Cruel Beauty

Till Death

Victoria shifts onto her side letting out a sigh the cover shifts revealing her bare back, her shoulder blades are so prominent now. 'Victoria, I want to talk to you.' You shift closer. 'Mhm?' she replies staring out of the window into the morning light. 'You're far too thin. You aren't eating properly.' you rest a hand on her naked hip. 'I eat just fine.' she replies not really listening. 'Well...yes, but when you do you are throwing it back up, I'm worried about you.' The Baroness lightly chuckles. 'I've just not been keeping very well probably the nerves of all this stress taking its toll on me, I am quite healthy.' You run a hand over her you can feel her ribs poking out. 'If it was once or twice I would agree but this has been going on for months now.' A crease appears on the older woman's brow. 'It's nothing.' You sigh. 'You have been ill, you have become prone to tears which you never were I am scared for you.' Victoria pushes your hand away. 'I said I am fine.' she sounds annoyed. 'Fine people don't act the way you have been. It's getting out of control.' Victoria turns to you irritated. 'I said I am fine.' she glares at you. 'You can give me the attitude all you want but we are together. I care about you-' She rolls her eyes. 'Look, you are clearly ill, hell for a while I thought my strapon worked too well and I knocked you up but being that, that would defy logic we can just be truthful. You have an eating disorder!' You are annoyed now too.

'Oh, for heaven's sake!' she throws the blanket back and gets up marching over to her modesty screen and vanishing behind it. 'Where are you going?' You see clothes being haphazardly thrown over the screen. 'I don't need to stay here and listen to your childish nonsense, I am going to work and to find out if those imbeciles have discovered Cruella's whereabouts.' she steps out dressed in a pencil skirt and a smart blouse, she goes to her vanity selecting a brooch and a gold bangle. You get up grabbing a robe knotting it around your waist. 'You can't keep running away from this you need to face the fact that you have a problem.' The Baroness ignores you and you grab her wrist she looks at you with shocked eyes portraying a trickle of fear. 'Easy.' you soften your hold. 'I just need you to talk to me, okay, we can face this together.' Victoria purses her lips and pulls her wrist from you. She doesn't respond instead she moves from you and walks out of the room with her nose in the air. You close your eyes even watching her leave you see her clothes are hanging on her frame. 'Fuck.'

The maids are already on red alert careful to avoid any run-ins with their volatile boss. 'Baroness.' John greets. 'Car.' she snaps the order and places her oversized sunglasses on. 'Very good.' he inclines his head. You give her some time to cool off at the office but you really don't know what you are going to do about her. You dress and pad around Hellman Hall nervously, when a maid approaches you. 'There is a call for you Ms.' she announces. You frown no one ever calls for you, you go over lifting the phone. 'Yes?' The colour drains from your face. 'On my way.' Your heart is beating hard in your chest as you flood into the House of Baroness practically dragging a line of coats on a mini rail with you. They fall and designers clamber to pick them up you run upstairs to her office, throwing the door open. 'Victoria!' she lies on her chaise looking ill. 'I am quite alright.' A doctor and John stand by her feet. 'What happened?' you run to her kneeling beside her and taking her hand. 'There is no need for all this fuss.' she complains. You feel your heart beat fast. 'Well, you seem stable now your ladyship. But you gave us quite the scare your pulse was very weak.' She hrumfs in response. 'I would like to do further testing on you.' The doctor continues.

The Baroness massages her brow. 'That will not be necessary. Thank you, doctor, such a great help, as always.' You ignore her sarcasm as you study how frail she is. 'Tell him.' you say quietly. She ignores you. 'Tell him, the truth.' You speak louder, the doctor hears you and shoots a questioning look. 'Tell me what?' Victoria pulls her hand from yours.' It's nothing.' You turn to the doctor. 'I think, I know Victoria has repeatedly vomited after meals, she has lost so much weight and I know she has been under a lot of stress. This whole situation has gotten too far out of hand.' The doctor raises an eyebrow. 'If this is the case Baroness there are several treatments we could look at but I am more worried about your heart. I would wager there is a further underlying condition and I would like to investigate a little further with your permission?' Victoria sits up swinging her legs down. 'I already told you no, are you hard of hearing? Estella has always been over dramatic. I do not need any further testing or help!' She catches you staring at her. 'What?!' she snaps. 'My name isn't Estella.' You speak quietly. Staring at you a few moments she blinks then shakes her head. 'I didn't say Estella, I said yn. Right, that is enough everyone out of my office now!' she barks. John and the doctor leave, and you remain. 'I won't ask again.' she warns dangerously.

You close your eyes suppressing tears then give a nod, you stand up to leave when Jeffrey enters. 'Your order has arrived madam.' Victoria frowns. 'What order? I didn't order anything.' Jeffrey looks nervous. 'The drivers are unpacking it, they have a bill signed by you asking them to assemble it here.' Victoria frowns ripping the paper from Jeffrey's hands and reading the bill with her signature on it. 'Why is everyone incompetent but me?!' she shoves past and marches out onto the platform her body goes as still as a statue. You follow her and look over the banister on the work floor. 'What....' The delivery men are still assembling things. You see a 6ft pink bear, a cot, a bassinet, a highchair, and a silver cross pram. The workers look as confused as you are, the Baroness looks horrified, the bill slips from her fingers and she walks downstairs. You kneel lifting the bill and it is definitely her signature on the Baby Bambino bill. 'Stop. Stop this at once!' she roars. 'Sorry love, we are on strict orders.' one of the men replies tightening the wheel onto the pram. 'Got paid a handsome amount to do it too.' The Baroness looks murderous. 'Baroness. The team has drawn up the mock designs that you asked for, for the baby line.' A blonde tall woman in a white coat approaches not sensing now is not the ideal time. Two other staff members wheel up a covered rail, they pull the sheet off.

The Baroness spins on her heel. 'If you can't see I am in the middle of- What the hell is this?!' she screams in rage seeing the mock designs of baby girl outfits. 'It is a first draft, your ladyship, we were quite surprised you asked for this. We are used to designing for the adult female, babies...it isn't exactly our milieu.' Victoria takes a step back looking horrified. 'I did not. I did not request this.' she stares at the little outfits. 'Is this some kind of trick?!' she grabs the lapels of the blonde's white coat hissing in her face. The blonde looks rightly terrified. 'My lady please, I was just following your orders. If it is not to your liking we can do better. Please.' The Baroness stares into the woman's soul turning it ice cold. She shoves the woman away. 'I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask for any of this!' she roars grabbing the cot and launching it into the wall. It falls to pieces. Everyone is watching her. Everyone. 'What are you all looking at?! Get this trash out of here now!' she storms back up the stairs walking past you and going to her office slamming the door. Everyone is muttering and sharing looks of confusion. You watch for a moment then leave heading back into her office.

The Baroness is going through the paperwork she looks up and sees you. 'Don't you dare start harassing me about food again or go spreading such malicious rumors to anyone else!' she warns. 'Baroness' Victoria throws a pile of paperwork on the floor. 'Or perhaps that's what you want, see if you can sniff out anything else. Then go straight to the press and get a healthy cash reward for your little tales. I know you are up to something, you think I am a fool?' she laughs at you. 'Baroness.' Victoria searches rapidly through her desk drawer. 'Leave.' she snaps. 'Victoria.' you touch her wrist and hearing her name she looks at you, she looks so frightened, but not of you its something else. 'What's going on? We are in this together, no matter what.' you are still by her side. Victoria studies you her face impassive, she seems to really think this through as she decides whether or not to tell you. 'I'm dying.' Your heart shatters.