Clara Wendover sat in front of her vanity mirror and applied her delicate makeup for the day. She needed to look her best for the wonderful day ahead.
After about an hour, she felt satisfied with her looks and slipped on her size-two dress she had just purchased from abroad. She walked and twirled in front of the full-length mirror before she made her way out of the room.
She walked elegantly downstairs. Today was the day her husband had told her that they were expecting the most important visitors, their new in-laws!
'James is the best! He arranged such a lovely marriage for Shelby. We will forever be indebted to him. Which man will treat another's child as good as he did mine?'
She thought as she rounded the last corner of the hall. But then the words that met her were, "You should be glad that they are willing to have an unworthy and incomplete young woman like you!"
She observed her husband, James, as he picked up a document with a huge smile.
Her daughter, Shelby, was on her knees by the centre table. Clara walked in quickly and glared slightly at her husband while helping Shelby to her feet.
"James! Why would you say that?!" She asked as she approached her husband.
Shelby quickly used the hem of her dress to clean her tears before she put a huge smile on her face for her mother's sake.
"Clara… my dear… You know that I don't mean that."
James embraced Clara and kissed her forehead, brushing her blond curls from her face.
"You look beautiful, my dear!"
"Thanks, honey!" Then she pouted, "Why do you talk like that, honey? Today is a good day, and you shouldn't bring a bad omen to it by talking like that!"
"I won't, but I'm not wrong, honey! Shelby lost her memory of that one month from five years ago. Remember? The day she turned out badly hurt in the hospital?"
"I know! How could I ever forget that? Clara winced sunconconsciously as She doesn't even know how and where she got that cursed tattoo on her ring finger! But-"
"I know, my honey boo! I will not speak like that again, okay?"
Clara nodded happily like a child and gave James a brief hug. Turning to the ever-quiet Shelby, she asked, "Why were you kneeling on the floor?
I have told you time and time not to do that. We have perfectly good sofas in the house. I never understand you, Shelby!"
Clara gently pulled Shelby into one of the seats and then examined her face, "Why does your eye look a little red? Have you been crying?" Clara narrowed her eyes and then asked her husband.
"Why is Shelby like this? Today is supposed to be a good day!"
"Why are you asking me? I haven't done anything to her…. You can ask her yourself… Shelby?"
Shelby forced a bright smile on her face and rubbed her mother's arms fondly, "It's nothing Mum. I am just very happy now."
"Really? I knew it! I knew that you would like the marriage. You do like it right?"
"Of- co-urse ma! I l-ove it. Thank you!"
"You really do not remember where you got this tattoo from?"
A complicated look crossed Shelby's eyes as she lowered her head and shook it. She examined her left ring finger for the distinctive thorn-like ring mark that looked to have been inked onto that finger. It was like she had a ring on her finger already.
"I am glad that you will put an actual ring on to cover this. I know you don't remember much from that day and the whole month before that, but how could you even think of getting a ring tattooed on your finger? It makes me edgy and disturbed!"
"I'm sorry, Mum," she whispered.
"Goodness me! Sorry, my dear. I have to strive to keep the joyous atmosphere."
Smiling, Clara leaned back to take a good look at her daughter but then let out a light scream,"Aaah!"
"What is it, mum?"
"Why is your dress patched? Did I not buy you new clothes last week?"
Shelby unconsciously glanced at her stepfather and then back to her mother. "It's okay, Mum. I like this one. It is so comfortable."
"What do you mean comfortable? I think it will tear up if I even blow air on it! Why do you always do this to mummy? I specially bought a matching pair so that we can look perfect together!"
Clara loved shopping for her daughter but never saw her wear any of them. With time, she accepted that Shelby did not like them much and bought less and less for her, but she was particularly upset about this because it was a perfect mother-and-daughter pair.
"I'm sorry, Mum." Shelby pulled her mother close and avoided looking at her stepfather. It had been like this for years. Her mother would go shopping and buy luxurious branded clothes for them both because they were the same size, but somehow, the clothes always vanished from her closet mysteriously.
At first, she did not know who took it, but she had a fair hunch because she had no sisters in the house. But recently, James did not even bother hiding that he had taken them from her. There was no use talking about them, so she pretended to be uninterested in them. She really was not interested, though.
"I'm sad! How can you wear this today of all days!... wait! Are you sure you are excited about this marriage? You don't look so."
"Of course, I am, mum! Thank you for doing this for me!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, mum… Do you think I would lie to you?"
"That's my girl! Now I must book my dress for the wedding before it gets sold out. I have to email… no, it's better to call instead. I'll call Pierre to get the dress ready!"
"We don't have time for Pierre's collection, honey. The wedding is tonight." James rolled his eyes and interrupted the mother-daughter moment.
"Tonight?!"
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