To Do As He Bids

Chapter One

Chapter ONE

Melissa groaned in exasperation.

Out of all days, why today? She had landed her first job interview in months! Heck, even her life was starting to look up, based on the extra zeros that had found their sweet way into her bank balance.

But, for god knows what reason, her mother was standing outside of her door, shifting around restlessly.

"Lisa, darling! Open the door!" the older woman whined, "I can't be seen in a place like this!"

Straightening her navy blue blazer and black pencil skirt, Melissa took a deep breath before subjecting herself to the hell that was Fiona D'Chartalei.

The first thing that crossed her mind was that her mother still looked the same as the last time she saw her. That was more than eight years ago. Botox and plastic surgery must have really done wonders.

Momentarily overcomed with harsh bitter emotions, Melissa shook her head to clear her thoughts.

She would need her wits about her if she was to deal with her mother.

Melissa noted the look of disapproval that crossed her mother's face before it was masked with a forced smile.

"It's so good to see you darling," she cooed, 'but you know that blue really doesn't complement your unruly monstrosity of a hair."

Skipping through all the formalities, Melissa asked bitterly, "What do you want?"

Fiona frowned.

"Now, now, dear, is that any way to talk to your mother?" she chided.

"A woman who left her own sixteen year old daughter to starve on the streets does not deserve an ounce of my respect.You never even bothered to look for me these few years, never even wondered whether or not I was dead or heck, even pregnant, so why start now?"

Melissa saw uncertainty in her mother's eyes, as well as something akin to fear.

Good.

Her mother didn't deserve an ounce of kindness.

"Of course, you were always a little gold-digger, weren't you mother?" Melissa spat out sarcastically, "But when you chose a man twice your age over your own daughter, that really took the prize. It didn't matter that you just met him. No, you had to marry him even though the very thought of being in the same room with the man terrorized your own daughter. And when your daughter was raped? You, as a mother, did nothing to protect her, and instead treated her like a whore, kicking her out to the curb! It didn't matter that your daughter had to go to the hospital for severe emotional trauma and vaginal tearings or that she had to sneak out of the fucking hospital because she was afraid of being dragged back to her hellhole. Your daughter lived on the streets for two and a half years. She was lucky to even eat a meal a day. She slept on a different bench each night because the cops would show up and make her move. But none of that mattered to you. Instead, you dare show up in front of your daughter, disregarding the very home that she has made for herself, without any help from precious mommy? That’s precious really. But, tell me, how's darling darling Rudolph?"

"He's dead. I'm here because Rudolph left some things for you in his will," her mother calmly stated, her blemish free face devoid of any emotions.

"All this could have been taken care of without you making this horrendous trip down to see me.I don't want a single penny of Rudolph's. Heck, I want everything he bestowed me to be given to the Women Against Domestic Abuse Center."

Melissa's mother opened up her Chanel Purse and handed Melissa a bulk of paperwork.

"Here is a detailed listing of everything that Rudolph left for you. He left 50% of his estate to you, including most of his shares at Harley &  D'Chartalei as well as his chateau in Paris and penthouses In Los Angeles and New York."

Melissa was taken back for a second. The dirty bastard left her all that?

"I'm assuming that the other chunk goes to you, dearest mommy?"

Melissa noted the look of hatred that made its presence known on her mother's face.

"No. The other half will be distributed among some of his favorite charities."

Letting out deep, hearty laughter for the first time in ages, Melissa asked her mother, "So, you got absolutely nothing? Oh, how terribly sorry I am to hear that you've practically wasted a decade with a man who has basically left you penniless! Take a good hard look at this neighborhood; you'll be living somewhere very similar soon."

Melissa noticed the look of triumph in her mother's hazel eyes a little too late. She should have known that Fiona wouldn't have accepted things the way they were.

Smirking, the older woman gloated, "Oh, don't hold on that darling. You see, I'm still going to get my share of Rudolph's money. Because Rudolph has one little condition that you need to fulfill or else your share in his will becomes my own. It's simple really. You have exactly thirty days, starting from today, to marry a Mr. Sebastien Ingold."

The name left Melissa paralyzed to the spot. Suddenly, her vision blurred and she clung onto the chair so tightly that she lost feeling in her fingers. But none of that registered in her mind.

All that she saw before her eyes was the man who had shattered her heart in more ways than Rudolph could have ever done.

---

Warning: full blown cliched storyline ahead (if you haven’t figured that out yet on your own). I also understand that I have a problem with sticking to a particular tense and that I leave out way too many details (which is far from the complaint I normally receive). I’m sorry about that. I just write down whatever comes to mind and I don’t take the time to edit my writing.