#✎ CHLOE BOURGEOIS ೃ༄

[blessedfatui]

Alya should have known that she only had everyone’s best interest in mind, so why was she being chastised for not having any proof? Didn’t her word mean anything? Wasn’t her word good enough?

CLASS FIGHT (MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG)

✐ AUTHOR’S NOTES: this was based off the prompt and request by @broadwaycutie16; i tried to stay true to the script that you had set out, so please let me know if this is any good. not very good at writing marinette’s character

WORD COUNT: 4k

TW: marinette salt, lila salt, anti-class salt, toxic friends, chameleon spoilers, foul language m

Marinette has had enough with people not believing her and wanting to believe Lila over her. Fine, if they wanted to look like fools and get hurt, that was on them. She was done with all of them; she tried to warn them about Lila, but everyone was too enchanted by her lies to open their eyes. They would rather believe some girl they barely knew over Marinette—their everyday Ladybug and best friend!

After what transpired in class, Marinette blocked all her classmates and took down any and all pictures of them off of her social media and around her room. She asked her parents to allow her to transfer to online school and they agreed, saying that if she thought that was the best option for her, then they would support her decision.

She also told her parents that she was no longer friends with anyone in her class, so Tom and Sabine would tell any of Marinette’s old classmates that she wasn’t here or taking any visitors. It felt liberating: she didn’t have to hear about everyone gushing over Lila or watch them wait on her every request and command. No more listening to her gush and ramble on about obvious lies; just no more.

And Marinette was okay with that. She was okay with removing herself from the situation.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Marinette? Don’t you think you’re being a little rash?” Tikki asked once Marinette came back upstairs with a plate of cookies.

“I’m sure that I’m doing the right thing, Tikki,” Marinette assured, setting the plate down and sitting on the chaise. “I tried to tell everyone that Lila was lying but no one wanted to listen to me. Even Adrien knew that she was a liar and said that exposing her would be a bad idea. She threatened me, Tikki, and I almost got akumatized because of her.”

That was true. Marinette was almost akumatized twice because of Lila and she was tired of everyone not believing her. They should have believed her; Marinette would have no reason to lie to them, and yet they all would fawn and hush over Lila. It was ridiculous; it was like a stab to the back, and she hated how everyone was so willing to turn their back on her. How could they? How could they betray her when she needed them most?

It hurt so much to block them all but it was for the greater good. If they didn’t want to believe her or trust her word, Marinette would cut them out of her life and let them all drown in their foolishness. They would have to learn the hard way that Lila was nothing but a filthy liar.

Tikki sighed, not wanting to argue with her friend. “If you say so, Marinette. I just think you’re making a mistake because you’re mad,” she muttered, snatching one of the cookies off of the plate and enjoying her feast.

Marinette didn’t think she was in the wrong. She just wanted to warn her friends, that was all. If Lila was willing to hurt her, who knows what else that girl could have done to everyone else? It was already bad enough that Lila told Nathaniel and Marc that she knew several manga artists, told Nino that she could get him in contact with music producers, and then told Alya that she was best friends with Ladybug. It just made Marinette’s job as Ladybug harder because heaven knows that everyone would get hurt by those lies and they would end up getting akumatized.

“And done,” Marinette declared, blocking everyone in the group chat and leaving the chat shortly afterwards. It felt oddly relieving, not having to worry about everyone and being accused of witch-hunting—Marinette didn’t believe she was as she was the one that was threatened in the bathroom and everyone should have trusted her word over Lila’s. “I start online classes later this week and I’ll have more time to myself. I believe this is all for the best.”

“If that’s what you think, Marinette. I just think that you could explain everything better,” Tikki said.

Maybe this would be the best solution for Marinette.

A few months after starting her online classes, Marinette felt so much better. She didn’t have to worry about a liar and didn’t have to worry about defending herself. Her old friends tried to contact her and stop by the bakery to talk to Marinette, but her parents told them all that Marinette would not be seeing them anymore, and they should stop trying to contact her.

Naturally, they were all hurt by this statement, but understood and respected Marinette’s boundaries, so they never stopped by to try and contact her again. Marinette could sometimes hear them downstairs whenever they stopped by, but she always held herself up in her room to avoid any awkward interactions. How bizarre would it be to see your old friends and having an awkward conversation while your parents are working?

The only time Marinette left the bakery was to perform her duties as Ladybug (often, it was saving Lila from an akuma; despite being annoying, it was something that had to be done) or to have some time to herself without hearing the chatter from downstairs. She would spend her free time in the park, gathering ideas for any new fashion projects before leaving and finding a new location to draw inspiration from.

She’s had a few close calls, almost running into her old friends, but they never noticed her or acknowledged her presence when they passed by. That was a good sign, she supposed, but it was odd. They never looked in her direction, never stopped to even wave at her. They just continued with their day as if nothing happened; did Lila already poison their brains? Did they honestly believe her lies?

If they did, that was their fault. It was their fault that they didn’t believe Marinette. If they wanted to take Lila’s word over theirs, who was she to stop them? They weren’t her problem any more.

And she would return home, finishing her online homework and then using the rest of her time before bed to finish any projects she had started. Marinette had gotten so much more done, looking around her room to see the various dresses and accessories she had created during these few months. The only problem was that she had no more models since she stopped being friends with Mylene, Alix, Rose, Juleka, and Alya.

Alya, her best friend. Marinette thought that Alya would be the one to stand by her side but no, Alya betrayed her too. She would rather believe a liar than her best friend; that tore Marinette to ribbons when Alya confronted her about always accusing Lila without any proof and quick to point the finger at Lila.

“I’m telling you that she’s lying, Alya! Why are you doubting me?” Marinette had asked her, biting her bottom lip as her fist trembled. “Do you like that I would lie to you?”

“Girl, I’m not saying you’re lying, but you have no proof that Lila is lying about anything. You’re so quick to point a finger without any proof. Anything bad happens to you and you’re so quick to believe it’s Lila,” Alya had argued back. “I love you, Mari, but this is getting ridiculous.”

“I’m being ridiculous!? What about you? You have no proof that Lila is telling the truth about anything, but you’re just going to believe her?”

Alya shrugged, folding her arms across her chest. “You’re right: I have no evidence that she’s telling the truth, but I’m not going around pointing my finger and accusing her for every bad thing that happens. If you’re going to keep this up, I don’t think I can continue being your friend.”

Marinette blinked, mouth dropping before she asked, “Are you serious? Alya, we’ve been friends for a year, and you’re going to believe her over me? I would have no reason to lie to you.”

“Lila is my friend too, Marinette. I don’t think she would have any reason to lie to me, either. Just because you don’t like her, doesn’t mean I don’t have to like her. Lila is pretty chill and I like talking with her,” Alya said, going to leave the bathroom. “I think you should really work on yourself before we talk again. This is healthy, Marinette.”

That day—it was a painful memory and the day Marinette decided to cut everyone off. Lila had everyone wrapped around her little finger and Marinette couldn’t take it. She couldn't take always being villainized and told to take the high road—none of them understood the burden she bore. She was only trying to protect them; Marinette didn’t want them to get hurt.

Ugh, dwelling on past memories wasn't going to help her or reverse the hands of time. There was no way to go back in time and fix everything without fucking up the timelines (it was a complicated lesson Marinette had to learn with Bunnyx and she really didn’t want to hurt her head anymore than she had). All she could do is move forward and learn from this whole ordeal.

Stepping onto the rooftop, Marinette made herself comfortable in the sun. It was a nice day and she thought she would take a break from her homework and draw some inspiration for her newest designs. She had been really inspired by Gabriel’s newest springline to try and create some spring dresses (maybe she could base them after Chat Noir and Ladybug if she could find the right material).

She already had her chair propped up and her sketch book in her lap, looking down at the Parisians walking along the streets and hanging out in the park. So far, nothing had caught her eye as Marinette tapped her pencil on the blank paper. Maybe she could leave the house and walk around the park to see what the fine people of Paris were doing.

“How do you feel about taking a little walk, Tikki?” Marinette asked her beloved kwami?”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea. You’ve hardly left the house, so this would be a nice treat,” Tikki voiced, following Marinette back inside.

She quickly dressed, tugging on a simple sweater and trading her cozy slippers for tennis shoes. Once her hair was done and applied a little makeup, Marinette slung her purse over her shoulder and watched Tikki zip inside. She giggled, climbing downstairs and grabbing fruit from the bowl. “I’m going for a walk, Mom! Call me if you need anything.”

“Please, be careful and have fun,” Sabine giggled, finishing up the dishes as Marinette zipped out of the bakery.

The sun felt so good on her skin. Hopefully, there wouldn’t be any attacks and she could just enjoy the worth of the sun. Marinette let out a blissful sigh, walking with a bounce in her step. The park would be a good place to gather some inspiration for her dresses and springline. With that decided, she quickly made her way to the park.

Already, there were many kids playing. Some chased each other around, engaged in a stimulating game of Tag. Some children had brought their toys and shared with others, shrieking with pure excitement before they swapped toys and continued to engage in their little games. This would be great inspiration for a series of children’s clothes—perhaps Marinette could have Mannon try on some of her prototypes before she even thought about showing them off—

“Marinette?”

She looked over her shoulder, pivoting on her heel to see her old classmates and friends. They were all settled on a red plaid blankets—surprisingly, Chloe was there (honestly, it was a shocker that she hadn’t said anything snarky)—with small sandwiches in front of them and other assortments of fruit. She certainly wasn’t expecting this, but she would weasel her way out of this, especially since Lila—

Huh, Lila wasn’t with them? How odd.

“Hi, uh? I couldn’t help but notice that Lila wasn’t with you,” Marinette said, clearing her throat. “What happened? Is she sick again?”

Alya shook her head. “She transferred school. A few months ago, actually,” she explained.

“What was the reason?” Marinette asked.

“She’s a liar, dumbass,” Chloe spat, popping a strawberry into her mouth. “She got caught in a lie. When she was exposed for who she really was, the coward stopped showing up to school. A week later, Lila ran back to wherever she came from. Good riddance.”

Marinette opened her mouth but said nothing. She wet her bottom lip, rocking back and forth. So, they learned that Lila was a liar—that Marinette had been telling the truth this whole time. A small part of her wanted to say something snarky in return, but she forced that feeling down. Instead, she hummed, playing with her fingers as the group remained quietly, passing the fruit to each other.

Why weren’t they saying anything? Didn’t they owe her an apology? They should be begging for her forgiveness at this point; she wanted nothing but to help but no, they accused her of lying and being jealous of Lila.

Again, Marinette cleared her throat. “So?” she trailed off.

“So what?” Adrien asked gently.

“Why haven’t you guys apologized? I mean I was telling the truth,” she asked.

The students looked at each other and then back at Marinette. “Sorry,” is all they offered before going back to their fruit.

That—that was it? She was given a measly sorry? They weren’t begging and tripping over themselves to say how wrong they were for ever doubting her? This—this was wrong; everything about this was so wrong. Marinette was so annoyed. Why, she was practically seeing red at this point and she wanted to spit or just yell. That was all she got after they all turned their backs on her? It wasn’t far—Marinette deserves far better than this.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say to me?” Marinette said with a laugh, hands resting on her hips. “I told you all that she was lying and that’s all you can say to me? You all turned your back on me and let her hurt me and this is all you can muster up. I would have expected this from Chloe, but not all of you.”

Alya frowned, standing up to confront her ex-friend. “Yes, that’s all you get. Yeah, Lila was lying and we believed her over you,” she stated, folding her arms over her chest as her frown deepened. “But you cutting us off really showed us your true colors, Marinette. You’re an awful friend.”

“Excuse me? I’m the bad friend? You’re the one who turned your back on me—you all did—but I’m the bad one here?” Marinette sputtered.

“Yeah, you are. Lila was lying—that we didn’t know—but you had no proof that she was lying about anything. You accused her for everything that happened to you without any proof,” Alya said.

Rose nodded her head in agreement, playing with the stem of her apple. “That is true. We didn’t prefer Lila over you—she was new and we wanted to make her feel welcomed. She hadn’t done anything wrong to us and she seemed like a nice person. We were just returning the energy,” she spoke up, now tossing the apple from one hand to the other.

Sabrina nodded in agreement. “No one knew she was lying until she was exposed. We were just treating her with the same respect we would treat anyone else,” she said.

“Speak for yourself. I didn’t like her because of that ugly outfit she insisted on wearing,” Chloe snorted, stealing a strawberry from Nino’s plate.

Ignoring Chloe’s remark, Alya went on to say, “Lila—to our knowledge before—was just a nice girl with an adventurous life. She just needed a little more help and we were more than willing to do that.”

Marinette huffed, “But she faked a disability! She never had a problem with her wrist or her leg or her ears!”

“How were we supposed to know that, Marinette? It’s not our job to look up what she does or doesn’t have. It’s Miss Bustier’s job to look on her school file to see if those claims are true, not us,” Alya defended. “Plus, it’s not even your place to say what she does or doesn’t have. You’re not her doctor, Marinette.”

“What about me getting pushed to the back of the class, huh?”

Alya rubbed her temples with a deep sigh, then adjusted her glasses. “You were the last one to class and you accommodate others all the time; we didn’t think it would be such a big deal.” She stopped to clear her throat and wiping off her glasses. Once her glasses were back on, Alya continued, “If Lila really was disabled, would you have said no to her? Set aside your personal feelings for her, Marinette. Hell, what if Nino was disabled? Would you make a fuss if he needed to sit in the front and you had to sit in the back?”

Marinette stopped herself, taking a deep breath. No, she wouldn’t make a fuss if someone needed that seat; she would do the good thing and let them have the seat, but Lila wasn’t a good person. Lila manipulated them all, used them like toys.

Wetting her lips, Marinette argued, “It’s not fair that you all demanded proof that she was lying, but never asked her for proof. It makes you a hypocrite”

“Of course I was going to ask you for proof about Lila; you were making wild accusations about her. Every time she said anything good or how she did something fantastic, you were so quick to wave your finger and say she was lying,” Alya retorted. “Like I said: it didn’t seem like Lila was lying. She was telling stories about herself.”

“You’re really going to believe that she saved Jagged Stone’s kitten? That she’s Ladybug’s best friend—that she knows so many A-list celebrities?” Marinette questioned.

“Did you have any evidence that contradicted her claims?” Alya asked.

Marinette opened her mouth and then shut it, squeezing her fists. It was true that she didn’t have any proof, but Alya should have known that Marinette would never try to hurt anyone. Alya should have known that she only had everyone’s best interest in mind, so why was she being chastised for not having any proof? Didn’t her word mean anything? Wasn’t her word good enough?

Alya went on to, talking with her hands. “It just looked like you were trying to find any reason to embarrass the poor girl. She was innocent until proven guilty. Yeah, it turns out she was lying the whole time, but like I keep saying: you had no proof of that and it just looked like you were witch-hunting the whole time.”

Marinette was irritated, chewing on her bottom lip for a moment. Okay, so she didn’t have proof at the time that Lila was lying, but that didn’t mean anything. She thought that her friends would take her side and listen to her—they should have known that she never would have tried to hurt them (unlike Lila).

“Does my word mean anything to you guys? I’ve done nothing but keep everyone’s best interest in mind? You all even said it yourself,” Marinette stated quietly.

Alya raised an eyebrow, quiet for a brief second before it dawned on her. “You mean that comment about you being our everyday Ladybug?” she asked. When Marinette didn’t give an answer right away and proceeded to look at the ground, Alya slipped off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. “Are you saying that because you do favors for us, we’re just supposed to blindly listen to you?”

“I mean—when have I tried to hurt any of you? Why would I have any reason to lie?” Marinette pointed out. “Why would I lie about anyone? I thought you all would have believed me. We’ve all known each other longer than Lila has been in France.”

“Us being friends for a long time doesn’t automatically mean we all should hold you on a pedestal. So just because you say one person is lying—even if they seem kind and you have no evidence to back up your claims whatsoever—we’re just supposed to nod our heads and listen?” Alya asked. “It makes me wonder if you did those favors out of the kindness of your heart if you wanted to bribe us into following you blindly.”

Marinette flinched and chewed on her bottom lip. That last statement felt like a slap to the face but she kept quiet. None of the other classmates spoke up, but she knew that they all felt the same feeling. She felt their eyes on her as Alya just stared at her with that sad expression across her face; Marinette felt like crying at this point. It wasn’t fair—it wasn’t fair at all; everything she had done was to help her friends—ex-friends, she reminded herself.

“We realized that you transferring was a good thing,” Alya added quietly.

Damn, if that wasn’t a blow to the heart, then what was?

“What are you saying?” Marinette asked.

Alya shrugged, folding her arms over her chest. “You left because we didn’t take your side right away. You left because we liked talking to Lila and hanging out with you. Honestly, it just showed how much we really mattered to you,” she said bluntly. “Because we didn’t take your word the first time, we didn’t mean shit to you. The minute we didn’t take your word, you stopped being nice.”

“That’s not true!” Marinette argued.

“But it is true, Marinette!” Alya snapped back. “The minute I asked for any sort of evidence, you got all huffy and mad because we wanted proof that Lila was this horrible person you were making her out to be—without any proof, need I remind you? You dropped us all like we were worthless because we had our own opinions about her and they didn’t match yours, Marinette.”

Neither girl had said anything. No one from the class spoke up to cut the awkward silence—usually, Chloe would have opened her mouth to comment something snarky, but she was too transfixed on Alya giving Marinette a screening talking to. That and she knew that what she said wouldn’t contribute to the conversation and this was a conversation overdue.

Alya relaxed her body, finding herself too tensed up and letting her arms fall to the side. “Before you left, I was actually looking up stuff about Lila. I did value your word and your friendship, and I was going to give you a proper apology before you left,” she revealed.

“You were?” Marinette asked.

The reporter nodded, fixing her glasses. “I was going to talk to you about it, but you left without a word. I did care about you and you have gotten a proper apology if you bothered to stick around, but you didn’t. You don’t care about our opinions unless they match up with yours, it seems,” she said.

Marinette was quiet, opening her mouth and then shutting it. She had nothing to retort with, no words to defend herself as Alya sat back down on the plaid blanket with Nino. Marinette couldn’t think of anything to say and all she could do was stand there as Alya spoke up once more.

“If this is the person that you are—one that wants us to blindly follow and agree with you all the time and distrust anyone you say on a whim or bails on you friends the minute we share a different opinion than you, then we’re all better off without you,” Alya stated, taking the fruit bowl from Sabrina. “It was nice seeing you again, but don’t expect us to be crawling back to you if you think we’re going to roll over for you. We aren’t sheep.”

[blessedfatui]

“Let’s get something straight,” Audrey cut off, lifting her hand and crossing her legs. “You were—are a mistake. A bad stain that I have to cover up now. That is all you are and will be. Now, why don’t you run along, but stay inside? It’s already a pain to deal with you and Claudine’s little fits and I'll be damned if I have to deal with these irritating reporters,” she sighed, dismissing Zoe with a wave of her hand.

EMPIRES FALL (AUDREY BOURGEOIS)

✐ AUTHOR’S NOTES: y’all will get a break from marinette salt for now; instead, have some audrey salt because i hate her and she goes redeemed too quickly

WORD COUNT: 2136

TW: child abuse, child neglect, alcohol abuse, domestic violence, infidelity, divorce, verbal abuse, sexual talk, audrey bourgeois bashing, mlb season 4 spoilers

Audrey’s empire was falling.

Word of her affair had reached the drama world; tabloids and news articles already had her name and face plastered on the front page. It was embarrassing, seeing a faceless man—a nobody that stepped forward to expose Audrey for her devious acts. She never expected her fling to come back and expose their little one-time affair; their one-night of passion.

She was stressed; hair falling out as she nursed her red wine, forehead pressed against the cold glass table. Andre was mad, and Claudia—Chloe wasn’t speaking to her. Those ungrateful little ingrates would dare ignore her, the most powerful woman in both Paris and the fashion world? They would pay sooner or later for their insolence; right now, she needed to deal with the news tabloid.

Pushing away the empty glass, Audrey got herself dressed and dolled up to deal with the rumors and the press. She could easily lie and weasel her way out of it; no one would believe a fool after she told her side of the story. After all, Audrey was perfection reincarnated. She had to maintain a flawless image and she would be damned if an old fling ruined her perfect empire.

Sitting in front of the mirror, Audrey caught a glimpse of her daughter looking at her. Chloe’s blue eyes were puffy and red, hands visibly shaking in anger with makeup running down her face as she stood in the doorway. Audrey sighed, turning to face her child, crossing her legs and smoothing out the wrinkles in her satin robe. “What are you doing, Charlotte?”

“My name is Chloe,” the teen snapped, squeezing her fists.

“That’s what I said,” Audrey scoffed.

“No, it’s not. You’ve never called me by my name correctly. Not once have you taken me seriously,” Chloe huffed, rubbing her eyes, not caring that she smudged her ruined eyeliner and eyeshadow.

Audrey massaged her temples, exhaling through her nostrils. “Oh, if you’re going to throw one of your temper tantrums, it can wait later. I have important things to take care of.”

Chloe laughed, letting the tears run freely down her face as she shook her head. Her voice sounded so sad and empty as she stared at her mother with hurt swimming her blue eyes. “Now, you have important business? NOW, you have pressing matters?” Chloe mocked, smacking her lips while her voice trembled. “I guess Daddy and I weren’t that important, right? Sucking another guy off was more important than your family, huh?”

Smack!

Red blossomed across Chloe’s cheek as Audrey stood across from her daughter. Her palm stung from the sharp blow delivered as her chest heaved. “How dare you open your mouth and say such a horrible thing,” Audrey hissed. “I have done nothing but support this family! I’m the only one who seems to have any self-respect around here! Your father is weak-willed and you are not better! Get out of my sight if you have nothing useful to say to me!”

The young girl tenderly touched her cheek, flinching at the pain but remained rooted to the spot. She looked up at her mother with those hateful eyes, blinking back her tears. “You have done nothing but tell me how bored you were,” Chloe stated, letting her hands fall to the side. “I was the chore—the job you didn’t want to do.”

Chloe inhaled, bottom lip trembling as she pressed her palm against her chest. Her face softened as tears spilled down the curve of her burning cheeks. “To me,” she trailed off, wetting her bottom lip. “To me, you meant everything, but I guess I wasn’t good enough for us. I guess having this luxurious life wasn’t good enough for the queen, was it? You hated us so much that you wanted another daughter,” she bitterly laughed before leaving Audrey, slamming the door behind her.

Whatever. Chloe would have to get over herself sooner or later if she wanted Audrey’s attention.

Zipping up her dress, Audrey slapped her signature hat on her head, glancing at herself in the mirror. A good amount of cleavage was out, leaving nothing to the imagination. This way, she could tease the report and distract everyone from the matter at hand. She smiled to herself, adoring herself in the mirror before sashaying out of the room.

The press was eating up her words. All Audrey had to do was flash a smile here, produce a fake tear there, and the act was sold. She couldn’t help but smile behind her handkerchief. These idiots—these absolute morons didn’t even bother to research (not that they would find anything that would condemn her, anyway) and it showed.

The fashion queen cleared her throat, dabbing the corners of her eyes. “Please, disregard these rumors. That is all they are and nothing more. A sad and silly little attempt to ruin my life and to destroy the empire I have carefully built,” she said, her voice calm while she straightened her shoulders. “This, Mr. Lee, is nothing more than a little leech who wants to insert himself into my life to get my money and ruin my family. I love them dearly and would never dream of hurting them.”

That seemed to do the trick.

As the reporters and camera crew left to type out the next newspaper, Audrey rolled her eyes and left without another word. Well, that part was a complete lie as she screamed at an employee who managed to bump into her. Ugh, honestly, who let these flea-bitten rats in here?

The situation would be swept under the rug and no one would bug her about the affair or the supposed love child she has. Even if Audrey did, she hasn’t seen them in years now had they attempted to get in touch with her, therefore the child doesn’t exist. It was as simple as that.

“Someone better have the car pulled up or I’m deducting your pay. Again,” Audrey snapped, slipping on her white glasses and sashaying out of the conference room. Ugh, she needed a strawberry martini and a good, long soak. That and two painkillers to ease her headache.

Time discovers the truth sooner or later, and oh did Audrey pay in spades.

Her daughter, Zoe, stood before her, arms gripping her sides while she chewed on her bottom lip. Audrey had to lower her glasses to get a look at this child. She looked about the same age as Chloe, maybe a bit younger if memory serves her well. Zoe clearly had her father’s soft face and gentle features while she had those Bourgeois blue eyes and signature blonde hair.

So, this was the product of her affair. Interesting.

Audrey turned up her nose, returning to her alcoholic beverage.

“Aren’t you going to say something? Anything at all?” Zoe asked quietly.

Audrey scoffed, turning back to Zoe. “Now, why would I do a silly thing like that?” she sneered, sitting her drink to the side. “I have nothing to say to you, Zariah— Zoe,” she corrected.

Zoe’s mouth gaped open like a fish before she closed it again. “But—but I’m your daughter. I haven’t seen you in years, Mama. Aren’t you happy to see me?” Zoe asked with a slight whimper.

“Let’s get something straight,” Audrey cut off, lifting her hand and crossing her legs. “You were—are a mistake. A bad stain that I have to cover up now. That is all you are and will be. Now, why don’t you run along, but stay inside? It’s already a pain to deal with you and Claudine’s little fits and I'll be damned if I have to deal with these irritating reporters,” she sighed, dismissing Zoe with a wave of her hand.

“But Mama—”

“That’s too many words for a gnat, Zara,” Audrey hissed, narrowing her eyes. “Get. Out.”

Zoe doesn’t hesitate to leave, struggling to swallow back her tears.

If Audrey paid more attention to her daughters. If she had noticed, she would have heard the faint giggling behind the door once she returned to her drink, or even noticed the bulge in Zoe’s pocket that was recording their conversation the entire time.

Her empire was destroyed.

Zoe and Chloe had single-handedly destroyed her entire career. Tabloids and talk shows were buzzing about the leaked audio, critiquing Audrey’s horrible parenting and how selfish she was. They talked and talked about how the Bourgeois must have been suffering and how Chloe—the daughter that was constantly in Audrey’s care (well, in her care whenever Audrey would return to Paris)—exhibited signs of a neglected and abused child and how they were too blind to see it.

Sponsorships were canceled and she lost several partnerships due to the sudden backlash. Everything was crumbling around her; Audrey was losing control, and her kingdom was slipping through her fingers.

The biggest slap to the face was the document sliding across the table. The bold red letters stared her in the face as she looked up at Andre with wide, horrified eyes while her mouth gaped open. “Divorce? You want a fucking divorce?” Audrey spat, snatching up the papers and waving them in Andre’s face.

“Yes, that’s what I want, Audrey,” Andre said, swallowing the lump in his throat. “After Zoe arrived, I was going to forgive you. I was going to forgive you for cheating on me because I know I’m not the husband you wanted. I’m no Gabriel Agreste after all.”

“Clearly,” Audrey snorted.

Andre continued, sitting down at the table. “But then, I realized that I have been a horrible father. I’ve let you walk all over me and in turn, that allowed Chloe to walk all over me because she learned the behavior from you and I did nothing to correct it. I allowed her to be spoiled and I am to blame for not being a good parent.” He paused, taking a slow breath. “I was scared of you, Audrey. I’m your husband and you frighten me when you get into one of your fits so I never said anything. I put up with the abuse and that was so normalized that our daughter—our little girl is exhibiting the same behavior and I don’t want that for her.”

Audrey rolled her eyes, folding her arms across her chest and kicking up her legs. She popped her lips, “Poor Andre. You just want me to feel sorry for you because you can’t stand up for yourself. You cower and hide and run away like the scared fuck you are.”

Standing up from her seat, Audrey snatched a pen from the cap of assorted pens and pencils. With sloppy writing, she signed the documents with a triumphant laugh and just laughed like she won the fucking lottery. “I’ll be free from you! I’ll no longer be married to a fat, pathetic loser who can barely stand up for himself! The only thing you were good for was boosting my career and my fashion line! Not even the sex was that good!” she cackled, holding a hand to her chest.

Andre did nothing but smile, taking the pen and signing his name. “I’ll be taking full custody of Chloe. You may have visitation rights every other weekend. Chloe is not obligated to spend any time with you if she chooses not to. I’ll be in contact with Mr. Lee so we can discuss how the girls can bond more,” he explained.

Audrey didn’t even care. All she heard was freedom, endless sex, and a life without kids. She didn’t even hear Andre wish her farewell or the door shutting behind him.

Once the divorce was finalized, Audrey moved back to New York while Andre arranged a living space for Mr. Lee, and even paid for his plane ticket to France. The girls were much happier without Audrey constantly berating them and abusing them. Andre was a lot happier and could properly parent his daughter and make up for all the lost time.

As for Audrey, her sales never recovered. No one wanted to work with an abuser—sure, few did but people didn’t want to be caught with her or else, their sales would do poorly. It was infuriating for Audrey, unable to find good partners or even good help these days. She wanted to tear out her hair and scream half the time. Nothing was working and nothing numbed the cruel sting of failure.

Most days, she was drunk, nursing a hard liquor in her office while barking out orders. Audrey was a fucking wreck and a complete slob now, plummeting to the bottom of the charts. Gabriel had taken her title as Queen of Fashion—King of Fashion is what he was called and it pissed her off.

Her empire was gone.