Heiress ∣ Nate Archibald

Gaslit

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Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. As always, I'll be spending it giving thanks for the bounty of secrets I've harvested from you this year. But leave a place for me at your table. I'll be back for just desserts.

"I was gonna swing by before we left for Grandfather's if that's okay." Nate spoke to his father on the phone, hopeful to see him before he left to go to his grandfathers for the holiday. "She just needs more time, Dad. But I am thinking of bringing Ophelia." The Archibald squeezed his girlfriend's hand as they walked to meet up with Nate's mother. "She'll come around. I promise." Nate tried to reassure his father, aware of how much he missed his wife. "Let me talk to her. I'll see you soon, okay?".

Hanging up the phone Nate extended his hand to greet his family's lawyer, confused by their run-in. "Mr. Stahi? What are you doing here?". The Archibald wondered. "This is my partner, Ophelia." "It's a pleasure to meet you." Ophelia greeted politely, maintaining her stance beside her boyfriend. "The feeling's mutual. I'm just dropping off some papers for your mother." The lawyer informed, smiling kindly towards the heiress before he returned his attention to Nate. "On Thanksgiving?". Nate questioned, wondering what was so important that it couldn't wait until the holiday was over.

"Yes. Well, they're time sensitive." The lawyer confirmed causing Ophelia to look cautiously towards her partner, beginning to understand what exactly the lawyer meant. As Nate stepped up to the door of his family's house he hesitated slightly. "You know what? She's-- she's not in right now. She's getting her hair done. So, I can give that to her." 

Mr. Stahi hesitated for a moment before reaching into his briefcase and pulling the paperwork out for Nate. "Uh, well, okay. Thanks." "Happy Thanksgiving. Have a good one." Nate shook the lawyer's hand once more, wishing him a good holiday whilst Ophelia smiled and did the same. As the lawyer was gone Nate took a quick glance around the couple before reaching into the yellow folder and taking a look at the documents his mother was so desperate to receive. "Fuck." 

Anne wanted to divorce the Captain. 

Nate and Ophelia took a seat on his mother's doorstep, the paperwork in the Archibald's hands, unable to look further through it despite his desire to know every detail. "I can't believe this. My mom is filing for divorce." Nate finally spoke, passing the yellow envelope to Ophelia so he wouldn't be tempted. "How do I stop this, Lia?". The Archibald worried, never envisioning his parents splitting even after everything that had happened. "I'm not sure you can Nat, they're adults, if they want to move on, they have a right to do that." 

Ophelia's hand rested in Nate's, tracing patterns into the back of it as she tried to reassure her boyfriend that all would work out. "That's your advice? Do nothing?". Nate laughed softly. "It's not so much advice as it is a reality check. Relationships don't always last, we know that better than most." The heiress explained. "It's just, she's had years to do this. The guy embezzled, he got arrested, he tried to skip bail, then went to prison. She was willing to run away with him and now she wants out?". The Archibald listed, trying to figure out the reason behind his mother's sudden decision. "What's worse is that I feel like he's really changed. I just-- I've gotta get her to see that."