I also hope you can enjoy reading this as much as i enjoied writing it! Constructive criticism is always accepted and please leave comments to make me happy :)
Victoria had just finished her make up. She saw her reflection on the mirror, but was unable to like what she was looking at.
Even though her face was impecably painted, it's expression was bitter. She had no wish to go out or to see any other human being.
On the day's schedule there was lunch with the planners of her next charity event.
She was well aware of what they all thought of her. She knew, deep down, no one really cared about her, but only her name mattered,
it's status and ,specially, her money. Victoria was tired of pretending. Tired of putting on a fake smile for people who she didn't like to see and approve.
Anyway, the acting was necessary. In the world she lives in, you either shiw strength or people crush you. Or worse:
they forget about you, bury you in a whole of unimportance. Not much is necessary to inflict this fate on someone in the Hamptons.
Victoria knew tha well. She had done it to others.
So, Victoria did what she had always done. Smiled. There it was. The expression on the mirror was much more beautiful and captivating.
Acceptable. She got up and left.
Arriving at the restaurant, there was a table occupied with the other socialites she was supposed to have lunch with and joined them.
-Good afternoon, ladies.- With a smile, she greeted them, friendly.
Time passed by and charity subject were being taken care of. Meanwhile, passive agressive insults and disguised gossip were made, at times by one, other times by others. Everything was discrete, afterall, they were women with alleged class. Victoria didn't know how much more of that farse she could take. Something was mmaking her more uncorfortable than usual that day, but she didn't know what. Maybe the fact that David had died that week was the answer. She'd had participated in the plot that ended the life of the man she loved. The guilt for all the lies she told hurt. She felt like spilling all the beans she knew of everyone around her, and, the leave, letting them kill each other in a teatrical tragedy.
Traveling in this fantasy, Victoria imagined how this hell could end with chairs and food flying everywhere. She laughed alone at her own joke.
In that moment, the girl who was waitressing their table passed and, cheerfuly, said:
-What a beautigful smile you've got!- then, she redirected herself to other clients. That had been the most honest facil expression Victoria had seen in a long time. She stood still, in shock.
Getting compliments wasn't something new for her. That's not what surprised her. It was the truth, so transparent, transpiring in those eyes. There was no second interest behind that statement. " I wonder if she knws who I am." she thougt. " What if she doesn't even care who I am? It's also possible." Victoria wondered why someone would do something like something nice another person, without expecting anything in return, simply with the intention of making the other feel better.
A small joy shone in her eyes in that moment. A life surrounded buy lies wasn't her only option. Truth was still spoken smewhere. I wasn't dead.
She needed to leave that place immediately. Life awated. Victoria wanted to stop lieing. Even if just a little bit. That little happiness would be her strength. She wasn't just merely rejecting a bunch of shady bitches, but an enitre universe, in wich she couldn't bare live in anymore. Maybe she could still redeem herself for what she'd made David Clarke suffer. Maybe. It wasn't much, but she had to move on and try. There had to be something she could do.
Remission might not be impossible.
She rose from her seat.
- Aren't you staying for desert, dear? - a "friend" asked.
-Goodbye, girls. I have an urgent matter to attend. - questioning looks were directed at the brunette. "How can something be more important than this lunch?", many inquired."Who does she think she is?", "Where is she going?", "Who is she meeting?", "Urgent?It's probably a new affair..." Victoria knew they would judge, but she no longer cared about any of them.
She remembered David's daughter, Amanda. That could be her chance to repair her mistakes, to fix the harms she'd caused in that girl, who was now, probably a teenager. It could be her first step. She did not know if there was any actual help to offer or how to make anything better, because the damage had beenn huge.
But trying was already better than any other alternative.
Surprised, she realized the drastic change that a simple gesture had inflicted on her. Sometimes life happends like this.
Victoria looked through the glass doors and saw the sun light on the leaves of a tree on the sidewalk. It was time to seek happiness. Genuinly smiling, she left.