Hamilton One Shots

Betrayed

The doorbell rang late in the afternoon, a while before Eliza would be expecting her husband to arrive home. But what she didn't know was that it was not Alexander at the doorstep.

When she heard the doorbell, her oldest son Philip went to answer it. A little flustered and confused, he scratched his head. "Aunt Angelica? What are you doing here?"

Indeed it was his mother's sister on the doorstep, her face pale and features weak. She had something in her hands, that she was holding tightly. Philip could see that it clearly was from the paper.

Angelica cleared her throat and said, "Philip, mind if I come in?" He nodded, still confused and curious why she seemed to be in such distress and worry.

"Is everything alright?" Philip couldn't hold back from asking, his mind was too intrigued by why his aunt had stopped by so late.

She looked over at Philip, as if forgetting he had been standing there. Her heart sank deep in her chest, the words on the paper she held clear in mind. When she looked at Philip, all she could see was his father. The boy resembled his father in every way, and how it now made her heart break in the worst way.

Luckily at that moment Eliza came into the main entrance hall to find the two of them in conversation. She brushed her hands off on her dress and hurriedly rushed to her sister. "What is the matter?" She nodded to Philip to shut the door as she took her sister down the hall to the living room where they could talk in private.

"Is it something to do with father? I know he's been acting different lately." When Angelica didn't answer, Eliza sighed and said, "Please tell me what is going on."

Angelica bit the inside of her cheek, a few tears pricking the corners of her eyes. "I received this paper earlier today. I'm not sure if you have read it yet."

Eliza replied, with upmost energy, not knowing what that paper contained. "I haven't had the chance to. I have been so busy with the children and it's a lot harder to get around with another one on the way." She patted her rather large stomach, a sign that she would be due yet again in a short amount of time.

"Eliza, you should probably sit down."

A little taken aback and now worried, Eliza did as her sister said and took a seat on the sofa nearby. Angelica unfolded the paper and gave her sister a sorrowful look before beginning.

"I need to talk to you about Alexander."

Eliza's heart swelled up a little, the way it always did when someone mentioned her beloved husband. She smiled a bit to herself, thinking about him still made her dizzy with happiness like it and when she was a young woman.

Angelica noticed her sister smiling, and she quickly ended that. "I don't want to break your heart anymore than it is going to be by the time I have finished reading this, but I have to tell you what has to be told."

Before she could say anything, Eliza found her sister at her side, her face written with all kinds of emotions that she couldn't understand.

"You have married an Icarus, Eliza. I don't know how to save you now, for he has already gone too high and far to redeem your love. I never wanted you to be hurt, but this is going to hurt, and it's going to hurt in the worst way that you can imagine." In tears, Angelica placed the paper in front of her younger sister.

"Your husband has committed a crime. He has lied to you, Eliza, for so long. I don't know what else to say..." She watched intently as Eliza lifted up the paper, her hands shaking as she read the first line to herself.