She knew who the man was.
She’d see him often on the news and/or with other girls.
And she secretly liked him since they first met.
But he never noticed her.
“He probably didn’t even know it was me.” Ella said as she started blushing.
“Ella!” She heard her name call as she was going to get ready for a shower.
Ella quickly opened the door.
“Nanny? What is it?”
“Your father wants to talk to you.” Ella nodded.
“Ok, tell him, I’ll be down in a little while. You go ahead.”
---
Ella entered the room with the rest of the family already seated.
“Ella, you’re here.” Ella smiled.
“Well, I wanted to talk to you girls about the Charity Event next week.”
“What Charity Event?” Ella asked.
“Mike’s holding a Charity Event, and he wanted you girls to come and be his candidates.”
“What for?” Ella asked again.
“Stupid! He’s holding a charity event, and he’s selling off us!” Angela spatted at her.
Ella’s eyes got wide.
Selling off?
He was going to sell off his daughters?
“That’s not what she means, Ella.” Her mother said.
“The Charity Event is auctioning off women, but money is going to go to the community. It’ll be a good cause.”
“Oh.” Ella said.
Truthfully, she didn’t want to go. She thought the idea was disgusting.
After some more talk. Ella went up to her room and took a shower and got ready to sleep.
“Ella?” She sighed at the calls of her name. It calling wouldn’t stop.
Ella opened the door, finding her father smiling at her.
“You know I want you to go, right?” She sighed.
“Dad it’s not a place for me.”
“Ella, you can’t have your mother and sisters get in your way.”
“It’s not them.” She sighed hard. “It’s not my place to go. You know me, I don’t do that kind of stuff.”
“Well, Mike does still need some help with catering, would you help him out then instead?”
“Sure, dad. I’ll help out with the catering and the cleaning and anything else but, going up on that stage.“ Ella tiredly said.
Andrew smiled.
“Ok, remember what you said.”
He kissed the top of her head and let her sleep.
---
Ella arrived at the banquet, early helping everyone get ready for the show.
She’d been sweating since 5 in the morning, and now it was close to noon.
“Miss Chen, Master Wu wants you to help out the ladies putting on the dresses.” One of the cook told her as she was still chopping up vegetables.
“Noi, but you’re not even close to being done.” Ella replied.
“It’s fine, there’s still the other maids that can help me, and besides, this is no place for a Chen.”
Ella sadly looked at her left.
“Hebe! Selina!” Ella exclaimed as she saw her best friends trying to zip each other’s dresses up.
“Ella! I didn’t think you’d agree to be part of the event.” Selina sarcastically said.
Ella smiled.
“I’m not. I’m was helping Noi out in the kitchen, but then she told me to come and help the others in here instead.” She whined and helped Selina with her dress.
“How’s everything at home?” Selina asked as she started helping Hebe with her dress.
“Ok.”
“Ella, we know you better than that.” Hebe encountered. Ella shrugged.
“Why don’t you just move out?” Selina asked.
“Because: A) Where would I go? B) Mom will surely find me and lastly, C) I can’t leave my dad with ‘them’.”
“Why would your step mom come look for you if she wants you to die?”
“Because,” Ella took a deep breath, “She wants me to suffer as well, while I‘m dying.” Ella semi-sarcastically said.
“Ella, come and help me!” a loud shriek interrupted their conversation.
She knew who the voice belonged to.
“Angela, what’s wrong?”
“Fix the dress.” It was more of a command than a request.
Ella mentally laughed.
“Angela, what did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything. Charlene did.”
“Sure, blame it on the pretty one.” Charlene said.
“You’re the one that pulled it.” Angela screamed.
“Because the dress was MINE! Mr. Wu GAVE it to ME!” Charlene screamed back.
"Why do you want it anyways? It doesn't even fit you." Charlene asked.
"Well, it's blue. That's Chun's favorite color."
"No, it's not. It's green!"
"Blue!"
"Green!"
---
“Ella, there you are.” Mrs. Wu exclaimed as she grabbed her shoulder.
“Auntie Wu. Did you need something?” Ella asked still trying to fix the other girls up.
“Why aren’t you dress yet?”
“What for?”
“Well you’re up next for the auctioning.” Mrs. Wu said pulling her through the door.
“Wait, what? I didn’t sign up.”
“Well you're dad's up on stage annocing the next contestants. He told me that you’d been dressed by now.”
“No, Auntie. You don’t understand. I can’t go up there.”
“Why not?”
Ella sighed. How did her name manage to get on the list anyways.
She knew you had to pay a pre-deposit first. And she didn’t have the kind of money in the first place.
"Well, tough luck. You're up, Ella." Mrs. Wu said and left with Ella's mouth hanging open.
