After the embarrassing dinner, Claudia and Elisa had retreated to their rooms where the elderly woman scolded her daughter. She didn't know what to do with her daughter. Fighting for a man way beneath her...
The Hamiltons are going Bankrupt, they're useless to the Blackwoods. Alanis should be begging to be married to Claudia and not the other way around.
"What did you say such Claudia, I've warned you to watch your words especially when we have guests." Elisa began pacing around the room, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor, while Claudia sat on the bed still angry about the embarrassment she caused herself.
To her, she would never take accountability for it, she'd rather blame Harlow for everything that happened tonight. She would get her one way or another.
"Harlow won against us tonight Claudia. We need to do something about that girl, and also about Frank." Elisa continued. She had thought about dealing with the father and daughter for the longest. It was time she implemented her plans, but her plans for Frank could not work if Harlow was still living in the mansion.
"Mother please help me. I... I love Alanis so much and I know deep down, he loves me too." Claudia held her mother's arm as she cried. Elisa felt pity for her daughter, she hated seeing her this way.
"Harlow, I had no idea she would try to take Alanis away from me. Only God knows what she's done to him." She continued panting as she cried too.
"I must marry him, mother. I—I can't live without him, Mother. If I lose him to that—that girl..." Her voice broke, and a dangerous thought slipped out. "I might as well—"
"Enough!" Elisa snapped her voice like a whip. "Do not speak such nonsense. You think so little of your life that you'd throw it away for a man?"
"You should be ready to kill me too Claudia. Do you know the repercussions of suicide?"
Claudia recoiled but nodded silently.
"I'm sorry Mother, but that's how much I'm willing to go for Alanis. We must not let Harlow get back with him, call Aunt Garth so that we can plan the marriage." Claudia begged holding her mother's hands. She would do anything to make sure Alanis and Harlow never be together. If she cannot have him, neither can her sister.
"You should never think of such ever Claudia. I will never forgive you if you try to commit suicide. Is that clear?" Claudia nodded at her mother's words.
"Now wipe those tears. No daughter of mine should not be seen crying because of that girl. She's nothing but a toy in our lives, and when we're done with her, we'll toss her like the garbage she is." Claudia nodded.
"Alanis will marry you whether he likes it or not. Garth had made him marry Harlow, she could talk more sense into him again. But you need to have a private conversation with him, Claudia.
"Maybe he still resents you because of your past quarrels and he's only using that silly girl to get you angry." Claudia's face lit up, her mother was right. She needs to talk to Alanis, to find out the reason he has been so cold to her.
She would explain why she dumped him before and treated him like trash. And then she'd apologize.
Maybe they could settle their differences.
"Thanks, Mum, you're the best." Claudia beamed and laid back on her bed. After the mentally deranged day, she needed her beauty sleep. Once Elisa was sure she had put her daughter to sleep, she stepped out of the room.
.
Before the front door of the huge mansion were Alanis, Harlow, and Grandma Hamilton who had not stopped clinging unto Claudia's arms like they were a newly married couple.
"Thank you for taking care of grandma," Alanis said.
"It's nothing, Grandma is special to me. She's always welcome." Harlow said. She turned to the old woman by her side, "Grandma it's time to leave, make sure you have a good rest."
But the old woman was as stubborn as ever. "Let go of me, Alanis," she snapped, swatting his hand with her cane. "I'm staying the night with my granddaughter-in-law. You can leave."
Alanis sighed, while Harlow tried to hide her surprise. "Grandma," he said gently, "it's really not necessary—"
"Enough, I'll call you or Marcus when I need you." She waved her hands at him. Alanis sighed, and so did Harlow. Grandma Hamilton is an impossible woman.
"Please let her spend the night, I'll be back first thing in the morning to take her home." He pleaded and Harlow nodded. She was no longer related to the family and Alanis knew his grandmother was only invading her space.
Yes, he wanted to get her back, but this was not the way.
It's alright Mr Hamilton." Harlow agreed."Grandma, let's go inside." Harlow started leading the woman back into the mansion. They used the elevator since the old woman didn't seem like she could climb the stairs.
"You know grand granddaughter, I have my birthday coming up next week, I'm inviting you, especially to the party." Grandma Hamilton said as they walked through the corridor.
"Grandma, your birthday is not next week, your birthday is in two weeks." Harlow smiled.
"Oh yes, that's true, I must have mixed it up with Alex's birthday." Harlow froze instantly.
What did she just hear now? Alex?
Did Grandma rebirth too?
How did she know Alex when he wasn't even born?
He's not even supposed to be born, because she would never allow it. In her past life, she wasn't able to protect her children like every other mother, so in this life, she would never have children.
"What is it Granddaughter, is something wrong?" The old woman asked and Harlow shook her head. Maybe she didn't hear correctly, maybe it's one of her dementia fazes.
"Who's Alex?" Harlow asked pretending like she had no idea what the woman was talking about.
"My grandson." The old woman said with a big smile and Harlow froze again. Grandma Hamilton was really from her past life, she was the same old woman from her past life, but what really happened to her?
How did she end up here?
Did she die too?
How does this reincarnation thing work?
Is everybody here now a part of her past life too?
Harlow had so many questions to ask. How was this even possible?