By the time Marilyn had clinched her waist tightly in the red gown, she was simply terrified to look at the mirror.
"There, all done. You look so gorgeous Mrs Fay." She clasped her hands to her chest, and smiled with delight.
"Really?" Fay tried to fake enthusiasm, but she really couldn't do it. Marilyn had not stopped telling her how gorgeous she was, but she just couldn't bring herself to accept it.
"Don't believe my words? Close your eyes, and allow me to show you," She guided her to the large mirror atop her dressing table. "Now open your eyes," she said.
Fay opened her eyes, and they reflexively widened as she stared at her reflection. Her hair, which was normally too wild to tame, had been pinned into the most perfect half up-half down hairdo. But the gown was what stole her breath away.
"I can't wear this." She turned around, shaking her head vigorously.
"Why? Don't you like it?" Marilyn asked, concerned etched in the lines of her forehead.
"It's just—-"
"Marilyn, are you done? Time isn't on our side anymore," they both heard Ace call.
Marilyn quickly grabbed her shoulders. "Look, I don't know what you're battling with, but I swear to you, you look gorgeous," she said with so much sincerity, Fay couldn't help but to believe her.
"Okay!" She nodded.
"Now here's your purse," she handed the glittering silver purse with ruby stones sprinkled on it, to her. "Your new phone is in there, and your card too," she said, throwing her a wink.
"Thank you," she said, and hugged her.
"No, thank you for coming into our lives. Now hurry up, before the boss gets crankier." They both chuckled like soul sisters, sharing secrets, as Fay hurried away.
"Mari–" Ace raised his hand to knock, when the door opened, and Fay stepped out.
His hand dropped to the side, as his eyes dragged through the lengths and breadth of her body.
The slits by both sides of the dress, going up her thighs, showcasing legs that went on and on.
Her tiny waist, leading up to the perfect pear shaped titties, that if you looked a little closer, you could see the peak of her nipples.
And lastly, her glorious hair, wrapped in luscious delight. Making him want to take the pins out, and run his hands through them.
"How do I look?" She asked nervously, just wanting to please him.
He cleared his throat. "Okay," he turned around, and walked forward. "Hurry up, we're already late," he said behind his shoulder.
Disappointed at his cold reaction, she brushed away the sting of tears in her eyes, and hurried along.
The car doors were already opened for them when they stepped out. Ace waited for Fay to get in first, before he did.
When they were seated, the doors closed, and the car began to move.
Fay beside herself with shame for even thinking a man as attractive as Ace, who had an ex-girlfriend that could pass for a supermodel would ever look at her, and think she's gorgeous.
Her aunt had been right all along, and no amount of words from Marilyn stating otherwise, or her reflection in the mirror giving her a hint of hope could change the truth.
Her hands clasped before her, drawing Ace's attention. Two things he noticed she did when she was nervous; bite her lip, or clasp her hands. He wondered if it had anything to do with the dinner.
As much as he would have loved to reassure her, he needed to create boundaries. When the one year was exhausted, he didn't want lingering feelings bred from compassion. On that note, he threw his head to the side of the window, and allowed her wallow in her misery.
An hour later of the awkwardly silent drive, the car pulled into a street literally made of gold. Every signpost, streetlight, building, road, everything was golden.
"Wow!" Fay gasped, and sat up. "Beautiful," she said, as her head followed the motion of the car.
Ace turned, and caught a glimpse of the awe in her eyes. His brow lifted, as she opened her purse, and took out her phone. Her eyes went to the window glass, and he sensed she wanted it winded down.
He opened his mouth, ready to tell the driver to roll it down, when he remembered his own advice to himself, and immediately shut it.
Feeling his eyes on her, she slowly turned, but didn't look at him. Instead, she put her phone back into her purse, and dropped her gaze to her lap.
He didn't say anything, he just watched her, until the car pulled into the big house, and came to a stop.
"We're here," he announced. She nodded weakly, and it tickled him. "You don't understand, do you?" Her eyes shot up at his puzzling question, but all she met in response were glazing eyes. "You need to put on the best smile of your life on that pretty face of yours, and act like you're ecstatic to be here."
He called her pretty, that was all that mattered to her. All that, as she realized now, was what she wanted to hear. She put on the best smile of her life, and nodded. "As you wish," she said.
Confusion flipped in his eyes, at how she easily switched up her mood.
"Would things ever be normal around you?" He questioned in his head, as the car doors opened for them to step out.
He did first, and went around to take her hands. "Remember, we're in love, and happy," he whispered.
"We're in love, and happy." She nodded, as they made their way into the house.
She couldn't help her wandering eyes as they surveyed the golden mansion. This was what she imagined heaven looked like. To see a physical manifestation of her thoughts was almost too overwhelming.
The automated doors slid open for them, and a woman in a uniform standing just by the door, bowed when she saw them. "Good evening Sir Ace, please come with me," she said.
He didn't budge, he just stood, and stared at the retreating figure of the woman. When she realized no one was following her, she turned back.
"Sir, did I say something?" She hurried back to him, and bowed her head.
"Did you forget my wife is standing right by my side?"
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to ignore her," she apologized profusely.
Ace was about to give it to her, when a thought struck in his head. "Of course you didn't," he whispered, as the image of his Aunt floated in his head. "We'll find our way to the dinning ourselves," he said in that authoritarian voice that caused goosebumps on Fay's skin.
She walked hand in hand beside him, hoping to God she's invincible when the family drama that's bound to occur, begins.
When they burst into the dinning room, everyone was seated already.
"Look who finally decided to show up," aunt Celine spoke, when she raised her head, and saw him.
He ignored her, and went straight to his grandma. With his hands still firmly on Fay's, he bent and gave the old woman a kiss on her cheeks. "Good evening Grandma," he said, as he straightened up.
Next, he went to his mother, and repeated the same process.
"Good evening everyone," Fay felt the urge to say, when he was done greeting the people that mattered the most to him.
"Good evening my gorgeous darling. You look simply stunning," his grandmother said.
"Doesn't she?" His mother was excited.
She blushed, covering her face in embarrassment. "Thank you," she said.
"And she's shy too? I hope not too shy to make babies?"
A collective groan of protest filled the table at the explicit words of the matron. Shaking his head, Ace placed his hand on Fay's shoulders, and led her to a seat, while he took the one beside her.
"Wouldn't having babies require the ability to actually form one? We all saw how his mother battled with fertility issues. My poor brother. Imagine having to go sort out abandoned babies, just to have an addition to your family," Celine said when everywhere had quieted down.
The already quiet room grew even more silent. So quiet, one could hear a pin drop.
Fay couldn't believe what she just heard. How could anyone ever say something so terrible about another person? Her eyes went to Ace's, and his, held a darkness like she had never seen before.
She shuddered, and wrapped her hands around herself.
"Take that back now, Celine," grandma warned.
"I don't want to," she shrugged, as she played with her glass of wine. "See the problem of this family is that we love to bury truth, beneath the fake smiles, and laughter. If it wasn't so, this bastard who I'm still not certain my brother fathered, wouldn't have easily deceived you, just to claim an inheritance that is not his to take." She blurted, unrepentantly.
Fay's eyes went round the table. Ace's mother looked too shocked to defend herself. His sisters had tears in their eyes. His grandmother was spotting a clenched fist, as she shook her head over and over again.
Finally, her eyes arrived at Ace, and to her surprise, the darkness had lifted. He looked calmer than the sea on a windless night.
"What proof do you have to back up these bitter claims of yours?" He quietly asked.
"You don't have any right to dictate to me what to share, and when to share it. But since you're desperate to be disgraced, I'll indulge you," she paused to down her wine, then dropped the glass with a bang on the table. "Ace Atticus, you're a liar who found a girl you could easily manipulate into marrying you, so you could get the Atticus fortune!" She screamed.
"Where is your proof?" He asked, his tone, the complete opposite of hers.
"Right here," she rose to her feet. "Zoya, bring the lady in," she ordered.
Everyone's eyes turned towards the door, to see the proof Celine spoke so confidently of. As the door opened, a woman in all black stepped in.
Fay's eyes quickly widened, as her hand grappled the edge of the table, while the other, grabbed Ace's, beneath the covers of the table.
Her reaction brought his attention to her, and as he looked at her, he saw the recognition in her eyes, and knew instantly; the woman was her aunt.