Page 22 of Green Lights and Obsession
Standing room only. Daisy was pretty sure every family member she knew was in this room; they were either seated or standing around the perimeter of the room. All with scowls on their face. She’d taken the only empty seat, next to her mother, near the head of the table.
Her cousin, Nick, was sitting directly across the table. He kept his face straight and wasn’t sure if he could even say anything. It had been a couple of days since she’d seen him. Since a crazy party and then her night with Gatsby. Daisy had joined Nick and Jordan for lunch before the girls headed back to the Buchanan Estate.
She did wonder what all Nick knew. Surely, he only found out about this little meeting recently or he would have told her. He would’ve given her some sort of warning that she’d be walking into the hornet’s nest. Daisy knew he wouldn’t be able to say anything now. That’s how it went in this family. You didn’t have power when the head of the family was there.
Her father, Luis Fay had taken over when his own father had passed ten years earlier. The papers said it was cancer; his father had been bedridden. The people in this room knew the truth. He’d killed his own father.
To the public, Luis Fay was a stern yet fair man. He put his family first and was always put together. Pressed suits, slicked back gray hair, neatly trimmed beard. It was the eyes that held the truth back. Those dull blue ones that Daisy sometimes liked to imagine were brighter when he was a child.
Luis wasn’t fair though. All he cared about was gaining more power and the family’s image to the public eye. It was something that he had in common with his father, and his father before him. The Family always had trusted photographers and media personnel that were paid big money to keep certain stories in or out of the news.
“When you agreed to marry into the Buchanan family, you agreed to keep things civil.” Her father leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.
Daisy laughed. “When I agreed? You mean when you held a gun to my head and made me sign the contract.”
“Daisy!” Her mother scoffed next to her.
“As a member of this family,” her father started.
“I’ve kept the image required.” She leaned back in the chair slightly and crossed her legs under the table. “I’ve kept the act of the doting wife since the ink was wet.” She rolled her eyes. “Unlike him, who has been off gallivanting with whomever.”
“That’s being handled.” Mike Fay spoke up next to her father. Her uncle was a few years younger than her father, but they looked nearly identical. His eyes were a little kinder though.
“We’re discussing your image.” Her father snapped his fingers. Another member of The Family presented a newspaper and a glass of whiskey in front of her father. Luis took a swig of his drink then held the paper up.
Selfish Fay Heiress Refuses to give Buchanan an Heir
It wasn’tthe first time a headline deemed her theSelfish Fay Heiress. The image accompanying it was obviously unflattering. A scowl on her face, no doubt in a moment of weakness. She’d have to do better in the future.
“This isn’t the look required of you.” Luis cleared his throat. “It’s been three years. You should be reproducing at this point.”
Daisy held back the laugh. Every person in this room knew of the baby that nearly happened. The one that was lost as soon as it came out of her body and into this world. Most of the people in this room did the same thing her husband did; they blamed her.
She promised herself a long time ago she wouldn’t bring a child into this family. When she was a little girl, it was her favorite game to play. House. Pretend she was the mother she always wanted. Pretend she wasn’t part of The Family. Then it happened.
The moment she’d seen those little pink lines she was scared. What if she couldn’t protect her child? She kept the smile on her face when others were looking. It was only when she looked in a mirror, a moment by herself, that she faced the truth. Then, at the end of the pregnancy, she lost the baby.
She’d been so torn and devastated. It was her fault. She’d sunk deeper into depression because she lost the baby. It was the one thing she was supposed to do, the one thing The Family had told her she was meant to do. Repeatedly. She’d been so scared of what that child’s life would look like. Afraid that she wouldn’t be able to give them a better life than she had. A chance of true happiness and freedom. What if those fears were what caused the stillbirth? Had she willed it to happen?
After a little time to come out of that darkness, she knew what she needed to do. Prevent it from happening again. She promised herself then she would never bring a baby into The Family. Whatever it took.
“Don’t think we don’t know what happens in the Buchanan Estate.” Luis spoke up. She wasn’t even surprised there was a spy in her house for her father. “Your husband is being spoken to as we speak by his parents. Part of this arrangement includes an heir. It’s time it happened. You’ve had time to grieve, it’s time to move on.”
She shook her head. “If you’re aware of what’s been going on then you know Tom would much rather spend his time with his mistress.”
“Little girl, you didn’t hold up your end of the deal.” Luis nodded to someone behind her. “We found out about your doctor friend.” He sighed. “I expected more from you.”
Hands were on her. “The fuck. Let go.” Her chair was leaned back and more hands were on her, keeping her immobile. Pain in her arm. She couldn’t even turn her head to look and see what was happening.
Daisy didn’t need to look. Someone had just sliced into her arm and removed her birth control implant. Most likely a doctor on The Family’s payroll. The bastard could have at least numbed the area first.
“I expect to hear joyous news soon.” Luis leered.
They slapped a bandaid on her arm and her chair dropped forward as they removed hands from her body. Her hands trembled as they gripped the table.
“It doesn’t always happen immediately.” Even if she wanted to, it took years for some people.
“If it’s medical, you’ll get the help you need.” Her mother spoke up.
