Chapter 37: Home Too

Abigail walked back through the grand doors of the Mansion, and almost ran straight into her stepmother and half-sister.

“Ugh,” Charlotte groaned. “You couldn’t stay away for longer than a day?”

“Oh, no,” Abigail told her stepmother, “How could I allow you that satisfaction?”

“So you admit it!” Charlotte pointed an accusatory finger at Abigail, “You’re just here to make my life Hell.”

“Actually,” Abigail corrected her. “You do a good job of making your own life Hell, but I’m happy to help where needed.”

“How dare you!” Charlotte began.

“Stop,” Abigail told her clearly. “I would really stop whatever you were going to say if I were you. I just want to remind you both of one thing. I am going to inherit the company, this Mansion and everything else my father has by way of inheritance. You heard him. You know how he’s set up both mine and Charlotte’s inheritance.”

Charlotte glowered as Abigail spoke, but didn’t dare interrupt her.

“We each have our own account,” Abigail continued, in case Charlotte had forgotten the division of the estate. “We each get a set amount inherited. That’s never going to change. But the company, and father’s personal resources, go to whoever he decides is his heir. And as his last announcement to the entire company, that was me.”

Abigail decided not to let on her own conversation with Adam just two nights ago. But Charlotte had no need to know anything. And besides, Abigail planned to go and speak to her father immediately after this, and that whole conversation will be moot.

“So,” Abigail paused to take a breath. “If I were in your place, I would start being a bit nicer to me, since that tile you’re standing on is one day going to belong to me.”

Charlotte looked at Abigail, absolutely incensed. Abigail was sure that if Charlotte had the courage to attempt another poisoning attempt, it would be to kill her. The woman looked like Abigail had well and truly pushed her past her breaking point.

But truthfully, Abigail didn’t care.

Olivia looked at Abigail mildly impressed.

“Do you ever smile?” Abigail asked, turning to her sister.

“Never,” Olivia answered with more sincerity than Abigail had ever heard coming from her. “It causes wrinkles.”

“You will regret this, you stupid girl,” Charlotte hissed at her. “Mark my words, one day you will regret this.”

“I look forward to the day,” Abigail answered her stepmother. “But as long as it is not today, I think your threats would be better kept to yourself, since you have absolutely no power to see them carried through.”

Charlotte stormed off and Olivia and Abigail watched her go.

For a moment, they said nothing between them. But both seemed unwilling to go. And Abigail didn’t want to repeat her threat to her sister. She also didn’t want to threaten her at all.

“I knew you would come back,” Olivia sniffed, “No one in their right mind would leave all those clothes behind. And definitely not the channel boots.”

Abigail frowned, “How do you know I have channel boots?”

“I chose them for you, idiot,” Olivia replied. “Along with your entire wardrobe. Who did you think set up your room? Our father with all of five minutes free in his life, or your step-mother that might as well set you alight?”

Abigail felt a touch of softening in her heart for her half-sister, and not for the first time. Maybe she hadn’t ever had any cruel intentions to Abigail at all, but the presence of Lyall had obviously changed things.

“If you knew what I liked so obviously, and wanted me to look my best every day, why would you send me such garish clothes to wear for the party?” Abigail asked sincerely.

Olivia’s face dropped slightly, her haughty smirk falling from her face. “Because I knew, someone, would be there. And I wanted him to notice me, not you.”

“Oh,” Abigail knew her sister was talking about Lyall, but decided not to mention it. It would be too easy for her sister to deny the truth of it. After all, there were many, many handsome men at that ball.

“Olivia,” Abigail began gently. “I understand why you might be angry with me, my existence upended your entire world.”

“I’m not,” Olivian stopped her, waving her hand at her. “Daddy came looking for you because I wasn’t what he wanted. I’m not the perfect heir and protégé because I don’t do everything the way he wants me too. I do think he really loves you, especially now. But he came looking for you because I wasn’t good enough. And don’t pity me for it, because I have no intention of being what he wants me to be. If I took the company, I was going to revolutionize it. He knew that, and I refused to hide it. He was never going to give it to me anyway.”

“Oh,” Abigail answered. “I’m sorry, anyway.”

“No,” Olivia shook her head again. “Its just how things are done here. They choose the boys for their bravery and deviation to the main plan, and exile girls for the same. You’re like him, though. You might actually survive.”

“You seem to know a lot about this world and the company though.”

“I do,” Olivia answered fiercely. “I was preparing for a situation where he died and I just got to take over,” Olivia laughed lightly. “Though I knew the chances of me getting the company were slim to none, I still wanted to be prepared, just in case.”

Abigail wasn’t too sure what to say to that, so a silence stretched between them for a moment. Both of them unwilling to walk away just yet, but neither sure what exactly could be said in this moment.

“I’m not going to marry Lyall,” Abigail said eventually.

And Abigail was never sure whether that was the right thing to say to Olivia, or if Abigail had made her greatest mistake with her sister in that moment.

“What?” Olivia demanded, stepping closer to her sister.

“I’m not going to marry him, Olivia, it’s ridiculous to even think of it. I’ve barely spoken to the man, and you’re clearly in love.” Abigail pointed to her sister. “I’m not going to marry him.”

Abigail found it entirely ridiculous how she even had to explain this same thing, again and again to so many people. Did they really not understand how marriage worked? Did they really think that someone could commit to spending the rest of their life with someone after knowing absolutely nothing about them other than their name?

Olivia laughed then, cold and hollow and cruel. “You’re insane,” Olivia said after a moment. “I wasn’t sure what to make of you, but now I know. You’re absolutely and entirely insane.”

Olivia said it with such genuine sincerity that even Abigail took a slight step back. What had she said to make her sister behave in this way?

“What are you talking about?” Abigail asked her.

“You have no idea how this world works,” Olivia shook her head. “You’re insane if you think you have any say in whether or not you marry him. This was already decided. Just like dad decided you were going to be the heir, he decided you were going to marry Lyall. Make no mistake, sister, even if you wanted to leave me to be happy with him, it just isn’t possible. So congratulations, he’s yours now.”

Abigail felt overwhelmingly sad for her sister, that she really thought her life was like that, that she really thought every decision was their father’s to make in the end. Abigail could also understand it, her father had raised her like that, after all. To think that every decision was his to make till the end.

Abigail thought of telling Olivia how wrong she was about this situation, but seeing the pain her sister already was in, she definitely couldn’t think clearly at that moment, so Abigail just held her tongue silently.

“You’re wrong, Olivia,” Abigail told her sister. “I’m not here to just play a puppet for whatever dad wants, either. I know that might have been his intention when he came to get me, but that’s not what I am. Not in this marriage, and not in anything else.”

“Then he’s going to be very, very angry,” Olivia warned her sister. “And he will try to force you, because he has no other heir other than you right now. And he’s already publicly written me off, and any way, I don’t think the board would back me.”

“But you do think he will ease up, he won’t force me to go through with this?” Abigail asked her sister.

“He will still want – and ultimately get – the control he has always had,” Oliva smiled ruefully. “I still think you’ll end up marrying Lyall, though. This opportunity, dad is just not going to let go.”

“Well,” Abigail told her sister. “I’m on my way to him right now. So we’ll just see about that.”