Chapter Text
"Well... what do ya think...?"
Suki couldn't believe her eyes as the young bride stepped out from behind the privacy curtain. She was clad in an angelic, obscenely expensive white gown, custom-made by Louis Vixéun himself.
It featured intricate embroidery and delicate lace detailing, with small, shimmering crystals adorning every inch of the fabric. The bodice was fitted and embellished with tiny pearls, while the full skirt cascaded down in voluminous folds. The train alone was at least several meters long, only adding to the grandeur on display.
They'd been told during the design process that this dress would be Vixéun's finest work yet, and it was evident that he had more than delivered. But while the dress itself was certainly a work of art, the young wolf wearing it was what truly made it a masterpiece.
Stephanie Frangipane - soon to be known publicly as Stephanie Crystal, or Mrs. Redshore City - was already renowned for her radiant beauty, and the sparkling white dress perfectly accentuated her dark teal fur and greenish-gold eyes. But of course, she had to look particularly stunning on her big day, especially for the very prolific groom she was about to marry.
"Oh, sweetheart... you look absolutely beautiful..." Suki gently dabbed her eyes, though it didn't do much to hold back the tears that were already coming down her face.
"I know, I just... I just can't believe this is really happening!"
Stephanie nearly shrieked as she quickly pulled Suki into a hug, both beaming with excitement while they giggled like school girls. It seemed like only yesterday, Stephanie was just a talented young singer that Suki saw performing at Peralta's, and now only three years later, she was about to tie the knot with the biggest mogul in the entertainment industry.
Suki remained smiling as Stephanie went over to the mirror to admire herself, though the saluki couldn't help noticing a more neutral, almost concerned expression form on the young wolf's face when she stared at her reflection. After a moment or two of hesitation, Suki quietly stood by her side again, carefully brushing the loose quiff of fur hanging over her friend's face.
"You okay, Steph...?"
"What...? Oh, uh... y-yeah, I'm great.." Stephanie cleared her throat, thinking for a moment as she continued looking at herself. "I was just... I guess I... I um... eh, I dunno, Suki. Something just feels a little off, y'know...?"
"Oh... what do you mean...?" Suki pressed gently.
"Well, I just... I..." Stephanie sighed, gnawing on her bottom lip. "Jimmy's been real busy with work lately, and... and it seems like I've barely been been in the same room with him these last couple weeks. I mean, yeah, I... I know you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding and stuff, but I thought that was just for the day!"
Suki chuckled at this remark, but she couldn't help feeling her heart sink when she saw the rather hurt look forming on the young wolf's face. As much as she had tried to shelter Stephanie from Jimmy's worst aspects over the years, his inattentiveness and neglect was a hard issue to avoid. Though this was only a minor cruelty in comparison to what her employer was truly capable of, it was clear that his young fiancé had been badly affected by it nonetheless.
"Eh, it's probably just nerves, though..." Stephanie shook her head, trying to sound more casual. "I really am lookin' forward to it. Y'know, the wedding, and... and being married, it... it's gonna be great."
"Hmm... of course it will, sweetheart..." Suki placed a reassuring hand on Stephanie's shoulder, tenderly stroking down the slightly ruffled fur there. "And yeah, I get you're nervous, but y'know, wedding jitters, it's... it's totally normal. But what's important is that you love Jimmy, and... and uh... and he loves you too. Hmm... yeah... everything's gonna be fine, Stephanie."
Stephanie nodded, her smile returning as she pulled the saluki into another hug, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. While in reality their embrace had only lasted about ten seconds, it certainly felt a lot longer, as all the other sounds surrounding them slowed to a halt and finally faded to sweet, beautiful silence. For just a few, fleeting moments, it felt like the entire world had come to a standstill, and there was no one else in it but just the two of them.
"Thanks, Suki..." Stephanie almost whispered, sniffling a bit. "Thanks for everything."
The sound of a high-pitched, rather obnoxious voice clearing his throat finally snapped them out of this, as they looked over to the doorway where a small, well-dressed little cat was waiting.
"It, um... it's time, Miss Frangipane..." Jerry said, anxious with excitement. "They're all waiting."
As the endpoint to three years of casual courting, the wedding ceremony was quite the spectacle. The citizens of Redshore City would expect nothing less from their entertainment king, and Stephanie was sure this should be the happiest day of her life.
She certainly felt happy, and everyone else around her seemed utterly overjoyed, especially Suki. But there was a strange feeling as well, and Stephanie wasn't quite sure what it was - fear, emptiness, perhaps just gas - but she just couldn't shake it. Though she made sure to keep a smile on her face for her adoring public, just as Jimmy had always told her to.
Having spent most of the after-party being asked about the type of dress she was wearing, all eyes were on Stephanie and her new husband as they cut the towering vanilla cake in the centre of the ballroom.
Stephanie had barely lifted the knife off the cake when the reporters and paparazzi quickly surrounded the newlyweds again. She felt relatively confident to start with as she answered more of their questions, though that confidence quickly faltered when she realised that Jimmy had already made his way halfway across the ballroom, and was now talking on his gold-plated phone while the press swarmed his new wife like moths to a flame.
"Mrs. Crystal...!" One reporter's voice took Stephanie off-guard, and she cleared her throat as she squinted past the bright flashes of the cameras. "How does it feel to be the new Queen of Redshore City...?"
"Oh... I guess..." Stephanie glanced back at Jimmy, who still paid her no attention as he continued barking orders to his business partner on the other end of the line. "It's uh... it's good... yeah, it's real good..."
"YOU THREATENED MY THERAPIST...?!"
Stephanie had more than her fill of miserable and borderline traumatic experiences while married to the biggest name in the entertainment industry. But knowing her husband had finally caught onto the one source of venting that she had was just enough to finally push her over the edge.
"Oh here we go..." Jimmy reclined in his seat, sending an annoyed glare back at his wife. "Another one of your moods again, huh...?"
Stephanie was snarling like a wild beast as she grabbed the half-empty glass decanter from off the desk, tossing it against the wall with a shattering CRASH!
"Don't you ever speak to him!" She shouted. "You wanna therapist, get your own damn therapist! Cause you got bigger problems than I do, Jimmy!"
"Oh, you wanna talk about bigger problems?! You're the biggest problem I got, baby!" Jimmy finally went on the attack. "All the time and money I wasted on you, nothin' in return, and now I find out you're talking to some quack shrink!"
"Nothing in return...?! I've given you everything!" Stephanie nearly shrieked. "I've been your wife, I gave you a daughter! I put my whole life on hold for you, Jimmy, what more do ya want from me...?!"
"You know exactly what I wanted, don't you play the victim here!" Jimmy snapped. "You were supposed to be my headliner! My next big star!"
"I was trying my best!"
"Oh please, ya can't even read the damn lyrics unless somebody spells 'em out for ya!" Jimmy nearly laughed as he recalled the image from her past rehearsals. "Watchin' you stutter on that stage was like a bad comedy! And now everybody in my theatre knows I'm married to some book-dumb, talentless gold digger!"
Stephanie tensed a little a Jimmy rose from his seat, though she managed to remain fairly confident as he pointed an accusing finger. "I told ya what was gonnna happen if ya made me look bad!"
"How can I not make ya look bad...?!" Stephanie rebutted. "All I'm ever 'sposed to do around here is smile, wave, and walk on eggshells, and it still ain't good enough for ya! I give, and give, and give, and all you give back is this... th-this selfishness, and neglect, and the cheating, and the -"
"Ah, don't be such a drama queen, y'worthless little ingrate!" Jimmy scoffed. "Y'knew whatcha signed up for, and it ain't my fault ya can't handle it! Either get out or get over it!"
"I RAISED MY HAND TO MY CHILD BECAUSE OF YOU!" Stephanie's voice cracked as she said this, a few burning tears already dribbling down her face. "AND I'LL NEVER GET OVER THAT! EVER!"
"Oh what, you're still upset about that stupid little slap?!" Jimmy stood in the doorway while Stephanie stormed out. "Come on, a little tough love don't hurt nobody! Besides, little brat probably deserved it anyhow!"
"Don't you dare say that!" Stephanie called back, making Jimmy roll his eyes as she came back in. "That wasn't tough love, it wasn't love at all! It was hatred, Jimmy, hatred for you! Not that you'd know the difference!"
Jimmy's careless grimace tightened into a scowl as Stephanie came back, rolling a full suitcase in with her as she continued.
"Because you don't love her, and ya certainly don't love me either!" She said. "You just possess us! We ain't nothin' more than property to you, are we?!"
"Whaddaya think you're doing with that...?!" Jimmy hissed.
"I shoulda done this years ago! If you hadn't trapped me with that contract, I'd have taken off before y'even proposed!" Stephanie struggled to put on her jacket. "So I'm leaving tonight, and there's nothing you can do or say to change that!"
"Oh yeah? And what about the kid, huh...?" Jimmy interjected. "Ya just gonna leave her too?!"
"Believe me, Jimmy, if you think I'm letting ya keep that precious little angel under your thumb, you've got another thing coming!" Stephanie snarled in a fierce, protective tone, which only grew louder and more defiant as she prodded his chest with her finger. "Porsha's the only good thing I've ever gotten outta this, and there's nothing I'll ever regret more than having her with you!"
Jimmy's face went a furious red, but he only just managed to force his more casual visage on as Stephanie continued her rant.
"Now I'm takin' her with me, and we're never comin' back to Redshore again!"
"You can't honestly be serious!" Jimmy stifled an ominously hollow chuckle. "Ya really think either of you'd last five minutes without me?! Where y'even gonna go, huh?"
"I'm taking her home!" Stephanie's voice was strained while tears streamed down her face, but she wasn't any less passionate. "I'll get a normal job, we'll live in a normal house, she'll go to a normal school, make normal friends, and live a normal life! Anything I can give Porsha there is better than how you've trapped us both in here!"
"RARGH!" Jimmy swung his arm back, sending most of the items on his desk flying. While a brief look of fear flashed on Stephanie's face, she quickly regained her defiant expression as she stared him down. His attempt at intimidation having failed, Jimmy then pressed the intercom and yelled into it. "Jerry, get security here now!"
"Oh what, big fella, you're gonna go full lockdown?! No way in or out?!" Stephanie nearly laughed, before a darkly dressed leopard and grey wolf - Roman and Kendall, respectively - approached her from behind and grabbed both of her arms. "Wait, what are ya -?! Get your hands off me, you thugs!"
"Escort her off the premises." Jimmy said coldly. "She's played her part here."
"No!" Stephanie grunted while she struggled to escape their grip, trying her best to get over to Jimmy as he slowly, silently approached her. "I'm not leaving here without Porsha, you slimy - UGH!"
She wheezed when Jimmy suddenly latched his hand around the collar of her shirt, dragging her closer as he yelled into her face.
"YOU'RE LUCKY YOU AIN'T LEAVIN' OUTTA THAT WINDOW!" Jimmy's familiar rage finally burst out, making Stephanie whimper a bit as he tightened his grip on her. "No one makes me look like a fool! Especially not some pathetic, low-life little loser like you!"
Stephanie still struggled to breathe while Jimmy tightened his grip, biting down hard on her bottom lip as he looked her right in her slowly misting eyes.
"You're nothing without me, Stephanie! Y'always were nothing and you'll always be nothing!" Jimmy gave a satisfied hiss as he pulled his all-too-familiar sadistic grin. "And you're not getting my daughter either..."
This was just enough to give Stephanie another burst of courage as she spoke up again. "She's my daughter too!"
"Well then I hope she doesn't turn out anything like you!" Jimmy's voice was particularly spiteful on that last part, letting out a forceful grunt as he finally loosened his grip, then looked to the two thugs holding Stephanie's arms. "Pack her things. Send her back to whatever podunk little gutter town she crawled out of!"
"NO!" Stephanie continued to kick and fight as Kendall and Roman pulled her out of the office and towards the front door, tears now streaming down her face while she yelled and shrieked in physical and emotional agony. "No, you... Jimmy, please, ya can't do this! Ugh... PORSHA!"
Although it was after midnight, the vibrant lights of Fabulous Redshore City - particularly its central attraction, the Crystal Tower Theatre - were shining just as bright as ever. When first arriving three years prior, a younger, more innocent Stephanie had been utterly amazed by this dazzling skyline, but now as she observed from the dirty window of a cramped, dilapidated motel room, she couldn't see anything more than the soulless, obnoxious spectacle that it truly was.
Having tired herself out after a whole half hour of struggling - during which her captors had suffered several minor injuries - Stephanie was now sat silently on the bottom corner of the room's small, creaky bed, barely acknowledging Kendall and Roman as they brought her things in. Roman was carrying two suitcases - the one that Stephanie had already packed during her argument, and another they'd packed for her - while Kendall carried a plain, black gym bag.
"What's that...?" She asked, her voice still slightly strained from all the crying and shouting she'd been doing earlier.
"It's your severance package..." Jerry said as he entered, his almost childish cheeriness striking a stark contrast with what he was actually saying while he unzipped the gym bag, revealing at least two dozen wrapped bundles of cash. "Seven hundred thousand dollars, courtesy of Mr. Crystal."
"Seriously...? Hush money...?!" Stephanie felt her eyes misting up again as her face beamed a furious red. "All I wanted from him was my goddamned daughter!"
"Well, I'm afraid that's not an option, Mrs. Crystal. Your husband is very insistent on -"
"Frangipane!" Stephanie cut him off, crossing her arms as she looked away. "Alright, I'm not a Crystal. I never was."
"Oh, okay... well anyway, Miss Frangipane, Mr. Crystal wanted me to give you this..."
Jerry nervously shuffled over and passed Stephanie a small, paper slip, which upon closer inspection, she realised was actually a freshly-printed ticket.
Bus Number: 12-21
Departure Time: 8:00am
Destination: Sealattle
"Sealattle...?"
"Oh yeah, it's really nice there..." Jerry smiled. "We've not set you up with anything, but it's a great place for you to start over!"
"Hmm... right. And you boys are totally okay with all this, huh...?" Stephanie raised an eyebrow as she glared at Jerry and the two thugs behind him, though her voice still shook with pain. "Yeah, you uh... ya feelin' proud, fellas...?"
"What's there to feel proud about...?" Kendall scoffed. "We're just doing our jobs."
"But how can ya live with yourselves...?" Stephanie pleaded. "I mean, come on, separating a mother from her daughter like this?! Hell, don't even think about me, think about what this is gonna do to Porsha!"
"Listen, lady, you knew what ya were gettin' into when ya married Mr. Crystal!" Kendall cut her off, the grey wolf taking a moment to straighten his sunglasses. "Should've thought about your daughter before ya made that little scene over at the mansion."
Stephanie was taken aback, feeling another a wave of visceral fury briefly wash over her. For just a moment she considered lashing out at the other wolf in the room, but she knew it wouldn't change anything. So instead she simply took a deep breath, and tried her best to recompose herself.
"Fine..." She almost whispered, her voice cold yet controlled. "I'll take the damn money. But you boys ain't seen the last of me! That I can promise ya!"
"You're right... we'll see that once we put ya on that bus tomorrow morning..." Kendall pulled a smug, vicious smirk, turning back towards the door as he and Roman left the room.
Jerry remained for another moment or two, completely ignorant of the palpable tension, then clapped his hands together and regained the spring in his step. "Well then! Guess that settles it. Roman and Kendall will send you on your way in the morning. Til then, we'll uh... we'll just leave you to rest, Miss Frangipane."
Stephanie watched as the cat shuffled out of the room room, closing the door behind him. There was almost silence now, nothing but the faint sound of traffic and wind outside to keep her company. So with nothing else to do, Stephanie lay back on the bed, staring down at the bundles of cash that were still in the bag on the floor.
It was certainly a lot of money, more than Stephanie had ever seen in one place throughout her marriage or even her life. But all the money in the world couldn't bring her daughter back to her, or treat the pain of being torn away from the only piece of family she'd ever had or known. And the more Stephanie thought about this, the more something inside her began to shift...
And then, finally, it snapped.
Stephanie suddenly shot right up off the bed, and knelt down on the floor to unzip her first suitcase. After taking a few moments to dig through it, she fished out a bunch of dark clothes, before closing the curtains on both the room's windows while she frantically changed into them. She wasn't entirely certain that Roman and Kendall weren't still guarding the front door waiting, so rather than take the risk, she opened the back window and slipped out around the rear side of the building.
Perhaps in another version of these events, she would have simply thrown in the towel, disappeared, and let Jimmy erase every trace of her existence. But this was not that version of events, nor would she allow it to become so.
Because she was Stephanie Frangipane, and this was her story.