DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything!

Chapter 2: Tradition

Previously…

"Mom Chad is cheating on me." She heard her mother sigh on the other end. "How long?" "For the majority of the marriage. I've been trying to ignore it but I just can't take it anymore… I'm leaving him."

"I'm coming over." Taylor's mom said shortly before hanging up the phone. Taylor sighed and proceeded to put on some clothes to be presentable to mother. Half an hour later she heard the doorbell ring and she rushed to the door. As she opened it her mother scoffed, "Honestly Taylor! This is what you have a housekeeping staff for!" "Nonsense mom I was standing so close by- " " Well it's their job that's all I'm saying." She brushed pass Taylor sitting daintily on the couch giving her daughter the once over. "You look like hell." "Thanks mother! But I'm not really in the best of situations right now." "Ah that's right, nothing like a little infidelity to steal away young love's innocence." She said calmly almost … laughing. Taylor became angry at her mother's reaction, or lack thereof. "This is serious! My marriage is falling apart and all you can do is laugh!" "Oh Taylor dear, you were always so dramatic. Come over here, sit next to mama." Taylor just stared at her in disbelief not moving an inch.

"Hmmm, let's see how can I explain this to you?" She sat there and pondered her words then began again. "We, as wives of powerful men, have to put up with a lot but it is a sacrifice we have to make to have a great life. He may be stepping out on you, but it's you he comes home to and you he loves." Taylor was shocked. "But I don't understand, If your husband really loves you then he wouldn't ch-" "Listen, your father cheated for years with the same woman but he never gave her a ring." She said smugly holding up her left hand revealing the large diamond cut. "Their relationship never left the hotel room. He has never taken her on any expensive vacations, believe me I would find out, and he has never given her what he's given me, a great life." Taylor shook her head. "Do you know who she is?" "Of course I do, although she doesn't know that I know, she works at his office. I see her at the company picnics and outings and she smiles in my face but she's always disappointed when your father doesn't say more than two words to her. It's funny you know she's been sleeping with him for ten years and she still has the same secretary job, no promotions, nothing. " She chuckled cruelly.

"But mom that's no way to live! He's out there doing whatever he wants and you just sit home and keep the sheets warm!" "Don't you dare get all high and mighty with me young lady! I love my husband and he loves me! I have a wonderful luxurious life, beautiful children, and a credit card at my disposal with no limit if I may add. He treats me like a queen and I could not ask any more of him than that." Taylor was silent letting the words settle in. "Well mom I'm sorry but I'm not going to stay with a man for thirty years who doesn't respect me!" "Oh please you are not leaving that man!" Taylor looked at her mother as if she'd grown another head. "What do you mean I'm not leaving him? I'm a grown ass woman and if I want to go I can." "You ungrateful child, do you know how much your father and I have invested in this marriage? Your marriage into the Danforth family connects our corporations. You know that black high society has to stick together and you will not ruin our family name." Taylor stood up and paced up and down the room. This can't be real. Is this why he married me, my family fortune? All those years we dated… were they fake?

"So what this is a partnership?" She finally said, her voice shaky from her threatening tears. "In a way yes…" She walked over to the window and looked down at the busy streets. "So this was arranged?" " In so many words yes." She continued peering out at the passing cars. " He never loved me, he just proposed because of my last na-" "No Taylor that wasn't it at all! You guys were in love, we just helped it along, having you become friends at a young age, scheduling play dates. We knew that if we were going to do this you two should at least be in love, so we did everything in our power to make sure that you fell for each other." Taylor sighed. "But that is so unnatural. Forcing us to be around eachother until we grow feelings that's sick. He didn't really love me, I was just the only girl he was allowed to date as he was the only guy I could date. This whole marriage is out of obligation, any feeling that was here before has died right now."

"What are you going to do now Ms. Grown- Ass- woman? Hmm? Where will you go if you leave your dear husband? What will you do, you have no job, you've never had one." "I went to school an-" "Oh please child you went for Dance! What on Earth could you do with that degree even if it is from Columbia?" " I could teach." "Really? And how far will that salary get you? Not even half of an apartment's rent. Think about it honey." She stared at her daughter for one more hard moment and then let herself out.

Taylor sat and pondered her mother's words. As much as she hated to admit it they were painfully true. She had never been on her own; there was never any need for it. Her parents always took care of her expenses without her having to ask, then when she married Chad they had discouraged her from getting a job as they had done throughout her life. She never thought they were doing it to trap her. When they told her she could study anything she wanted, it never crossed her mind that there were ulterior motives. If she were going to leave Chad, she would have to wait until she saved up enough to land on her feet. It may go against everything she believed in right now but it was essential to her survival. Sure it would hurt to see her husband day in and day out knowing where he's been and what he's been doing, but she could get through it. It would take a while to lose that emotional connection but she could numb herself to the pain for the time being.