Evelyn

I stood in front of my large, Victorian-style mirror. It was my favorite piece of furniture. My mother hated it because it was the only piece that wasn’t stark white in the room. It was a gift from my grandmother before she passed away, and that was the only reason she let me keep it. When I stared at my reflection, I could feel the history behind this one object. It was as if it held some magical hold over me.

Tonight, I had on a gown that would have once graced this mirror. I spun in circles at the rush I got from wearing it. My deep, dark blue corset pushed my already ample breasts up to my throat, and the flair of the gown made me feel like a countess. I’d rather be called a countess because I was never a princess kind of girl. Maybe it was the never-ending pink dresses that my mother forced me to wear, but I loved the richness of darker colors. Luckily for me, the mix-up on the order left my mother no time to object to this gown.

I pressed my hand to the embellished bodice laced with black vines and roses. I felt wicked, something I clearly had never been. For once, my red hair didn’t clash with my gown. My pale skin had a glow about it, and my green eyes were bright with hope that tonight would be different.

The sudden delicate knock at my door shattered those thoughts. No one else knocked like they were such a lady. My mother did all she could to hide that she once was part of the slums, living in poverty and never having anything nice. I walked to unlock it just as I heard the key. My blood started to boil, knowing that I wasn’t allowed to have an ounce of privacy. There were times when she walked in on me while I was in the shower because I didn’t answer her knock. I needed to find a job—if I managed to get out of her clutches long enough.

“This deal is very important. It needs to run smoothly. Are you listening to me, Evelyn?” my mother asked. Her body was tense and her voice screechy. I knew it was important. How could I forget? She told me every day for the past month how “Important” this event was.

“Evelyn, don’t forget about the masquerade ball and dinner. It’s important.”

“We have to go to the salon before the ball. I need you to look stunning. The ball is important.”

“You can’t hide in the library. This ball is important.”

My father is a real estate developer with ambitions to be the best. He was always looking for ways to make it into the big leagues, rubbing elbows with the rich and well-known. I didn’t mind it much until some of the creeps looked as if I would be a bonus on a deal. “Yes, Mother. I think you made it clear as crystal,” I muttered, staring at myself in the mirror.

“Well, then why aren’t you ready?”

“Because, Mother, we have another hour. It’s not going to take me that long to put on my heels.” I mentally rolled my eyes because I didn’t want a lecture about respect. I just turned eighteen and had no work experience. I’ve wanted to leave the house, but I had no way out. My parents didn’t give me money for anything. Even my school lunches had been prepared by our chefs, and my clothes had been custom ordered so I never stepped foot in a mall. The few girls I had at my prep school have now gone off to college, and my parents managed to create a useless piece of eye candy out of me.

“I’m sorry, but this guy is the real deal. He owns over a dozen properties in the Pacific Northwest and in Vancouver. Your dad wants a few pieces of the property there.” I totally understood that, but my presence wasn’t necessary for it. I hated sitting with these old men with their hands that managed to be overly friendly. Tonight would be different because it was a masquerade ball with hundreds in attendance.

“I’ll be ready. You know that. Stop panicking or you’re going to have a heart attack.”

“I’m going to go check on dinner,” she told me, like I really cared.

“Okay,” I answered indifferently. We had a staff that cooked and cleaned for us. There wasn’t anything she needed to do, but if it got her out of my room, that would be wonderful. I felt as if I was suffocating. Running away looked more and more like an option. I walked over to my desk and sat there wondering why I bothered to get straight “As.” Then I remembered. It looked better for my parents to present a daughter who was smart and beautiful.

I closed my eyes and tried to picture myself falling into the arms of a man who would know me inside and out and would love that woman. Woman? Who was I kidding? I’d never been kissed or even out on a date. My parents wanted bigger and better things for me, and that meant only the best of the best. Until that time, I was their ace in the hole. One day I hoped to find a non-creepy guy to sweep me off my feet, but until then, I had to find a way out of my lavish prison.