C7 Empty promises

Clinton's fury crackled through the sterile conference room, bouncing off the glass walls like a trapped wasp.

He slammed the conference room door like a punctuation mark on his fury. He stalked towards Monique, snatched her arm, and dragged her down the sterile hallway towards an empty room.

‘’What the hell, Clinton?" Monique hissed, wrenching her arm free.

‘’Did you have to humiliate me like that?" Clinton roared, his voice barely contained.

‘’You made my choices necessary," Monique countered, her gaze unwavering.

"I'm a laughingstock now! My own employees..." His voice trailed off, replaced by a snarl.

"They're terminated," Monique stated, her tone clipped.

She wasn't concerned about the terminated employees; they understood the consequences of challenging her authority. Those who stayed had shown wisdom from the start, avoiding the pitfalls of social media excitement. Monique decided to reward their discretion with a bonus at the month's end.

"Consider it a public service announcement,’’ she continued.

She reached out, placing a placating hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off with a disgusted scoff.

"But the company..." Clinton sputtered, frustration replacing anger. "Over a hundred vacancies overnight, Monique! You can't just-"

"Their replacements were already lined up before they received their pink slips," she interrupted, a smug smile playing on her lips.

He stared at her, a flicker of grudging respect warring with his resentment. "Always one step ahead, aren't you?"

"Perhaps," she replied, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Though, technically, you're still CEO."

As if on cue, a tiny voice piped up from the doorway. "Mommy? Daddy? Can we go now?"

Sahara peeked around the corner, her innocent eyes wide with confusion.

She couldn't escape the echoes of their earlier heated argument reverberating through the walls. However, what remained unknown to the quarreling couple was that she not only heard every word of the fight but also bore witness to Clinton dragging Monique down the corridor, his face twisted in a storm of fury.

This little girl, who had known only the serenity of her parents' relationship, was now thrust into a realm of fear and insecurity. The glimpse of this unfamiliar, tumultuous side of her parents left an indelible mark on her once-blissful perception of family life.

Clinton's face softened instantly. Mustering a smile, he extended his hand, gently caressing her hair. "Sure, sweetheart. Mommy and Daddy were just having a grown-up talk."

Sahara's eyes darted to Monique, a flicker of hurt mingling with the confusion. Monique knelt down to meet her daughter's gaze, her heart clenching at the pain she saw reflected there.

"We'll go soon, honey," she said, her voice gentle.

Sahara rushed to her father, clinging to his leg. "We're gonna have so much fun today, right?"

It was a plea for reassurance, an earnest desire to believe that life could return to the familiar warmth of the past.

Clinton knelt down, gently stroking her hair. "Of course, princess..."

His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen, his smile widening.

Clinton's fingers glided gracefully across the sleek screen, a deliberate and tender swipe accepting the incoming video call.

"Honey," he answered, his voice softening dramatically. The warmth and affection in his tone were a stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.

Monique felt a cold fist clench around her heart. All her victories, all her power plays, paled in comparison to the love radiating from that single word.

Lydia's soft voice, like a soothing lullaby, permeated the room. On the other side, Lydia sat on the bed, cradling their son in the gentle curve of maternal affection.

The baby looked so peaceful and adorable, with his tiny nose and chubby cheeks. Clinton's smile widened, and he felt a surge of love and joy.

However, the radiant smile adorning Clinton's face was an eyesore to Monique and Sahara.

"Hey, big boy," he cooed, his voice a symphony of paternal warmth. In response, as if acknowledging his father's presence, the baby stretched his little limbs, yawning."God, I can stare at him all day," Clinton confessed, the joy of parenthood sparkling in his eyes.

Lydia chuckled, the sound a melodious echo through the digital connection. Her eyes shinned with happiness. She knew how much Clinton loved their son, and how much he wanted to be with them "Maybe daddy should put being a CEO aside for a day and spend time with us.”

Clinton's laughter, a genuine melody, reverberated through the call. "Sounds like a plan."

Suddenly, Constance stepped into the frame, her entrance commanding attention.

"Mom," Lydia addressed her.

Constance, her eyes twinkling with maternal warmth, inquired, "Hmm. Are you on the way?"

"Huh?"

"We got discharged," Lydia explained, her words carrying a delicate blend of relief and anticipation. "Can you come pick us up, if you're not too busy?"

A moment of realization flickered across Clinton’s face, and he nodded without hesitation. "No, I'm free. On my way in twenty," Clinton replied, his eyes fixed on his son. "Love you, honey. Give our son a kiss for me."

He hung up, a blissful smile plastered on his face.

Sahara tugged at his shirt, her voice small. "Daddy? You promised we could go..."

Clinton's smile faltered. "Sweetheart, there's been a change of plans. I have to bring your brother home."

"But you pinky promised!" Tears welled up in Sahara's eyes.

"I know, princess," Clinton said, his voice laced with regret. "But sometimes grown-up stuff happens. Daddy promises next time, okay?"

He pulled out a black credit card, flashing it before her. "Go shopping with Mommy. Anything you want."

Monique's laughter, sharp and brittle, echoed through the room.

Sahara's small hand slapped the card away, her lower lip trembling. "I don't want stuff! I want you!"

Clinton sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Next time, princess," he mumbled, turning to leave.

Sahara cried out, scrambling after him, clinging to his leg. "Daddy, please!"

He pried her fingers loose, his expression hardening. "Look, be a good girl. Daddy has important things to do."

‘’But you promised!’ wailed the five year old.

‘’Be sensible, okay? Your brother needs me.’’

‘’Is your son with that woman more important than your daughter? Will it always be like this?" Monique asked, her voice like velvet-wrapped steel.

Clinton ignored her, his gaze fixated on his daughter.

‘’I will take out another day.’’

He tossed another empty promise over his shoulder before he turned and walked away, leaving Sahara sobbing on the floor.

Monique watched him go, her heart a hollow ache. The victory she'd grasped felt like dust in her mouth. Her eyes met Sahara's, both reflecting the same raw pain of betrayal.

Monique knelt beside the crying child, her heart breaking apart. She gathered her daughter into a tight embrace.

''Hush honey,'' she whispered while rubbing her tiny, shaky back ,'its going to be okay. Hush now.'

~~~~~~

In the next few days, Sahara's grief took a different form as she refused to eat. It seemed as though her heartache had transformed into a hunger strike, leaving her mother, Monique, desperate to find ways to coax her daughter into eating.

Desperate to bring some semblance of normalcy to her daughter's life, Monique, who was barely holding on herself, tried every trick in the book to please Sahara. She prepared her daughter's favorite meals, hoping the enticing aromas would awaken her appetite.

She brought her colorful plates of food, artfully arranged to stimulate the girl's senses and make each bite irresistible. She even resorted to bargaining, promising small rewards for every meal Sahara managed to consume.

"Look, Sahara, just like how you love it." She would say, placing the perfectly cooked dish in front of her.

"Come on, baby, just one bite. You used to love this." Monique would plead, trying to mask her desperation.

But the girl would simply push her food around the plate, showing no interest.

As the days turned into weeks, Monique's patience wore thin. The weight of her own grief pushed her to the edge, and in a moment of frustration, she snapped at Sahara, banging her hands on the table causing the plates and cutlery on the table to rattle.

Her action not only startled her daughter but Daniels and his wife who were waiting on them.

Louise, looked at her husband worriedly. This was the first time Monique was losing her temper with her daughter.

Sahara was startled by her mother's actions and looked up in shock.

Her big innocent eyes, once filled with boundless joy, lacked their usual sparkles.

They seemed dull, drained of energy, and brimming with fear.

In just two weeks, Sahara had lost a significant amount of weight. It was as if every day she was shrinking, inch by inch. Her tiny frame seemed fragile, as if she could be blown away by the slightest gust of wind.

Monique sneered, her voice tinged with anger and sorrow, "What? Do you think going on a hunger strike will bring him back? If it were possible, he would already be here. Stop being a fool and eat your food already."

The girl's eyes brimmed with tears. Monique pretended like she never saw the tears in her daughter's eyes as she cut into her charcoal grilled pork neck.

‘’Get a grip of yourself. While you are here crying your eyes out and starving yourself to death, he's out there enjoying his life with his new family. He exchanged me for another woman, he exchanged you for another child. He doesn't love you, if he loved you, he would have never left you. He is not worth torturing yourself to death for.’’

Big crystal-like tears cascaded down the girl's face.

‘’Do you think if you cry yourself to death he will care? Don't be an idiot. He's gone and he's never coming back. The earlier you accept that, the better.’’

‘’That's not true, he promised…’’

Monique scoffed derisively.

‘’ He promised? He promised you what? His promises are worth no more than dust in the wind.’’

Sahara bit hard on her trembling lips as tears continued to slide down her face, glaring at her mother stubbornly.

‘’From now on, you are second fiddle to his cherished son, Alexander.’’

Sahara threw her fork on the table, jumped from the chair and ran out of the room, her pain too profound to be silenced by her mother's harsh words.

The elderly couple, Daniel and Louise watched helplessly, hurting for the mother and daughter pair.

Seeing how badly the hand holding the fork was trembling, Louise sighed sadly, walked over to Monique and put her hand on younger woman's shoulder and squeezed gently.