"What are you doing here?" I ask more shocked than actually wanting an answer.
"I can't be here for my daughter's wedding? Look at you, baby girl. You look so beautiful." she says with that smile that's haunted me all my life. She wears a pantsuit that oddly isn't very far off from the one I gave Katherine, with her almost light brown hair as straight as I remember it. That is the reason I've always dyed my hair dark to not look like her.
"Cut the crap, Marylyn, I know you're not here because you're happy for me." I leer at her.
"I remember the last time you called me Mom. It was the time you..."
"The time I slept with your boyfriend?" I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Ah yes, that incident. You really hurt me that day. You proved to me how much of a little slut you were. Who knows who you were screwing around town. But, why go after Roger? My Roger? Why?" she looks menacingly at me.
"News flash: I never slept with him. I got him drunk so he'd believe that he slept with me. He was so drunk he would've believed anything." I say taking a more defensive stance. "I'd hoped to take that secret to my grave but then again, I didn't think I'd see you again unless you were dead."
"That's no way to talk to your mother." she snarls.
"You were never my mother!" I shout at her and she slaps me across the face.
"Don't think for a second that you could ever overstep me. I made you into the bitch that you are today." she growls close to my ear.
"You're wrong, Mommy Dearest. I'm a major bitch in spite of you." I snarl before slapping her back and she stumbles backward.
"Look at you. You become a woman and you think you can have one on me. I remember when you were a child. You lashed out at anything and anyone. You may have been my only child and in the beginning you were so precious to me. But, after your father"
"Don't you dare! Don't you ever bring my father into anything that has to do with you! For all I know, he's dead because of you!" I scream before launching myself at her full force. Of course she side-steps me and I almost lose my footing.
"I told you, little girl. Don't think you can overstep me." she leers.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd question if you were ever human." I narrow my eyes at her. Could she be a vampire? After all this time, could she have been turned?
"I taught you everything I know. Have you forgotten your name so quickly dear? I named you Kitana to remind you of who we are. We're cut from the same violent cloth." she steps close to me and reaches out. I grab her hand and twist it behind her back.
"Let me ask you something. After my father passed and I went into that great downward spiral, did you have any idea why?" I ask close to her ear.
"I figured you were a bad apple. You did take after your father where your anger management was concerned." she shrugs.
"Now, what strikes me is that the time I've spent with my fiancé has taught me to be very keen on deception. My question for you however is, why lie to me about my childhood? You know don't you?" I ask twisting her arm even more.
"What am I supposed to know? You were grieving as a child your age should have done. No one faulted you for it. What are you blaming me for?" she grits out, I can tell by the quiver of her voice that she's hiding something.
Spinning her around and holding her by the throat "Stop with the bull! You know exactly what I'm talking about and you did nothing. I was a helpless child and you didn't defend me the way a mother should have done." I look her in the eyes.
"You're hurting me." she strains to my enjoyment. "What are you talking about? What am I supposed to know?" she grits out.
"You talk about how much of a slut you think I was. What escapes you is the fact that you changed boyfriends faster than the seasons came and went. You wonder why I was so messed up growing up? Why I'm so screwed up now? Do you realize how many men I've seen you with?" I ask looking her in the eye.
"I'm sure my numbers don't come close to yours." she says as she twists out of my hold.
"Oh, but they do. You outnumber me by a population! Do you remember your first boyfriend after Daddy died?" I ask walking away from her.
"How could I forget about Jeremiah? He was so yummy and caring. I do miss him sometimes." she says smiling and my stomach turns.
"Oh that's right. You're favorite. I'm wondering how you'd feel if you knew your favorite boy toy had your daughter first?" I sneer at her.
"What are you prattling on about?" she sneers back.
"He went for you because he raped me, Mother. You were so blind that you didn't see the looks he gave me. You didn't care to see the little touches from him that had me screaming on the inside. You were blinded by your own ignorance that you didn't even notice that your daughter was a recluse." I snarl.
"Oh, stop being so dramatic. Jeremiah didn't lay a hand on you. I will not have you talking about the dead like that!" she grabs my wrist.
"You don't believe me?" I ask unbelieving. "After all these years I'm still a liar to You. I was eight! How could you not tell that something was wrong?" I glare at her.
"What I could tell is that you were traveling down a very dark path and you wouldn't let me into your world. I was the enemy. You pushed ME away." she snaps at me.
"Do you hear yourself? Do you have any idea what I'm telling you? Or is it that you never understood the full picture because you cared too damn much about what was in his pants more than your own daughter?" I snarl and she reaches out to slap me again but I catch her arm.
"I loved you! With everything I was, I loved you."
"That's a load of bull. If you gave a damn about me, you would've opened your eyes. What child is so angry with everything and everyone that they lock themselves in their room? You don't believe me? Connor was there. Even though he couldn't protect me, he was there for me when you weren't. He was and will always be the person that keeps me from being rid of you." I snarl.
"Rid of me? You'd kill your own mother?" she asks shocked.
"As far as I'm concerned the mother that I loved died when my father passed. There were many times that I wanted to end you. Because, you did teach me to be like you. No one knows what I can do with a sword. But you do. And many times I wanted to slice into you. Just because I could." I step close to her. She snarls, spits in my face and we break out into an all out war. Once she's separated herself from me, she finds a solid gold crucifix across the room and hurls it in my direction. Making the mistake of turning my back on her, I dodge it and it breaks one of the mirrors the makeup ladies setup. She takes the opportunity to lunge at me again as the glass shatters. The doors fly open and in seconds we're both being restrained.