Ultraviolet

Chapter Sixteen: A Woman of Distinction

I returned to my cereal and smiled as I downloaded all the social media apps, ready to replace all of the accounts that I had deleted. My fresh start was slow and painful. Every time I feel like I've gotten somewhere I'm reminded that I am no freer than before, my prison just had nicer walls and friendlier faces. But each step backwards is still closer to happiness than I was in Sunshine, and I will rival in that glorious tiny victory every moment for the rest of my life.

Most of my day was spent lounging around the apartment and watching TV. When I turned to my phone and read that the time was 6:33pm, a burst of excitement woke me up form my drowsiness. I don't love working, but its certainly more entertaining than doing nothing and being alone.

The note on the fridge had said not to leave. Now that could mean don't leave the apartment, or, I decided, not to leave the building. So, I got dressed in a pair of blue ripped jeans and a black t-shirt that I tied in a knot at the top of my pants, and hurried downstairs to club. As expected, the place was empty. I'd noticed that no one liked to turn up to work until the club was 15 minutes from opening, and Jessica didn't seem to mind this.

I started preparing for opening, stocking the fridges under the bar, refilling the ice machine, and adding water to the vodka and tequila bottles. This was the part of my job I liked the most, and it was definitely more relaxing to do when Hadeon's eyes weren't on me, ready to criticise my every move. Even though I now knew why he was so adamant that I shouldn't work here, his comments still annoyed me.

With the big jar of pretzels in my arms, ready to refill the smaller containers under the bar, I walked back into the club area. Dropping the jar on the counter, I looked up to see a woman sitting at a booth in the corner. I wiped the sweat from my forehead as she met my eyes, her dark eyes meeting mine and narrowing in distrust.

She wore a red bandage dress that hugged her hourglass figure and pointy black heels with red soles. The dark and overpowering nature of her outfit seemed out of place beside the platinum blonde hair that hung straight down her back. She scared me. Everything about her screamed power and control. People like that wreak havoc on the lives of mere mortals around them, and women like that can destroy you.

"We... Were closed. Sorry." I stuttered out. Her full lips remained still, but a small puff of air left her nose in a subtle laugh.

"You're not Jessica." She noted. "And I certainly didn't hire you."

Realisation hit me and I felt my face glow red-hot with embarrassment. "Oh, I'm so sorry." I laughed at myself as I stepped out from the bar and walked up to her. "You must be the other manager. I'm Violet, Jessica's sister."

"I assumed so." She noted. "My name is Adrianna."

Her voice was calm and commanding. I could picture her as President of the United States or leader of a cult.

"Thats a beautiful name." I smiled.

She continued to stare at me, unapologetically. She was taking me in, analysing me, looking for strengths and weaknesses and how I could be of service to her. She respected me as person, I felt, but would never create any kind of connection other than leader and follower. I knew it wasn't personal, yet the thought disheartened me. What a lonely way to go through life.

"Sit." She eventually hummed. I slid into the opposite side of the booth and folded my hands in my lap. "What's your real name?"

I could feel it. I could feel the sting of fear flash through my eyes confirming her suspicions before I even spoke.

"You took a pause before you said your name." She explained. "Only for a small moment, most people wouldn't have picked up on it."

"My name is legally Violet." I explained to her. "And I am Jessica's sister."

"I don't doubt that."

I sighed, maintaining eye contact, our staring contest feeling like I was opening the doors to my soul and letting her in on all my deepest, darkest secrets.

"Esme."

"And you prefer Violet?" She asked.

I nodded solemnly. It wasn't like I could be Esme anymore. "Violet" was a safeguard around my new life.

"Who are you running from, Violet?"

My heart pounded away in my chest, getting quicker and quicker. I tried to slow my breathing, but to no avail.

"Jessica was running too." She continued, giving me time to compose myself. "From a boy- it's always from a boy."

I fidgeted, twisting and curling my fingers around each other.

"I will tell you exactly what I told her." Adrianna whispered lowly. "I can help you. I can make sure that what you're running from never hurts you again. And I will do it happily. But only if you tell me."