𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐋 ━━ carlos de vil ( completed! )

||Chapter 23||

"You've got this, okay? I'm right here." I told Carlos while squeezing his hand.

He nodded his head and squeezed back. "You won't leave me, right? No matter what happens in there?"

"Of course not. You're not getting rid of me. Plus, you've already committed." I held up my hand and showed him my engagement ring.

A smile grew on his face, but quickly grew back down as Ben approached us. "Hey. Ready?"

I snorted. "Oh please. Let's just see that cow and what she has to say."
"If you weren't talking about my mother, I'd pinch you."
"Oh, please do."

Ben led us, with about 30 guards, to the back of the castle. As we approached the tall, wooden doors that separated all of us from her, I turned to Carlos. "If you don't want to do this, we don't have to. We can always go back. Or I can just talk to her and see what she has to say."

"Thank you, but even though I strongly dislike her, I'd feel bad if I let her alone with you." He said.

I chuckled and held onto his arm with my free hand. Ben looked at us and we nodded. He ordered the guards to open the doors. They did as they were told, and revealed an, elderly, lady with black and white hair and matching fur coat.

"Mother."
"Ms. De Vil."
"Carlos." She moved to get up, but decided against it when she saw my strong gaze. "Hailey."

"I'll leave you three to catch up. I'm just a quick text away if anything goes south, okay?" Ben whispered the last bit to me. "You act as if I can't deal with her myself, your majesty."
"I know you can, that's what I'm afraid of."

He gave a polite wave to the she-devil before closing the doors behind him. We sat down at the two chairs across from Cruella.

"So?" I looked at her expectantly. "Why did you want to talk to us?"
"Well, I actually just wanted to talk to Carlos, but I'm surprised you're here either. You did always look out for him."
"Somebody had to, since his mother didn't." Carlos quickly put his hand on my thigh to calm me down, which surprisingly worked.

"What did you want to talk about, mother?" Carlos asked Cruella.

"I just wanted to see how my son was doing, is that so bad of me?"
"Uh, yeah! You abuse him for his whole life, and the second Mal decides to give you all another shot, you think you can just waltz in here and-"

"Hailey." Carlos pulled me back down, because in the middle of raging I stood up. "I'm doing great, without you." He said bluntly to his mother.

She looked a little disappointed at his response. "I know. I never thought that my little boy would be engaged at 17."

"And I never thought that you'd have the nerve to be here, yet here we are." Carlos shot back, shocking me and his mother. "'Your little boy?' You really think that you have the right to call me that after abusing me in ways that some people probably didn't even think were possible? You should be thanking me that we're here, because if I were anything like you and didn't have a conscience, we wouldn't be. I don't know why you asked for me, but if it was to apologize, I hope you didn't expect forgiveness. Some people deserve it. You? Not so much. We're done here." Carlos stood up from his chair and began walking out.

"Hailey?" He snapped me out of me dream-like state. Honestly, we should invite his mother for tea more often if this is what he was like.

"Ye- Yeah? Oh, yeah. Sorry. Uh, I'll be right there." He nodded and walked through the doors.

I stood up and hesitated before pulling something I didn't think I would be out from the waist of my skirt. "Because for some reason I feel sorry for you, here. You're invited." I handed her an invitation to mine and Carlos's wedding. "Do what you want with it. I don't really what your decision is, but I know he does. Choice is yours, mama."

She carefully took the blue and red envelope in her hands and nodded slightly.

I ran out the doors and caught up to Carlos. "Hey! I'm really proud of you for standing up to her like that."

"You don't think I was too harsh, do you? Should I go back and apologize-"

"No." I grabbed his hand and pulled him back. "You had every right to say all those things to her, after everything she put you through. Personally, I would've used some more, colorful, words, but that's just me."

He let out a small laugh and grabbed my other hand. "You don't think I was too harsh, do you."
"Not at all, my little boy."
"That's creepy. Don't call me that."
"You're the boss."
"Somebody's gotta be." I smiled fondly at the memory of us making up. As much as I hate it, hopefully he and his mother will be able to the same, or at least something similar.
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(A/n: so biotches, do you think she'll go, or will she not? What do you want to see, is the real question.)