Free Web NovelChapter 150: Mother knows best (4)
Slap!
It took Regina a second to register that her mother had slapped her for speaking her truth. Her face stung from the slap but Regina didn’t allow it to show. "Really mother? It took you this long to punish your children? I mean honestly, there were some questionable things we did when we were much younger that deserved a smack but me speaking the truth gets me one?"
Regina chuckled, feeling more amused than hurt at this moment. "Parents should lead by example and have to sit and watch you be upset with Minnie or father not sticking up for you, I’ve come to hate marriages."
What she and Aurora found about Minnie killing their grandfather and having an affair, helped seal the deal that she truly would not enjoy being married. There was too much drama. She didn’t want to be obedient to her mother-in-law for the rest of her life. Given her own personality, Regina knew she might strangle the woman in her sleep. She definitely did not want a husband who could not stand for her or was a little boy to his mother. Then they were the ones who cheated or abused their wives.
The only reason she wanted a husband right now and accepted the fate of marriage was for her own benefit. Then afterward, she planned to get a divorce and live her life in peace not carrying what her peers might have to say. They should pay attention to their own marriages.
"You have always been a rotten child," Rachel said, itching to slap her daughter again but she knew the first time was a mistake. She never meant to hit her daughter.
"I’m glad you could finally admit it but I can also admit you have been a rotten mother. Don’t look at me like that. There’s something wrong when I could tell from a young age you favored Samuel more. To be fair, father has always loved me a tiny bit more than Samuel but he treated us the same. He has a softer heart for me but he never made Samuel feel excluded as you did."
Rachel didn’t like the fact that Regina could just stand there and question her abilities as a mother. "I have loved both of you equally. Have you forgotten all of the things I have showered you with? The fancy dresses, the parties, the toys, and everything else? Have you truly forgotten it all?"
"The dresses I will admit that I enjoyed but the other things were forced for me to like. I don’t like the majority of the people you forced me to be friends with. I don’t like the parties you made me attend just to parade me around the young bachelors like I am a piece of meat for them to decide if they want. You pay the most attention to me when you want me to get married. Is that all life has to offer me? Get married and have children? Do I mean nothing without it?"
Marriage was the only thing her mother ever spoke to her about. Each time her mother scolded her about something it concerned her not acting right followed by the lecture about how she won’t be able to get married. From a young age till now, Regina had only heard her mother speak of marriage. It went to the point her mother grew jealous that Aurora, who rarely left the house, would steal the spotlight of potential suitors for her daughter.
"Marriage, dance classes, knitting classes, motherhood classes, a guide on how to throw tea parties classes, I am losing my freaking mind the more I attend one of those classes. I would have loved it if you paid the same attention you gave to Samuel towards me. I don’t see you in a hurry to get him married off."
"Regina, there are rules when it comes to girls-"
"That could’ve stopped if mothers who had to endure it put an end to it. It’s crazy how people have gone through something so judgemental where they were scrutinized by society as their mothers tried to practically auction them off and then turned around and do it to their daughters. I am amazed at how I can love and hate you at the same time," Regina held her head down for a brief moment to hide her tears forming. She was not going to show her mother that side of her.
"Maybe it’s a generational curse and I will let my sons do as they want while I put my daughters in a box and prepare them to be married. You’ll ask Samuel how he is doing but then turn to me and scold me for whatever the hell my teachers told you. Good job mother," Regina looked up to her mother again. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
"You..." Rachel trailed off, not sure what to say to her daughter. She was certain she treated her children equally. Regina needed to understand that girls had a clock ticking down when they wouldn’t be wanted by anyone even if they had a lot of wealth behind them.
"Are you going to call me ungrateful? Go ahead because maybe I am. Maybe there are a lot of girls who wish they had a mother like you to help them get married quickly. At least admit one thing to me mother, is marriage what you dreamt it to be when your mother was helping you catch suitors’ attention? If you say yes, I’ll quietly listen to everything you ask of me and I will tell father I won’t work. You don’t have to guess what will happen if the answer is no. And don’t lie, I can spot them very easily."
"Yes," Rachel answered without a second thought.
"Wrong answer mother. Last chance to be honest and you blew it but what can we do when this family is full of liars? Just know mother, I’ll make you regret putting all your faith in one child. This generational curse of how daughters are treated will end with you. As my father said, please pick out a good business for me to run," Regina smiled like she normally would around a company she didn’t enjoy being around. "Good day mother. I won’t be attending those classes after all."
Furious, Rachel raised her trembling hand to slap her daughter again. She did everything to the best of her abilities when it came to being a mother. Regina would never understand the things she struggled with to make sure her children were better than everyone else.
Regina caught her mother’s hand before she could be slapped again. "With all due respect mother, the first time caught me off guard, and in your eyes, I deserved that one. However, I won’t stand back and be slapped again just because you don’t like to hear what I have felt growing up. It’s funny how predictable you are. I didn’t expect you to apologize for making me feel how I felt and I don’t expect that you will approach me differently in the future and try to do things that don’t concern me getting married."
Regina continued to say, "There are many other things mothers and daughters can do without it concerning marriages or parties. I enjoy speaking with someone I care about and listening to what is on their mind. This is why I found comfort in being around Aurora. Why can’t I get that comfort from you? Well, too late. I really wish you hadn’t lied about marriage earlier, mother. I hear a lot of things and know what went down when you were offered to marry my father. What is it that your mother said? Kill her for all you want as long as they get the deal Minnie offered?"
It wasn’t a secret that her mother’s parents had practically sold her to Minnie after they were offered a great deal of money for the land they owned and Minnie so desperately wanted. It was written that the family could only sell off the land to their daughter’s husband so Minnie proposed Rachel marry Nathaniel. After Minnie got what she wanted, she didn’t care about Rachel. That was what the rumors Regina heard said and she believed them because of the relationship Minnie has with her mother.
She didn’t agree with how Minnie would go overboard and poke at her mother but at the same time, Regina didn’t like that her mother was setting her up for this same kind of life.
Rachel was shocked to hear that what happened during her engagement to Nathaniel had reached her daughter’s ear. How could she forget how her parents just gave her away and after she saw how Minnie truly was, Rachel didn’t want to get married to Nathaniel even though she had fallen for him. Her parents turned their backs on her after she got married and if she were to divorce Nathaniel they wouldn’t take her back.
They didn’t after she told them Minnie had attempted to poison her so that Nathaniel could remarry. She had to endure Minnie’s ways for over two decades. She had lied to Regina about marriage and deep down started to regret her answer.
