Chapter 8

The Devil Wears Prada

Lydia James was always a woman of means and opportunity, from the days of her childhood til the woman you see before you .As a young girl Lydia wanted the high life and from the time she turned 13 she was determined to get it. You see Lydia's family wasn't poor by any stretch of the imagination they just weren't rich. Her father Ed spent 20 years as a construction worker while Lydia's mother Julia was a homemaker caring for Lydia and her 2 siblings.

Lydia vowed to never become her mother, if a woman didn't work she should as least have a good reason for it and in Lydia's eyes ,motherhood was just not enough. She had her life all mapped out, snag herself a young ,rich, handsome husband that could provide her with the life she always dreamed of. The day of her 18th birthday Lydia left home to find the life she thought she deserved, leaving her parents devastated along with her twin siblings Karen and Keith who were to young at the time to really understand. Lydia left her family behind never looking back as she had more important things to worry about.

Lydia took off to New York City ,if you could make it there you could make it anywhere, she thought. She quickly familiarized herself with all of the city's hotspots and clubs that were frequented by high society. One night as Lydia gave up on having a good time she met Jimmy James, he was the heir to his father's business and up and coming mini mogul in his own right. Lydia hit the jackpot. After a whirlwind romance of Jimmy wining and dining her, he proposed 7 months after they began dating. Lydia had made her dreams come true ,she was becoming everything she planned on ,the future wife of a rich man, not mention the envy of women everywhere.

The wedding was right out of fairytale and when Jimmy suggested Lydia invite her parents or any family Lydia spun him a tale of growing up in a orphanage and not knowing her family, after all she couldn't have common folk at her wedding. Jimmy accepted her story, there was no reason to believe the woman he loved with all of his heart was being deceitful.

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Lydia lived the high life, she could always be seen at all the fashion shows, parties and anywhere else a young rich bride was expected. Life couldn't be more perfect for her, that is until that fateful day when Lydia realized she was with child. Jimmy was ecstatic , the woman he loved more then life itself was carrying his child. Lydia was another story, she hated the fact that she was pregnant and to her it was a fate worse than death.

Months went by and she cursed this demon as she referred to her child for destroying her figure and exuberance for life. This brat was ruining her life and it wasn't even here on earth yet. How could she be a mother, she didn't love or want this child, it was a burden to her.

Jimmy noticed the subtle changes in his wife but after seeking the advice of a therapist he was advised to be patient with her throughout he pregnancy because women tended to change and get hormonal. The therapist reassured him that Lydia would get back to her normal self soon after the baby was born. Jimmy took her advice and continued to give her space realizing it must have been hard for his wife with such a significant change in their lives. She never was the same though.

One Sunday evening as Lydia continue to sink further in her depression the unexpected happened,she went into labor. Thankful that it was a weekend Jimmy was home and not away on some business trip she slowly walked the long hallway of their home to Jimmy's office.

"Darling?"

"Yes Dear", Jimmy responded his eyes still firmly planted on the documents on his desk.

"It's Time".

"Just put my dinner away sweetie, I'll be sure to eat it later."

'Jimmy not dinner, "the baby's coming!",Lydia yelled.

Jimmy immediately jumped from his seat shocking her with his unexpected surge of energy, he was in a panic.How could a business man of his caliber lose his cool in this situation, a man that has negotiated some of the world's biggest business deals was officially gone, now was a scared father to be who looked scared out of his mind.

Lydia was calm though and surprisingly excited, maybe the baby actually being here would give her some hope and joy and completely change her feelings on motherhood.

Rushing their way into the hospital, Jimmy dutifully pushed Lydia in a wheel chair making sure she was ok every step of the way. The birth went fairly quickly considering it was her first child. She had heard horror stories of first time mothers being in labor for long hours and Lydia wasn't sure if she could handle it, she wasn't strong enough .After six and a half hours Lydia James gave birth to a healthy bouncing baby girl weighing in at 6 pounds,9 ounces. She was absolutely gorgeous with her little round apple shaped head, the brown eyes of her father and the most chubby rosy cheeks you could ever imagine, she would definitely be a heartbreaker. Lydia was in love and Jimmy could have not been more pleased to see his wife falling in love with their angel.

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Haley was the perfect child, she always did what her parents told her to. When she was told to eat her vegetables, she ate them, when it was time for bed, she went to bed and anything else her parents requested of her she was sure to follow. Haley was the apple of her father's eyes, he was a daddy's girl and everyone knew it. Those who didn't quickly learned that if you messed with Haley James there would be hell to pay, no one dared to mess with Jimmy James daughter if they valued their life. That one simple thing burned Lydia, how could Jimmy love that little ingrate more then her. She became horribly jealous of the bond that Haley shared with her father. The little ungrateful witch, she's the one that carried that brat for 9 long months and now she worships her father, like I had some insignificant role in her being here.

"That little bitch!",Lydia thought.

Enough was enough, Lydia was fed up with all of it. She didn't love Jimmy, she didn't love Haley so why stay somewhere she felt unneeded or unwanted. She decided that day is was time for her to go, leave her husband and child behind as she did her family years ago, she found a new life back then and surely she could find one again. She was still young and beautiful and with the help of a few cosmetics surgeries that Jimmy so graciously paid for, she still had it. She was sure she would a rich new suitor in no time.

One Friday morning after seeing jimmy off to work and Haley off to school, Lydia packed her things and left never contacting her husband and child again. She was gone ,not even a note about her whereabouts or even explaining what she was thinking. That's what probably hurt Jimmy and Haley the most, she didn't even say goodbye. That was something that they all would have to live with. Lydia would have to live with the guilt of abandoning her family, and leaving a heartbroken husband and devastated child behind to wonder how the woman they loved so much could abandon them. She would have that on her head for the rest of her days, but somehow she didn't care. Life moved on and so did she, it was time for new great things in her life and she certainly could not have them with a husband and child.