“I’ll be leaving for New York in an hour.” Melvin said nonchalantly as he continued to peruse the business section of the newspaper. “There are some slight problems that need tweaking.” He explained as he reached out for his cup of coffee with his free hand. He looked up briefly and saw the small smile gracing the lips of his daughter and scoffed. “Don’t celebrate just yet.” He sneered as he brought the coffee cup to his lips and took a sip. “I’ll be back on Monday.” He narrowed his eyes at his daughter.

Great, Bette’s face immediately fell upon hearing the new information. Oh well, at least I get to have a couple of days without him.. she smiled inwardly. “Umm..” She cleared her throat as she grabbed a piece of toast on the table and took a bite. “Is that all you wanted to tell me?” She asked hopefully as she looked at the door on the other side of the room longingly. She really couldn’t wait to get out of here.

“There’s one more thing..” Melvin smiled ominously as he folded the newspaper and placed it down on the table. “I don’t want to do this Elizabeth,” He shook his head to the side. “But present circumstances give me no other choice.” He linked his fingers together as his daughter began fidgeting on her seat. “I’m giving you an ultimatum.” He leaned back on his chair and lifted an eyebrow.

“An ultimatum?” Bette repeated a little breathlessly. Here we go, she thought, he’s gonna let me pick between him or Tina. Family against true love, she sighed sadly.

“An ultimatum.” Melvin nodded his head seriously. “By the time I get back to Los Angeles on Monday, you should have already cut ties with Tina Kennard. If not,” He narrowed his eyes at Bette. “You stand to lose everything.” He threatened as his daughter’s face visibly paled. He didn’t want to deprive his daughter of their wealth, but it was time for some tough love. “Your money.. your cars.. your inheritance.. this lifestyle that you love so much.. I will take it all away from you.” He warned as he pushed back his chair and stood up. “You might think that you’re so in love with that girl that you can’t live without her,” He rested his palms on the table and leaned forward. “But I know you, and you don’t know how to live without your wealth. You can’t function without your money.” He stated matter-of-fact. “Soon you will discover just how much you value your riches over the love of any girl.” He smiled knowingly. “You’re a Porter, Elizabeth. Money governs your life.” He laughed bitterly as he made his way towards the door. Before he could step outside, he turned his head to look at his daughter to give a few parting words. “Don’t worry, I’ll give you a little taste of what’s to come.” He smirked. “I’ll see you on Monday, Elizabeth.” He scoffed as he disappeared into the hallway.