The Denial of Hearts (COMPLETED) [wattys 2018]

1.

Sarina lounged out on the towel in front off the pool. She let the sun kiss her skin for as long as possible before her father arrived home.

It wasn't long before the alarm on her phone went off, warning her of the time. Getting up and stretching, Sarina picked up her clothes and towel as she wrapped it around her and padded back to her room.

She quickly slipped off the tiny bikini set and put on her underwear, followed by a conservative dress. Sarina hated these clothes and only wore them to keep her father happy.

Ten minutes later, Sarina was on the bar stool in the kitchen, her glasses on, reading a book, when her father came in.

"Hello father." She mumbled as he walked past. The feelings Sarina held in about her father couldn't be let lose, not until she moved out and the only way she was allowed to move out was when she got married.

Sarina's father was extremely old fashioned and conservative when it came to his only child. Losing his wife to cancer when Sarina was only three, Malcolm held all the parental rules when it came to Sarina.

"Sarina!" Malcolm boomed from the next room, making her jump. "Tell the cook to put dinner on to feed five people tonight. We will have company."

"Yes father." Sarina answered as she rolled her eyes and closed the book. It annoyed her that her father has had the same cook for nearly ten years and still hasn't bothered to learn her name, or any of the staff.

Going in to the butlers pantry, Sarina found the cook, Julie. "Julie!" Sarina smiled as she walked in. "There you are!" Then Sarina moved in closer and lowered her voice. "Father is having guests tonight. He will need a meal for at least five people."

She saw the cooks face redden. "Oh that man! He knows how much I hate short notices. All I have out is this small roast beef. That won't do!" Julie opened up her freezer and shuffled around.

"I know, Julie. It's infuriating!" Sarina was more annoyed because if she knew earlier than now, she would have made plans to try and fake a headache or something of some sort.

Only just turned eighteen, Sarina wanted to get out in the world. See its marvels with her own eyes instead of reading about it. She helped Julie pull out another beef shoulder and put it in the microwave to defrost as Sarina put a bag of potatoes in the sink and then carrots.

"Pumpkin?" Sarina asked Julie.

"Oh yes dear, and choko and zucchini."

After helping her with the vegetables, Julie shooed Sarina out of the kitchen. She went to go to her room when Malcolm stopped her.

"Yes father?"

"I need you to change in to something a bit more fancy."

Sarina raised her eyebrows. "Fancy?"

"Yes, something more catching then that."

"Yes father." Sarina seethed as she went to her room. If her father disliked the clothes, then why did he have to approve of them to start with?

Sarina went to her wardrobe and flicked through all her 'fancy' dresses. She hated them all.

After several minutes, Sarina pulled out a suitable dress, the chest was white with small detailed glitter and from the waist down it was a dark blue, going to the ground.

None of her dresses showed her chest, they all started just below her neckline and they all had sleeves, covering most of her shoulders.

Her father had forbade her to have thin straps, off the shoulders, no straps, anything that showed her cleavage or her back, nothing see through on the main torso and they all have to be knee length or longer.