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OO1    /    The Concept of Romance, True Love and, Everything in Between.

               The concept of romance has been and will continue to be heavily debated. 

               Whether true love is real or just a biological reaction. You can look at it from a religious perspective, where the people are believed to be made in pairs. Whether they end off being romantic or platonic or possibly even a relationship of mutual hate is up to fate.  

               From the perspective of a scientist, a student, maybe even an educator. Romance, true love and, everything in between is just a biological reaction that makes you feel good, like pleasure and stress. 

                 Love is weird.

                 Hera knew this. People claimed to love one another and would commit atrocious crimes to the other, and purposely hurt them. Zeus claimed to love Hera but would betray her trust, make excuses for his horrendous behaviour and entrap her in a marriage she did not want a part in. Zeus was heartless to his children, scheming with Hades to imprison Persephone in the underworld was one of many examples. 

              Or at least that is what Hera liked to believe, not wanting to jinx herself, Hera knocked on the wooden floor beneath her. 

               But as she wrote this, she couldn't help but look towards her parents, both filled with tremendous amounts of love or that store owner, the older gentlemen in love with his work, or those kids who love to play. Maybe romance and love were concepts, but that did not mean that those concepts did not play significant factors in everyone's lives. 

               After all, Hera was a firm believer that everyone had three epic loves. Their first love is based on passion and inexperience, whether it be sexual or romantic. The second is based on intimacy, your first love taught you about love, and your second teaches you how to love. The third and final love is based and built on commitment. After you are taught about love and how to love, you are finally able to love [1].

              Hera knew about the first epic love. It was like lighting a match, while you were experiencing it, it was wonderful, exciting, and hot, but eventually, it would burn out and crumble. Her first love was a weak relationship that was bound to go nowhere. 

               Jean-Pierre Magnan was a character she wished she could forget. 

               He was mean, dismissive and, had an insufferable righteousness and superiority complex he could never shake off. He was judgmental and only cared for what Hera could give him. Which she soon learned was her lips and excitement of sneaking around the summer he visited La Rochelle [2]. Hera was there because of her family. He was able to go through a school trip apparently, but Hera suspected it was a lie. 

               But he wasn't all that bad. He could be nice, sweet... but always in secret. His kisses were enjoyable, and she felt like she was wanted when she was with him. He was smart, he wasn't terrible to look act, and he cleaned up well. He was pleasant, not too overbearing. But Hera guessed he had his terrible jealousy to make up for it, and immense distrust he had in their relationship. When the summer ended, Jean-Pierre broke up with her after laughing in her face about long distance. 

               Hera could still remember his voice, his figure, even the face he made when she asked about his address to send letters to. 

               "It was just some summer fun, a fling if you will." He paused as if he was not the only one who recognized what he said to be true. 

               "What? Did you think you were my girlfriend or something?" When Hera didn't respond. He let out a small scoff, standing up straighter. 

               Taking out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it up, he brought the small stick away from his face as he let out a puff of smoke. "Hera, I have a future. A bright one and I'm not going to let some girl I met in the summer jeopardize that." He paused as he took another puff. 

               "You understand right?" Hera laughed in shock. 

             Maybe he broke up with her because he never got what he wanted. Her body, or maybe it was because he genuinely believed she was just a silly girl who would fail in her future just because she never dressed up like she was going to church every day. Or maybe it was because she let him kiss her, instead of saving her first kiss for her husband. Surely that was what he wanted in a partner. A girl who was touched by no man but himself. Who could only live and think for him? But Hera did not know. All she knew was that that girl was not her, and honestly? She was glad. 

               But that did not mean it was not infuriating. The audacity that man had to act as if she was beneath him. 

               Her second relationship was nothing but a rebound, a quiet boy from her school who sat alone during lunch. Louis would sit in the library reading nothing but fiction. They never did anything beyond holding hands. He was a great lunch buddy and an even greater boyfriend. She loved him, but she wasn't in love with him. She always knew he deserved better, after all, he could not give him that romantic love everyone wanted, but she could give him a platonic one. To say the relationship lasted six months was shocking to Hera, but she was glad. Because they were both able to heal from their first loves and came out better for it. 

               Hera would be forever grateful to Louis, for being so patient. For being a saint, for understanding during a time no one could. 

               Hera closed her book as she thought about it. Getting off the hammock and standing straight as she stretched, she felt the breeze of summer and the gorgeous sun that would visit her every day for three months. To say she was excited about the summer was an understatement. 

               Hera was lucky enough to visit Pérouges [3] with her parents this summer. Hera had always wanted to go and was lucky her family had a property in Pérouges. Walking into her home, she set her book down and was greeted with the fresh smell of bread and the sight of homemade apricot jam. 

               "Bonjour Maman!" Hera said, taking a slice of the bread and spreading her jam. Her mother hummed at her as she bowled the water for her father's tea. 

                "Bonjour Hera!" Her mother responded, turning around to smile at her daughter. The family had just settled into the ancestral home, and she began to worry about food and greeting her neighbours, whilst her father focused on cleaning their home.  Although many people would have refused to stay in the old building and would rather stay in a hotel of some sort, Hera found her grandfather's home to be lovely. 

               Even if it was a pain to maintain. 

               As she took a bite out of the homemade bread, she was filled with warmth as she thought of her surroundings and past mistakes, specifically as she thought about Jean-Pierre. How would her parents have reacted if she told them about it?

               Would they have accepted it? 

               Would they have hurt her? 

               Would they have told her how ashamed they were? 

               Or would they have hurt her for her naivety, for allowing herself to be touched by a man with ill intentions? 

               She felt a chill run down her spine the more she let her thoughts ruminate, no. No. They would never find out what happened, they would never find out about that cruel boy, and she would never be played for a fool again. Never. 

               She would rather be caught committing a crime than her parents ever finding out about the biggest embarrassment of her life. Which was falling in love with the cruel, self-righteous boy who has always been coddled by his good-for-nothing parents. (Not that she ever met them, but looking back, she is happy she never did.)

               "Hera! Can you do me a favour, belle?" Her mother asked. Hera looked up from her seat and nodded. Hoping it was an easy task. 

               "I need you to go get tomatoes?" Hera stood up, grabbing her coat as she walked towards the door. 

              "Hera! You're going to boil in the heat, belle!" Hera gave her mother a large toothy grin as she put on her coat and walked out the door, sneaking one last peek, her mother was smiling as she shook her head. Amused at her daughter. 

             Hera closed the door behind her, turning around a feeling the sun once again, her skirt flowing and the breeze welcoming her once again. Hera loved summer. 

             She loves the heat. She loved the flowers. She loved swimming. She loved going to a new place. She loved adventure. She loved the uncertainty of summer. How everything could change, how everything is different when you are unknown. 

               She loved the chaos.

               She walked towards the market, listening to how her heels felt on the cobblestone. It was almost therapeutic in a way and filled her with certainty that everything was going to be okay this summer, and hopefully, there would be no trouble, no drama, nothing but fun and happiness. 

               Hera passed through the medieval city of Pérouges [4] as she in the towards the modern part. She felt at peace when she saw the vines on the buildings and the roses planted. 

               Hera bent down to smell the roses, smiling once more. She loved roses. Something was interesting about how something so beautiful was so protected. But Hera loved tulips more than any other flower. 

             As Hera stood up once again and turned around, she almost collided with a small boy. "Oh! I'm sorry!" Hera replied almost immediately. The boy paid no attention to her as he ran away once more. 

             Huh, that was weird. She looked down and inspected herself. She looked fine. She smelt herself and held up a hand in front of her mouth, letting out a breath. Her breath didn't smell bad nor did she. 

            Then why did that boy run away? 

             Hera paid no attention to it as she continued on her way. This summer was going to be filled with happiness, she was going to make new friends, apply to that class on history, learn how to bake new things and hopefully go out of the city to see the other places surrounding Pérouges. 

               Hera was done with boys and was determined to not allow a repeat of last summer to happen. 

               Never again. 

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                Joseph Descamps was an only child. 

               Coddled and handed everything on a silver spoon, it was quite obvious that Joseph never truly had to work for anything. 

               Joseph had good looks, was smart and knew how to use his charm. 

              So when Joseph, a boy who was used to getting his way was told he would spend time with his father during the summer before school started, he was enraged, to say the least. 

             Joseph's mother and his father were divorced. His father cheated and humiliated her with a nurse. Falling in love with her when he broke his leg on a business trip. 

             That was the first time Joseph had something taken away from him. His father. 

              His father and his mistress (Step-mother technically speaking) lived in Pérouges. Joseph's mother always wanted to go there on a vacation whilst she was married to his father. His father kept putting it off, making it seem as if it was a boring town. Now Joseph knew why. 

             Because Julian Descamps was hiding his mistress in that city. 

             Joseph was disgusted. Disgusted he had to leave his mother, disgusted he had to spend time with his cheater of a father and worst of all . . . disgusted he went on a vacation to Pérouges without his mother. Disgusted with the way his father replaced his mother with his young stepmother. 

               Joseph thought the worst part of it all was the fact that his stepmother wasn't a bad person. She was quite nice. 

              It made him despise her more. 

              So when he brought his bags with him to their home in the city, Joseph once again only felt disgusted at the sight. The house was yellow, small and plain. 

               Exactly what his mother wanted. 

               It was sickening. Joseph thought.   

                Maybe it was the way his parents acted like everything was fine. But nothing was. Joseph and his mother were left by their father and now after three years, he wanted to play family with him once again. 

              He wanted Joseph to pretend as if everything was okay, as if this was normal, as if this was fine. 

               Nothing was fine. Everything was shit. 

               His life was ruined, his mother's life too and at the center of this entire mess was Julian Descamps. 

               Joseph ignored his father when he entered the house, choosing to follow his stepmother upstairs to find his room. Claudine Descamps had a beautiful smile. But he couldn't find the heart in him to smile back. 

               "It's been a while, hasn't it son?" Julian asked. Joseph ignored the man as he opened the door to his room. Claudine waiting at the side of the door. Biting her lip anxiously. 

               "Don't call me that," Joseph said as he finally turned his head to the side to face his father. Julian didn't look like he aged a day. He had smile lines. The thought of him being happy turned Joseph sour. 

               Claudine was taken aback by the attitude Joseph showed. Not expecting the young boy to be so rude. But as she turned to look at her husband, she watched as he sighed. 

               "So why am I here, you want to play family now? After three years?" Joseph took a seat on the bed and crossed his legs as he stared at the couple. Claudine felt as though she was being judged for a crime. 

               The same way Julian looked when he was angry or disappointed. It was unnerving how alike father and son were.             

               "It was my idea" Claudine cut in, smiling at the teenager once more. Maybe he would soften up.  

               Claudine was wrong. 

               The laugh that escaped Joseph's lips wasn't one of happiness or amusement, it was one of cruelty. It squeezed her heart and made her anxious. Claudine was never a woman who liked conflict, she was soft-spoken, she loved her work and loved life and all it had to offer. She was not a woman who held grudges. She was not a cruel woman nor was she a villain. 

                But now that she thought about it, she was a villain. 

                She was a villain in Joseph's story and most importantly the woman who knowingly went into a relationship with a married man and broke a family alongside him. 

               She was equally responsible, regardless if she acknowledged it or not. 

               As she met Joseph's eyes once again, she no longer held a soft expression but a hard one. Joseph would soon learn to welcome her because she would never let his father go. Not when she loved him and he loved her. 

               And if that made her a villain, then she would gladly play that role. 

               Joseph did not stop staring at the woman. Amused by her sudden strength. Joseph did not come here to fight.  He came here for his mother. He came here to say goodbye. He came here to see his father for the last time. He came here to let go of Julian and Claudine Descamps.

               Whether that meant ruining their summer or their relationship was still up to Joseph. But what he did know was that he would not play perfect son, he would not pretend. No, he refused. 

               He came here to make them suffer and suffer they shall.           

               So he stared. He inspected them, watched as she twitched, watched as his father put an arm around his wife. He watched as they pretended they were immune to him, pretended as if they were not terrified of what he might do, the humiliation he might send their way. 

               Because even if his mother was a fool to believe that maybe Joseph could learn to accept his father, and his father was a fool to believe that he could change the way Joseph thought, Joseph was no fool and Joseph Descamps was a born ruler for a reason. He would not let some lowlifes go for ruining his mother's life. 

               Julian was the first to look away, then Claudine. Joseph smirked. 

              "I'm heading out, do you need anything?" Joseph asked as he dusted off his pants. 

              Claudine was shocked by the shift in attitude. "Erm, yes! Can you pick up a few cucumbers?" 

              Joseph nodded as Julian and Claudine looked at each other, Claudine furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. Joseph brushed past them and quietly walked down the stairs. "Wait!" Claudine called out. Rushing downstairs to catch up to the boy. 

               Joseph paused and turned around. 

               "Do you know where the market is?" Claudine asked. Joseph shook his head, an indication of no. 

               "I don't need to" Joseph stated before walking out the door and going in the direction of the market. 

               Joseph could just ask someone. He didn't need their help.

               He didn't need them.

               He didn't need anyone. 

━━ Footnotes:

1:         3 Epic Loves Theory

2:          La Rochelle is a city located on the west coast of France

3:          Pérouges is a commune in France, located in the Ain department in the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in Eastern France.

4:          The medieval city of Pérouges is a small preserved village and is considered to be one of France's most beautiful medieval villages. 

2940 Words ━━ Alaska Speaks / Important Notes

✸ Hello everyone! I hope you all are doing well! This is the first chapter of Woman Corrupted! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it. Just a note that this is the first chapter so it is just world-building. Things will get a lot more interesting in the upcoming chapters! Joseph might be a lot more rash as he is a teenager heading toward becoming a young adult same as Hera! So please do not hate them too much.

✸ Also, I just want to point out that some of the things I will write about I do not agree with such as how Hera may think about her relationship with Jean-Pierre and his possible expectations, Hera go through a change in her traditional thinking but just because she goes through that does not mean that she will let go of everything. Hera does not know who she is. She has no idea what to think or how to act because she has not found herself.

✸ I also just want everyone to keep in mind that this is the 1960s and although there is a change in culture and thinking. Families such as Michele and Jean-Pierre's are traditional in thinking which I have applied to Hera's family (but not as harsh) and have done so on purpose for her character and for the plot that will speak for itself later. It will not just be Hera who changes but her family too. 

 ✸ Anyway, I can't think of much to say but once again, thank you all so much and I hope you have an amazing day!!

Sincerely, Alaska