearted person. There's no way someone with a kind heart could do such a cruel act, Chloe mentioned.
"Stop?" Chloe mocked. "Why? Can't handle the truth?" "Truth?" I spat back, my anger boiling over. "You don't know the truth! Do you think my mother wanted any of this? You think she had a choice?" Chloe's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, please. Spare me the sob story. She ruined everything. She ruined our perfect family."
"She didn't ruin anything." "You never had a perfect family," I said firmly, feeling a strength I didn't know I had.
"If your family was so perfect, Dad wouldn't have gone out to seek love." "Dad made his choices. He chose to be with her. And now, you're punishing me for his actions. For something that happened before I was even born."
Chloe stepped closer, her face inches from mine. "You think you're innocent? You're just like her. A homewrecker." I shook my head.
"No, Chloe. I'm not. And neither was she. You need to let go of this hatred. It's eating you alive."
Chloe's face twisted with rage. "You don't get to tell me what to do. You're nothing. An unwanted child, a reminder of his betrayal. You don't deserve anything." She yelled angrily, her hands immediately began digging deep into my hair. I struggled to pull her away, not wanting to hurt her in the process.
"Chloe, you need to let go. You don't deserve to live with this bitterness. It's not too late to change." I said, panting, still pulling my hair from the clenches of her hand.
"What's going on here?" Grandma's crackly voice pierced through the walls of chaos as she walked in, draped in her blue flowery skirt.
Chloe's demeanor changed in an instant. She crumpled, with sudden tears welling up in her eyes, and she dropped to her knees. Her voice trembled as she began her performance, the sudden shift catching me off guard.
"Grandma, I just came to congratulate Elizabeth," Chloe sobbed, clutching the edge of my chair like a lifeline. "But she attacked me out of nowhere. She began spilling a lot of horrible things about Mom and even insulted our family." Chloe's sob grew louder as she spoke.
My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at her, my mouth opening and closing without a sound. I was too stunned to speak. My eyes blinked as fast as they could, thinking this was just a dream. Chloe's accusations had rendered me speechless.
"Elizabeth, how could you?" Grandma's voice was cold, like ice cutting through the warmth of the room. She turned her gaze to me, disappointment and anger engaved in her wrinkled features. Of course, she was going to side with her favorite granddaughter. As far as Grandma was concerned, I am the black sheep of the family, and Chloe is the angel who could do no wrong.
"How dare you speak ill of this family?" "Have you forgotten your place so quickly?" Grandma's voice echoed loudly across the room.
"No, Grandma, it's not true!" I finally found my voice—shaky and desperate. "I didn't say any of those things! Chloe's lying!"
"I see you have grown wings. You now talk back at Elders." Grandma said, looking at me disgustingly as she picked up Chloe, who was still performing an act on the floor.
Grandma," Chloe whimpered, clutching her chest as if the pain was too much to bear. "I swear, I only wanted to make peace. I was ready to forgive her for everything. I just wanted to be a good sister and make our family whole again."
"Grandma, please, you have to believe me," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "Chloe twisted everything. She's lying to you." I knew Madame Rosette wouldn't believe me, but I didn't want to stand there without putting up a fight, at least. I have been tired of letting Chloe get away with her acts ever since childhood.
"Enough!" Grandma's voice thundered through the room. The next moment, her hand met my cheek with a resounding slap. The shock of it stunned me more than the pain, which spread like wildfire across my face. Tears filled my eyes, not from the physical pain but from the betrayal. I held my cheek, feeling the heat of the slap sear into my skin.
"How could you, Elizabeth?" Grandma's voice was a low growl, full of anguish. "Accuse your sister of lying against a low life like you." "After everything we've done for you, you repay us with such disrespect?" She added coldly.
Chloe's sobs grew louder, filling the room with a pitiful wail. She was a master of manipulation; her tears like a river, washing away any trace of her earlier cruelty. She clung to Grandma's skirt, looking up at her with wide, innocent eyes. "I'm sorry, Grandma. I shouldn't have come," Chloe said between sobs, her voice trembling with fake humility. "I just wanted to be a family again. I didn't mean to cause trouble.
"You're not the one causing trouble, Chloe," Grandma said softly, patting her head like she was a wounded child.
"Elizabeth is the one who needs to learn some respect." I felt like I was drowning, suffocating under the weight of Chloe's deceit. The room spun around me, and I struggled to breathe. The air in the room was thick from the tension.
"Please, Grandma," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Just listen to me."
"kneel," Grandma commanded of me.
"If you want me to forgive you, kneel before your sister and apologize."