THE TOWERS FAMILY SAGA
        Episode 1
 The Wedding Announcement

The morning sun cast a
golden light across the
sprawling Mediterranean
-style mansion in San
Marino, just outside
Pasadena. The Towers
estate sat on three acres
of immaculately landscaped
grounds, with views
stretching toward the San
Gabriel Mountains. In the
kitchen, the morning
buzzed with quiet
efficiency as household
staff prepared breakfast.
Mary Towers, at fifty-two,
was impeccably dressed
even at 6:30 AM, her
auburn hair perfectly
styled. Her tailored cream
blazer and silk blouse
suggested someone who
never had an off-camera
moment. She stood at the
kitchen island reviewing
notes for her morning
broadcast.
Patricia, the longtime
housekeeper in her
sixties, approached
gently. "Mrs. Towers,
your car will be ready in
fifteen minutes."
"Thank you, Patricia. Has
Robert come down yet?"
Mary asked.
"Mr. Towers left an hour
ago. He had an early
meeting with the
distributors from Northern
California."
Mary sighed, making a note
on her phone. "Of course
he did," she muttered to
herself.
Virginia Towers,
twenty-eight breezed into
the kitchen, her
engagement ring catching
the morning light. She
wore workout clothes from
an exclusive boutique, her
dark hair pulled back in a
sleek ponytail.
"Morning, Mom. Just
finished my run. Is Dad
still here?"
"He left early. Virginia,
we need to talk about the
wedding venue. Your father
and I received the
proposal from the Langham,
and..."
"Mom, I told you,"
Virginia interrupted.
"James and I want
something more intimate.
Not some massive hotel
ballroom."
Mary set down her coffee
cup with deliberate care.
"Darling, your father has
business relationships to
consider. Half of
California's wine and
spirits industry will
expect invitations. This
isn't just a wedding;
it's..."
"It's MY wedding," Virginia
said sharply. "James and I
are paying for half of it
ourselves. We want the
botanical gardens. Three
hundred guests maximum.
Elegant, sophisticated,
personal."
The tension hung in the
air. Before Mary could
respond, Shirley Towers,
twenty-five, entered,
scrolling through her
phone. She wore a vintage
band t-shirt and ripped
jeans, a deliberate
rejection of the family's
country club aesthetic.
"Oh good, you two are
fighting about the wedding
again," Shirley said.
"It's been almost twelve
hours since the last
argument. I was getting
worried."
"Shirley, this doesn't
concern you," Mary replied
coolly.
"Everything in this family
concerns everyone. That's
the problem." Shirley
paused. "For what it's
worth, Virginia, the
botanical gardens sound
beautiful. Authentic.
Not like a corporate
shareholders meeting
disguised as a celebration
of love."
Mary's jaw tightened.
"Your sister is getting
married to a wonderful man
from an excellent family.
This wedding will be..."
"A performance?" Sophia
interrupted. "A networking
opportunity? A chance to
remind everyone that the
Towers family has
arrived?"
"That's enough. Some of us
have actual
responsibilities. I have a
broadcast in ninety
minutes, Alice has a
deposition at nine,
and you..." Mary paused,
collecting herself. "You
should be heading to
school."
Shirley gave a mock salute
and left through the back
door. Virginia waited
until her sister was gone
before speaking quietly.
"Mom, I love you and Dad.
I appreciate everything
you've done for me. But
this is my marriage, my
life. James and I need
this to be about us, not
about business or image or
impressing Dad's
associates."
Mary studied her oldest
daughter, seeing perhaps
too much of herself. "Let
me talk to your father.
But Virginia, you need to
understand, everything
we've built, everything we
have, it requires
maintenance, Relationships,
reputation, respect. Your
wedding is part of that
ecosystem."
"I'm not part of an
ecosystem, Mom. I'm your
daughter."
The words hung between
them. Patricia announced
that Mary's car was ready.
Mary gathered her
materials and kissed
Virginia on the cheek.
"We'll talk about this
later."
After Mary left, Virginia
stood alone in the
kitchen, her expression
troubled.