SHATTERED CROWNS

For Better for Worse?

“I see.” Meredith Montgomery whispered in a low tone, her cold voice cutting through the tense silence that came after Declan announced he was going to marry a second wife. Meredtih gazed at her sons affectionately, extending her slim fingers to brush Marcus's cheek. He sat closest to her. “You don't even bother hiding your hatred for me anymore. You even have the audacity to wish me death in front of our beloved sons and this..this wretched ingrate sitting here like he belongs.” She passed a fleeting gaze of disgust towards Luke. Declan was not spared either, as Meredith's full cold glare descended upon him.

Luke’s shoulder tensed at Meredith's words. He had not spoken since the meeting began, and he did not intend to. His plan was to rise above. Be the bigger person.

Declan held Meredith's cold glaring gaze with a stern look. “To be fair, you wished for death first. What I meant to say was, with or without you or any of us here, the Montgomery company will still run. And if we are incapable of keeping it in the family, then it will go to somebody else, who didn't put in the work. Is that what you want?”

“Very well. The company will stay within the family,” she countered after a brief contemplation. She leaned forward, her voice barely above a whisper. “But I can assure you, Alexander, it will not be under other sons of w****s you intend to bring into this family. I will not give you a divorce, and the board will not approve. I will make sure of it.” Her face was a mix of anger and mockery.

Declan chuckled softly, the corners of his eyes wrinkling in pure amusement, “Oh, but they will. Especially if the marriage can help MRE buy more stocks and get even larger shares. So don't put too much hope on the board. I'm pretty sure they'll pick money over a jealous wife any other day.”

Meredith's eyes flickered with anger. Her jaws clenched tightly as she glanced at the family portrait on the wall right above Declan's head, her eyes glistened as they lingered a little longer on her sons’ pictures. Their broad innocent smiles and cheerful faces tugged at her heart strings, if only she could turn back time…her voice trembled, “We weren't the perfect couple, but at least the children were happy. It has never been about love with you. I thought I could change that, but it will always be about money. Even with this new marriage, it's nothing but a strategy to accumulate more wealth. Was it the same with the w***e that gave birth to this bastard too? Perhaps…”

There was a loud clatter of silverware against the tiled dining room floor. Luke was stiff, his hands clenched together into a fist, he lifted his pale face and set his eyes on Meredith. “Call me whatever name you like. But never speak of my mother that way again. Not when she's not here to defend herself Meredith.” Luke turned his gaze towards Declan. “I will be in the conference room if you need me. Excuse me.” With that, he strode out of the dining room, his head held high.

Henry scoffed silently, exchanging a meaningful glance with his brother John. Marcus observed in silence.

Declan's gaze swept across the dining table in silence. “I guess it's time to go.” He said conclusively, standing up.

“No. You are just going to let him talk to me like that?” Meredith's sharp tone stopped Declan midair. He sat back down with a heavy sigh, a bored expression plastered on his face. “Anyway, now that it's just family, tell me Alexander, what is so wrong with our boys, that you can't groom any of them to take after you?”

The boys looked up at their father with hopeful eyes. Except for Marcus.

The frustration in Declan's voice was visible, “Meredith, why do you speak as if you do not know them?. The company would be taken from John within a month. He has no mind of his own, his wife has more influence over him than you as his mother. Every time I give him a project, he runs it to the ground, let him prove himself to us. But don't sit there telling me to just hand over the company to him. Are you listening to me, John? Sort out this mess you created and prove to me, you are worth trusting. Maybe then we can talk about giving you the company.”

“Yes sir.” John answered with new motivation, his eyes glinting with hope.

“Then name Marcus your right-hand man. Give him some position in the company, higher than what he does now. Make him a director.” Meredith pushed stubbornly.

“No.” Declan stated categorically with a stern gaze.

“No?” Meredith snapped. “Because he's gay?”

“Scandal is the last thing we need.” Declan paused, as if picking his choice of words carefully. “Public image is important and you know it. In the spotlight, those journalists will dig into his life, this country is not ready for it, the company isn't, the stocks will fall, then what?”

“I can't listen to this. You're talking about me as if I'm not here.” Marcus rose, pushing his chair back angrily. “Sounds to me like you are the one not ready for it. You are not in politics anymore. The country is changing, nobody cares who I sleep with except you!” Marcus stormed out of the dining room, fuming. John stood up and followed Marcus.

“Marcus!” John rushed after him.

Henry was smiling from ear to ear, he picked up an apple and took a huge bite.

Declan scoffed, “The boy can't even handle his emotions here. How will he handle board meetings? By storming out?”

Meredith took a deep slow breath, “Then pick me. I know how our business works. I was by your side when you started this.” her voice was low.

A hint of amusement spread across Declan's eyes. He chuckled coldly and his face hardened. “Come on Meredith, so you can hire assassins to kill me once again?”

“What!?” Henry's eyes bulged out, his mouth hung open as he glanced between his mother and father.

“Leave us.” His mother ordered without looking at him, her cold, calculating eyes rested on Declan. Henry rose from his chair, “This is one messed up family.” He mumbled as he made his way out of the dining room.

Meredith stood up and slowly made her way towards Declan, she bypassed him and stood rooted before the family portrait, her hands grazed at her smiling picture in the portrait, “You make me sound like a cold-hearted b***h, yet you were the one sleeping around with the governor, what was I supposed to do? Cheer you on?” She turned around and gazed at Declan, her voice was laced with hurt and bitterness.

“It is because of her, that we own everything you see now. I was not enjoying it. I did it for you. For us, and our kids,” Declan snapped.

“She was my step-mother Alexander!” Meredith's tone rose in anger, her voice trembled as those six hateful words came out of her mouth, they tasted bitter even to her.

“Exactly! After your father's death, Lucy was never going to leave you any money, she was going to throw you out in the streets, along with me.” Declan’s face softened, his eyes sought Meredith's as he spoke. “I was a mere chauffeur for your father, with him dead, I went back to being nothing. Halfway through school with huge loans to pay. I only had two choices - go back South and never see you again, or make a decision that would push us forward, and I did. Without her Meredith, I never would have been a deputy governor, none of this would have existed. I don't regret my decision, because in my heart I know, I never abandoned you. I stayed by your side, retired from the office just so we could start something of our own. For us! What more do I have to do to prove that I chose you?”

Meredith swallowed, looking down at her manicured nails. “Nothing you do, has ever been for us. It's always about you and your dreams, you are a self-serving bastard who never cared about me. You used me, and when you noticed I couldn't serve your purpose, you turned to Lucy. You've never cared how much I love you. Before you, my father was all I ever had, then she took him from me, all the hardship I went through because of her. And then you too. I thought you were my savior. Alexander, does everything have to be about money with you?” her face was contorted in pain.

“Try living a day's life of poverty, and then come ask me that question. You are lucky you were raised as a princess all your life. And I have tried to maintain that for you. I'm truly sorry about your mother and what Lucy did to you, but thanks to your assassins, she's dead now. I have a question for you.” Declan narrowed his eyes in deep contemplation. “Did you really send those killers to crash that car knowing I was in it with Lucy?” Meredith fell silent, looking at Declan with calm composure.

Declan's response to Meredith's suggestive silence, was a cold laugh as he stood, pushing his chair back. “You didn't succeed and you never will. Think about that as you pose for a picture out front. Ensure you have a big smile on your face.”

Meredith smirked, a victorious glint in her eyes as she stood up, following Declan who was already on the move. “ I don't have to lift a finger now, thanks to biology, it's all taking care of itself. You think about that as you pose for a picture with a huge goofy smile on your face.”

Olivia was staring out the expansive windows when Luke walked into the conference hall. Her face was wrinkled in deep thoughts, she did not notice Luke standing at the door. He approached her in silence, his steps absorbed by the thick green carpeted floor. “Liv.” He greeted her, slipping his hands against her waist and pulling her to him.

“Hey.” Olivia was shocked, but her features softened, and she leaned into him as soon as she realized it was him. “Not here, someone could see us...” she stated cautiously, breaking the hug quickly. She glanced around to check that nobody was around to see it.

“But I want people to know, let them know already.” Luke interrupted her, his voice softening, with a pleading look on his face, “I want to marry you.”

“Hmm.. Luke..” Olivia laughed nervously. “I never knew you were Declan's illegitimate son, why didn't you tell me?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Luke held Olivia's curious but piercing gaze, “I'm sorry I didn't tell you, honestly I've been working on how to tell you, I didn't want you to find out like this.” His face was masked in vulnerability as deep lines of worry structured his forehead. “Does it change how you feel about me?” He asked hesitantly, a note of urgency palpable in his voice as he searched Olivia's eyes for an answer.