Author's Notes: Credit goes to xjmaster for having a hand in motivating and convincing me to write this.
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Never Turn Back
Chapter 1
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Early morning had not been so pleasant thus far. The hair dryer was on the fritz, coupled with the accusation that someone had misplaced Lili's makeup kit yet again. She had been staring at her pale reflection in the mirror for the past five minutes, unsuccessful in lessoning the extreme amount of stress she was under. So much of it had filled her stomach in place of food with nausea pains that she decided to skip out on breakfast.
Sebastian and the other butlers continued to work hard to pack all of her things away for the trip. Try as they might, they met with failure at every attempt. Her suitcases were defiant in staying shut, unable to lock with all those clothes and appliances providing too much to hold.
"This is unacceptable!" Lili shouted through all the commotion, tapping the heel of her boot against the floor in frustration. She wanted to be ready over a half hour ago and yet they were still going at it.
"Miss Lili, we are going as fast as we can." Sebastian pleaded, wiping away the sweat accumulating along his balding head. "There are just some things you will not be able to bring along. You are going to have to sacrifice something to make room."
She groaned with an annoyed sigh. "I am taking everything I asked for and that is final." Lili finalized that statement with a glare and stormed out of the room in a huff. However, she feigned her departure, remaining behind the door to eavesdrop on the oncoming conversation.
"I cannot stand that brat anymore!" Xavier, the youngest butler, said with a loud outburst. "She is spoiled, self-centered, and bossy. Seriously, Sebastian, I do not understand how you can put up with such a monster." He sounded so relieved to get those feelings out, as if he had kept them suppressed for an years.
The eldest butler was silent, clearing his throat before he gave his answer in a clear tone. "Miss Lili is not that bad. She is usually a gentle person, and would not act this way unless something was wrong. I believe she is just going through a lot at the moment. Just give her some time. You shall get used to her eventually."
Lili smiled, not too surprised of where Sebastian stood in the matter. He always tolerated and followed her orders better than most did, especially since he was closer to her than most. Not once had he back talked or complained about anything that she instructed him to do, and the same went for her father too.
"I don't care." The Xavier replied in a harsh tone. "She spends more time yelling than appreciating what we do. If you ask me, she is just one big pain in the butt. And I will be glad when she goes on that trip since we won't have to listen to her constant nagging anymore."
Anger began to rise with her fists clenched together. She could not take the verbal abuse anymore as she thrusted the door open with gaze shooting across the room at the aggressor slandering her. All had quieted just as she predicted, her voice soft as she spoke. "So, I am a pain in the butt? Well, you will be quite satisfied to know that you won't have to see me anymore. Do you wish to know why?"
The butler straightened his tie, did not even make eye contact with her as he stammered. Perhaps he was going to apologize to her, but it was too late for that. "Uh…I…"
"Simple. Xavier, you're fired!" Lili screamed, girlish voice echoing through the halls on purpose for his humiliation. "You will never work for this family again. Now get out. I do not wish to see your face ever again in my presence!"
Xavier bowed his head and did as told, the others still silent as they watched him go. It mattered nothing to her. He had crossed the line, and he had to pay for it in return. It was her father's self-taught policy, having the same effect on her as well.
Her smile began to fade, as no one else seemed to share her laughter over the incident. Lili then came downstairs and opened the doors leading outside before taking a seat on the concrete steps. The smell of clean air mixed with in with the fragrant aroma of flowers soothed her as she held back tears. Even at sixteen, she refused to cry like most girls did at times like this. Being the only daughter of a wealthy oil tycoon had its ups and downs. On one hand, she had the luxuries that most would kill to have. On the other, despite having all this wealth, she was not happy in the least. Inside, she felt empty, as if there were something missing in her life that had not been there before.
She looked down at the limousine parked by the curb, the chauffeur still staring at his watch just as he did a half-hour ago. It made the wait seem even more torturous as she mimicked his actions with a pout.
The sound of distant footsteps brought her up from her position, Sebastian leading the group to the limousine with her luggage in tow. Judging by their hissed grunts and gritted teeth, she speculated what they carried to weigh at least a ton. They stored everything inside and closed the trunk shut before giving Lili their farewells.
Sebastian was the only one left as she gave him one final embrace. "Goodbye, Miss Lili. I hope your trip to America is a safe one. Be sure to say hello to your mother for me, and give her my best wishes."
"I will." She nodded, laying a soft kiss at his cheek before the chauffer opened the door wide for her to step in. Then the butlers waved her off, their images becoming less visible through the tinted window. Her mind still could not get off what happened earlier, and she wondered if she would ever recover from it before the day's end.
Leaning back, Lili sighed once more as her gaze trailed at the many roads and signs passing by.
"We have arrived at the airport, Miss Lili." The chauffeur's thick accent snapped her out of her trance as she looked up to acknowledge the obvious. She would have taken the family private jet over a public plane any day. However, her father was in the process of using it, limiting her choices.
Lucky for her, they had made good time and her first-class flight did not start for another half-hour or so. She found her spot to the window comfortable on sitting down, smirking at the tall, thick-browed man one seat over from her. Before long, the plane had jerked forward on the runway, soon taking to the blue ridden sky overhead. The high altitude had her ears popping as multiple clouds floated past.
Drowsiness had come into effect just as the announcement approved the use of electronics again.
Lili's eyes closed as she placed the pair of headphones over her ears, her mind awash with thoughts.
'Don't worry, father, Sebastian. I will be back soon.'