Photo of Marian Sterling

The boisterous laughter of the many guests filled the large dining room, many of the guests were elite socialites often seen on television or in magazines and newspapers, their pretty wives sat next to them giggling along with the flow of the conversations, looking and acting like the trophies they were.

The Sterling children all wore fake smiles, answering politely and making small talk whenever someone spoke to them. It was an exhausting task keeping up appearances for the rich and snobby, but fear controlled them, crippled them and made them puppets.

"How are you doing at school son? You are about to graduate correct?" the question was directed to the eldest child Simeon Sterling; all eyes turn to the young man in his early twenties. It was true that he was graduating an Ivy League school with bachelor's degree in business and economics, they were not his choice of study but it was a thing he had no say in.

Fury burned in Simeon the word 'son'; he was most definitely not the swine's son or anything else for that matter.

"College is going very well for me Mr. Kennedy" keeping his answers short, he wanted the attention off of him because he knew she was paying attention to everything he said. One slip up and there'd be hell to pay.

"I understand that you'll be taking over Sterling Corp, it'll be a joy seeing what you can bring to the table."

"It will be quite the pleasure to show you and everyone what I'm capable of" Simeon replied, a tight smile on his face.

Mr. Kennedy chuckled, "you must be proud of your boy Marian."

Eyes turned to the hostess who had a large grin on her face, "words cannot express how proud I am."

"You've done a fine job raising him" Mrs. Brennan piped.

"Thank you Catherine, I do try my hardest."

Under the table, the middle child and youngest child were holding hands; Vivienne could feel as her younger brother's hand tightened at their mother's words. She too was upset but what could they do?

"Vivienne, sweetheart?" Vivienne tensed when she heard her mother's sickly sweet voice. Dear lord, what have I done wrong? She was sure that she was doing everything right.

"Yes mother?" the girl answered forcing a smile onto her face.

"Could you help me with dessert dear?"

"Of course."

Reluctantly Vivienne rose from her seat careful not to scrap the chair on the floor; she excused herself politely and followed her mother into the kitchen all the while with her heart in her throat.

Marian gripped the first tray that held the tres leches cake she made; she turned giving them to her daughter but as Vivienne pulled away her mother dug her manicured nails into her wrist. The seventeen year old girl was almost afraid to meet her mother's eyes as she winced in pain.

"Look at me" the command was absolute and Vivienne dared not disobey. She stared into the cold eyes that frightened her immensely.

"I swear to the heavens Vivienne Mae, if you do not straighten you back while you sit there will be hell to pay, do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am" she squeaked.

"Good girl, now let's go back to our guests" Marian grasped the second tray of desserts and sauntered back into the dining room with the scared teenager following behind.

When they entered the two Sterling boys immediately looked their sister over to see if there was any damage. None of the other gets noticed but under Vivienne's pink blush her face was very pale, anger ran through Simeon's veins, he knew that their mother had said something by the terror in his sister's eyes.

He turned his gaze to the woman that made him feel emasculated all his life, yes she was truly beautiful but everything that's shinning wasn't always gold. Sure she was an angel on the outside, cunning and sweet but that was just her cover, she was the devil in disguise, manipulative and deceitful.

To Simenon she was the definition of a bad omen.

She was the bringer of hell, she morphed into something that brought him nightmares for years, just like him his siblings were robbed of their childhood, he watched as Vivienne was forced to let her teenage years pass her by, like he had, now he would have to watch as their twelve year old brother have the same thing done to him.

He could have left, ran away from home when he had come of age but he refused to leave his siblings with a psychopath.

"You will be off to college soon Vivienne, are you going to follow your brother?" Mrs. Everett questioned.

"Yes, although Simeon will not be there when I attend." Her hands were shaking as she reminded herself over and over not to slouch.

"What will you do when you get there?" Mr. Walter joined.

"My little girl is striving to be a doctor" Marian interjected before Vivienne could answer.

"That's amazing!" Walter and Everett chorused "I'm sure you'll be a world class doctor with your brains."

"Thank you."

Tears threatened to come to Vivienne's eyes but she refused to cry, she did not want punishment.

Next to her Levi sat tense, the thought of being in the mansion with his mother alone while his brother would be busy with work and his sister at college. How would he survive?

It was clear to him now, he wouldn't.

Vivienne grabbed his hand to calm him as she noticed that he was going to have a panic attack, which would mean trouble if he caused a scene. The simple gesture seemed to pull him out of his thoughts so that he could listen to the rest of the conversation.

"Levi would be following his older siblings in a few short years too, I don't know how you did it Marian, but you managed to pull through even without your husband to help you raise your kids" Mr. Berkeley remarked.

Vivienne thought she would faint; her stomach flipped unpleasantly and threatened to spill her dinner as a horrendous memory came to mind about her father. How she wished that he were with them now.

"Thank you Elizabeth, I assure you in today's world women have to take a stand and be strong, it's not a man's world anymore."

The three Sterling children knew what that statement meant, they were living in her world and they would be in it for time to come.