*All the characters from The Mortal Instruments belong to Cassandra Clare and her incredible mind. Nothing will ever be owned by the author of this story. ;)*

Musical Preference:

Careless Whispers- George Michael

Prologue

Slap!

The only sound you will hear will be of the contact of your open hand to his cheek and your racked sobs. You will look up with your tear filled eyes and meet his gaze. He stares down at you, pain in his eyes . . . But no! You know better! This is just one of his acts! And you thought he was different . . .

w.^.w

TEN YEARS EARLIER

"You look beautiful today, mom," She walked up to where her mother, Jocelyn, was fixing herself up to go celebrate her thirty-sixth birthday. She turned around smiling and Clary hugged her. "Happy birthday."

She kissed the crown of her daughter's head. "Thanks, sweetie." she laughed. "I feel so old next to you!"

"Whatever, mom!" She smiled. "I'm getting old too!"

"As well as more beautiful each day." Clary rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Are we ready to go, girls?" Valentine walked into the room. He looked at Clary through the mirror and smiled. She smiled back before his gaze turned to Jocelyn. His eyes widened—like they did every single time—and a slow smile began to form. Clary scowled playfully. She believed that her parents were too painfully lovely. It was almost disgusting!

"Yes, we are." Jocelyn smiled walking towards Valentine and then kissing him.

"Ugh, dad. Wait until Clary and I leave at least, yeah?" Jonathan's voice sounded from behind the couple, always breaking the moment.

He came up with wide eyes towards Clary and took her arm escorting her towards the front door. She was laughing the whole way out. He took a look at her and burst out laughing as well.

"You would think that after sixteen years they would stop being a bit disgusting." John shook his head with a smile grazing his mouth.

"Me too." She laughed. "They like messing with grandma!" That brought out a fresh round of laughter from both the siblings. Their grandmother, Amelia Morgenstern, hated their mother. Still does, actually. They . . . Well, they appreciated her.

The Morgenstern family was going to have breakfast with Amelia and their grandfather, David. Jonathan and Clary were tagging along because they had invited them to the best burger place in the world: Almeir's.

Twenty minutes later, they were seated in Amelia's favorite table next to the window. They already knew she would be late, so they used the time to catch up, or just talk.

"Clary! You're fifteenth birthday is in two weeks!" Jocelyn proclaimed. Clary rolled her eyes. Everybody seems to think it was such a big deal when she just saw it as another birthday.

Valentine scowled. "Oh, Lord. You're grandmother is probably going to start talking about how you are 'coming of age'." Jonathan laughed.

"Well, she didn't do that with me last year," he said, to which Jocelyn rolled her eyes.

"For her, girls come to age at fifteen and boys at eighteen," she scoffed. "I'll never end up understanding your mother, Val."

Clary giggled as Jonathan frowned. "Is she implying something with that?"

Jocelyn glanced at her son with a smile. "She definitely is, John."

Just then, Amelia and David decided to make their appearance. "Jocelyn!" cried Amelia with faked enthusiasm. Jocelyn's back was facing Amelia, so her mother-in-law couldn't see the way she was looking at Clary. Her eyes were wide with fear as she stood up.

Clary was laughing with Jonathan as they saw Amelia hugging their mother with a big smile. David was looking over at the siblings with a smirk. Amelia's hate towards Jocelyn hadn't gone unnoticed by her husband.

"Ah, and my beautiful grandchildren!" She came to them and smacked her sticky and very red lips on their cheeks. Clary tried very hard to hide her disgust and discretely wiped it off. When she turned around, she could see Jonathan doing the same.

The beginning of the lunch was spent talking about, as predicted, Clary's birthday. Clary was sure to tune that conversation out, but then, after David had to leave for a business meeting, the conversation changed drastically.

Amelia's gossip voice came out. "Did you hear about Danielle?" Clary frowned. What had Uncle Luke's new wife done?

"No," replied Jocelyn curtly, drinking water quickly.

"Well, Valentine," she began, making sure to imply that she was talking to Valentine and not Jocelyn, "your brother is getting divorced." Valentine looked appalled but then he sighed.

"It was just a matter of time." Now it was Amelia's turn to look surprised.

"Pardon me?"

"You heard me, mother. This is Luke's fourth marriage and fifth child. Besides, you help him!" He said, looking pissed. Clary glanced over to her brother. He raised his eyebrow with a smile. He, obviously, couldn't wait to see the adults fighting.

"But Danielle has been getting more and more money out of your brother! Don't you see—" she began, but Valentine interrupted her.

"But I do see, mother. It was about time that Danielle found out about Luke's rendezvous meetings with Alexandra. And it looks even worse for you!" He took a sip from his water. Clary knew about this. In a way, she loved Uncle Luke, but the way he treated women was disgusting!

"I expect for you to explain yourself." She replied indifferently.

"Remember two months ago when you, father, and Luke went to London?" Amelia nodded. "Did Luke take Danielle? His wife?" Valentine made sure to emphasize the word.

"No, but you have to understand that it was for busin—"

"So he took Alexandra?" Valentine laughed mockingly. "Please, mother. My other brothers and you go have breakfast with her at the plaza as if she were part of the family. Clary and John know her!" That was not a lie. They had been introduced to her one day. Clary remembered because after she met her, she commented on how her head was so big she looked like a Bratz.

"Get to the point, Valentine." Amelia replied, obviously getting mad.

"Okay! I'll get to the point. You support Luke in his cheating ways." Amelia's eyes widened and her cheeks burned in contrast with her blonde hair. Clary knew her dad was right. It was one of the things Clary hated about Amelia.

"That is a lie!" She hissed.

"Okay, this is how it is. If I was cheating on Jocelyn—"

"That's different." She cut him off looking at her watch.

"How is it different? Because that is Luke and this is me?" he asked.

"No! You have a family and—"

"And Luke had one too. Actually, the question is how many does he have? How many kids? I don't even know because we haven't seen them since they were born! Now listen: Imagine I'm cheating on Jocelyn and you know who the girl is. You go have breakfast with her all the time and you act like if she was your daughter-in-law. Don't you see how wrong it is?" He demanded.

"I would kill you if you ever did that!" She said, her blue eyes sparkling with anger.

"But not Luke because he is the one with money and—"

"Shut up and listen because I haven't finished." Amelia snapped, losing her cool for mere seconds. "Alexandra was the one that told Danielle about their affair."

"Didn't see that one coming." murmured Valentine. Clary looked over at Jonathan who was grinning. Clary, unlike her brother, felt repulsed about the whole thing.

Amelia scowled, but continued as if he hadn't said anything. "And Danielle told me before she told your brother about the divorce. She said that she admired me a fair amount and wanted me to know the truth first. She said, 'Doctor Morgenstern, I have learned to respect you, but you know the way your son is. Like father like son, I always say.'" Amelia was grinning.

Valentine rolled his eyes. "Implying that father is cheating on you too." Clary shook her head. This was ridiculous. The way Amelia reacted . . . It was sickening.

"I need to go to the restroom, if you excuse me." She walked away from them without waiting for a reply.

She knew how wrong her family was. Her grandmother was a big fat liar! She changed everything to satisfy her. It was obnoxious. There were times were she would look like the warrior in shining armor and other were she would be the cunning rat sliding away from its problems. But she took the role of the rat more often.

Luke Morgenstern was the owner of his own company. He gave money to Amelia constantly, and it was obvious who, out of her four children was her favorite. His ex-wives had filled lawsuits to him for stupid reasons like, "He never loved me!" Usually, they lost. No evidence, or, Clary's favorite, "not a valid lawsuit, woman!"

Clary had imagined this being Luke's last affair. She wanted him to finally settle down and be happy. It was sickening what he did. Worst thing? The last time she had seen him, he was complaining about how both her women were asking for too much money. Of course, to keep them at the palm of his hand, he gave them whatever they wanted.

Alexandra, Luke's latest affair, knew he was married. She met the little two year old daughter. Did that stop her from seeing Luke? No. That kind of girl is what Clary liked to call a slut. A filthy and ugly bug slithering around, hunting for man with power. Clary knew that she would do anything to never be like that. She couldn't imagine herself hurting another girl...

w.^.w

Your fists will pound over and over against his perfectly toned chest. The chest that, days before, you were running your hands down. He won't do anything to restrain you; just look at you with broken eyes. For some reason, that just makes you angrier. How dare he look broken when he obviously isn't? Yelling incoherent thoughts, you back away.

"I knew you were trouble . . . I should've listened . . ." Your head will shake violently. His golden eyes will stare at the floor. For you, he will look vulnerable, but you know he is a great actor. It will just be another act. Another act . . .

Without another word, you turn on your heel and walk out the door. The tears won't stop. They never will. Although he broke your heart, you will still have hopes that he will come running after you. Tell you it was all a sick, cosmic joke . . .

But when all you will hear is your own steps and muffled sobs racking through your throat, you will realize the severity of the problem.

So, I've had this written down for a while. This idea has been bugging me a lot, and I decided: What the hell! Let's post it! :D
This is going to a AH/AU story. I don't plan on bringing Shadowhunters and the like into this. But I may bring the kids from TID into this. Maybe. ;) Most possibly.
Now, if you think this has potential, then go ahead and leave an amazing . . .

Review? :D