She said this with a smile and teary eyes, but Abby started crying. She pulled Clarisse closer and embraced her warmly, hoping this was the embrace Clarisse was talking about, because the fairy tale she was expecting was never coming. She wanted to tell her that the person coming was not a prince, but a sex offender.
Clarisse broke the hug. “Stop feeling so emotional. I know you’re happy with me,” she said, picking up the next cloth to spread when a jotter fell. Abby picked it up for her.
She saw some drawings and exclaimed, “Did you draw these?” She flipped through the pages, feeling amazed.
“Yes, they’re dresses.”
“I can see that. They’re so beautiful,” she said. “You’re talented. I never knew you were a fashion designer.”
“That’s my little secret.”
“Have you sewn any?”
“I don’t have a machine, so I use a needle and thread, and it takes time.”
“Have you sewn any?” she repeated eagerly, waiting for what she wanted to hear.
“Yes, but…”
“Where is it?”
“I can’t show you.”
“Why?”
“I use needle and thread, so… it’s not looking so good.”
Abby wrapped her arms around Clarisse’s hand, grinning and very curious to see the dress. Her instincts told her the dress would be breathtaking, based on the drawings, but Clarisse was hesitating.
“Show me! Show me! Show me!” she cried, causing Clarisse to giggle.
“I guess you’re making friends and getting stupid,” Clarisse teased.
But the rude and angry voice of Alice ruined the moment, and they immediately snapped back to reality. They let go of each other and faced her, heads bowed.
“Seeing two stinky rats together isn’t bad after all, but not when you’ve got to pick my dress,” Alice yelled as she took step after step toward them. She stepped hard on Clarisse’s toes, causing her to wince.
“You know who I hate most?” Alice sneered. “Freeloaders like you who are utterly useless,” Alice whispered into Clarisse’s ear before turning sharply to Abigail. “And you? What are you waiting for? Get out of my sight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Abigail said hurriedly, gritting her teeth as she rushed away.
Clarisse swallowed hard, blinking her eyes countless times. Alice was about to turn away when she saw the jotter and picked it up. Clarisse’s heart began to race with anxiety as she watched fearfully, her gaze fixed on Alice as she flipped through the pages. She could see the look of disgust forming on Alice’s face.
“Is this what you’ve been using your time for?” Alice glared at her, and quickly, Clarisse dropped her head, shaking it, praying Alice wouldn’t tear the book.
“I asked you a damn question!” Alice barked.
“N… no,” Clarisse stammered.
Scoffing, Alice said, “I’ve never felt more ridiculous. I can’t believe a piece of trash like you can make me speechless. Get that you have no idea what making money feels like, or what money even is. If you did, you wouldn’t waste my father’s money on something so trashy. Do you know how much this cost?”
She suddenly yelled, startling Clarisse.
“It’s not from your father,” Clarisse wanted to say in her mind. “That was the jotter from my dad. It was one of my gifts for my 12th birthday.”
Alice hit her on the head with the jotter with each word. “If a beggar and a homeless trash like you don’t know anything, at least you should know it’s wrong to waste someone’s hard-earned money on trash like this.”
With that, Alice dropped the jotter into the soapy water.
“No!” Clarisse screamed, falling to her knees to retrieve the book. She tried to wipe the water off with her dress, but it had already become nearly soaked. Seeing her helplessness, Alice felt a sense of satisfaction and walked away.
“I’m giving you two minutes to meet me in my room. You’re dead if you make me late for the party.”
Clarisse sobbed as she kept trying to dry the book, but two of the drawings had already been ruined.
“No!” she sobbed, spreading the pages out on the lawn, hoping the sun would dry them without ruining them. She then ran to Alice’s room.
“I’m sorry,” Abby sobbed in guilt, watching everything unfold. She felt overwhelmed with shame, believing it was her fault for letting the jotter be seen.
“I should do something,” she said to herself. “I should help her. I can’t let her marry that monster. I need to do something to help her.”
Expensive cars worth millions continued to pull up in front of the venue. One of them was the car Alice alighted from, stepping out in magnificent glory. She wore a tight black short gown that accentuated her curves and cleavage, paired with black stiletto heels. Her smooth, black hair flowed freely over her shoulder, while a silver necklace adorned her neck, and diamond earrings sparkled in her ears. Her fingers clutched her purse as she walked, looking absolutely breathtaking. Every man and guard she passed turned to take another look, drooling and tripping over themselves. She was a stunning woman.
She entered the venue, scanning the area filled with heirs and heiresses. The party was for elites only-sons and daughters of millionaires and billionaires. The venue had been decorated to reflect this grandeur. The space was vast, with tables and chairs neatly arranged and well-decorated. The air was filled with the aroma of expensive meals, alongside juices and various types of alcohol. The garden area had been meticulously designed, a perfect display of opulence that matched the occasion’s magnificence.
“Hey, Alice!”
She heard a female voice calling her name, followed by giggles. Turning, she saw her friends and smiled, walking majestically toward their table.
“Thought you were going to miss the occasion?” Dani asked, grinning.
“Not for anything,” Alice said, giggling. One of the attendants came forward and poured her a glass of red wine before stepping back.
Alice looked around the venue, filled with the cacophony of laughter, music, and conversation. People were pairing up, meeting new faces, exchanging contacts, and making connections.
“But why are you late?” Thalia asked, sipping her whiskey.
“That stinky trash delayed me.”
“Let me guess, Clarisse?” Thalia asked.
“Who else does she call that?” Dani said.
“She calls Victor trash too,” Maya added with a laugh.
“Speaking of him, he’s been staring and grinning at you since you came in,” Dani pointed out.
“Ugh! Do you have to tell me that? I hate his guts.”
“Who doesn’t? That sex offender,” Thalia muttered.
Dani quickly covered Thalia’s mouth, “No one can hear you. His father paid millions to keep this from the public, and everyone has already forgotten what he did. He’s now a well-known billionaire in the country.”
“Everyone except me. A few years means nothing,” Thalia gritted her teeth and groaned.
“I heard he never did that again,” Dani shrugged.
“Of course not. That almost ruined his life. He spent some years in prison. He’s such a loser,” Alice said before sipping her wine.
“But it didn’t ruin his life. People barely remember it now,” Thalia added.
“It’s now his past, so let’s forget about it,” Maya suggested, trying to change the topic.
“He’s indeed shameless, acting like nothing ever happened just because he served a few years in prison. His smile disgusts me. What were your parents thinking when his family proposed the marriage plan? Ugh! If it were me, I’d kill myself,” Thalia gulped down her whiskey in anger and disgust.
“It was unthinkable for me when my dad came home telling me that Arthur’s family had offered a marriage proposal, and I was going to marry that loser. I wanted to cry.”
Maya laughed. “I’m picturing your facial expression when you heard that.”
“It was horrible.”
“He’s always had his eyes on you. Everyone knows about his obsession with you,” Dani said. “Isn’t that why you were the first person he requested to meet after getting out of prison?”
“That was creepy and annoying,” Alice replied.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.