A/N: Chapter 8!
In all actuality, the first time this came to me, I forgot all about 4:18, Tick, Tick, Tick, Boom, so I thought that I didn't have enough of this character to go off of. But now that I remembered, I think I have enough to create a back-story…
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Chapter Eight – Carol Stiles
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When you were a trophy wife in a civilized society, the wives of your husband's business associates were your friends. The wives of your husband's business rivals were your enemies.
Because whether you liked it or not, your husband controlled your life.
Wives relied on their husbands for everything. In a social class such as this, women working, bringing in income, was frowned upon.
Carol Stiles had been good friends with Emily. They had a lot in common.
As wives of experienced businessmen, they lived very similar lives. Their husbands were often gone, and because of the men's status on the social ladder, they attended and planned numerous functions and meetings.
She remembered the long evenings that they spent with the other ladies, discussing their husband's most recent business accomplishments.
Carol also remembered the chats that she and Emily shared, privately.
It seemed so… childish and juvenile to call Emily Gilmore her 'best friend'. But that's what she'd been, back when Richard had worked for Floyd.
They'd shared their dreams with each other, as well as their fears. Just before Richard had quit, they'd been planning to take a vacation to Europe, the two of them.
It would've been fun.
When she'd heard that Richard left the business, she was devastated. She knew what this meant for her friendship with the Gilmores.
That was the first time she'd ever felt truly alone.
She'd turned pale from spending so may days indoors. All she did was plan functions and attend tea parties with women who she was expected to call her friends. She became withdrawn, and, even when she spent time at social events, she kept to herself.
Slowly, she'd slipped into depression.
And her husband didn't notice.
Not that she'd expected he would.
When he'd told her that they were going to dinner at the Gilmore house, she'd been happy.
But his explanation of what they were doing there wiped the smile right off her face.
Her husband expected her to betray the woman who, though only in her own mind, was still called her best friend. She was asked to make polite, friendly small talk with someone while her husband went around ruining a family's life.
But her husband told her to do it, so she did.
That was how things worked.
She spoke calmly to her long-time friend as her husband went about his sly business just a few rooms over. She told humorous stories about various family members. She acted as if they were 'never going to let the business come between them again' as the voices began to rise slightly down the hall.
And after spending time catching up with Emily, she left her sitting in her torn-apart household.
The look on her face had broken Carol's heart.
She managed to keep it together, though, until she arrived home. After locking herself in the bathroom, she stayed in there for several hours with only her tears and thoughts to keep her company.
In the end, she came to the conclusion that there was nothing she could do.
Because Floyd was in charge of her life, after all.
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To Be Continued…