The Other Side (2)
941 Words
Chapter 5: The Other Side (2)
***
Caroline is tall, beautiful, rich, intelligent and kind. She’s the definition of an ideal woman.
So sometimes as I look at her I can’t help but stare… I am totally captivated by her…
Legally speaking… we’re married and registered as a family. So I changed my name to Lillian Williams… I still feel so strange by saying it to others.
Somehow it feels like we really are a married couple. But at the same time there is this painful distance between us.
Caroline never talks too much about herself or her work. She’s always more worried about what Emily and I have been doing all day… It sort of feels strange…
I can’t help but wonder if I’m not being a burden to her. All I ever do is stay at home and take care of Emily. I clean and cook sometimes but Caroline has a housekeeper that does that instead…
While I… don’t really do much, yet I receive so much from her.
This feels very one sided…
This entire relationship all began several months ago… There was a battle for succession of the William’s name and wealth. At the time the head of the family was Aaron Williams, but he stepped down after a scandal that cost him his company.
The battle for succession was between his three children: Haley, James and Caroline. However out of them Haley was the youngest and not yet at an age eligible for the succession, she was 17 at the time.
So it all fell into the two eldest’s hands. From what I heard Caroline was the clear winner from the start. She was the only one with a clean slate and the person that could be relied on most. The only thing that was against her was the fact that she wasn’t married and had no offspring.
James on the other hand had recently married his wife Katherine. And was supposed to have a child soon after. However it turned out his wife wasn’t capable of having children so he resorted to me…
At the time I really thought James loved me and wanted to be with me. But I was wrong, all he wanted was someone to carry his blood. He got what he deserved soon after. All of James’s lies and trickery had been revealed for the whole world to see and he was arrested.
And now my four year old daughter Emily is carrying that man’s blood in her veins. After I got married to Caroline I was so confused about the entire ordeal.
I didn’t understand this strange family and what their aim was… but all I really knew at the time was that I needed to take care of my child. That was all that mattered to me… that’s also what brought us here at this moment…
As Lillian cooked the food, she couldn’t help but glance from time to time to see the two playing.
“Haha… Weren’t you sleepy several moments ago?” Caroline asked in a gentle voice as she play fought with the child.
“I was! But now I awake!” Emily said in a cheerful voice as she giggled and jumped around the woman.
“Emily, don’t be rough.” Lillian said to her child from the kitchen.
“I know mommy!” Emily replied quickly and continued playing.
***
After forty minutes or so the food was ready and served. ‘I hope she’ll like this…’ Lillian thought to herself and then called the two.
“Wow mommy made a lot of food today!” Emily exclaimed, she had the brightest of smiles on her face.
“Did you wash your hands?” Lillian asked the child.
“Um..” Emily quickly realized she hadn’t and went to wash them.
“Seems like you really outdid yourself.” Caroline said as she moved closer to the woman.
“I… just wanted to repay you for what you did today… I feel so bad for the money you spend on me.” Lillian continued to apologize even though the other woman made it clear that it wasn’t necessarily. “If there is anything else I can do, I’ll happily-” Her words were cut off by the other’s sudden action. Caroline kissed her on the cheek and it was enough to make the other hold her breath.
“I told you not to worry about it, to me money is a means to an end.” Caroline said as she stepped back after kissing the woman. “I forgot to wash my hands, I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Ah… sure…” Lillian was still confused, this happened every once and a while. ‘I wonder if it’s tradition to kiss in their family…’ She wondered to herself, no matter how many times this happened she still wouldn’t be able to get used to it.
“Done mommy! Look!” Emily said as she entered the living room again and showed her wet hands to her mother. “Hm? Are you sick mommy? You’re face is all red…” The child said in a worried voice as she looked at her.
Lillian’s entire face was flushed red and she hadn’t even realized it before her child pointed it out. “It’s nothing, I’m a bit hot. Sit down and eat, I’ll go wash my face…”
“Alright…” Emily said as she sat down…
- Writer
