Like a Greek Tragedy
Part 43, by Candylyna
Candy had finished packing. She was in the kitchen cooking something for a light dinner she was going to have with Terry before they both leave for Chicago. Albert was really her uncle, by blood! She still couldn't believe it. She now had a real family. She was wondering how she ended up in a orphanage…She could've had a mother, she had a mother…and poor Anthony, she loved him so much…
Terry asked for a few days off for the holidays so he could go with Candy to Chicago for Albert's wedding. He went to his apartment to get his things.
Susanna was in the living room moping around. She was angry at her mother, so she didn't go see her at the hospital. Mabel went to see her sister alone. Michael left, but he promised her he was going to come back, to see her later tonight.
- Hi Susanna, said Terry
Susanna looked at him sulking. She was so hurt, to see him was so hard.
- I'm sorry for everything, said Terry
- No you're not! You can be with the woman you love now, with no remorse…
- Susanna…
- Even if I wasn't your sister, you would've dumped me to be with her…How could you do this to me…? I saved your life!
- And I will be forever grateful to you for that…but Susanna, I love Candy, I feel alive when I'm with her…
- I felt alive when I was with you, when you took me in your arms on that hospital roof, you gave me the will to live…I know I'm not suppose to feel those kind of feelings anymore, but I can't just shut them down…
- Nobody expects you to…What about the good doctor, what are your feelings for him?
- I don't know… he makes me feel good and he gives me hope…
- Open your heart to him, Susanna, you need it…
- Yeah, like I need to be rebounding like crazy…!
- Give yourself some time…and my door is always open, I'm your brother….
Susanna had tears in her eyes. How could life had been so cruel to her? Terry was her brother…
- I'm going to Chicago with Candy. Her uncle Albert is getting married…
- Candy?
- She lives downstairs….
- What?? She lives in this building??
Susanna just realised why Terry was always gone, but then again, she couldn't have pin point the exact moment because, Terry was always gone before too…
- I bet you spent your nights in her bed…, she said
- Susanna…
- Right, I can't be jealous anymore…! Oh Terry! You were cheating on me with her…!! Technically now you actually weren't doing anything wrong… I was doing the wrong thing!! Oh my God…
- Susanna, I'm going to go pack my things.
Terry went to his room to pack his bag and he was ready in a few minutes. When he got out, Susanna had gone back to her room. He followed her there. He found her in tears.
- Susanna, I'm leaving…Happy holidays
- Terry, she said crying…
Terry felt so sorry for her, he went and hugged her. She hungs on to him hard. She was so happy.
- Terry…How am I supposed to go on without you? My whole life since the accident, or even before that, was about being with you, our wedding…I don't know anything else…Damn my mother for her promiscuity !! But then again it wouldn't change anything…you love Candy, you've always loved her and I knew it. I was willing to wait for you for good, until you fall for me…How stupid was that? You're my brother!
She had her head on Terry's neck. She was getting a little too tender, like she wanted to kiss him… Terry felt her coming.
- Susanna!! He said pulling away from her…
- I'm sorry, she said, I don't know what's wrong with me!!
- I'm leaving, bye Susanna.
Terry left the apartment with his things and he went downstairs to Candy's apartment.
- Hi Freckles….
- Hi Terry….
- I got my stuff from upstairs…
- Oh… so we're officially living in sin?
- Well, when we come back to Chicago, you're going to be my wife….
- Oh?
- Yes, I want to marry you on the anniversary of our first meeting….
- New Year's Eve?
- Yes, the most beautiful day of my life…
- You had a weird way of showing it….
- I was a snotty nosed kid…what I really wanted to do was take you in my arms and kiss you…
- You would've gotten the slap of your life…
- I don't doubt it…he said smiling, but I fell in love with you from that moment on, from the moment I laid my eyes on you…and I never stopped…
- Maybe I fell for you back then too, but I realised I loved when I missed you at Southampton…
- So you agree to get married on New Year's Eve?
- Yes, darling, I'll marry you on the anniversary of the day you made fun of my nose…she said laughing
- I was a brat, you were so nice to me…he said hugging her, until you exploded!
They burst out laughing.
- I just saw Susanna…, said Terry
- Oh… how is she…?
- Devastated, confused… she almost kissed me again…
- What??
- She can't just shut down her feelings…
- Tell me you're not defending her!! Nobody expects her to move on that fast, but… well I don't know what I would've done if I had learned I was your sister…I should probably cut her some slack…
- You're ready to leave.
- Let's have a light dinner and we can go to the train station…
They ate and then they took the cab together to the train station. It was snowing outside…
- I remember the last time I was going to train station and it was snowing like this
- The worst day of my life, the day I let you go…
- I got sick on the train…when Archie came to pick me up, I was out of it…he took me to the manor, and the great aunt threw me out…
- Even though you were sick?
- Yes…
- Oh my God! That old hag!! How could she be so cruel?? I can't wait to see her face when she learns you're actually her grand niece…
- I hate to say it, but me too….Archie took me back to my apartment and Albert took care of me…
- Oh Freckles, I'm so sorry for everything you had to go through because I made the wrong decision that night…I started drinking the same night you left, I couldn't take our break up, the idea of not being with you anymore was unbearable…
- You think the universe was trying to tell us something? You got drunk the same night, I got sick…
- Yeah probably, but we were just too stubborn to realise it…
- How old were we again? We were kids, Terry…
- Who had to make the biggest decision of their lives without any adults advising us…
They got to the train station and took the train to Chicago. Candy had all the past memories, and she was in Terry's arms during the whole time, he chased the bad memories away. They had a private compartment in first class, unlike the time Candy took the train back all those years ago the heart in ashes, there were a lot of noisy people and she was feeling sick…
In Chicago, it was the morning. Eliza arrived at the mansion in the morning in rage. Everybody was at the table for breakfast. Eliza had the morning paper in her hand; she was followed by her brother and her mother.
- Great aunt Elroy, look at this, it's an outrage!!
- Eliza, didn't your parents taught you to say "good morning" when you interrupt everybody's breakfast? Said Flammy…
But Eliza ignored her. She gave the paper to the great aunt.
- Look at what that insipid little orphan did! This is a disgraceful behaviour! That tramp is publicly showing off, kissing another woman's man!! She's got to be banned from the family! She brought us shame with her indecent behaviour!
The great aunt took the paper and looked at the picture. Candy and Terry…The title said;
"A CHICAGO HEIRESS STEALING ANOTHER WOMAN'S MAN!?"
The great aunt was of course angry.
- Albert, how could your protégée behave like this? Doesn't she know that everything she does affect us also because you had the brilliant idea to adopt her?? Said the great aunt
- She has to be banned from the family, she's not our real family, she's adopted! You can rescind the adoption…, said Eliza
- Yes, Albert, said Mrs. Reagan, you have to rescind that adoption…which was a mistake from the beginning…
- Aunt Sarah, said Archie, after all those years, you're still obsessed in making Candy's life miserable?
- She's a slut, said Mrs. Reagan
- She's kissing the man she loves! Said Flammy
- Well he belongs to another woman, said Eliza
- That never stopped you Eliza, said Archie, why should it stop Candy?
- I can't believe you guys are defending her! Terrence is engaged to Susanna Marlowe! Your miss goody two shoes is a slut!
- Well according to that picture, said Flammy, it doesn't look like he likes Susanna very much; he'd rather be with Candy….
- And they're not even afraid to show themselves in public…, said Archie
- Knowing Candy, said Patty, I'm sure there's a logical explanation…she must be back with Terry somehow…
- No! Said Eliza, he's engaged to be married to another woman!! What is it with you and that blond? She can do no wrong?? Well she did and took our family in the mud with her…
- Albert, said Mrs. Reagan, surely you see how this is a disgrace? My Neil would've made an honest woman out her…
- Oh pleeeaase! Said Archie, that marriage would've been a sham and you know it!
- Sarah, said Albert, Candy is my adoptive daughter, and she will remain so until the end of times…I'm never going to disown her…I couldn't if I wanted to…
- What do you mean by that? Asked the great aunt
- Nothing…, said Albert
- Albert, she's making the front page news with a scandal! Said Mrs. Reagan this is inadmissible!
- What would you want Albert to do, Aunt Sarah? Throw Candy out of the Dakota? Get her kicked out of Columbia? Asked Archie, she's a member of this family and you should start to get used to it…
- I will never get used to it! Said Eliza, Great aunt Elroy…you can't condone this!
- I'm the head of the family and I…, started Albert…
- It's so good to be home to live like one big happy family! Said a voice
Everybody turned to see who was talking.
- Candy!! They all yelled
- How dare you come here? Said Eliza….
- Well, it's my father's home…, said Candy and he wants me here…
- Not if I have anything to say about it, started Mrs. Reagan
- Sarah, this is my house, and Candy is my daughter, she's welcome here anytime…, said Albert
- What about her indecent behaviour? Kissing another woman's fiancée in public…! Said Eliza
- Eliza, said Candy, what is it that got you in that state? Is it the fact that I kissed in public, because you don't give a damn about me, or the fact that it was "your dear Terrence?"
- He's engaged to another woman! Have you no shame at all? Yelled Eliza, you couldn't wait to seduce him again! Susanna lost her leg for him! You're cruel! How do you expect Susanna to keep up with you with one leg!?
Eliza was supposedly defending Susanna but she was being mean to her at the same time.
- Don't tell me this is all about Susanna's feelings Eliza, you don't give a damn about her either! Said Candy, no this is about Terrence right?
- You stole him from me in college and now you stole him from the woman he owes his life to!
- I stole him from you? Said Candy
- Yes, with your sanctimonious little act…he was in love with me…
- I was? Boy I must have missed that one big time! But I remember a girl so spiteful she set a trap for us so we would be expelled… Said another voice coming in, is that why I spit on you ? Because I was in love with you?
- Terry! Said Patty and Albert
- Good morning everybody! Said Terry
- How dare you come here with her? Said Mrs. Reagan, have you no shame?
- You bring mud in the family Candy, said the great aunt Elroy, how dare you bring your lover here? You slut!
- Madam, said Terry, with all due respect, don't call my fiancée a "slut"
- Fiancée? Said Eliza surprised…
- Yes. I'm marrying Candy, said Terry
- What?? Said Eliza
- So that picture is just a man kissing his fiancée, said Patty smiling
- But, what about Susanna? You're supposed to be engaged to her! Said Eliza, how could you dump her for that tramp? She saved your life and lost her leg in the process…
- I don't need you to remind me what happened Eliza, I was there…, said Terry
- So how could you abandon her? Said Neil, you third rate actor!
- You still have a thing for my fiancée, Reagan? Too bad for you, you're never going to have her! Said Terry
- You left you one legged fiancée, said Eliza
- Would you stop emphasising on the leg already? Said Terry
- Why? Feeling guilty? Said Eliza
- Not at all, said Terry, I'm marrying the woman I love…
- This is outrageous, said Mrs. Reagan…
- Sarah, said Albert, you said Candy was bringing shame to the family by her behaviour… well she marrying Terry, son of the duke of Grandchester…and it's still outrageous?
- She stole another woman's man! Said Eliza
- No she didn't said Terry, I've always been hers…
- But…
- Honey, let me, said Candy to Terry, Eliza, everybody, let me get you guys up to speed…Even if I wasn't in the picture, Terry and Susanna would've never married…
- How arrogant of you!! Said Eliza, that doesn't surprise me, you're selfish…
- Well I guess I managed to look like you after all, Eliza, said Candy
- Why couldn't Terry be with Susanna ? Asked Archie
- Because it was recently discovered that Terry and Susanna share the same father, said Candy
- WHAT?? Said, everyone in the dining room
- Yes, said Terry, Mrs. Marlowe apparently had a fling with my father…resulting in Susanna…
- Oh my God! Said Eliza, I can't believe it!! She always falls back on her feet!! She can be with Terrence….NOOO!! MOM!!
- There's nothing I can do, said Mrs. Reagan, she's marrying the son of a duke…
Patty stood up to congratulate them, Archie followed then Albert, Flammy, Alistair. Annie arrived, and she was surprised to see her sister with Terry, she jumped to her neck.
- I'm so happy for you, said Annie
- Thanks Annie…she said
Then Candy turned to Flammy…
- Flammy, congratulations, said Candy hugging her, I knew you two would be perfect for each other! Should I call you "mommy"?
- Don't you dare! Said Flammy laughing
Candy took Albert aside; they went in one of the living rooms. She hugged him hard.
- Oh Albert, I can't believe you're my uncle! I'm really your niece…
- You're my adoptive daughter, I'm glad I adopted my sister's baby…
- I've always loved you like a big brother…
- And I've always loved you like a daughter…
"Maybe a little more… thank God you were hung up on Terry!!" Said Albert in his head
- When are you going to tell the others that I'm Rosemary's baby? Asked Candy
- How about at Christmas? I'm marrying Flammy, announcing to the rest of the family that you're a member by blood, should be a nice present for them…, said Albert smiling
- How did they take the announcement of your engagement?
- Oh, it was the usual circus…
- I wish I was there…said Candy smiling
She hugged him again.
- I'm so happy! You're my uncle/father, I'm marrying Terry! Life is beautiful!
"And I have another surprise for you, said Albert in his head, you're going to be blown away by that one!"
