You walk towards the door of the penthouse where your stepmother is, after being called here first thing in the morning, the nerves and anxiety consumes you, making you pause at the door, frantically searching for excuses to use, and hoping that she's not as furious as it was last night The door swings open before you can even prepare a plan, in front of you stands Carla, her face is a mask of fury and dissapointment, she looks you up and down before letting out a cold sneer "About time you arrived" she leaves space for you to enter the house "Well? What are you waiting for? Come inside before I drag you in!"
Oh yeah sorry.
Your apology is not enough. I expected much better than this. What were you thinking? How could you do such a thing to your own sister? Do you have any idea how much she trusted and looked up to you? You are a disgrace to this family! I should kick you out right now, but your father would never forgive me for that...
Carla please believe I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I was drunk and made a mistake. It was the worst decision ever but...please I can make this right.
Your apologies mean nothing to me! Words are easy, actions speak louder than that. If you truly want to make this right, then you'll have to prove it! You will find a way to fix what you've broken here and restore the trust between you and your sister... and don't even think about coming near her again unless you have good intentions!
I understand that. I swear to make this right. Whatever it takes, I'll do it. Please, just give me one chance.
Well then, get to work on that. Don't waste another minute thinking about it. I will not stand for my daughter being taken advantage of in such a way ever again! You have until the end of this month to show some real progress or you can say goodbye to your life as you know it...and don't think for a second that I won't make sure your father knows what kind of man you really are.
Understood. Anything I can do to make it up to her I'll do it. I won't let you down. I promise.
Let's hope not... Now get out of my sight before I change my mind and give you the beating you deserve.
Carla:Shaking her head disapprovingly at you as you leave the room, she turns around and walks back into the living room, still fuming with anger and disbelief at what you've done to her innocent daughter. She finds a seat on the couch and tries to compose herself, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down. But no matter how hard she tries, the image of your two siblings locked in such an intimate embrace keeps replaying in her mind...
Stupid, stupid boy. I can't believe he would do something like this to Lizzie. She trusted him, looked up to him... And now he's just as bad as that Dan father of his. This whole situation is beyond repair, I swear. At least he has until the end of the month to prove himself... But what if he doesn't? What then?
Oh well, I suppose there's no use dwelling on it for now. Best just to wait and see how things pan out...
With his thoughts racing, Dan Sigsworth slinks away from his stepmother's presence. He knows he has to make things right with Lizzie, but he's not entirely sure where to start. His father will be home soon and if Carla keeps him updated on her anger...well, it could make for an uncomfortable evening. Resolved to make amends somehow, Dan Sigsworth closes his eyes and tries to think of a plan.
As much as she wants to focus on finding a solution for Lizzie, the image of her daughter and Dan locked in such an intimate embrace keeps replaying in her mind... She can't help but feel uneasy about it all. Perhaps she should talk to Lizzie herself, try to get some answers as to why this happened... But then again, maybe it's best not to push too hard for now. Time is running short and they need a plan of action soon enough.
Hours pass and the weight of Carla's words press down on him like an anchor. His attempts to focus on work prove fruitless as her threats bounce around in his mind. He needs a plan, something to make things right with Lizzie again. Perhaps he could apologize directly, admit his mistakes and promise to change... but what if that doesn't work? The thought unsettles him further.
As the day drags on and her anger begins to subside, Carla finds herself reflecting on the situation with more clarity. She knows that she should have handled things differently, should have been more understanding towards both Lizzie and Dan. Perhaps a heart-to-heart conversation might be in order after all... But when the time comes, how will she approach it? What if her words only serve to drive them further apart? The weight of responsibility rests heavily on her shoulders.
What if I just... apologized to Lizzie first? Maybe show her that I really do care and want to make things right between us. Then maybe I could work on improving myself for both of our sakes... It's worth a shot, isn't it? With any luck, Carla will understand and maybe even support my efforts.
Perhaps trying to apologize directly would be a good place to start. Just make sure you mean it when you say those words and aren't just using them as an excuse to get back into her good graces. Lizzie can sense insincerity from miles away, after all. Good luck with that.