Chapter 4 Be on time.

Dahlia.

" The wedding will be there, Dahlia. But the groom will be different. " From the other end of the line, my mom's steely voice rang out, but I was too deep into the emotional spiral to decipher the underlying meaning behind her words. So, I went on, talking and crying, venting all of my frustrations to her.

" After giving up everything, after giving him all those years, only to receive his betrayal and indifference, how can I not be hurt, Mom?" I asked, my voice soft, more like I was speaking to myself instead. 

" I should have listened to you, instead. And the time that I wasted on him? I should have spent it with you. I must have been a horrible daughter to you. Please, forgive me." My voice was filled with regret as I admitted. 

Tears welled up in my eyes when I remembered the many times that I had cancelled my appointments with my Mom, the many times that I had bailed out on our mother-daughter moments, just to be with Jason. 

It tore my heart, when I recalled the many times I had chosen him over my mom, the only person who genuinely loved me. And now that I was on the verge of breaking down, she was there, with me, listening. 

To be honest, I couldn't help but blame myself for how things had ended up. My mom had always been against the idea of Jason and me being together. Years ago, she saw through my crush on him, and she advised me to give up on him, citing that Jason wasn't good enough for me. 

But I didn't listen to her. I had been so madly in love that her advice had seemed like an attack. At some point, I had assumed that she was projecting her failed marriage on me, luckily, I hadn't said that to her, otherwise, things would have been really ugly between us. 

I had gone ahead and offered myself to him, going up and beyond, just to please him. Back then, my mom had been disappointed, especially in me, but she had supported me regardless. 

Even when I revealed the news of my wedding to her, she had looked really upset, saying that she was afraid that we were rushing things. I had begged her, asking her to support me, and she did, even though, she obviously hated him.

"It's okay, Dahlia. " From the other end, her voice came through, soft, shaking. I guess she was crying, and that really twisted something in me. 

My mom was a very strong woman. Over the years, I had seen her go through storms, calmly, without shedding tears. Even back when her marriage ended, when she found out about Dad's infidelity, she had remained calm, composed as she went through with the divorce. She was a strong woman, and for me, she was crying. That stung. 

" I know I have failed you, Mom. I will do better in the future." I promised, my voice edged with determination. 

" No. You haven't failed me, Dahlia. " She countered. 

" You just remind me of myself. " She went on, bitterness evident in her tone. 

" Back then, when I fell in love with your father, my parents were against it. They told me to cut contact with him, and settle for the one they had chosen for me." 

" But I had been adamant, stubbornly defying them. They had been disappointed. They hadn't even attended our wedding. From that day on, they chose to cut ties with me. It was heartbreaking, but I loved your father, so, I went ahead and married him, starting a family with him." 

" It was not until he betrayed me that I understood my parents' reasoning. Some things are just not meant to be, and, outsiders can see them clearly than the ones involved. " 

" When I saw how in love you were with Jason, I could already foresee a future heartbreak. And more clearly, I understood the position that my parents were in back then. But being your mother, I decided to support you, to be there for you in case it really happened. " She revealed, my mind stilling as the realisation dawned on me. 

No wonder I hadn't known my maternal grandparents until my mother divorced my Dad. No wonder she had been so against my marriage to Jason. She had been in my shoes once, but unlike her parents, she chose to support me regardless. Thinking about it, I felt even more guilty. 

" It's good that you have seen him for who he truly is, Dahlia. It's good that you have come back to your senses. It will hurt now, but it will save you from a future of regret and bitterness. " She whispered, her voice uneven. I guess the divorce really messed her up more than anyone understood. 

" Do you want me to kill him?" Out of nowhere, she asked, and I was so surprised that I gasped...

" Wh...What?" I stuttered, hoping that I had misheard. 

" Do you want me to kill him? To kill Jason Riggs?" She asked, the seriousness in her tone unsettling as she enunciated every single word. 

" No. I mean, when did you become a murderer?" I asked, wearing a wry smile, and for a moment, I wasn't thinking about Jason and his betrayal. 

" When was I not, Dahlia? You have been so closed up in Jason's world that you don't know what your family does for a living. I am a mafia princess. " 

" The Banks have some deep roots in the underworld. Well, ours is clean, though. We only supply weapons, nothing complicated. Our dealings are clean and licensed. The government even purchases from us." 

" I am not telling you this to scare you. I want you to be prepared because you are coming home, for good this time. And you need to be mentally prepared. " She added, her tone firm and final and I nodded. I couldn't wait to get away from Jason anyway. 

" I don't do a lot of killing, but my hands aren't without blood either. I had promised myself not to spill more blood, especially, not in the next two weeks, but I can make an exception. " She paused, her voice chilled in a very unfamiliar way, and a cold shiver went down my spine. I was scared and excited at the same time. 

" Jason has hurt my precious princess, that's unforgivable. You are my bottom line, Dahlia. Do you want him dead? He will be gone in seconds. And before you ask? The reason I didn't kill your father after he betrayed me was because of you. I couldn't allow you to live without a father. I have to admit though, it was not easy. One time I almost killed him." She whispered, a chilly laughter ringing from the other end of the line, and I gasped, audibly. My Mom was a badass. 

" No. Don't kill him, Mom...I will take my revenge on my own terms. " I didn't want him dead, but it was not out of pity. Maybe I wanted to kill him myself. 

" Good. The wedding is still on, but you will be marrying a different Groom. " 

" He is perfect, I know you will love him." 

" Prepare yourself. You are a Banks. We Banks don't break down. We count our losses and stand up. We are the Crowns. " 

" In a week, I will come for you, Princess Dahlia. " Her words were followed by a Duu! Duu!! Sound as the call was disconnected. 

Long after the call, I sat there, dazed, stunned, until I received a text. ...

" Our wedding will be in a week. I have to meet my bride before then, right?"

" Tomorrow night, at Goldville Heights, room 556. Be on time. Dalton Riggs." 

"Okay. " I typed, hit send before picking myself up from the cabros.