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Two days later and I was heading back to my room after telling my brother goodbye. He left for France and my parents weren't around to disapprove. It was about seven in the afternoon when my parents got back home.

"Eden!" my father yelled from downstairs. I got out of bed and went to him but not before I screamed into my pillow.

"Yes?" I asked and he lowered the newspaper in front of him. "We have a business function tonight, so please dress appropriately."

"What if I don't want to go?" I asked folding my arms.

"You don't have a choice." He finished with a quick smile then returned to his reading.

I took a sharp breath and held my tongue as I stomped back up to my room. It doesn't get any less inhumane, the way how we all carry on as if I didn't almost die a few days ago.

When I entered the room my mother was standing with a black dress in hand. "You can wear this with the black heels I bought last week." She had already decided.

I eyed the dress, it was a beautiful one but I was way too annoyed to appreciate it. I took no further notice of her presence and locked myself in the bathroom. I took a quick shower, washed my hair and dried it.

I made sure to avoid the mirror as I stepped out to grab my towel. My mother was still there waiting when I opened the bathroom door. The coldness of the room made me put on my clothes faster.

"Sit." she tapped the vanity stool and I took the seat.

Whenever we had important events she did my hair and I did my makeup except for when there was something that needed to be covered up. I looked at her in the mirror as she pulled my hair back into a slack bun. Her eyes were fixated on my hair until she began the process of erasing my black eye.

"How do you feel doing this?" I glared at her reflection until she met mine and told me not to start. I squinted my eyes at her and tilted my head to the side. "Do you feel anyway for me while you cover up what your husband did to me as he once did to you?"

Quick to the anger she grabbed the bun she made and pulled my head backwards.

"Stop!" She voiced sternly with fail as her tone of superiority faltered and I nodded as she released my head.

"Hmm, I see." I sat back feeling amused as she cleared her throat and continued.

A while later and there was no implication that I had a black eye, my face and neck were blended perfectly. As always she did a great job.

It was almost time to leave so I took off my robe, put on the dress then slipped into the heels. June knocked and entered in a questionable looking dress.

"You look great!" She gleed.

I cringed as I took in the feathered sleeves of her dress. "Wish I could say the same for you." Mom always made it a must to choose what I wore but maybe she should focus less on me and more on June and her distaste for clothing.

"It's okay to be jealous." She pouted.

"Yeah, ok." I rolled my eyes and exited the room, taking my time down the stairs. These heels would be the death of me.

When I got downstairs my father was dressed in a green suit that matched my mother's dress. He stood by the door waiting for us.

"Nice to see you cooperating Ede." He walked towards me and patted my shoulder.

"Didn't have a choice," I reminded him. He replied with a sigh and I turned away from him.

"Today Elizabeth!" He shouted and they hurried down the steps.

We met a silver limo outside, which was a reminder that tonight must go without mistake, but if something did happen the consequences wouldn't be so great and have little effect on us because it'd be easy to cover up.

I slid into the limo and June entered after me. My parents took the black SUV in front of us and we began our journey to a boring hell.

It wasn't the fanciest building I had seen but it was the most architecturally pleasing. The vintage look of the building's checkered exterior made the designed interior feel like I had walked into the roaring twenties. The only difference was those people knew how to have fun. These people were just here to kiss ass.

My father offered June and me his arm before we walked the illuminated staircase. Without a rebuttal, I took his arm and my father nodded with a faint smile. We entered the building and my mother followed behind.

The attire was business-casual yet some of them went the fancy route. We walked through the crowd and was greeted by a few that I had seen and some I didn't know. My parents on the other hand were familiar with everyone. We found our place at the table almost to the centre with our names on it.

A server wandered past juggling two trays of wine, red and white. I swiped one as she passed and my mother squinted her eyes at me so I downed it. For the past twenty minutes, my father has been taking business cards and making new acquaintances as we stood by and looked pretty. It wasn't as horrible as I thought until dear Mr Dermot approached us.

He was definitely the most open pedo I have ever met. He walked up to our table with Cheshire's smile and his eyes made contact with my body before anything else.

"Ellison." He greeted my father with a quick pat on the back.

"Ladies" -he nodded at the three of us standing on the other side of the circular table- "you look breathtaking tonight." He complimented receiving a smile from June and a pleasant thanks from my mother.

"Especially you Eden," he continued. My skin crawled as he undressed me with his perverting grey eyes. I noticed June's smile turn into a scowl.

He waited for a response but I didn't give him one. My mother cleared her throat and thanked him on my behalf which he wasn't too pleased about.

"So, how are the kids?" My mother asked trying to steer the conversation, but he was persistent.

"I'd love it if you save a dance for me tonight." He grinned.

"I'm sure you would," June grumbled bitterly under her breath. I didn't know what to make of that.

"Would you?" He continued staring at me.

"No. She would not and I'd love it if you'd stop panting over my daughter like a wet dog." My father spoke clear and threatening. I think we all had the same surprised and slightly confused reaction.

"Excuse me?" Dermot grunted.

"Arthur," my mother whispered urging him not to speak any further.

Mr Dermot is a very well respected politician and entrepreneur, in terms of status he definitely held more than my father. It would take time but he could absolutely ruin us if his ego got crushed.

"You're excused." Father took up his glass and waved him off. It was clear that Dermot was offended as he became defensive.

He and my father were well-known acquaintances. He had never spoken to him like that.

He had never gone against him even if he was wrong. He'd always let him have his way even if it was at the expense of any one of us.

Dermot stepped up to my father ready to spew his threats when the man of the hour came with a warm greeting, cutting the tension.

"Mr Mayor." Dermot cleared his throat and outreached his hand but the Mayor gave him a once over and turned to my father.

"Benjamin." Father shook his hand.

"First name basis?" My sister whispered to my mother and we both leaned in waiting for her response, but she didn't. I rolled my eyes and sighed as my upper lip curved.

Mid dinner, we were all at our designated spots as the mc spoke. I had no interest in being here. Our table was near one of my mother's closest friends. If you could call her that. They exchanged gossip and I was forced to interact with her daughter while June flirted with her son. I was embarrassed to be associated with her as I witnessed the suffering of the poor boy because she didn't take his uninterested hints.

"When are you coming over again?" The girl chirped. I tried to look and be as kind as possible when I told her I would never go to her house again.

Being in her house was a pain, with her parents' passive-aggressive hostility and their forced generosity, just to keep things cool with my parents was enough for that one visit to be my last.

She sighed and tears began to well in her eyes. I could not believe we were the same age. Before this caught her mother's attention I invited her to mine. Which I may or may not regret later.

After listening to her whine about her parents forgetting her half birthday I noticed my mother clutch her pearls. This meant she was trying to contain her composure.

"It truly is such a shame Eden was expelled." The girl's mother didn't even try to hide her delight.

I had dented our spotless reputation once again and she had to rub it in. Undoubtedly my mother was not going to have it.

"Expulsions are consequences of bad behaviour, I know my daughter did nothing wrong," Mother said proudly.

"You should pay more attention to what's going on in your life instead of my own." She nodded towards the lady's husband being a little too friendly with one of the waiters.

She tensed with a frown and attempted a comeback but mother began again. "It doesn't matter anyway since she has been given a place at the Mayor's school."

The lady's mouth fell open as did mine. "The Mayor's school?" We said at the same time but she said it with the knowledge of what she meant and I was beyond confused. With our slight outburst, a few heads turned and June stopped her attempts.

"Can't say the same for your children," she continued teasing.

"Mom?" I tapped her arm and she looked at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Leave it alone Eden." She brushed me off. I tried to get her attention again but she walked away and bumped the lady's shoulder. I would've been all for if I wasn't left unanswered and irritated.

"You got into the Mayor's school?" The girl asked.

"Apparently." I took up what was my fourth glass of wine and walked away.

I passed through the crowd hoping to find the Mayor since everyone else wanted to ignore my questions. The room was huge and packed with too many bodies which made it harder for me to even pinpoint where he was. I asked around but of course, they were otherwise occupied. I eventually gave up, left the party and went into the hall of the building.

The walls were decorated with large paintings of the area the building stood on and its progression. Looking over the other side were portraits of old men who I assumed were important to the building's history.

Near the end of the hall was a staircase so I took a seat there, I had been standing all night in these wretched hells and my feet were numbing. I drank the last bit of wine from the glass and set it down beside me.

My mind flooded with thoughts of going to a school my mother cared enough to brag about. This could only mean I'd be on a tighter leash. I knew nothing of the Mayor just that he was important and very influential in the business world. I didn't even know that he and my father knew each other.

Why would I be going to his school though, if it was all the way in Vancouver? It took a while to understand what that meant with the alcohol coming into effect.

"I don't want to move," I grumbled, leaning back against the stairwell.

"Nobody is making you," a voice said and my head shot up in its direction. Some guy I had never seen before appeared before me in a dark, nicely pressed blue suit.

"That isn't what I meant," I replied flatly and closed back my eyes, realizing then that he just appeared from nowhere.

"Um, who are you?" I asked opening back my eyes and adjusting myself appropriately.

"My name's Leighton," he said and outreached his hand but I ignored it. He smirked as if what I did amused him and dropped his hand.

"Have you just been standing there?" I asked and he nodded.

"That's a little weird don't you think?" I side-eyed him.

"Not necessarily, you could've been more aware of your surroundings." He pursed his lips. "I was here first."

"Then be the first one to leave," I scowled folding my arms.

The mood switched, I was no longer irritated by his comment instead my heartbeat quickened and my cheeks reddened as he stepped towards me. I wish I could say it was fear-related due to the fact that his intentions may be to kill me because maybe he was a serial killer and that was why he was lurking in the shadows, but that wasn't the case.


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