//------------------------------// // Sellout // Story: Silver Marriage // by cdcdrr //------------------------------// Chapter 18: Sellout Diamond Tiara was at her mother's penthouse in the Midtown area of Manehattan, catching up on years of separation. Silver had decided against coming, knowing Diamond would probably want this to be an intimate family bonding moment, and decided to spend time with Babs. Diamond expected she was probably being dragged along to some extreme sports event, which she knew neither Silver or herself understood. She was perfectly content to miss all that rowdy stuff to have coffee with her mother. "Mom, why did you walk out on us? I know you said it was about fashion, but you must not have loved dad much. He never seemed sad you divorced him." Of course there were different reasons for couples to separate, but the lack of emotional attachment from Filthy Rich always puzzled Diamond. Suri sighed as she put away her coffee. "I knew this was coming. Di, your father was always more interested in doing business. I felt like I didn't even exist to him. Oh he probably acknowledged that I was the mother of his little princess, but he was reluctant to spend time with me even before you were born. I had always dreamed of starting a career in Manehattan, and I hoped I could get him to go along and we could all live in the city. But he just brushed that idea off, he was too attached to his family roots in Ponyville even though I could never have succeeded in a small village. So when I got an offer from a modelling agent who needed a skilled hoof to do extra needle work and repairs, I immediately took my chance. We quarrelled over me going to Manehattan, and about you. He felt you needed stability, friends, a familiar setting and a dependable schoolteacher more than you'd need me. I think after that night, I just realized for the first time why he had married me at all, and why he never showed he loved me anymore." "And why is that?" Diamond asked, glued to the edge of her seat. "He just wanted a heir to his family business. And... after two miscarriages he just gave up on me. The first time, I was able to restore my trust in our love when I became pregnant with you, Di. But then when we were going to give you a little brother or sister, the doctors informed me there had been an accident and I would never have another foal. That's when your father stopped caring about me and buried himself in more work." Suri told, genuinely affected by the memories it dredged up. Diamond could believe that. Her father's response to any adversity was to work harder. It was rare for him to discipline her for her bad behaviour in school instead of sealing himself away in his study and hammering away at investing, stocks, business plans and more. Diamond could remember only one example where he had made her spend time with Apple Bloom during zap apple season, and even that time he'd pushed his responsibility on Applejack and Granny Smith instead of taking the time himself. "What about me? Why didn't you try to take me with you? At least write me or come see me at my most important moments growing up?" "I...just..." Suri stared at her hooves, seemingly looking for an answer as well. "Taking you away from him never seemed like a smart option. He'd fight every inch to keep you. He was not going to let me win a custody battle lying down. And because I'm the one who walked out first, and he had all the money, he would have won eventually by stalling the whole process. Equestrian law sides with the mother in these cases, but lawyer fees are expensive. Whatever you may think of his neglectful parenting skills, don't ever doubt that you are important to your father and that he'd use his entire fortune to ensure your future." "But what about just visiting? Were you really on such bad terms you didn't want to come to my Cute-ceañera, or birthdays, or graduation?" Diamond pressed. Her stomach twisted in a way that made her wonder if she actually wanted an answer at all. "I was just very busy with my career. I was going to write, but every time I planned to I just didn't get around to it." Suri explained in a way that just didn't sit right with Diamond Tiara. She was still avoiding the question. Just like she had been avoiding her daughter for years. Her parents had both been neglectful career builders in their own way who never showed her any love. She wanted to get up and leave. She wished she could hide her face from her mother. She tried to keep her tears inside, but she was simply frozen in place and she felt them streaming down her cheeks. "Do you want me to make up for it? I might have a nice evening dress here that would make a nice gift." Suri suggested, but that failed to placate Diamond Tiara. "Why does everypony think giving me things will make up for ignoring me?" She sighed as she put her coffee away, feeling as though she should just leave. "Hold on, it's nearly Hearts and Hooves day isn't it? Don't you want something lovely to wear for your special somepony? Or give it as a gift to Silver? Or have you already bought something else for her?" Diamond admitted she didn't have the money for a proper gift. "I have a beautiful little piece. It's black, I think it's exactly Sil's size." It was better than trying to buy her own loyalty, Diamond Tiara thought. That Suri was showing some investment in their marriage was a slightly more noble thing than what she was used to. Perhaps there was hope for reconciling with her mother after all. * * * Their weekend in Manehattan had gone by too fast. The time that Diamond and Silver had spent with Babs and Suri went by too quickly. But it had been a good distraction from their problems in Ponyville. Good enough that only halfway back on the train did they remember why they had wanted to leave anyway. They dreaded to see what state their lives would be in now that they made it back, but upon arriving home that evening, the two ponies found their house had remained mercifully clean for once. It seemed their 'anonymous' provocateur had decided not to bring more trouble on both their sides as predicted. This at least allowed the couple to sleep soundly at home for once. What they found out the next day would ensure such things weren't happening again for some time. "What in Celestia's name?" Uttered Silver Spoon as she and her partner arrived at the jewellery store for work the next morning. "You have to be kidding me. This has to be a nightmare. Please let me wake up in our Manehattan hotel room." Diamond Tiara brought a hoof to her face. The as-of-yet unopened store Diamond had set up as their breadwinning business had most of its windows smashed and its door lay on the ground by the entrance. "The shop... it's been broken into." Silver stated the obvious. Making their way inside, they found some of the display cases shattered and the walls carved with some crude implements. Thankfully no spoiled fruit or other detritus was left on the walls or the floor, but by Diamond's estimates the damage would be costly in terms of revenue lost due to closure while the shop went into repair. And Diamond knew she was almost out of bits. Her calculations had not taken into account this setback. "The inventory. Please let the inventory be spared." Diamond nearly panicked as she tried to open the door into the workshop, fearing some truly catastrophic consequences if the perpetrator had stolen the crafted jewellery she and Silver had manage to prepare previously. To her relief, she found the door to the workshop locked, as she had left it. Opening the room and taking stock, there was some small comfort from the fact that none of the machinery or finished products had been stolen or damaged. But there wasn't much else about this situation to cheer her up. "You do have some money leftover still, do you, sugar lump?" Silver asked nervously. "No, I don't." Diamond sighed in defeat. "I didn't even have the time to take out any insurance on the place before this happened. I'm afraid to say it, but I-I think we're well and truly bankrupt." "No! No, that can't be. There must still be a way to salvage all this! I had just discovered I liked working here before this happened. It can't end like this! There must be something we can do." Silver Spoon denied what she had just heard. "The bank already lent a fortune." Diamond's muscles tensed as she awkwardly considered the trouble she had gotten herself and Silver into. If she had only kept her stupid mouth shut to Berry Pinch... "I... I really don't want to crawl to them begging for more money. But I'm afraid I have no other choice. Whatever it takes to keep us afloat." "Yes, whatever it takes." Silver repeated, sounding bereft of mirth. "How do we make sure something like this won't happened a second time even if you get the damage fixed?" "We'll have to push back the opening, get some labour to do all the redecorating. That won't be cheap, but if we just rely on local services this'll take far too long. Every day we aren't in business, we'll be bleeding more money. I don't know, maybe they have some work exchange ponies in Cloudsdale or Canterlot we can bring in. As for prevention, there's not that much I can think of. This happened right in town square. This is supposed to be the busiest part of Ponyville, and yet you can smash in storefront windows without anypony taking notice. I guess they came at night then. Not many ponies actually live in the shops lining the square. So if we're supposed to stop this, we'll have to be among the first." "You mean move into the store? Sleep here through the night to catch the culprit?" Silver started to shake. "You bet, and if I ever do catch them..." She decided not to scare Silver further with the details of what she'd plan on doing. "There's an upstairs floors. It's by far not as spacious as our house, but it can accommodate a bedroom, kitchen and toilet. We can camp out there. At least until we have something better to prevent further vandalism attempts." But Silver started to back away, still trembling. "Diamond Tiara... I can't. I don't want to go on like this. I'm scared. It was bad enough that this happened to us at home, but now you want us to move into our store in hopes we'll get attacked?" "Silver, I want to prevent that. Maybe if Berry Pinch notices we've taken up residence she won't try to get at us here. We've got to stand up for ourselves and protect what must stay ours. We can't let others drive us out of town in fear. It isn't right!" "No. No, I promised to stay with you through everything on our wedding but this..." Silver Spoon faltered as she looked around the store. "I just can't feel safe anymore around you. I'm sorry, Diamond." "What are you saying?" Diamond questioned, with a lump in her throat. "Lyra and Bon Bon offered me a place over at their residence. I-I'm going to take them up on it. I don't like this. I just want to feel safe again." "Dearest, we're married. I can't go on without you." Diamond Tiara protested. "And I can't go on looking over my shoulder and having to feel threatened. I'm sorry, sugar lump." Silver said amidst tears. "I still love you, and I want to work here and rebuild our dreams. But I can't live here. I just- I just need to be somewhere where I can have my mind at rest. I'll go pack up a few things and see if Bon Bon's offer is still open. Stay in this place if you're determined to guard it, but you have to do so without me. Goodbye, sugar lump." Silver croaked at the last words regretfully before turning away and leaving the building.