I Was Never Truly Yours

32

Regina was sat in the lounge, slouched in the arm chair without a care of how unladylike she appeared. A glass of red wine sat in her drunk hand, playing a risky game of staying in its container. By now, she'd managed to cry all her makeup off and just allowed it to be smudged around her eyes. At this point, Regina didn't care. When the door opened, her head snapped towards it with the smallest amount of hope for Emma; it wasn't.

"My god, Regina, you look hideous" Isabella said disgustedly, turning her nose up at the sight.

"And you smell like alcohol" Arnold added, smelling the wine before he walked into the room.

"It's as if I've been crying and drinking" Regina sarcastically said, knowing it was obvious.

"Where is Emma" Arnold asked, not bothering to see if his daughter was ok.

"She left" Regina replied, her voice and head both dropping low.

"To go where exactly" Isabella questioned curiously, making it obvious that she was just being nosy.

"I guess back to her house" Regina shrugged, having no idea where the woman lived. She sighed as she lifted her glass to her lips, taking a rather large mouthful from it. "She wasn't really my wife"

"I knew it" Arnold hurried to say, proud of his accomplishment. "She was too good for you"

"Congrats, dad" Regina mocked, showing a mixture of anger and exhaustion. "I hired her to be my fake wife and now she's gone"

"Yes, I must admit, this isn't much of a surprise. Though I was starting to believe it nearer the end, she still seemed too nice to be with someone like you" Isabella commented, knowing she always had her doubts. "If you paid her, why did she leave before we did? Surely, you aren't idiotic enough to let her go a week early"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you" Regina chuckled effortlessly, finally allowing her body to sit up. Both parents just looked at her, waiting for an answer. Regina sighed at this, preparing to reply with words she didn't want to admit to herself. "Because I fell in love with her"

"You what" Arnold almost spat, looking surprised at his daughter unusual words.

"Oh, Regina, falling in love with the help? That's a new low that I didn't think you were capable of" Isabella sighed, disgust taking over her face.

"She's not the help! And even if she was, it doesn't matter because I love everything about her" Regina growled, finding it hard to summon any energy.

"I don't understand. If you love her, why is she not here" Arnold asked, still confused by all of this.

"Because I told her that I didn't" Regina simply replied, sipping the last of her wine. "I made her think that I don't love her and that I never will... Because, as bad of a person as everyone says I am, I'm not cruel enough to let her into this family. She's a good person with the kindest heart I'd ever seen. To let someone like her be part of this family... Let's just say, I'm not that much of a monster"

"Watch yourself, Regina. I will not have you bad mouth this family" Arnold warned, stepping a little closer to show his authority.

"Oh, please" Regina shrugged off, not feeling threatened in the slightest. "This family is awful and you know it. You both go round pretending that I'm the only disappointment when all your kids are fucked up. This family chews you up and spits you out as a mess, doesn't matter if you were born into it or not. Why would I allow someone into something that broke me"

"Oh, Regina, stop it" Isabella piped in, raising her voice only slightly; for her, this was a big deal. "You are being dramatic and you know it. This family is well respected and very high up the economy scale. You will do well to stop disrespecting your bloodline"

"Dramatic? Look at me!" Regina huffed, finally standing up from her seat. "Thanks to both of you, I have been in and out of an eating disorder since I was 15 YEARS OLD and not once did you get me help! You were there when I passed out because I hadn't eaten anything in over a week, encouraging me to get thinner even after that! You left me alone with Javier on multiple occasions, even after I begged you not to, and he done the worst things I'd ever imagined. Heck, I don't even know how to love properly because you never showed me any! I am broken because of you!" Regina exposed, tears burning in her eyes.

Both Isabella and Arnold stood there, zero remorse in their faces. Regina, being too drunk to stop herself, let all her tears roll down her face once again. To see no reaction from her parents simply broke her, especially after what she admitted. She let her head drop and turned away, checking her empty glass for more wine.

"I think you've hand enough. All this nonsense you are talking is clearly from the wine" Isabella finally said, stepping closer to her husband.

"I hate you both... People like you shouldn't be allowed to raise kids" Regina whispered, too exhausted to get her voice louder.

"If you hate us and this family so much, you are welcome to see how you survive on your own. You've never had a job or fended for yourself, always living off my money" Arnold huffed, pushing his wife away to step closer to his daughter.

"That's actually where you are wrong. You see, everyone thinks that I have never worked but actually I have a full time job and run my own company" Regina smirked, turning back towards her father.

"And what exactly is that" Arnold asked with a scoff, imagining the woman's small business.

"You know your rival company, Vendicta?" Regina started, a wide smile growing on her tear soaked face.

"How do you know about them" Arnold quickly asked, praying the impossible would remain just that. Regina gave a shit eater grin, knowing it was enough of an answer. "That's not possible"

"Oh, but it is" Regina cut in, chuckling along the way. "You see, everyone underestimated how smart I actually am. I built the company from the ground and made it my mission to be your rival. I'm now bigger than you, make more money than you and still spend your money. How's that for a poetic ending"

"No, that's impossible" Isabella stumbled on her words, consumed with shock.

"You're lying" Arnold snapped, refusing to believe such thing.

"Am I? I can prove it easily" Regina chuckled, enjoying the power she now held.

"Fine, if that's the case, I'm cutting you off" Arnold threatened, growing fearful at all of this.

"Be my guest" Regina shrugged, playing off as if it doesn't matter. "But if you do, I will hand over all the information I have that proves your company is participating in illegal activities. I will shut Mills.Co down and end everything great grandfather Mills created"

"You would do no such thing!"

"Watch me, dad"

"Regina, this is not acceptable" Isabella sternly said, using her mother voice to help.

"Don't cut me off then" Regina fired back, placing her empty glass on the coffee table. She then got a realisation, smirking wider at it. "Hang on... Doesn't that make me the most successful in this family? Great grandfather didn't start the company until he was in his late 30s. I'm 25 and made a company bigger than yours. I imagine that having your biggest disappointment as the most successful and the richest in family is quite hard for you"

"This is not over, Regina"

"Oh it is"