Perfect Illusion

Eight - "Everything goes poof."

At first I don't say anything. My heart is beating so fast I'm afraid if I open my mouth, it will fly out. So I just sit there, for what seems like a really long time, unable to say anything.

When I finally snap out of it, the word comes rushing out of my mouth. I stand up abruptly, screaming from the top of my lungs. "WHAT?"

I admit, that isn't exactly the best immediate response I can muster.

I can't even fathom what Mr. Kerrington just said. An engagement? Between Daniel and I?

The world has finally gone bonkers.

I don't think I'm the only one that feels that way. Just almost after my outburst, Daniel gets up, a look of pure shock glued to his face.

He reaches for his dad so fast I almost missed it. "What the hell, dad? You can't do this!" He pleads. "You can't drag me into your stupid business deals! You told me I was not going to get involved in any of this!"

"Sit down, Daniel." His father commanded.

"No fucking way." A dry laugh comes out of Daniel. "This is crazy! Have you completely lost your mind?" He faces his dad.

Irritation picks along my skin as I face my dad, "You want me to be engaged? TO HIM?" I sneer, pointing a finger at Daniel.

He steps up, facing me this time. His eyes flash red, jaw set in a hard line. "You think that I want to be engaged to you? You're a fucking child!"

I clench my fists so hard, my nails are digging into my palms. "EXCUSE ME? You dare call me a CHILD?"

He points to his eye. "You freaking punched me in the face!"

"You totally deserved it!" I scoff. "You were acting like such a dick!"

Mr. Kerrington finally decides to speak up. "So you were the one who gave my son a black eye?" One of the veins in his neck pops as he looks at me, teeth gritted.

He's furious at me.

Well

Boo

Freaking

Hoo.

"Yeah, and I'm not ashamed of it!" I spit at Mr. Kerrington.

"Jesus Christ!" My dad finally decides to speak up, pushing his chair back. "All of you are acting like children!"

"Don't you dare tell me that," I say to my dad, exasperated, "this is completely unacceptable. You want me to be engaged... to a manwhore?"

"It's not called a manwhore,"Daniel snaps back, "It's called being ridiculously handsome."

Oh. My. God.

Does he hear the words that come out of his mouth?

"Please, Alexandria," My dad lays a hand on my shoulder. I immediately pull away, feeling his betrayal creep up on me. "Just listen to me for one moment-"

"I can't believe you agreed to this!" I say, my hands flying everywhere. I don't care if it makes me look like a crazy person. "My own father!"

"Alexandria..." His voice trails off. "We had no choice."

He's actually serious about going through with this. Without even asking me if I'm the least bit okay with it.

"You had no choice? How about me?" His response is almost comical. "What am I to you, Dad? I don't even feel like I'm your daughter anymore. I'm just another commodity to you, huh? To barter and trade off at your own convenience? You barely call to check up on me, and even when you do, it's because you decide to pull this shit." Despair wrangles my voice as I jab a finger at him. "The thing that hurts the most is that you didn't even ask me if I wanted to do this or consulted me first about how I would feel about it all. You robbed me of that choice."