A Woman's Empire

I

C H A P T E R O N E :

Elegant music echoed through the spacious halls of the Harrington estate and as Audrielle, the daughter of Mr and Mrs Harrington, stood unbothered at the top of the grand marble staircase, guests entered her childhood home through the giant oak doors. Tonight was the night that the Harrington family were excited for and Audrielle herself was dreading.

Her 21st.

Tonight people were going to not only celebrate her birthday but also the fact that she was now the appropriate age to take over the family business and run the enormous empire. Audrielle's brown eyes peered down at the dozens of people mingling and with an un-amused look on her face, she took a large sip of her expensive champagne. The fizzy alcohol tickled her taste buds and left a bitter but pleasant taste behind. Audrielle wasn't a fan of drinking. Sure, she'd have a glass of wine here and there but unlike some guests that had turned up tonight, she wasn't going to get so drunk that she'll wake up the next morning running to the bathroom before hurling her guts out. Audrielle knew people did this. Especially the Vance family who lived just a ten minute drive down the road from the Harringtons.

Jacquie with a 'Q' and her son Jacob liked to use Audrielle's family for the numbers in their bank account and the designer clothes in their wardrobes. Jacquie always invited herself over to the Harrington estate and was never shy to help herself to the wine cellar below their kitchen. Jacob was the same age of Audrielle and in her words, he was a 'cocky bastard'. When Audrielle was sixteen, Jacob asked her on a date and because she thought it was something 'friendly' she agreed. Long story short, he ended up being twenty minutes late and to top off the night, made Audrielle pay. Ever since then, they haven't been on the best of terms. Jacob kept trying to hit on her but Audrielle was waiting for her prince in shining armor to drag her out of the cursed kingdom.

Audrielle was a smart girl. She had to be especially living under the Harrington roof. Even though her parents were together, they fought like cats and dogs behind closed doors. Almost every night, Audrielle would wake up to her mom yell and scream at her father and even with so many opportunities for Mrs. Harrington to leave, like when Mr. Harrington cheated on her with the country club waitress, she still stayed. And no, it wasn't because of her daughter Audrielle, it was the big fat pay cheques her husband kept raking in. At the end of the day, it was a win-win situation. Mr. Harrington slept around with countless women and Mrs. Harrington got to travel to exotic places like Bali.

But Audrielle wasn't happy. Not at all and it is true, money can't buy you happiness. All she wanted was to have a family that loves one another and gave her the opportunity to venture out into the wide world to create her own career. She might get to drive around in expensive cars and collect designer handbags, but her father was a mind driven business man who cheats and her mother is more fake than a rip off Gucci handbag.

Tonight the estate was crowded. The tall ceilings felt like they were cramming Audrielle in and the once empty hallways were filled with people snooping around. Being as rich as the Harrington family, of course you did have people snooping around your belongings trying to scan any piece of expensive jewellery or even a secret that they could use to blackmail the Harrington's. But the Harrington's were smart. They had security on every level and all the doors were locked. Every room had a silent alarm so if someone could break their way in, security would be notified immediately. Every place was locked and alarmed. The only things people would be able to steal tonight would be the complimentary mints and the soft toilet paper in the bathrooms.

From the view of Audrielle's bedroom, she saw the grand gates come to a close and that was her que that everyone was here and waiting for her grand entrance. Gulping down the rest of the champagne in the flute, she placed the glass down angrily, bunched her designer dress in her hands and left her room, already wanting the night to be over.