Chapter 3

• Really?
• "Took you long enough." Leopold's voice (as always) woke her from her many thoughts, forcing her to be all that she didn't feel she was.
• Elegant.
• Poise.
• Flawless.
• A doting wife.
• An exceptional mother.
• A woman.
• Regina hadn't felt like a woman since…
• Never.
• "I wanted everything to be perfect for Audrey's arrival. That is what you want. Isn't it?" Regina held her chin up high, hoping to throw Leopold off and not have her late arrival become another discussion behind a closed door later.
• There was a chuckle mixed with a hum that escaped him, sounding amusing but also quite sarcastic to Regina.
• "You're finally learning." He held his head up high, but in a more smug manner that Regina wished she could slap- no- punch her way through.
• She hated that smug look on his face.
• That look that told her that she was worth nothing. That look that would stare down at her, and step on her like an ant meeting a fucking boot.
• She was worth more than that, damn it!
• Oh, please. She hissed at herself, waking herself up from whatever fucking dreamland she found herself in. You are nothing. If you were worth more, you would have stood up for yourself, you would have done better. You would run away!
• But she was nothing. She felt like nothing. Saw herself as nothing.
• Yeah- twenty four (exactly the age of their daughter) would do that to you.
• Could you blame her?
• As both Leopold and Regina made their way outside, in front of the house, acting and posting like a picture perfect couple, a yellow bug approached. A strange vehicle Regina did not recognize as her daughter's.
• What was going on?
• At least Leopold and Regina could both agree on the mutual estranged feeling in that moment.
• Whoever this was pulling into their driveway with that vehicle the color of a bright new sunshine wasn't their daughter.
• Did Audrey buy a new vehicle without alerting them?
• What on earth was going on right now?
• To both Leopold and Regina's knowledge, their daughter drove a silver Porsche (as it was her father's request to do so).
• The yellow bug (which looked a little beat up) parked its way inside the driveway of their home before one door, followed by the other opened up and a familiar face smiled its way toward her doting parents.
• "Hi!" Elise a slender young woman greeted her parents by rushing toward them on their way out of the yellow Volkswagen in the tightest hug imaginable.
• "My sweetheart!" Regina could hear a rich laugh escape Leopold's throat. A rich laughter that was just for show. She knew that well.
• Leopold always flaunted himself as being this perfect father to their daughter. And yes, maybe in his own twisted, manipulative way he was.
• But he was far from the perfect father. Or perfect husband, at that.
• Regina just wished anyone could see what she was going through as clear as day.
• But, no one could.
• That was her reality.
• Time to put on her best fake smile. Because that's all her smiles were now.
• "How you've grown!" Leopold smiled genuinely at his daughter as he took a good hard look at her.
• "Please! Not by much!" Elise grinned, pushing herself away from her father's tight-overly protected grasp and finding her way over to her mother's loving motherly embrace. "Hi, mom! Oh, it's so great to see you! How I've missed you guys!"
• Regina's eyes couldn't help but close on her as she hugged her daughter- tightly. Even more tightly than Leopold had a moment ago, and judging from Elise sudden pull away from her, Regina could only guess that her over-motherly embrace was too obvious.
• "Ahem!" It was Leopold's throat clearing that tore mother and daughter apart in an instant. "Audrey- aren't you going to introduce us to your friend?"
• "Oh!" Elise smiled, and in that exact moment that she smiled, Regina's eyes moved over to the blonde girl that was now standing a bit closer to them. With a duffel bag of her own hanging over her shoulder.
• Whoever she was, and from what Regina could tell- she didn't quite seem like Elise 'stype. She wore tight dark blue jeans, a pair of converse to match them that weren't unkempt to begin with along with an old looking red leather jacket.
• "I'm sorry, babe." She smiled kindly toward the blonde girl, who seemed to smile back in an understanding manner before Leopold and Regina's daughter turned her attention back to her parent's. "You guys- this is Sophia . She's my girlfriend."
• Emphasis on the word 'girlfriend,' Regina could notice that tone well. It was tragically the same tone Leopold used on her when he used the word 'wife.'
• And, that made her frown upon meeting Sophia for the first time in her life.
• Sophia approached them with the utmost beat and most beaming smile Regina had ever seen in her entire life. "Mr. and Mrs. White- it's an absolute pleasure. Audrey has told me a great deal about you." She stretched out her hand, which Leopold was firm in shaking first.