"SERIOUSLY!"
Caroline's mom (unlike Klaus's mom) had more or less real-time information on the blind date that her child had gone on. The mothers these days, whether they are rich or not, apparently don't have any time to watch dramas on television because they are too busy spending all their time plotting or devolving their child's romantic relationships. And why not? It's better to be part of the action than to merely watch, right? In any case, Caroline's mom appeared to care not too much whether her daughter is playing the field or whether her daughter has been made progress or not, so long as she gets married off and out of the home. This seems rather crude, but moms like Caroline's are judged by their children's success, and like it or not, more often than not, superficial success for a woman begins with a successful marriage. Not that it appears likely that Caroline is headed in that direction.
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Caroline's toxic spew of omelet, pancakes and rather hot Coffee and, has leveled the playing field, yeah Caroline actually spit on Klaus square on the face, and who wouldn't, come on he scared the shit out of her, and she practically choked on her food. Caroline took deep breath to calm herself, "When hell freezes!", she snapped after the initial shock subsided down, Klaus was busy wiping his face, and didn't utter a word, sure he knew it won't be piece of a cake, but he didn't expect to receive it this hard!
When they finished their eventful breakfast, Klaus put his BOSS face on and said they were late for work, but this time Klaus no longer walks 12 steps behind Caroline, but abreast. This is how it works. 'I mess up your potential love of your life, and you get to vomit and spit on me. We're even'
"Let's take a cab" Klaus suggested, "I would rather take the bus, you know being cheaper and all" Caroline replied bluntly. "Come on now love, I'll pay", but Caroline refuses outright "No, I'd rather not be part of that kind of dirty exchange". This was incomprehensible to Klaus; he didn't get it, what's so wrong about getting a free ride? But from Caroline's perspective, the ride wouldn't be free even if Klaus would have done it anyway without her.
What Caroline has learned from an early age but Klaus has never had to learn, is that money is never free. It costs something to the person who gives, and it costs something to the person who takes.
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Right before they arrive at the restaurant for work, Caroline can't keep it any longer "Why me?" she enquired, "What?" Klaus asked, "I mean there are so many women who would gladly pillage of a village to have the chance at a relationship with you, fake or real, why continually pester me about it?" Caroline asked confused, "well sweetheart, since we can't stand each other, there's no chance for a real relationship, now is it?", Caroline was little offended, "true, Jerky McJerks like you aren't my type anyway" she snaps, "and my type doesn't include violent drunks who wet themselves". Caroline turned to leave, but grabs her Klaus her again "How much money will it take to do the pretend-dating thing?" Klaus asked bluntly, Caroline groaned angrily and turned around. He doesn't get it does he? You cannot buy a person without consequences. There is a steep price to be paid by the person who is bought.
Caroline entered the restaurant late and realized it's the first wine class day and she late. She is chided by the former school teacher Manager Lu and by Chef Alaric for being tardy.
But then Klaus strolled through and said, "Don't be too hard on her. She's late because we spent the whole night together."! There is an important life lesson here. You can make it perfectly clear that you are not going to pretend-date your boss, but sometimes that doesn't matter. It's not going to be easy working for Klaus, is it?
Caroline engulfed in her daily routine, and tried her best to avoid Klaus all day, and at the night still flummoxed as she arrived at the bus stop near her home. Then she saw someone sitting at a bench, her second older sister, who was supposed to be happily married and living in England, was waiting for her, she gasped in surprise "Jenna?" Hey, that's the aisle-seat woman from the airplane!
"Hi little sis" Jenna said, "What are you doing here?" Caroline asked with confusion evident in her voice, "Well I'm not here visiting, wow I must say you've got even bigger", "Don't get off the subject, missy" Caroline pulled her authority tone, pointing accusation finger at her sister, even thought Jenna was older its Caroline who was always acting older, "it's over Care, Logan and I are done" Jenna said simply shrugging, but Caroline sensed hurt and sadness in her voice, "What happen Jen?" she asked softly concerned, "We got divorced" Jenna said in the same tone, Caroline was stunned, she didn't understand how her sister was cool about this, she knew how much her sister was in love with Logan, and now her she is telling her it's simply over, that they got divorced, As they were discussing how to break the news of Jenna's divorce, a shrieking sound followed by something breaking was heard inside the house before the door burst open and an angry Liz with a broom in hand, the sisters looked at their mother knowing very well what was coming, they were glad that at least she was holding broom instead of a loaded gun! Their mother could get moody some times, "What? Mary Jane Forbes, you are DIVORCED!" Caroline quickly moved out the way of their raging mom, with a look that said 'she all yours!
But Jenna is no dummy of course, and grabbed her younger sister as shield, while the mom threw hay-makers. Caroline kept dodging her mother's aims at Jenna who unfortunately was hiding behind her. "Mom…mom wait MOM! Ouch you hit me" Caroline yelped, "Move away then, stop shielding her" Liz scolded her daughter, "I'm not, Jesus just hear her out" Caroline tried to reason with her mom, the two kept arguing as Caroline tried her best to wiggle her clingy sister off her, "He Cheated on me" Jenna blurted out, the two halted their movements and stared at her, she moved so she was facing both of them, "He was having an affair, so I ended it" she added, both Caroline and Liz were giving a different look than before, and she was getting nervous by their silence, she noticed her mom shaking her head, "Oh baby, come here" Liz opened her arms for her daughter compassionately, Jenna quickly hugged her mother getting lost in her warm embrace, Caroline felt a little out of place as she watched the two drift to their own world until Liz said "come here you too" and she joined the group hug, Liz could be described though, but there is one thing for sure, she loved her girls more than anything in this universe, and she'll do anything to keep them safe, and they knew it too.
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"So he got the mistress and I got the New York condo apartment, win-win for me", Jenna said as she sipped at her glass of wine, Liz urged that she fill them all the details, but Caroline's first thought was that her pool of competitors for single men just grew by 1. "I knew he was trouble, and I didn't like him a bit, but this is partly your fault too" Liz said pointing a finger at Jenna, "but mom he's the one who cheated, I'm an innocent victim" Jenna quickly defended herself, "maybe so but not entirely, you should take responsibility for your decisions which included marrying a complete nimrod" Liz said sternly, a satisfied smile creeping on her face when Jenna lowered her head admitting the truth in her mother's words. "Alright, enough with the morality codes, let's talk about how you poured the hot soup over that cheating ex-husband of yours and his bitch, huh?" Caroline suggested trying to lighten up the mood, her mother gave her a disapproving look, "what? I just want know how my sister defended her honor and made an eternal mark on him, I bet the look on his face was priceless!" Caroline giggled, Jenna had a proud smirk while Liz shook her head the girls, but still she couldn't help the smile off her face.
The next day Caroline arrived at work with a smile blasted on her face, it was an interesting night for her, they stayed up all night catching up and chatting and she was happy they were family again, "Oh My Gosh!" Caroline heard a well known high pitched voice behind her, turning around she met a familiar overrated matching face, 'Oh boy!' she thought, "Caroline? Caroline Forbes, I can't believe my eyes" Caroline was enveloped in a tight hug, "Hayley! It's been a while" Caroline chocked in her breath, the girl's cheerfulness was killing her literally, Hayley Archer is Caroline's high school classmate, Hayley and Caroline have a weird relationship that borders on friendship since they've known each other for so long – it's weird because Hayley's family is on a different socio-economic class than Caroline's, they didn't interact well in school but still it was good to see her after all those years, "What are you doing here?" Hayley asked after releasing Caroline from the little prison of embrace, "Well I work here" Caroline gestured to her work uniform, "Wow! So you finally made it, cakes were always your thing; I though wonder why I haven't seen you around Bon Appétit, since Klaus and I have been close forever", Caroline quirked an eyebrow at her statement, but she didn't want ask anything, because she didn't want to know what being 'close forever' with Klaus mean, "I just started working here recently, and I wasn't exactly walking around" Caroline added awkwardly, Hayley just nodded, "So what brings you here?" Caroline asked, "I came to make reservations for my engagement party to be held at Bon Appétit" Hayley eyes lit up with excitement, Caroline's eyes widened, although that didn't surprise her, Hayley's family were loaded, and so they can afford to pull out all the stops for her wedding announcement, "Wow! Congratulations then" Caroline said, "And since I'm having my engagement party at Bon Appétit, it is you who will be making the engagement cake" Hayley said determinately, "Ok fine by me, but who is the lucky guy?" Caroline asked with smile on her face, Hayley pointed her finger behind Caroline biting her lip, but Caroline lost her smile as she turned around to see… Tyler, yep her ex of an ass is back. And he has new flame and fiancée.
Hayley made quick introduction between the duo, despite her shock, Caroline didn't reveal anything. And of course, Tyler didn't say anything and rather cowardly pretended not to know Caroline. And then Hayley excused herself to the rest room, and skipped to the back office room, "You work hard these days?" she asked, Klaus had his back turned to her and was reviewing a file in his hand, "And what makes you say that?" he shot back with tone of indifferent, "I don't know, you're early" She said, taking calculated steps until she reached his standing form, she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged herself to his back, she sighed contently as she run her hands up and down his chest, Klaus clinched his jaw in annoyance, "Hayley, we're planning your engagement today", "So? I'm just glad to see you" she said simply, he untangled her arms around him and turned to face her, "You need to stop doing this" he said seriously, she pouted at his words "Why? I may be marrying another man, but you and I both know that you are and always be my first love", Klaus closed his eyes briefly and tried to keep the venom out his voice and said, "aren't you going to introduce me to that fiancé of yours?", Hayley's smile impossibly widened, and as she quickly grabbed his arm he was glad that at least she wasn't professing her undying love to him anymore, he let her rush him to meet that said fiancé, Klaus noted that Tyler Lockwood looked familiar but couldn't quite place him yet.
That evening, Caroline got a call from 'Mr. Asshole' the name she gave Tyler in her contacts! He asked her to meet him, and they meet up for the first time since the night he dumped her. But this time, Caroline wasn't backing down. "Are you seeing anyone?" Tyler asked after a bit, and Caroline hesitated for a micro- second before answering. "Yes", Tyler was floored, "when a person gets an arm or a leg amputated, there is a phantom pain even if the appendage is gone. And if you love someone and then it stops, how much greater would the pain be if the heart is the part that is amputated?" he flapped, "Wow! Careful there, someone may mistake that you actually have a heart" Caroline Shook her head and stood up, but she turned around to look at his eyes and said, "You know, it is weird how can truth be spoken by a person who only lies" then she turned around and left him standing his head lowered with shame.
But Tyler was right, Caroline still feels pain. That night, Caroline wept the whole bus ride home, weeping for her lost years, her youth and vitality that was destroyed by her believing in Tyler. Caroline wept in sadness but also in anger at her lost confidence in herself and the fact that she is crying at all over a piece of crap like him.
Caroline arrived home but found that all is not well. Her father's younger brother had gotten Caroline's Dad to co-sign a business loan and use the family home as collateral. Then when the business went bad, Caroline's uncle skipped town, leaving the debt to be paid by Caroline's family. The debt is big enough that even if Caroline, Jenna and their mom combine their savings, they would fall around $250,000 short. Jenna's apartment can be sold but not in time to stop the bank from taking her family home. This is a disaster
Caroline took off for work the next morning, but stopped at the gate and looked back at her yard. A montage of memories comes back to her, she remembers her dad before he passed away. The garden and the swing are all that is left of her dad now, and losing the home would mean losing her dad all over again. Then Caroline made a decision, she is left with no choice but to awkwardly accept Klaus's offer for cash in return for pretend-dating.
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A/N: Hi everyone, wow! It's been so looooog right? I had some family issues, and school was getting on me, But now I'm back and I'll try to update regularly as soon as I know what you think about the story.
Sooo what you think of this chapter, the aisle seat woman is finally revealed, phew! One out and one more to go, stay tuned to find out more, and please be generous and drop me a review.
Xoxo
~Camille~