Or, so you thought. Because waking up after another missing week with your arm broken and in a black and silver cast (which you promptly roll your eyes at, muttering thanks, Felicia after) in a hotel that isn't your home changes a lot of things. And then you find the notes, the video logs, the audio logs. You were kidnapped. You were tortured, you were rescued. You got angry. You fought back. You rescued a friend. And your apartment was trashed. The last audio note is telling you all about how you can't go back there, because the ‘lackies' know where you live.
You remember what Roy told you, and about what happened in October, and you immediately start looking at new places to live. It's the right choice.
It doesn't take you long, but you find the perfect place, and when the security is just the right level that you need (and you can thank your boyfriend for looking into that for you), you put down an offer. Sure it's a little over what the actual asking price is, but you need a new place to live as soon as possible and you need to make sure you can get there quickly. Paying a little more is more than okay for this to happen, and well, you've got the means to make it work. But even with rushing everything and getting everything done correctly, you still won't have the keys in hand until February 6th.
So it's two weeks of going back and forth from the hotel to your broken apartment, packing up things and putting them into storage; as much as you can with a broken arm, and you get some help along the way.
Today, you've gone over to the apartment to pack up some little things on your own, and you're not expecting anyone. So when there's a knock on the broken door and it opens, you turn around quickly, your hand moving to the pistol in your purse, just in case.
When you hear high heels click on the floor, you move your hand from the purse and you just wait until you hear the voice.
"Jesus, Faith, what the hell did you do?"
You heavily sigh as you get up off the floor and you put your non-broken hand on your hip. "Mother, what the fuck are you doing here?"
The bleached blonde (with brunette roots, she could never get her hair done right) scoffs, dripping in the style of old money, but you know that's not what it is. She was more than okay for your father to steal her a ticket into the society pages, and then enabled him to steal more and more to keep up with her newfound wealthy lifestyle. And, she used you to only get others to notice her, and once your father filed for divorce, she announced she had found herself a new sugardaddy.
Last time you checked, the last sugardaddy was in the process of trying to divorce her too.
"Is that any way to talk to your dear old mother? I heard about what happened, I came as soon as I could!" She clucks at you and walks forward, and you narrow your eyes and take a step back.
"How did you hear about it?"
"Oh you know that Lisa still lives in this building! She told me everything! That you showed up with a broken arm one day, you poor girl! What happened?"
You have to hand it to her, for a moment she actually looks concerned, and maybe she's become a better actress than you once knew her as. "It's none of your business, mother."
She sighs, setting down her way too large Coach designer bag and takes off her fur jacket, and rests it on one of the chairs that isn't broken into a few pieces. She rolls up her sleeves, and walks towards you again, and you take another step back. She stops. "Faith, you're my daughter, I want to make sure you're okay! Lisa says you've had a few gentlemen callers these days, are you still seeing that Senator?"
Your eyes go wide. "Have you not read or heard the news? That 'Senator' is dead. He raped me, which is what I told you years ago but you never listened to me. So, no, I'm not seeing him, I never was."
Your mother shakes her head, "You just could never see a good gift when you had it. He could have set you up for life, Faith. It's a shame he's dead, you could have had such a good life, pop out a couple of kids..."
"Do you not know me at all? Why are you even here?" You hiss back at her, and you take a step forward, glaring at her.
"I told you, I needed to check in on you. How on earth are you able to afford all of this still?" She looked around, and you roll your eyes.
"I own a business. I actually made something of myself," You shake your head, "Dad was proud of me. We even went into business together."
It's then that she seems to remember your father, and she looks surprised, "Walter kept in touch with you?" You smirk and just nod, and your mother scoffs., "Well it doesn't matter anyway, he passed away and left me with nothing."
"Because you left him with nothing when you guys divorced. I had to help him back up on his feet."
"Now Faith, I didn't come here to fight with you."
"Then why are you here? You're not giving me a real reason."
She sighs and her face softens, as she reaches over to touch your cast. "I'm moving to Washington DC, with my new boyfriend. I want you to come with me."
It's such a weird request that you actually start laughing, and she actually looks hurt when you do. "Oh god," You finally say, "You're serious? Why on Earth would I do that? I have a life here, and I'm not your little 'princess' that you can use for your own gain now."
"Please, this is your life. Look at it! You have a broken arm, you 'claim' a very wealthy man assaulted you so you could get money off of him, I know what this is!" She laughs, her tone more harsh than anything else and you lose it.
"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Of. My apartment." You hiss at her, as you take another step forward. For a moment you remember Felicia's notes on how she helped Gwen get down, something about magic claws and mind control, and god you really wish you had that right now. "I have a life here. I have a new place to live. I have a company that I love. I have someone who actually loves me." You use your good hand and you push her back, and she looks at you startled, "And don't ever try to tell me that what I went through didn't happen. Dad was there for me through all of that, when you weren't. I'm not your little Olympic medal you can show off anymore!"
Your mother slaps you hard across the face, "You will learn some respect, young lady."
You laugh. You actually burst out laughing. Because you know everything that you've gone through, and you know everything that has been going on (as much as you can). You know what it took to get to this point, and you're not about to let her walk back over your life. "Wait!" You say finally, "I get it! You come here, in my moment of need, because you think I'll come crying to you. That you can be the golden mother, and then start using my money. You just want to take advantage of me, like you always have."
She raises her hand again, but you snatch her wrist and you squeeze tight, "If you ever come back here, I will call the police. In fact, I am getting a restraining order on you the second you leave. If you ever try to contact me, I will have you arrested."
When it looks like she's going to comply, you release her wrist and she rubs at it, and tries to seem like she's better than you, raising her chin as she grabs her jacket and purse and heads for the door. "This isn't the last you'll hear from me, Faith Katherine."
"Counting on it, Lydia" You put on your best fake smile and wave her off, as she goes through the door and it closes -- at least the best that it can. As the door shuts, your smile drops and you angerly flip off the door, and turn around to get back into packing.
When you have a thought. You decide to pay your mother's 'spy' Lisa a visit.
A floor up and few doors down later, you're knocking on the door. Lisa opens it and smiles sweetly, "Why hello Faith! I'm so glad that you seem to be doing better!" You smile sweetly back at her, "Cut the shit, Lisa." You keep the smile as you say this, and Lisa's own smile falters. "I know you've been spying on me to tell my mother what is going on. I'm sure she's paying you to do that. Out of respect for you, I didn't want to come up her and confront you, but I feel as though you've left me no other choice."
Lisa immediately tries to hush you, as a neighbor peeks their head out their door nearby. Oh good. An audience. It's actually exactly what you want. "Faith, please, keep your voice down!"
"Why? The whole building should know how you're spying on everyone here, and getting paid for it." This gets another door to open. You don't know if this is true or not, but the guilty and panicked look on Lisa's face tells you that it might be. "What would your husband think?" You tsk-tsk, and sigh.
"My husband Frank loves me!"
"And where is Frank now, hmm?"
"A business trip, he's a very important man, you know." Lisa says with pride, or she tries too, as she starts to get nervous of all the people starting to look into the hall. But with your foot in the door, she isn't slamming it on you, and she's trying to save face.
"Is he?" You raise an eyebrow, and smirk, and pull out your phone. "Hold on." You dial a number on your phone, one of your girls. "Veronica! Hey! Are you still with Frank?" You ask into the phone, as Lisa looks at you with wide eyes. "You are? Oh great, can you send me photos of you two? Preferably in whatever I just caught you in the middle of doing. Oh, send me a photo of the ring he got you too. Bye!" You hang up and wait for the text messages, as Lisa laughs.
"What do you think you're doing? You can't fool me with some fake..."
Ding. Your text tone goes off and you open up the photos, and show them to Lisa. "This is Veronica, one of my girls. Oh, sorry, former girls. See, recently she got pregnant and fell in love with one of her favorite clients." You swipe to the next photo, "Your husband, Frank."
Lisa starts to freak out, and shakes her head, "I don't believe you! This is photoshop!"
"On my phone? That quickly? You're an idiot. Call him right now if you don't believe me. They're in Vegas getting married. I was going to be the maid of honor but," You point to your broken arm, "Well you know. Since you try to know everything about me."
Lisa tries to say something, and you just smile sweetly at her. "Stay away from me and my life, Lisa. Good luck on trying to save that shame of a marriage." You turn and walk away, past the neighbors who have gathered in the hall, and just as you reach the elevator, you can hear Lisa screaming Frank, how could you! I loved you!.
As the elevator doors open, you walk in, lean against the back wall, and smirk. And now you're actually glad that your place got ruined.
If anything, it finally got you away from your shitty neighbors.