New Beginnings

It’s a promise I should’ve followed through with a long time ago. This change was a long overdue and the start of spring was the perfect time to finally begin. With the flowers just beginning to bulb, the rain that fell in gentle showers, and the very symbolic meaning of new beginnings and rebirth, spring my favorite season. With all that is going to happen this week, that feeling will definitely be stronger in the future.

Peeling my eyes from the scenery outside the window I returned my focus to the large, half-full suitcase on the bed. I only packed the clothes that I knew for sure were bought with my own money. I then turned to my vanity and selected the jewelry that had a lot of sentimental value to me such as Joseph’s promise ring and the necklace that held my father’s family ring. I kissed both for courage and good luck, for the task that had already been set in motion was not an easy one and considering I had let myself be pushed around for three years, I needed it. How I wished they were here.

“Mami?”

I turned towards the door and looked at the three-year-old girl who was giving me a concerned look.

“Are you done packing angel?”

“Yes. Why are you crying mama?”

I touched my cheeks and was surprised to find them wet with tears. I wiped them away and quickly smiled, trying (and probably failing) to put up a composed front for my daughter.

“I was just thinking about your father and grandfather angel.”

“Alex?”

I flinched while my angel covered her mouth quickly. Children sure are perceptive creatures. Even at three Emily could already tell ‘that man’ had something to do with us moving out of this house and into her great-grandmothers home.

“Angel I already told you that Alex isn’t your father,” while bending down to look directly in her eyes I tried to soften my expression, “ I know that this is going to be hard for you but I promise you it’s for the best.”

“OK mommy” she lowered her head and stood still. I sighed. Of course, I know that she calls him that out of habit since both, her maternal grandmother and ‘paternal grandmother’, insisted that she call Alex, father. Considering all that he had done, to say that he was unworthy of that title would be the understatement of the century. It was my fault. Revenge had muddled my mind and diminished my common sense. Because of me my daughter only saw her biological father through pictures and was constantly criticized by both family and acquaintances as a bastard child. Because of my riches, my angel lost her chance of having a true and complete family.

I closed the suitcase. That all changes today. This is our new beginning. This was what I promised myself.

“Angel are all your suitcases at the entrance?”

“Yes mommy. Are we going today mommy?”

“Yes, your great-grandma has prepared a lovely room for you. It has painted sunflowers on it, your favorite!”

My little Emily gave me the most dazzling smile which I returned as I intertwined one of her hands with one of mine and grabbed my suitcase with my unoccupied hand. As we walked downstairs in this manner, the head maid, Helen, placed herself in our path. “Young Madam, where are you going?!”

I scowled at her. This bitch had always disrespected me and always made sure to comment on how kind her young master Alex was to still want to marry a woman with a bastard child. That I should always be grateful to Alex. PLEASE. If it wasn’t for the fact that I was the main shareholder of my father’s company, my inheritance, and my influence, would Alex even spare me a glance? All he likes about me are the dollar signs that surround me. I tightened my grip on my angel’s hand.

 “Helen there is no reason for you to shout we are simply moving out. To let you know in advance, you won’t have to call me young madam anymore. Please address me as miss Maria.”

“You can’t be serious! What could have possibly possessed you to dare to divorce young master Alex. He always cared for you and that unworthy child. How could you even think about this when he loves you so much?!”

 I almost burst out laughing. That man didn’t even know that I am allergic to almonds yet his mother and minions dared to say that he loved me right to my face. It was so utterly disgusting. Helen continued to screech even as I walked out to the waiting car. The door opened and Victoria stepped out with a look of complete and utter disgust.

“ Helen could you quit your screeching, damn! People will think that you are trying to raise the dead!”

Helen glared at Victoria but she finally shut her mouth since Victoria was not one to mess with.

“Godmommy!” the little girl who was holding onto my hand tightly when Helen was shouting at me, suddenly let go and dashed into the open arms of Victoria.

“My darling Emily, don’t be scared god mommy is here to take you and your mother in her speedy chariot away from this dreadful and lonely prison and into a bright and cheerful palace!”

Emily flashed her signature smile and I laughed at Victoria’s silliness.

“I am grateful even though you didn’t have to. Grandmother said she could send some people to escort us to the house.”

She gave me a shocked face, grabbed my suitcase, and pushed both me and my little Emily into the car, leaving a rather unhappy Helen on the curb.

“I’m your best friend so of course I want to get you two as far away from here as soon as possible, how could I not come? I’m just glad that you are finally taking my beautiful, little Emily away from that greedy man! Geez! I know you only agreed to marry him in order to find proof of him murdering Joseph, but damn! I couldn’t do what you have done Maria.”

I smiled and touched my father’s ring which had an SD card in its hidden compartment that contained the evidence of the bank accounts that Alex used to hire someone to sabotage the engine of the plane that Joseph was on. Along with a few other incriminating subjects. Victoria was always supportive of me and would help me wherever she could, from babysitting to dragging me to a night out, I owed this woman a lot. Now that my revenge is almost complete  I’ll be sure to pay her back. I stared out of the car window and took in the beautiful spring sky. The first day of spring has come to an end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mami! Wake up! Great-grandma had chef Joe make strawberry pancakes!!” I awoke to the feel of thirty-eight pounds of flesh and pure energy slamming onto my back. After groaning in pain I turned to see my little angel flashing her signature smile while staring at me with her large, excited, purple eyes that her father’s genes gifted her. I immediately forgot my aching back and planted a kiss on her little forehead.

“I’ll be down in a minute my angel. Did you brush your teeth?”

“No, but I’m going to right now!”

She scampered off and I got dressed. I looked around at the room my grandmother had prepared for me to stay in for now until I find a permanent home for me and my little angel. The room was spacious and gave off an elegant and warm aura. I then turned to the vanity and put on some light makeup while embracing the scent of spring flowers that the gardener had picked this morning. Checking the time, I rushed downstairs to have breakfast with the only two people who I considered family.

“My darling Maria, are you prepared for today?”

“Yes grandmother.”

“They won’t let you go without a fight.”

“I know but these past three years were more than enough time to find enough evidence to lock him up for life, even without a murder charge. I won’t let him or his family make off with even one cent from father’s company.”

A cloud passed my grandmother’s eyes and she looked at me with a weary smile. “Your father would have liked Joseph.”

I gave her a pained smile. My father had passed away seven years ago when I was eighteen. I remember him fondly since he always supported my studies and my dream of being a fashion designer while my mother just wanted me to marry rich, often telling me to focus on my looks for that reason. “My mother didn’t seem to like him.”

“Your mother can’t tell diamonds from glass, all she cares about is how they glitter. It’s a miracle my daughter landed your father, I love my daughter but I don’t know how she ended up being such a shrew. Oh, it’s probably all my fault! After all the saying is that if you spoil your children you will have to raise your grandchildren and your mother is living proof!”

“Grandmother you’re getting all red in the face please relax. You will need your strength for the fight that will happen today and tomorrow!”

“Great-grandma you said that we have to listen to the doctor and the doctor said that you shouldn’t get angry!” At the sound of the little angel’s complaint, grandmother calmed down and we finished breakfast.

“Great-grandma lets go to the garden to relax!”

“Coming dear!”

I watched my daughter and grandmother head out to enjoy the bright sunny day, the smell of flowers and wet earth drifting in from the door as they went out along with the sound of their laughter. This newfound happiness is what I wanted our life to be from now on.

       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where is that ungrateful bitch! Move! Where is she?! Summon her now!”

My peaceful reading was interrupted by my ex-mother-in-law’s rather loud, annoying shriek coming from the entrance. I sighed and composed myself as this was what I had been expecting for quite some time now and my ex-mother-in-law did not disappoint.

“Young miss!” Margert, my grandmother's assistant, burst through the study doors with a worried look on her face.

“Margert please accompany grandmother to the entrance and if it gets dicey please take her back to her room. Even if she complains.”

“Yes young miss.”

We hurried to the living room where we were greeted with the sight of some of our maids holding my ex-mother-in-law and my grandmother apart, my mother was on the couch with one hand on her head, Alex was leaning against the wall, and my poor angel was on the couch by my grandmother. The two ladies were yelling at the maids to release them at once both clearly intending to do some bodily harm to the other.

“Mother please compose yourself.” Alex pleaded with his mess of a mother.

“Vanessa! Mother! This is not how civilized people talk! Let’s settle down and discussed this matter!” My mother joined in with Alex’s pleas.

“Ana! You brat! Are you going to go against your mother and daughter just because these savages have more money than us?!” grandmother scoffed.

“Mother, Maria was the one who started this! How could she think of treating Alex this way, after all that he has done for her!”

I coughed to interrupt their argument. They directed their attention to me and their screams.

“So you finally appear, you skank!”

“Maria, darling, please explain what is going on! Why do you want to divorce me?”

“Sugar tell them it’s a misunderstanding!”

“Who are you calling a skank? You shrew! I dare you to talk to my granddaughter like that again, you toad faced cow!”

I sighed and lifted my head. “Enough!”

They finally quieted down. “Madam Vanessa and my dearest grandmother if you could both take a seat I can explain this matter and the maids will greatly appreciate it.”

“How dare you address me in such a tone!”

“Sit down!” I made sure to have a very threating tone when I spoke to Vanessa and she immediately sat down. Thankfully so did my grandmother since my angel was giving her puppy eyes.

“Emily go to your room.”

“But mom!”

“Listen to your mother dear.”

“Yes, great-grandma.”

Thankfully Emily quietly went to her room. I didn’t want her to hear this.

“Now about the matter. Yes Alex, I am divorcing you, the reasons why are on the divorce agreement that I had sent to your office. I shall take nothing from you and you will take nothing from me. I wish for this to be a clean split. I will stand with this decision and none of you can change it.”

“How dare you! You bitch!” Of course, madam Vanessa was the first to scream.

“Maria my daughter! You can’t Do this!”

“Maria please elaborate on what I have done to cause you displeasure. I have always tried to make you happy.”

“My granddaughter doesn’t have to explain to a wicked, ugly, double-faced toad like you!”

Alex looked at my grandmother in shock, “Wicked?”

“Alex,” I looked him right in the eyes, “I have three main reasons for divorcing you; First, I do not love you, second, you do not love me, Third-“

“What do you mean my son doesn’t love you?!” Vanessa again? Seriously? I’m trying to monologue you rude cow.

“If my son didn’t love you, then why did he ask you to marry him?! He didn’t even have a problem with you not wanting to have children for a few years or with the disgraceful bastard of a daughter of yours!”

Okay no. I could feel my face becoming darker and my grandmother’s face was very much the same.

“Shut up, you old, gray hag!” Grandmother roared.

“Forgive me, but my mother is right grandmother-in-law.” Alex glared at me, “If I didn’t love you, Maria, would I’ve been alright with your decision to not have children? Come home with me and let’s never mention this again.”

I gave him a cold smile. “Alex the reason you were alright with us not having children was because after you were done taking over my father’s company and using my influence to boost your own, you were going to divorce me and bring in that tramp that you are playing around with right now, Jewel right?”

At the mention of Alex’s side piece my grandmother’s face turned to one of pure shock (sorry Grandmother) and Alex’s face grew dark.

“What are you saying, Maria? I would never do that to you.”

“Please. Spare me the act. But that isn’t the biggest reason why I’m divorcing you. No the main reason why I’m divorcing you is because you hired a mercenary, Victor, to sabotage Joseph’s plane! Causing my angel to lose her father!” I continued to let out all of my pent up rage, “But don’t worry Alex, Victor died before I could squeeze a testimony out of him so I can’t lock you up for murder! Aren’t you happy?”

Once my rant was over, the faces of everyone was either full of shock or dark.

“Maria watch what you say,” Alex hissed at me.

“No, I won’t. Now LEAVE.”

“You will regret this.” Threats. Cute.

With that, they got up and left. “We’ll see who wants to marry you with that bastard daughter.”

THUNK.

And that was the sound of my grandmother’s cane hitting Vanessa in the face. Overall a successful  second day of spring.

        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, I read the newspaper as we were having breakfast in the garden (to enjoy the view of all the flowers) and smiled at the article that mentioned the scandal of Alex being arrested for smuggling drugs into some of our company’s warehouses. Huh, looks like I’ll be getting my shares back from him. Having influence was almost as good as having money.

“You’re mother and ex-mother-in-law might call. I hope you don’t listen to them at all.”

“Of course not grandma I only listen to you and Emily.”

“As it should be.” she smiled and I returned her grin.

“Was Alex a bad guy?”

Looking at Emily, I sighed and said “Yes, he was angel. But we will never have to see him again.”

She looked at me and turned back to her food. “I knew it. He made me feel scared.”

I was relieved and closed the paper. This was our new beginning. Now I just need to find a house and-

Gasp. I looked at my grandmother and noticed she was looking behind me towards the entrance of the garden. “Daddy?”

I turned my head as Emily whispered that question. As I laid my eyes on the heavily scarred man standing by the budding rose bushes, sunflowers in his hand, I felt the sting of tears. I could identify him even if he were ashes. A grinning Victoria was standing behind him.

He looked at me, smiling as he walked towards us.

“Forgive me for just barging in. I wanted to surprise you on the first day of spring but I got sidetracked by a certain bastard who was trying very hard to kill me.”

He stopped in front of me. “I heard that we have a daughter and that she likes sunflowers.”

He bent down to be at my eye level. “Could you introduce me?”

I threw my arms around him, letting my tears fall as I took in the familiar scent that I longed for.

“I missed you my lovely Maria. Please let this be our new start.”

“Of course.”

I do so love spring and all the new beginnings it brings.