Cruel Beauty

Broken Things

A sense of rage boils through you as you watch Victoria leave with her pet bitch, you can't help the jealousy, if only you could draw like her precious Estella. You walk back into the Baroness's study looking around, you angrily rip down the coat stand. Then shove one of the boards the Baroness uses to pin up her designs and fabric choices it clatters against a bookcase spilling them all over the floor. Next in your line of vision is her desk covered with her work and a forgotten cup of tea. Letting out a scream of rage you shove everything off of the table and the stupid little teacup shatters, it was her favourite too. You try not to cry as you slide down the wall hugging your legs and feeling absolutely useless. Can't draw, can't design, can't catch Cruella, can't even work out who the bitch is. It seems natural to you that the Baroness will move on from you eventually, in the beginning, you were useful to her. You helped her. These days you seem more like dead weight, had taking that step of admitting that you had feelings for each other been a fatal mistake? She was consumed with her show being the best because she wanted to beat Cruella...but a small voice wonders if it had been a ploy to get away from you. Staring at the broken tea cup you watch the little particles of sugar dissolve, rather symbolic of your relationship.

Estella sits across from the Baroness watching the older woman drum her fingers as the poor waiter struggles open the champagne. 'Give it to me, for heaven's sake!' Victoria grabs the bottle popping the cork into the waiter's eye. Even Estella struggles to repress a chuckle. 'Go.' The ice queen orders coldly, pouring them both champagne she raises a glass in a toast. 'Here's to me.' Estella scoffs in response, and an amused look flits across the Baroness's features. 'Who the hell else would I drink to?' Estella shrugs.'To me? For creating your signature piece?' she suggests. 'You're helpful to me, is all, as soon as you're not, you're dust' Victoria feels a little uncomfortable about presenting a piece she had not perfected. On the other hand, she had been mentoring the girl for months now there was bound to be parts of her work in the design. But Estella need not get any ideas about besting her, she already had this Cruella to deal with she didn't need yet another competitor. 'Inspiring talk. Thank you.' Victoria catches the sarcastic remark and decides to try and placate her young protegee, with a speech that she had received herself. 'You can't care about anyone else, everyone else is an obstacle, you care what an obstacle wants or feels? You're dead. If I had cared about anyone or thing, I might have died like so many brilliant women with a drawer full of unseen genius and a heart full of sad bitterness.'

Estella raises an eyebrow. 'When did you decide this, what in your life came to make you believe this exactly?' she queries with genuine interest. Only for the smallest of seconds, Victoria lets her mask drop a warm look graces her sharp features. 'It is how I got started with my business, I pushed boundaries and I took some advice from someone very dear to me.'

'They won't say no to you.' The Baroness feigns surprise. 'Oh, so now you are clairvoyant, why didn't you say so we could've stopped off for a lottery ticket on the drive here? Get a grip yn, you can't possibly know that.' For a moment you freeze, then continue. 'I do, I know it, but we could just go home instead, believing in yourself isn't enough, you have to believe in your designs too, I suppose they aren't that good. It will be a tad awkward to tell the ladies at your next luncheon but if you'd rather die like so many other women with a drawer full of unseen genius and a heart full of sad bitterness go ahead. Throw a tantrum, and accept second place. New money came after old money so it makes sense.' You shrug walking off.

Estella takes a sip of her drink. 'Mmmm.' The Baroness zeros in on Estella. 'Yes?' Estella shrugs. 'Forgive me if I speak out of turn, but you seem to be without that person now, perhaps you climbed over them on your way to the top, perhaps they weren't so dear to you.' Victoria hides her smirk, Estella obviously thinks she is referring to her former husband the baron. How wrong the foolish girl was, but at least this meant no one knew about her relationship with you. 'You have the talent for your own label.' The Baroness decides to change the subject back to the previous topic of conversation. 'Whether you have the killer instinct is the big question.' She takes the olive out of her glass snapping it from the cocktail stick and chewing. 'Oh, I hope I do.' Estella simpers. 'Hmm. Correct response. Well done.' Victoria gives the girl a small recognition of praise for her poor attempt at a confident response. 'We just have to get rid of this... Cruella person, don't you think?' Estella's eyes light up and the Baroness doesn't miss it...'I guess you must hate her.' The girl responds before Victoria can dwell on it. 'Honestly? I'm conflicted, she is good. Bold and brilliant. But she has made it me or her... and I choose me.'

The following morning you are all set for a battle royale with Victoria over her protegee she had come home late last night so you had not spoken to her. You get up and get dressed not even looking at her as you head downstairs for breakfast. Your plan changes when you are alerted to some alarming news, that the House of Baroness had been broken into. You remember the promise you made to yourself, the Baroness comes first you need to put your petty jealousy aside. You head upstairs and see Victoria is still asleep but she has spread out more like she was searching for your body in her sleep for comfort. She looks so beautiful as she lies there, asleep, no worries on her face. You sit down beside her and just enjoy her beauty for a few moments, you reach up pushing a few curls from her face. You smelled alcohol when she came in last night but could also imagine she had not eaten again and your news was about to make things worse. 'Baroness?' you whisper, touching her hand, it is cold from being out of the blankets. 'Victoria?' you coo. The mature beauty slowly opens her eyes. 'Yn? What is wrong?' she blinks. 'The house of Baroness was broken into last night.' The Baroness's eyes are immediately alert as her stress response kicks in, her pupils dilate her blood pressure and her heart increases rapidly.

'My signature piece?!' she shoots up but you catch her by her upper arms. 'It's okay, I think security must have scared the intruders off. All is well, don't get upset.' She looks into your eyes slowly calming she lets out a shaky sigh of relief. 'Thank god, we need to install precautions at once, this was far too close an encounter for my liking.' she throws back the covers and gets up out of bed to dress for the day.

'What's going on?' God even the little bitch's voice annoys the hell out of you. Estella approaches the Baroness who is giving orders on what has to go into the large vault. You stand a few stairs up above the Baroness as you keep a close eye on everyone involved. 'She tried to break in last night.' Victoria replies. 'Who did?' Estella replies, making you roll your eyes. 'The Beatles.' Estella ignores you and the Baroness continues. 'Cruella. Well, it makes sense, it's a stunning, ludicrously expensive gown. Cruella could never afford to make it.' You smirk looking at Victoria little miss new money you love when she is snooty.

'But Cruella has no shame.' The Baroness continues. 'She may steal my creation. I mean, that's a very good idea, right, if you were... her?' At first, you are merely amused by the Baroness's wording of stealing "her" creation, but something else draws you in. The way she looks at Estella, like...she doesn't trust her? What the hell happened at that after-work drink last night? The Baroness turns on her heel leaving as the door is slammed shut you spy on Estella, she is near the door, and if you blinked you would have missed her removing a pin from the vault. When she turns she bumps into you, you pretend to not have noticed her. 'Oh!' she jumps seeing you. You give a sickly sweet smile. 'Sorry.' she simpers knowing you work closely with the Baroness and knowing she hates apologies she clearly hopes to get a reaction from you. The two of you stare into each other's eyes, you give a soft chuckle. 'Not at all, my fault.' you step to the side and Estella walks in the other direction, you bring the pin you had stolen from Estella up to eye level. 'All mine.'