Wilting Violet (Part 1)

Chapter Fourteen Secrets

December 20, 2015, 7:45 pm, Violet's POV

    'In movies, a beautifully dressed woman approaches a table with carefully stacked glasses. Ones meant for beauty and not to be drunk. She plucks one, all the glasses shatter, and the party stares at her in awe.... Lies all lies.' The sound of the crystal glass hitting the floor in the middle of the packed Annual Christmas Party is so piercing that I want to crawl into my soul and die.

    'Why did it slip? I tripped on the train of my dress right after I whisper-told Kenton to frick off when he tried to give me his arm for balance. Yes, I understand things the Heirs could have done to flip my brother, but there is no use in him apologizing. He can't mean it. He is right. They are powerful... there is no way they only had enough juice for one taunt. I am choosing to believe there had to be more to flipping Kenton, but I can't trust them... so I can't trust him either. He is a spy.' I catch Esme's eye from across the party and turn away as I turn on my heel and walk down the service hall to help our Housekeeper, Tabitha, clean up my mess.

    'I am avoiding Claire's whole family, which is not an easy feat with the number of holiday events in our Mom's book together. So my excuses of being sick with various minor problems will run out fast.' Esme turns to her date and points to me, and I duck down another hall to lose her.

    'She thinks Kenton and I had a fight, but she does not realize that because I decided to leave, the Heirs have decided to hang the future of Claire's whole family in the balance... the biggest one I can think of is that Esme is supposed to get proposals this year... It is a delicate thing with several moving parts. Break one... and girls have been labeled unmarriageable for less. I might have single-handedly ruined her life just by coming home.' I lean against the wall and deeply breathe, 'No, it is not on you. They decided to do it... they decided to be petty assholes. their message was bigger than a reminder to behave. It was also the first warning to give up and come back... It was not a coincidence that it happened on one of the days I told them I wanted to be home for... Dahlia's birthday.'

    'Go back out there, and smile. Do not let those horrible men take your freedoms from you. You got away for thirty-one days. It has only been thirteen they will keep.' I nod to myself and walk further down the hall to another door and come out in the foyer and make my way back to the ballroom.

    'Glasses clink for toasts, people laugh, and other rooms have various conversations from the state of our affairs in the states, my Father and his friends. To Azalea and her friends talking about a cute guy in their class, in the living room.' I smile as they tease Azalea for the Christmas card she anonymously gave him, and then I smooth my dress down as I reach the ballroom doorway. 'I take a deep breath and remember my first time leaving the kids' party and coming to the adult one. I was so excited and felt so accomplished, but now I know all the rules that this party has... all the mistakes I can make.'

    "Here." A masculine voice says on my right, and I barely hear him, but I do accept the Christmas brooch he hands me. I pin it to my dress, look up to say thank you, then freeze in place, unable to say anything, let alone breathe. My legs though they very much understand the assignment, I turn on my heel and begin to flee, but he grabs my left hand with his right, making me have to turn all the way around if I want to run off or duck under our arms. My chest heaves, visibly lifting the sweetheart neckline of my ball gown up and down.

    "What are you doing here?" I whisper, and he tilts his head and smiles predatorily at me.

    "My family is invited yearly, but I'm always so busy... oddly enough, I wasn't busy." He says, and I yank my hand from him and step back, thinking about what to say.