Her palms were sweating, her heart pounding and racing more than a race car, her throat dry like a dessert. what now Em? Her inner goddess asked concerned.
" Mother i— " she purses her lips in a thin line, biting her lower lip, rubbing her hands together feeling ashamed of herself. Tears were threatening to come out of her gray eyes, no matter how hard she tried holding them back, they just couldn't be held. Lisa rested her hand on top of Emma's, as Emma lifts her head up to look at Lisa, her gray moonlight eyes widened with her tears sparkling when Lisa gave her the most beautiful warm and cozy smile ever. Her heartbeat slowly calmed itself, and her sweaty palms dried up.
" It's okay, everyone makes mistakes we just have to own up to them. I'm not blaming you dear."
" I'm sorry I—i should have known better, I should hav— "
" Shh... enough blaming yourself, it already happened and crying and blaming won't change anything. Does he know? Your child's father I mean."
She shook her head wiping the tears from her face. " No, I haven't told him... I'm yet to make a decision."
" Whether to keep it or terminate it?." Lisa asked with a serious face. Emma nods hesitantly.
" Oh I have something of you, hold on... Mary! bring it here." She called out to one of the servants. With her she held out a red designer invitation card. " Apparently this invitation card was sent to my house instead of yours, probably mistaken the addresses. It came along with this white gift box." Lisa motions for Mary to hand over the gift box and card. Emma read through and her smile quicks up to her face.
" It's an invitation from Gabriel."
" Oh, he's having a grand opening for his collection tonight right?."
" Yes, won't you and father be joining us?."
" No dear, I have to look after your father in-law.... but do enjoy your night tonight."
….
Trixie clutched the pregnancy test in her hand almost crashing it, as tears formed in the corners of her brown eyes. How could this have happened while taking birth control pills? I did everything possible not to get pregnant, so how? Her subconscious questioned in a scolding manner. She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Thoughts running wild, mind in total chaos while trying to figure out how she'll handle this situation.
" Trixie honey" Trixie threw the pregnancy test in one of the small drawers before quickly turning to her mother.
" what are you doing in my room… without knocking?."
" you didn't come down for breakfast and Lucas said you're not feeling well so I came to check on you."
" and I'm pretty sure he said not to disturb me."
" you're my daughter of course I would be worried."
" can you stop!" She yelled frustrated. Angry. Annoyed. And sad. " you've never been there for me so why act like it now? All that time I thought dad was wrong for hitting you and abusing you, I actually thought he was the bad guy but you! You mom are the worse. You had a kid behind dad's back, and when he found out he changed and I don't blame him. Infidelity can't be forgiven. You left me to raise the child you had with another man, and you come back after all these years with your so called happy family, to do what? Reconcile? You're pathetic… everything about you is."
With a mocking scoff Trixie grabs her phone and car keys. Living the room with matching sweats and sneakers. Her ponytail bounced back and forth as she ran down the staircase.
" Em."
" Trix? why are you crying?."
She could hear her silent cry over the phone and knew something was wrong.
" let's meet at our usual spot." Emma drove away from Quinn Mansion. She drove for half an hour to the City and stopped in front of a coffee shop just downtown. It's their favorite spot since high school. Trixie had already arrived and stood to hug Emma as soon as she saw her.
" hey, I'm here now."
Emma patts her head. They sat down as the waitress walked up to their table to take their order.
" Good afternoon ladies, may I take your orders?." She smiles sweetly with her soft tender tone.
" I will have a hot coco."
" I will have the same."
She writes down their orders and turns to leave.
" tell me what happened? Did you argue with your mom again?." Emma tilts her head.
" she's too involved in my business, she wants to know every little thing I'm doing and I can't take it."
" maybe she just wants to spend time with you and get to know you better."
" I mean why now? She abandoned me. And do you know she had my so called half sister when she was still married to my Dad?. I now understand why the beatings and abuse, he was suffering from the betrayal she caused him. And I had to suffer for it."
Tears threatened to burst out. She was hurting and suffering from the pain her mother caused her since childhood. Emma was the only person who understood her, who was there for her when she had no one to turn to. She protected her and comforted her in her dark era.
Emma stood from her seat to embrace Trixie in a warm comforting hug, as though wanting to take some of her pain for herself.
" I don't like seeing you like this. I don't like seeing you hurting, it hurts me too on the extent of burning to ashes… always remember I'm here for you, for anything you might need. Trix, don't hesitate."
Not holding back anymore, she burst into tears hugging Emma tightly and crying on her shoulder, they weren't tears of sadness or despair, but gratitude and joy for having a friend like her. " no more crying now, I want to see you smile so smile for me."
" I love you so much." Trixie wipes her tears with a smile.
" and I love you."
Their order came and as soon as they both took their first taste all their worries vanished. They moved to discuss about tonight's gala. The atmosphere was now all laughs and jokes.
" I will see you tonight."
" drive safely." Emma hugged Trixie goodbye as she gets into her own car, both driving in different directions.
Emma didn't drive back home, instead she drove half an hour to Main Street, driving her car to the down garage of the building. Z.N. GROUP.
She takes the elevator up into the main building. As the elevator doors open, making her way into the main hall "Lobby" where everyone greets her warmly with respect.
" Good afternoon Mrs Quinn" the receptionist smiled with a nod.
" Rose" Emma responds getting into the second elevator all the way up to the 20th floor.
" Mrs Quinn." The four blonde generously smiled giving a slight nod.
" Ladies." She responds walking her high heels towards Alec's office. She pulls the smooth wooden door open, her eyebrow raised seeing a unfamiliar blonde girl leaning so close to Alec that her boobs were all up in his face, her skirt surpassing her knees and hair untied, wearing red lipstick and looking like a hot mess whore.
Alec stared up from the papers Lydia was showing him and sees Emma staring back at him, she wasn't glaring or shooting daggers with her eyes at him. Instead she kept calm and collected, he couldn't figure out what she was thinking at that moment.
" Mrs Quinn," the woman stood upright with a gentle smile, approaching Emma and suddenly taking her hand to shake it. " it's such a huge honor to meet you in person, I'm such a huge fan of yours."
" is that so." Emma responds nonchalant.
" yes."
Alec stood walking in front of his desk leaning on it, introducing the young lady.
" this is Lydia, she's Peter's younger sister and she recently started working for me as my personal assistant. You remember Peter right?."
" of course, it's hard to forget someone who's so hard working and truthful to their work. And what happened to Peter?."
" he's been having some difficulties with his wife so he left to make things right with her, he appointed me instead to help Mr Quinn. More like I begged him to be his replacement to talk to Mr Quinn." Lydia explained.
" I see. And how old are you, Lydia?."
" 22 ma'am."
" quite young, what about school?."
" I'm in college, online classes. So I can work and study at the same time."
" I see. Well Lydia, I understand you're young and want to be a young independent woman, but we have rules here that needs to be followed strictly."
" uhm…
" pretty sure you've met the other women here in the receptionist section, and others that report and take notes of visitors and clients among other things."
" yes Ms, I have."
" most of them are blondes like you, they dress as expected of them, they don't leave two of their shirt buttons open to flout their boobs, nor do they wear short skirts that reaches their thighs, it's always knee length. They don't wear bright red lipstick, it's always a perfect dark melon color. And their hair is always tied up into a perfect bun. Is that clear?."
Emma's voice was firm and clear, in command and control. It made the girl's body flinch and tremble in her voice.
" y—yes, Mrs Quinn."
She presses a small button on Alec's desk and within a second a tall blonde woman walks into the office, wearing a long gray office pants , a perfectly ironed white long sleeve tucked in, black pointed high heels and hair tied up. Perfectly dressed. She is the head leader of the rest of the ladies working on this floor hence her smart long pants. The rest of the ladies wear skirts, nevertheless it's still white and gray color.
" give her a proper dressing and explain the dos and don'ts."
" yes, come along." The woman takes the girl with her.
When they left, Emma turned to glare at Alec with a displeased stain look.
"there's that look." Alec sighs helplessly staring back.