Chapter 5 The white dress
I am staying in my room for the rest of the day, only going downstairs when Mum calls me for lunch. Ethan and Spencer mostly talk to each other, sharing their ideas about the future. Both of them want to study business and marketing, and they plan to join our father to learn everything about his firm so they can lead the Astor empire together after Dad's retirement.
"Good! I can't wait for you to join me in business," Dad says with a smile, clearly proud of his two sons. Mum also smiles and nods her head in agreement.
"What do you think, Cora? Maybe after you finish school, you could follow us," Spencer suggests, causing me to lift my head. I glance at Dad and notice his expression changing; he dislikes the idea. However, I find it difficult to respond. What could I say? No, because I don’t want to see you with someone else, getting married and starting a lovely family where I would have to be a sister-in-law and an aunt. I'd rather move far away and live my life alone.
"Leave her alone, Spencer," Mum says as she pats my hand with a reassuring smile. "She is sad that you are leaving."
I suddenly looked at Mum. How does she understand what's going on in my head? I have always loved her, but this time, I was a bit afraid that she would realise my feelings for my brother.
I smile and sigh.
Spencer and Ethan stare at me, looking confused, but their expressions change in an instant. They now look guilty.
"In the blink of an eye, you’ll be off to university. You’ll make new friends, and we’ll need to make an appointment to see you," Ethan says.
I smile at them and continue eating. They expect me to say something, but I have nothing to add.
After lunch, Dad stops me.
"Cora, I want to see you in my study." He says quietly, not letting the others hear it. I nod, but I fear inside.
"What have I asked you to do, Cora?" He asks me when we are alone.
"I am sorry, Dad, but Ethan came for me to my room, and I couldn't refuse him."
"You had plenty of time to plan. Why can't you understand that you're the black sheep in our world? The boys are trying to befriend the heirs of other wealthy families to secure their bright futures. Why do you need to ruin that?" he asked me angrily, and I lowered my head.
"I'm sorry," I said, but that only made him angrier.
"Don't say 'sorry,' Cora! The word means nothing! Apologies won't change who you are or undo the mistakes you've made! Think! You must improve; otherwise, I won't be lenient next time!"
As the evening approached quickly, everyone headed to their rooms to get ready. Mum and Dad had made a reservation at the best restaurant in Los Angeles, so we all needed to look our best.
When I enter my room, I feel anxious. I go to my dressing area and check my dresses. They are all beautiful and expensive. When we bought them with my mum, she had a stylist accompany us. He selected dresses that gently followed my figure while also hiding my curves and making me appear a bit thinner.
I chose a dark green dress and hung it up before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. When I finished, someone knocked on my door. I opened it to find Mum standing there.
"Are you ready, darling?" she asked, which made me frown.
"Is it that late?" I replied, but Mum shook her head.
"No, but you need to hurry. I can help you."
She asked me to sit down and then styled my hair into a nice bun. After that, she did my makeup.
"What dress will you wear, darling?" she inquired.
"The green one," I responded, glancing at the dress.
"Good choice, but isn’t it a little dark?" she said.
"I like this colour," I replied.
"I think a lighter one would look better on you," she suggested.
I shrugged my shoulders and watched as Mum picked out another dress for me. She chose a white one with a shorter skirt.
"I think that would look better on you," she says.
"It doesn't cover much," I reply, but she shakes her head.
"It covers just enough." She walks over to me with the dress in her hand. "Darling, you are a beautiful young lady with nothing to hide."
"I am fat," I state firmly, but Mum rolls her eyes.
"You are not fat. You've just gained some weight, but that doesn't change the fact that you are gorgeous. Put this on. Let me see if it fits you."
I take the dress and put it on. My mum claps her hands in delight.
"You look gorgeous in it," she says, holding my hand and pulling me toward the mirror. "Look!" As I check my reflection, I have to admit that Mum is right. Even though the dress doesn't make me look thinner, it does enhance my shape in a more flattering way. I nod with a smile.
"I like it, Mum. Thank you," I said, and Mum moved closer to kiss my face.
"Okay, darling. We need to leave in half an hour. I will leave you alone now, and we will meet downstairs," she says as she exits my room.
As I watch myself in the mirror, I can't help but think about Spencer's reaction. Will he like how I look? Will my appearance make him think of me the way I feel about him?
Then, my thoughts darkened as I recalled Carla having fun in a bikini. I remember the moment when she was dancing with Spencer, pressing her butt against his lower abdomen, and Spencer seemed to enjoy that.
I suddenly snapped back to reality when I realised I had to manage my time. I checked the clock and saw I had only five minutes left. I grabbed my bag, which perfectly matched my shoes, and packed a few essentials. After taking one last look in the mirror, I left my room.
The stairs were safe, but I didn't want to risk falling on my heels, so I walked carefully. When I entered the living room, everyone was already there. I received the reaction I had hoped for; the boys were visibly stunned when they saw me, but Spencer's response mattered most to me. He looked at me with an adorable smile, and I felt the familiar butterflies in my stomach again.
"Hey, Georges!" Ethan says as he steps next to me and extends his hand for me to hold. I take it, even though I wish it were Spencer's hand instead.
“If we’re all ready, then we can leave,” Dad says coldly, as if he disapproves of the attention the boys are giving me. His command causes everyone to pause for a moment before he steps out of the room first. We all follow him to the car.
I sit comfortably between the boys, making an effort to sit close to Spencer. My leg brushes against his, but he doesn't pull away. He rests his hand on my thigh instead, which seems to move upwards with each bump the car passes.
