Quiet Backstage: A Series of Lippa Oneshots

The Reynolds Pamphlet // Hamliza

She choked back sobs as she read through the Pamphlet. This couldn't be healthy. Eliza had read the writing over and over again, still not understanding where she had maybe gone wrong, or what drove him to do this. All she understood was that she'd been betrayed. Eliza clutched the paper in her hand and slammed the door shut. Once the door was closed, she let the tears freely fall.

She had gone back to her childhood home, Angelica tagging along with her. She'd already yelled at Hamilton himself for all he'd done. Now, all she could do was help her sister, who was more important to her than Alexander to begin with. The only reason she'd gone back home was that she felt her shared little place in Harlem with Alexander was now tainted. He had slept with another woman in their bed. He had betrayed his own wife behind the locks of their own doors. He had tainted their home.

With an angst ridden shout, Eliza tore the Pamphlet in half and scattered the remains onto the carpet below her. She fell back onto her clean childhood bed in full on sobs. Tears quickly dampened the sheets and pillows that were attached to the mattress below her.

"Eliza, My Dear..." Angelica walked into her room, holding a cup of tea. Eliza sniffed and looked up at her older sister. Angelica sympathetically smiled and handed her younger sister the cup of tea. "You'll make yourself sick with all this crying, Love." Angelica brushed Eliza's no longer perfect, dark locks away from her face.

"I don't care." Eliza muttered, setting the teacup down on the bedside table next to her.

"Eliza, he isn't worth this. I promise you that he isn't." Her heart broke for her younger sister.

"You don't know!" Eliza snapped, standing up from the bed and walking to the open space in the room. She pulled her hair into somewhat of a ponytail, just to get it out of her way. Her sadness had now turned into anger.

"Eliza--"

"Leave me alone!" Eliza snapped. Angelica knew that she had to leave Eliza alone. In this state, she'd just make her worse by staying. Angelica left quietly, still sad about leaving Eliza in this state, but she knew she had to.

~~~~~

Hours later, the tea had gone cold and stale, Eliza was still behind that door. "Elizabeth." A voice cut through Eliza's thoughts like a knife. A voice she knew all too well.

No. It's not real. I'm just going crazy. She thought to herself.

"Elizabeth." The voice repeated. A hand came to her shoulder, and Eliza flinched.

This really was real.

Eliza slowly turned around, jumping back at the sight of her husband standing there. Her tears resurfaced all over again. "How did you get here? How did you find me here?"

"Elizabeth, please just hear me out--" Alexander started, but Eliza was quit to cut him off.

"No! You're so wrapped up in this whole thought of a legacy, and have you ever thought that maybe we're your legacy? Our home, our family, our marriage. And you went and ruined that!" Tears dripped from her cheeks, straight down to the carpet.

"My Love--"

"No! I am not your love!" She snapped.

"Elizabeth..." Alexander pressed on.

"Go home, Alexander! I don't want to see your face ever again!" Alexander tried to stop her, but she kept talking. "And you forfeit the place in our bed, I'm making you sleep in your office, instead." Eliza turned her back to her cheating husband.

"Fair." Alexander whispered. "Fair." He stepped forward and touched her shoulder once more. "Elizabeth..." His voice seemed to trail off as if he was savoring potentially his final moments with Eliza.

"Alexander Hamilton, leave." Eliza demanded, and in a swift motion, Hamilton's hand left her shoulder, and the door to both her childhood bedroom and home closed and locked.