𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 ¹- jj maybank

𝟎𝟐𝟓; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦

SEASON 1
EPISODE 5

"Behave yourself."

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          SIERRA ZIPPED UP Victoria's pale lavender dress, the silk molding softly against her skin. The delicate fabric caught the warm light of the bedroom, shimmering faintly as it settled into place. "Hope your trip was fun," Victoria muttered under her breath, her tone cold yet deliberate—loud enough for her mother to hear.

Sierra sighed, a hint of exasperation creeping into her voice. "Victoria, I told you. I promise next time we'll take you with us."

Victoria let out a short, bitter laugh. "Mhm, and how many times have I heard that one before?"

Sierra paused, composing herself before continuing. "Just please, sweetie, try to present yourself at the Midsummer. You know how important it is for dad and me. This isn't just some party, it's a chance to—"

"For you and Eric," Victoria interrupted sharply, spinning around to face her mother. Her eyes flashed with defiance. "He's not my dad."

"Whatever," Sierra replied, waving her off dismissively as if brushing away an inconvenient truth. She walked over to the vanity and picked up a shiny silver necklace, the diamonds glinting as she unclasped it. "At least let me finish making you look presentable," she said, her tone clipped. She draped the necklace around Victoria's neck and fastened it with a soft click.

Stepping back, Sierra smiled faintly, admiring her daughter. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," Victoria muttered, barely glancing at her reflection. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she turned her focus to the conversation at hand. "I can't believe you're making me go to this. It's completely insane that people just a few miles from here don't even have electricity, and we're heading off to some ridiculous, posh party to drink champagne and mingle with more of the same."

Sierra's smile faltered, her jaw tightening as she placed a hand on Victoria's arm. "I worked hard to get us here," she said, her voice low but firm, as though willing Victoria to understand. "You don't know what it's like to—"

"To what?" Victoria snapped, pulling away from her mother's grasp. "To cheat on my dad? Is that what you're about to say?" Her words cut through the room like a knife, sharp and unrelenting.

Sierra's face fell, exhaustion flickering in her eyes. For a moment, she looked like she might argue back, but instead, she pressed her lips together. She turned away, reaching for a small box resting on the vanity table. Without a word, she lifted the lid and pulled out a delicate headpiece made of white roses intertwined with tiny pearl accents.

Walking back to Victoria, she held it up. "Hold still," she said softly, her voice lacking its usual edge. Carefully, she placed the floral crown on Victoria's head, adjusting it so it sat perfectly against her dark waves. "You're the most beautiful girl in that room tonight," she said, her tone almost wistful.

Victoria stared at her reflection as Sierra took a step back, admiring her handiwork. The contrast between the pale lavender of the dress and the bright white of the roses was striking, and the way the flowers framed her face made her look ethereal. For a moment, even Victoria was struck by how she looked—but the resentment brewing in her chest quickly extinguished any hint of pride.

She exhaled sharply. "Great. Now I look like the perfect little daughter you're trying so hard to show off." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Sierra's shoulders slumped slightly, and her lips tightened into a thin line. "I'm not trying to show you off, Victoria. I'm trying to give you a life I never had." Her voice was quiet now, almost pleading.