#WritcoStoryPrompt120
Write a story based on the phrase "You will realize a person's worth when they are gone."

I rested against the large steep walls, the huge carpeted halls scram of money. From the flashing light of the diamond themed chandelier to the shiny glazed wall, reflecting the light to a bare minimum. Pieces of clay caricatures and statues ran down the wall, a glass display covering some relic getting between the two once in a while. My large shoes clack was muffled by the red carpet that flowed down to the dinning room.

A picture caught my eye and I turned. A family of three circled around a well tailored cushion. I could still remember the heavy scent of the fur of the artic fox of that day. Trying to get our family higher up the noble pedestal, we joined in in the monthly themed photoshoot. This one was about animals. Matching the white of the couch. My parents and I were dressed in a brownish white suit with pants. A thirteen year old sat at the centre, her face drawn in concentration and upkeeping of poise. I could still feel the memory of how I had managed to sit down so still. My honey brown eyes were slightly squinted.

for my father, his brown locks were slicked back glistening under the immense lighting of that day. His ocean blue eyes were bright and twinkling, his pink lips were curved up in a smile. Not the genuine one but the one that said, "I am better than you so, stay out of my way." My mother sat beside me, her honey brown eyes twinkling also. Her long black braids tied up in a bun, pricklies of pins and needles that had sunk itself into a sack. Her eyes sparkled in calculation. A friendly smile gracing her features, just to cover her other thoughts.

Watching this picture, my lips curved downwards slightly. They'd left two months back and were involved in a crash. My heart boiled in anger as I reminisced. A year and a half ago, I had met a boy whom I liked immensly. His name was Ashton. I had met the boy, a distance from the noble city school.

I had asked my driver to take a deserted road at the outskirts of town just to avoid any forced conversation I would have with any other self proclaimed brat. The car tire had busted thanks to some needles that had coated the road. As my driver was looking to replace the tire, we heard gun shots. I tried to call my parents or the police but the line didn't go through. There was no network.

As we continued to scramble for life, a guy around my age beckoned both of us over. As much as we would have both loved to decline, the gunshots were getting closer. So, we both rushed to meet him. He led us away through a tunnel that I hadn't seen. The tunnel led us back to Nobles side of town. Both of us had profusely thanked him. I then insisted that he come to my house for tea, my driver ,like my parents, was skeptical about the decision but gave in after my my mind was made up.

We ordered a cab which took us to my house. I could still remember how shocked he was. There I had gotten to know him considerably. A few hours before my parents arrived, he had left and I gave him money to take home a cab. My servants had taken the privilege to tell my parents first of what had taken place and they were angry.

They were blowing their tops about how nobles and peasants were not meant to co-exist. For some reason, I had the urge to protect him. "He just saved my life and I was just getting to know my salvation. Your talking as if I wanted to marry him."

"Because this where scenarios such as. these always leads to." And wanting to bend away from their never ending rules and demands, I began to see him in secret as friends. I had bribed the servant and just asked my driver to keep it as a secret, since he needed no coercing.

It was all fun and laughs. He introduced into a world beyond the four corners of money and rules but one where love ruled. He introduced me to my parents whom were sweet and kind, tolerating my talkativeness. He introduced me to a world where I could finally revel in what I had instead of repressing it. There was a day I had looked into his forest green eyes and felt my stomach twist into knots. We began dating soon after that Of course, sooner or later my parents found out and they were beyond angry.

After that, they fired my driver on the spot, heightened security and made sure that I was only allowed entry if my parents approved of it. In ways I would have never been able to do without Ashton's teachings, I was able to escape. And like that we continued seeing each other without my servants nor the guards sighting me. A few weeks later, I had finished my noble school and soon to be whisked into the study of a career I didn't want.

So, soon after that, he had proposed to me. I was beyond esctatic and ready to take back my rule over my life forcefully. We both had gone back that same day to show them what had become of us.

"You can't marry him!" My mother had seethed that day, her face mostly devoid of her feelings. But that day, they were raging on and on.

"Why? Because I've found true love rather than marry the stuck up snob you would have chosen for me?"

"When did you gain such an attitude?"

"And when did you become the respectful and caring role model!"

"Young lady, you will not take that tone with me!"

"What would you do? Take away my car and thrust me on the streets just to prove to others how money hungry you are?"

"I-"

"Oh I know what you would want to do. You'd try to denounce my right as your only child and heir!" For once my father wasn't smiling, he was frowning.

"Why-"

"Ok so before you do that, I will do mine. I, Jacqueline Vernayas D'veras denounces you two as my lawful parents. I will get my lawyer to change my surname and you may get any other noble child you'd like as your heir, I already have enough money to last me. Never again will I live by your rules, never again will I live with people that classify people's worth based on their bank account. I and my fiancee will be buying our estate at the north side of the country, far far from you!" Something inside my mother had changed. Her eyes grew darker.

"You won't get away with this, you scum." She lunged at him and tackled him to the ground. Something broke and I saw grabbing a chair and breaking it over her back. The wooden chair had raked against her, the hit plunged her into unconscious. An eerie silence had descended over the household, my father picked my mother up with a slight blur of tears.

"What have you done? " Guilt singed at me but I pushed it away.

"This is what you get when you stand in my way." Soon, my father with his driver had rushed my mother to a hospital. I had been packing my bags when a servant rushed to me, face white.

"Your... parents... they were involved in the accident. They're in the Intensive Care Unit." My heart plummeted and soon I was rushing to my car and racing to the hospital. My parents were battered beyond comprehension, every limb was wrapped in the satin white bandages. According to the doctor's report, they were barely grasping onto life. Soon after some hours had passed, I was told that they had passed away because the bleeding from the head injuries they had sustainable could not be stopped.

I was beyond saddened, all I could do was state at my shoes all day. Then as I had gotten to my home, I noticed something. Everything was in tatters. I looked around, wandering what had happened. A briefcase I had kept just beside my room that contained some of my very important files were stolen.

"Ashton?" I had called, suddenly feeling my insides crawl. After a few minutes, I sighted a crumbled note on the table, peeking out from the tide of papers. it said,

'Princess Jacqueline, your eyes are as beautiful as stars. But your head is as air filled as a balloon. To think, you could believe a stranger over your parents. I heard the news, your parents are dead. What a shame... My uncle would be very happy though, he had been finding ways to get both of your down so that he could rule the clothing empire once again. And even with your foolishness but I must thank you sincerely for your help. You have brought the Enricos back to its limelight. Though, I wish I could share your loss but no rule is binding me to share it with you. Remember all the things I've taught because your going to need it. Take this experience, as a deep result of trusting people too easily. For your sake, I left your precious money intact but I swept out all the money from your parents'. As much as I'd like to come for the funeral it is unfortunate I can not grace the invitation of a woman whom sent her mother to the hospital and killed both her parents in one night. So goodbye princess, I hope you find good in your unfortunate life.'

I fell unconscious and was in the hospital for a week. After that I had been released I had seriously considered eating more of my dose of pills. Most of the servants had left because they couldn't beat to look at me. Most genuinely cared for my parents and after their death they wanted nothing to do for me. Among the nobles I had been the hottest gossip for almost a year and still counting. And in those moments, every rule that had looked cruel and illogical began to make sense.

Everyday I was bombarded with every memory of them, all of the rules to the jokes and even the strictness and their dismissal of me dating boys. I had to go to therapy to get over the guilt and the frequent nightmares. As time went on, I missed them more and more. The ache that infested in my heart made me very fragile. I was able to start working and get my enterprising businesses up and running. But, never again would I ever be able to forgive myself for what I had done. Their absence made me truly remember their worth.




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