She sat at desk crying. They had searched for hours and had come up with nothing. Her mother was so disappointed in her that for once in all the years since she had been alive, she was scent to her room. Tears now rapidly flooded down her face; how could she have lost the one thing that would secure hers and her mother's futures for life? Rebecca came barging into her daughter's room. Anger had replaced any love or affection that she had for her daughter. Gwen utterly afraid of what her mother would do to her. Rebecca approached her daughter quickly and grazed her cheek with her hand. The sting that was left behind didn't hurt her as much as the shock of slap did.
"You ungrateful bitch, how could you loose that precious dress? Do you know how hard it was to fine that dress. That dress is the key to the Crain fortune; you may not think so but believe me it is. Guys like sexy yet sophisticated women and that dress had all those qualities and much more. You would have looked like a queen not a princess in that dress." Rebecca said.
"I'm sorry mother." Gwen cried.
"Sorry, is not going to bring that dress back. Gwen do you know what this means?" Rebecca asked her.
"Yes mother." Gwen said.
"What does it mean then?" Rebecca asked her.
"It means that I will have to look extra hard for that dress." Gwen said.
"Gwen we have less than a week until the ball. Why did you have to go pull some crappy stunt?" Rebecca asked.
"I didn't mean to." Gwen said.
"Well, I don't want any excuses. I want answers and I want them now." Rebecca said.
"I told you that I took the dress off and placed it on my bed and when I came back for it, it was gone." Gwen said.
"Now I have to go and find you another dress. Gwen I won't be able to find you another dress that will be able to match the equality of your previous dress." Rebecca said.
"Yes, I know that." Gwen said with sorrow.
"Get dress in your finest winter dress. We're going to Ivy's to have tea." Rebecca said.
"Am I going there to meet Ethan?" Gwen asked hopefully.
"No, you, Ivy, and I are going to have tea. This will give you the chance to get acquainted with your soon to be mother- in-law." Rebecca said.
"Yes mother." Gwen said.
"Oh and by the way if you screw this up, I'll make you wish that you weren't Hotchkiss." She said.
Gwen sat on her bed and wiped the tears off her eyes. She had screwed up and unleashed her mother's anger upon her. Gwen found her best dress and sat down to comb her hair and get ready for the evening. As she was coming down the stairs she could hear mother and father talking.
"She lost the dress Jonathan." Rebecca said.
"She what? Now how's she suppose to get Ethan to marry her?" He asked her.
"Well, maybe she can impress him with her award winning smile. Gosh I can't believe she would play around with our lives like that." Rebecca said.
"Her marrying a Crain was our best chances of finally taking over the Crain industry." He said.
"Why couldn't she have been born more beautiful?" Rebecca asked in a sad tone.
"Your side of the family my dear. Make sure that she doesn't mess this tea party up." He said.
"Oh don't worry I've already warned her about what happens if she does." Rebecca said.
"Good my dear." He said.
"Mother, Father, what are you talking about?" Gwen asked.
"Oh nothing dear." Rebecca said.
"I'm ready to go now." Gwen said.
"Why of course you are?" Jonathan said.
"Come dear it's time to go." Rebecca said.
They got into the car and drove off to the Crain mansion. This was the first time that Gwen had ever been there. When they arrived at the house, they were greeted by Ivy Crain and Sheridan Crain.
"You must be Gwyneth Hotchkiss." Ivy said.
"Yes mam." Gwen said.
"I'm so very pleased to meet you. This is my sister-in-law, Sheridan Crain. Why don't you young ladies go ahead into the conservatory. We'll join you in a few minutes." Ivy said.
And that was the beginning of Gwen Hotchkiss and Sheridan Crain's friendship.
"You ungrateful bitch, how could you loose that precious dress? Do you know how hard it was to fine that dress. That dress is the key to the Crain fortune; you may not think so but believe me it is. Guys like sexy yet sophisticated women and that dress had all those qualities and much more. You would have looked like a queen not a princess in that dress." Rebecca said.
"I'm sorry mother." Gwen cried.
"Sorry, is not going to bring that dress back. Gwen do you know what this means?" Rebecca asked her.
"Yes mother." Gwen said.
"What does it mean then?" Rebecca asked her.
"It means that I will have to look extra hard for that dress." Gwen said.
"Gwen we have less than a week until the ball. Why did you have to go pull some crappy stunt?" Rebecca asked.
"I didn't mean to." Gwen said.
"Well, I don't want any excuses. I want answers and I want them now." Rebecca said.
"I told you that I took the dress off and placed it on my bed and when I came back for it, it was gone." Gwen said.
"Now I have to go and find you another dress. Gwen I won't be able to find you another dress that will be able to match the equality of your previous dress." Rebecca said.
"Yes, I know that." Gwen said with sorrow.
"Get dress in your finest winter dress. We're going to Ivy's to have tea." Rebecca said.
"Am I going there to meet Ethan?" Gwen asked hopefully.
"No, you, Ivy, and I are going to have tea. This will give you the chance to get acquainted with your soon to be mother- in-law." Rebecca said.
"Yes mother." Gwen said.
"Oh and by the way if you screw this up, I'll make you wish that you weren't Hotchkiss." She said.
Gwen sat on her bed and wiped the tears off her eyes. She had screwed up and unleashed her mother's anger upon her. Gwen found her best dress and sat down to comb her hair and get ready for the evening. As she was coming down the stairs she could hear mother and father talking.
"She lost the dress Jonathan." Rebecca said.
"She what? Now how's she suppose to get Ethan to marry her?" He asked her.
"Well, maybe she can impress him with her award winning smile. Gosh I can't believe she would play around with our lives like that." Rebecca said.
"Her marrying a Crain was our best chances of finally taking over the Crain industry." He said.
"Why couldn't she have been born more beautiful?" Rebecca asked in a sad tone.
"Your side of the family my dear. Make sure that she doesn't mess this tea party up." He said.
"Oh don't worry I've already warned her about what happens if she does." Rebecca said.
"Good my dear." He said.
"Mother, Father, what are you talking about?" Gwen asked.
"Oh nothing dear." Rebecca said.
"I'm ready to go now." Gwen said.
"Why of course you are?" Jonathan said.
"Come dear it's time to go." Rebecca said.
They got into the car and drove off to the Crain mansion. This was the first time that Gwen had ever been there. When they arrived at the house, they were greeted by Ivy Crain and Sheridan Crain.
"You must be Gwyneth Hotchkiss." Ivy said.
"Yes mam." Gwen said.
"I'm so very pleased to meet you. This is my sister-in-law, Sheridan Crain. Why don't you young ladies go ahead into the conservatory. We'll join you in a few minutes." Ivy said.
And that was the beginning of Gwen Hotchkiss and Sheridan Crain's friendship.