Stolen Love

CHAPTER THREE:

"Jessica, we need to talk to you; now please." I heard my mother calling me from downstairs as I sat in front of my mirror, fixing my hair and tugging it up into a high pony tail. I lower my hands onto my lap and let out a sigh.

"Be right down!" I called after her, letting out another sigh as I tightened the elastic around my long black hair. "What do you want, now?" I muttered to myself as I stood up from the vanity. I did not like these family meeting type of things that they insisted on pushing me to be a part of. It was agonizing and painful, to say the least.

I exited my room quickly and ran downstairs, noticing that my mother and step-father were both sitting down around the island of the kitchen. My mother was brushing through her hair with her fingers anxiously, and my step-father had his hands crossed in front of him. He looked like he was thinking hard about something, but I did not know what. I knew I would find out soon enough though.

"What is it?" I asked, pulling out a chair across from them as I studied their faces, attempting to figure out what they wanted.

"Jessica," my mother pushed a smile onto her lips. "we have some important things to discuss, mostly about your schooling..." She trailed off slowly and I frowned at her, cocking my brow up and pushing her to continue.

But she didn't. Before she could even finish her sentence, Mark spoke up and cut her off. "You're doing fine with your schooling; you're grades are good." He paused for a moment, taking a swig of his wine. Fine? I thought bitterly at his words, if that's what you call straight A's. He was always a hard ass, and did not bother to understand anything about me or care about me in the slightest.

"But don't you think you would excel even more in the Law program?" My stomach dropped at his words as I fought back the strong urge to roll my eyes. "You know, something a little bit more useful?" He raised his right eye brow in question and studied me, his thickly framed glasses covering his eyes.

I should have guessed that this was what they were going to talk to me about. Whenever my schooling was brought up around them, this was always how to conversation went.

I folded my arms across my chest and narrowed my eyes, "I'm perfectly happy in the program that I'm in now." I bit out, already getting tired of the conversation.

My mother let out a sigh, "Why don't you give the other program a chance, sweetheart?" I could tell she was trying to seem caring about my choices, but at the same time she wasn't. She wouldn't be asking me to switch my program if she cared so much.

"I really enjoy this program though-"

Mark cut me off, seeming to have a nasty habit of doing so. "Think about it, hun. You could graduate and go to Law School, and become very successful." I found myself chuckling and shaking my head at them both, shutting my eyes for a moment.

It was getting harder to keep my calm composure at their constant nagging.

"I'm going to become a psychiatrist. It's what I want." I urged in return. "I want to help people. It's what I'm good at." I opened my eyes again, watching as they both glanced at each other before my Mark spoke up again.

My mom bit her lip to keep from speaking out before Mark could.

"If you switch into the Law Program, we can guarantee your success." He paused for a moment, allowing the words to sink into my head. "You can make so much more money if you continue with our own firm." The only word that seemed to pop into my head was bribery.

This time, I actually rolled my eyes and pushed my chair out. "No. I'm not switching programs. This is something I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life, and I have no interest of being miserable all of it." I sucked in a breath, watching as my mother frowned and Mark hardened his jaw. "You guys have given me everything in life, and I am very thankful for that, but I don't see myself as a lawyer. I really don't. If you need someone to take over the practice; find someone else or sell it." I finished with a deep breath.