𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄 || 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰

Chapter Twenty-One

Alone, angry, anxious, heartbroken, slightly violent.

That's how Vienne was feeling.

She hadn't slept a wink that entire night, even after the exhaustion of crying so much. She was so upset she couldn't even cry herself to sleep; anytime she'd get calm enough and close her eyes, the image of all her horrors would rush into her mind and restart the whole process.

She felt so hurt, so betrayed. How could her own mother be doing this to her? The woman who swore to care for her, to protect her, was now handing her over to a man who did not have good intentions for her.

If George Austen were still alive, none of this would have happened.

There was no good answer as to why Claudine was doing this. Perhaps she thought she was helping? Maybe in the future, Vienne would thank her for this. But that simply wasn't the case. Was it to keep the Austen name in people's mouths? Was it to have better connections with the wealthy families in town?

Whatever the reason was, it would never be good enough.

An already strained mother-daughter relationship now felt completely destroyed.

Vienne tried her best; she really did. She tried giving Edward a chance, and he blew it, and from that she knew he was not a good choice for her or any other woman, really. Sebastian had shown her what it was really like to be loved, what it really was like to be cherished. None of Edwards' fake personalities or his compliments could ever do the same.

Claudine had sold herself into delusion and stubbornness, and it had completely ruined her relationship with her daughter. She was choosing a man over her own flesh and blood and made it clear to Vienne how she felt.

Lying on her bed, Vienne heard footsteps nearing the door. She didn't have the energy to move and keep whoever it was out, so she just continued to lie on her bed.

Unfortunately for her, it was Claudine entering the room. She had a stern look of disappointment as she looked at her daughter sprawled out on the mattress. "Vienne." She spoke firmly, trying to get her daughter's attention.

Vienne didn't sit up. "Get out." She said, not caring to look at her mother.

"Absolutely not. Don't speak to me that way." Claudine snapped back, having no patience. "Now act your age and sit up and look at me. You're a grown woman, not a child."

So, she was supposed to be grown enough to act like it but couldn't make her own decisions. That was ironic.

Vienne reluctantly sat up, but her expression definitely told Claudine that she was not happy about this. The last person besides Edward that she wanted to see right now was her mother. "What do you want? Coming back to torment me?"

"Don't be so dramatic; you're acting childish." Claudine scolded. "I was actually coming here to discuss something about the marriage with you. About your... options."

Vienne raised a brow; what did she mean by options? A small part of her hoped that that meant Claudine was actually going to let her have a choice in the matter, but she knew it wasn't true, so she didn't give a single thoughtful expression to the matter.

"And those are?"

Claudine took in a breath. "Well, I'm going to put it bluntly." She said, folding her arms across her chest. "You have two choices. Either you can marry Edward willingly and with a smile on your face, being happy that you have such an opportunity... Or you can continue to be upset and marry him anyway. You are not getting out of this."

Vienne's patience snapped. "So, you really are just going to force me to marry someone?" She exclaimed angrily, standing up from her bed.

"Do not start this with me." Claudine growled. "I've been trying my best, and you are just so stubborn! I have given you the perfect man, and all you do is complain! You are stubborn and ungrateful. I hope Mr. Carter can straighten you out."