Leaving For Good

Sienna

I straightened, clutching the documents to my chest like a shield. Maybe there was a time when I thought of this woman as a mother, or something close to that. But now, I knew that was never going to happen. 

As her son said, I was useless to this family. 

“I…I came to pick my things,” despite myself, I stuttered. “I’ll be gone in a few minutes.” 

“Your things,” Margaret laughed humorlessly. “When you came into this family, you brought nothing and you’ll leave with nothing. Don’t think you’ll be taking a anything from this house.”

“Mother,” Vanessa said softly, stepping forward. Her voice was gentle, almost apologetic but there was an amused look in her eyes. “Don’t be so harsh on the poor girl. Look, she’s already going through a lot. Drey divorced her and she has no family.”

I gritted my teeth, clutching the document tighter. Every part of me wanted to walk out on them. Wanted to say something as hurtful as the words they threw at me, but I couldn’t. My mouth wouldn’t move and my trembling legs didn’t ta any step. 

“Pathetic.” Margaret spat. “It’s a shame, really. Your family had such a promising future. It’s just too bad they died and left their empire in the hands of the likes of you.” Her gaze swept over me as a sneer appeared on her face. “Life is never kind to those who have nothing to offer.” 

I gulped. The words landed exactly where she intended then to. As a punch in my heart. My throat tightened and tears gathered in my eyes but I refused to let it fall.

“Thank you for taking me in, Mrs. Quinn. I guess this is where it ends. After now, you won’t have to look at me again. Or care about this pathetic little girl.”

Her lips widened with a smile. “Good. I’m glad you understand. Useless women like you can’t even make a fuss when their husbands start looking at other woman. Why? Because you have nothing to offer.”

She turned and began walking away. After all, a useless woman like me wasn’t worth her precious time and words. 

“Vanessa, darling. I’ll have the staffs know you’re moving in fully. There’s no need to live outside the mansion like some” she stopped and glanced at me. “ temporary arrangement.”

She walked out without another word, he heels clicking down tie hallway until the sound faded completely and it was left with just me and Vanessa, staring at the empty hallway. 

For a moment, neither of us spoke. I didn’t have anything to say, not with how bad I was hurting inside. But Vanessa seemed to have a lot to say to me. 

Her expression didn’t change much when she turned to look at me; it was still the soft, sympathetic look she put on in front of everyone. 

“I’m really sorry,” she said in her soft, sing-song voice. “About… Everything. I know this must be hard. Losing your husband to me and never managing to get your mother-in-law to love and accept you.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering if really she was this kind. Still, I couldn’t trust it, neither could I accept it. Even if I wanted to, I didn’t have time to chit-chat with her. 

“Thank you.” I said, reaching for my suitcase. “ But I need to leave. I hope this lasts for you.” Longer than it did for me, I wanted to add. I hope she didn’t become ‘useless’, because I was sure they’d waste no time to abandon her. Whether she was Drey’s fast love or not.

“Of course,”  she stepped back. “I just - I hope you find peace as well, Sienna. Wherever you end up.” She smiled wildly. “Even if it’s in the gutter.”

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‎I clenched my fist, almost punching myself in the face for believing she could be anything different. But I wasn’t going to give her the reaction she wanted so badly. 

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‎I gripped the handle of my suitcase and started walking, ignoring her completely. But Vanessa obviously wasn’t done. She grabbed my hand, pulling me back violently. 

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‎”You know,” she whispered maliciously directly into my ears. “I used to wonder what it would be like. Being you. Married to the man of my dreams for two years, sleeping beside him every night and still being so… Invisible.”

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‎My teeth clenched together as my pulse spiked. “What do you want, Vanessa?” 

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‎”I want to know,” she said, pressing her body so close to mine I felt the heat of the skin. “What he’ll do if he has to choose between the both of us.” Her breath fanned my ears, sending shivers down my spine. “What do you think? Who will he choose? Me or you?”

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‎I didn’t understand what she meant. I had no idea what she was talking about until her hands gripped my shoulders, her nails digging into my skin. 

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‎I grunted at the pain, reaching up to pull her off me but it was too late. I only realized what she meant when the ground disappeared from beneath me and I was hanging midair. 

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‎The world tilted and in a mere second, my body was falling fast. It was all a blur of marble, light and pain. I heard myself cry out, heard the wind whooshing in my ears as I landed hard on the hardwood floor and began tumbling down the long flight of stairs. 

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‎It was only seconds but it felt like hours. I hit the bottom of the stairs hard and pain exploded though my hip, my shoulder, my head, my stomach. Every part of it body felt as though it was on fire.

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‎For a minute, I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. I could only feel a deep, sickening ache low in my abdomen that began spreading slowly through me. 

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‎”Vanessa!” Drey’s voice thundered from somewhere. Soon, I heard the sound of his shoes thundering down the stairs filled my ears. I turned just in time to see Vanessa laying almost unconscious a few steps above me. 

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‎There was a small cut on her head, but other than that, she looked fine. She opened one eyes, gave a knowing look and a smile before pain filled her features. 

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‎I tried to pull myself up, but my arms wouldn’t cooperate. Did I break them? Everything felt muffled, distant and  unreachable. Even my eyes were becoming blurry. 

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‎”Oh my God Vanessa“ Drey’s voice cut through whatever was happening to me. He sounded closer now, much closer. 

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‎I looked down at my self. At the red that spread from my thighs, staining my dress and the ground beneath me. 

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‎No.

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‎No, no, no, no. 

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‎My hand moved to my stomach instinctively, pressing down as if I could hold everything together with just sheer will. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t lose this.

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‎”Drey!!” I screamed but my voice came out as barely a whisper. “Drey, please  help.” 

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‎”Jesus, Vanessa, are you okay? What happened?” his voice was frantic and there was a fear in them I’d never heard before. 

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‎”I don’t know what happened,” I heard Vanessa whisper, her voice trembling beautifully. “I was just trying to apologize to her  to make things right before she left and she just… She pushed me. I tried to grab the railing but“ a small sob broke from her throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to fall into her like that.”

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‎What? What was she saying? I wanted to scream, to defend myself against her lies but I could feel life ebbing away from me slowly. The blood hadn’t stopped flowing. 

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‎”Drey,” my voice came out as barely a whisper. I didn’t n kw if he heard me but I heard him. 

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‎I heard his footsteps as they moved down the remaining steps and crouched beside me too, but slower, hesitant. Like he wasn’t sure I deserved the same urgency. 

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‎”What is this?” his jaw tightened. “Payback? What did you do, Sienna? How could you do this to her?” 

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‎His question hit me harder than the fall did. 

‎But I reached for him anyway. “Please the baby,” I managed. “Drey the baby“ I’m going to lose it if you don’t hurry. But the rest of the words were swallowed by the darkness that pulled me in.