[OTA] Revelations and Ruination.
Zoe closed the office door silently behind her and then stared at it for a moment before turning to walk down the hall with slow, measured steps. It wasn’t the confirmation of her suspicions - her suspicions, and Hadyn’s - that had her stomach roiling. A part of her had known that when she went to see Charlotte, this would be the news Charlotte would tell her. Hadyn was her half-brother, conceived three months before Zoe had been. But then there had, of course, been more. Charlotte never hesitated to drive in the knife.
So there had been the tirade - the understandable tirade, which made it worse because she hadn’t just been able to dismiss it as her mother twisting things - about how Georgios had met Laureline at a Club masquerade. How Charlotte had been his date, and left alone so that he could seduce a married Spade in the gardens. How he’d juggled Laureline while still dating Charlotte, how Charlotte had never known a thing until suddenly Laureline Novak had arrived in the Hearts eight years later with her children in tow.
How she’d known as soon as she’d seen Hadyn Novak and how she’d confronted Georgios, and he’d admitted it. Sworn her to secrecy, held her own affair over her head that she didn’t tell Zoe. Swore to divorce her if she said a word, even though he’d had a string of lovers. Demanded that Zoe be kept away from Hadyn and never be told.
It wouldn’t do for his precious daughter to realize he wasn’t perfect, after all.
It was all spat out, in cold vicious tones. The details of the affair, the secrecy Georgios and Laureline had insisted upon. The list of women her father had slept with over the years, the number of them that had rubbed it in Charlotte’s face. And Zoe wasn’t sure how much was true; God knew Charlotte wasn’t beyond lying to get her way, to look like the innocent victim. But some of it was true; Papa hadn’t been as good at hiding his affairs from Zoe as he’d thought.
There was Aunt Maggie to start with. Oh, she’d known about that, though she didn’t think either Papa or Aunt Maggie had known she had. They’d been too affectionate, they’d spent too much time together. Aunt Maggie had been more present in her early life, especially, than her own mother. And there had been others she’d suspected. Papa had flirted and charmed his way into getting what he wanted with ladies in all four Suits. She didn’t think he’d slept with all of them, but the list Charlotte had named off while leaning across her desk, her icy eyes boring into Zoe’s...it had been long. Longer than Zoe could have expected.
She’d started to stammer out an apology, an instinct from being on the receiving end of that look for so long, and Charlotte had barked out a laugh. “Don’t,” she’d said, “you’re just like him, no matter how much I tried to teach you differently. All those lessons, all the training, all the potential you had, and you still jumped into bed with a Spade like a whore. You’re just like him.”
Charlotte hadn’t even needed to order her out after that, or say she didn’t want to speak to her again. She’d just left, and she knew. There wasn’t any going back with the two of them; it had almost been as bad as when she’d told Charlotte she was joining the Spades, though at least her mother hadn’t had anything to throw at her this time.
She should find Hadyn, she thought vaguely, pressing a hand against her stomach as she moved down the hall. But she didn’t turn towards Hadyn’s rooms, instead moving towards the doors. She needed to get some air. Maybe get home for some quiet before she dealt with it.
[Note: PRE-POSTED. Actually occurs tomorrow. Catch Zoe anywhere in Heart Castle, Spade Castle or somewhere in between. Ask her what’s wrong because she’s probably too shocked to make up a good story.]
So there had been the tirade - the understandable tirade, which made it worse because she hadn’t just been able to dismiss it as her mother twisting things - about how Georgios had met Laureline at a Club masquerade. How Charlotte had been his date, and left alone so that he could seduce a married Spade in the gardens. How he’d juggled Laureline while still dating Charlotte, how Charlotte had never known a thing until suddenly Laureline Novak had arrived in the Hearts eight years later with her children in tow.
How she’d known as soon as she’d seen Hadyn Novak and how she’d confronted Georgios, and he’d admitted it. Sworn her to secrecy, held her own affair over her head that she didn’t tell Zoe. Swore to divorce her if she said a word, even though he’d had a string of lovers. Demanded that Zoe be kept away from Hadyn and never be told.
It wouldn’t do for his precious daughter to realize he wasn’t perfect, after all.
It was all spat out, in cold vicious tones. The details of the affair, the secrecy Georgios and Laureline had insisted upon. The list of women her father had slept with over the years, the number of them that had rubbed it in Charlotte’s face. And Zoe wasn’t sure how much was true; God knew Charlotte wasn’t beyond lying to get her way, to look like the innocent victim. But some of it was true; Papa hadn’t been as good at hiding his affairs from Zoe as he’d thought.
There was Aunt Maggie to start with. Oh, she’d known about that, though she didn’t think either Papa or Aunt Maggie had known she had. They’d been too affectionate, they’d spent too much time together. Aunt Maggie had been more present in her early life, especially, than her own mother. And there had been others she’d suspected. Papa had flirted and charmed his way into getting what he wanted with ladies in all four Suits. She didn’t think he’d slept with all of them, but the list Charlotte had named off while leaning across her desk, her icy eyes boring into Zoe’s...it had been long. Longer than Zoe could have expected.
She’d started to stammer out an apology, an instinct from being on the receiving end of that look for so long, and Charlotte had barked out a laugh. “Don’t,” she’d said, “you’re just like him, no matter how much I tried to teach you differently. All those lessons, all the training, all the potential you had, and you still jumped into bed with a Spade like a whore. You’re just like him.”
Charlotte hadn’t even needed to order her out after that, or say she didn’t want to speak to her again. She’d just left, and she knew. There wasn’t any going back with the two of them; it had almost been as bad as when she’d told Charlotte she was joining the Spades, though at least her mother hadn’t had anything to throw at her this time.
She should find Hadyn, she thought vaguely, pressing a hand against her stomach as she moved down the hall. But she didn’t turn towards Hadyn’s rooms, instead moving towards the doors. She needed to get some air. Maybe get home for some quiet before she dealt with it.
[Note: PRE-POSTED. Actually occurs tomorrow. Catch Zoe anywhere in Heart Castle, Spade Castle or somewhere in between. Ask her what’s wrong because she’s probably too shocked to make up a good story.]