Chapter Five.

One week later...

Esme Violentiné, Narrating:

I was chatty and insanely out of control today. With slack laughter and high self-esteem, you know when joy catches you, radiates all over your body and moves you in some way. You know when it surrounds you in such a way that you can no longer command your own knees?

I used to feel that way whenever I put on a new outfit, an outfit that I knew everyone would compliment me on and ask who designed it, and this time I would smile wide and say, "Myself!

— An, an! You're not wearing this one. — Audrey snapped me out of my thoughts by taking the dress from my hand, and I cupped my hands together, blinking hard as I felt my eyelashes glue to each other.

— What do you mean, why not? — I pursed my lips in disapproval, and she gave me her usual sweet smile, tucking her hair back.

— You are so young and so forgetful! You forget that my maid of honor won't be able to make it, so you will take her place, and you will have to wear the dress I chose. You are about the same size, it won't be difficult.

Of course, how to forget that I am a stepparent. I closed my eyes, trying to search my mind for the memory of what the dress looked like, and my heart almost leapt in terror, I let out a breath of air trying not to spurt the words out angrily, after all, today was her day, I could make an exception and not talk about how terrible Audrey's taste was.

— There, but I don't look good in yellow. I'll look like a potato, can't you make an exception for me?

— Wear the dress, what's the big deal? It's just for today, after all, today is her day.

I tried to ignore Penelope's insufferable voice, who was sitting on the white couch in Audrey's closet, flipping through the magazine, and rolled my eyes.

They were very good friends, and I hated the fact that deep down I knew that my sister would always choose Penelope's opinion, someone who isn't even family.

— You look great in yellow, Esme, and with it you'll look just like all my ladies in the pictures. — Audrey ran her hand through her jewelry area of her closet, looking for something.

— I bet you'd love to pair them with some of those shoes of yours from the shoot. — Penelope teased me, looking over the magazine and crossing her legs.

I almost threw up when I imagined matching any of my shoes to that piece of sack my sister insisted on calling a dress, especially with that black bow around the waist.

I smiled, raising my cheeks a lot. — So, I guess you don't understand, either you let me wear what I want or you don't have me at your wedding.

Audrey looked at me wide-eyed, lowering her shoulders. — Okay, Esme, do what you want, wear what you want.

I smiled, turning to pick up my dress lying on the other couch. At that moment Marilyn's cell phone vibrated and began to play the song "I see the light shining at last.

My sister is a Disney fan, when I saw her name I rolled my eyes, the call was soon ended and a message appeared "I'm home, little bonbon".

— It's mommy, saying that you're home already. -— I tucked my hair back behind my ear, unzipping my dress. — I bet her dress will be the most low-cut of all. I still don't know why you invited her!

— Because she's my mother, don't be too hard on her. After all, she's still our mother, and she's trying. — She pouted and finished closing an emerald necklace around her neck. — Today is a party day, now help me get into this dress.

— I guess you're right, family is important.

Penelope asked, still reading the magazine, and I rolled my eyes.

— You only say that because your family supports you, it's funny, and even with everything you've been through they've never left you.

Penelope pretended not to hear, I hated this cynicism, she knew I was right, the tension increased, I'm sure my sister noticed, she snorted.

— You will be surprised, she has changed! Both her looks and her will to improve. — She put the ring on her finger and turned it in her hand. — And she doesn't travel anymore, Dad cut off all her credit.

— Really? Finally, but it's odd, since his strategy since the divorce was to give her every possible resource so that she could stay well away from him," I said laughing, and Audrey closed her face and left the closet for a moment.

— Well, I don't know, but he must have his reasons, just please be nice to her?

I didn't know what to think when it came to Kendra. She was very young when she fell in love with my father, she was from the suburbs of Queens and my father was born in a cradle of gold.

As a little girl I thought they were living a fairy tale, mom was Cinderella and dad was the prince, but it took a little bit of growing up to realize that nothing was like in fairy tales.

My mother got pregnant very young and extremely vain, she was the craziest and impulsive person I ever knew. Her dream was for me or my sister to be famous, I well, let's just say I made it and Audrey not so much.

That's why she named us after her favorite divas, Audrey the eldest was inspired by '' Audrey Hepburn'' Mine was Esme because of the actress Esme Bianco like.

My mother doesn't live in their time, but she admired them and defined herself as "Free spirit like Marilyn and loved all the Audrey movies".

But, me today with my independence about to premiere my third movie as the lead, I was overjoyed, I was old enough to know who my mother was, and not care or beg for her presence. I took a deep breath and turned to Marilyn who was getting into her dress, she slipped her arms into her sleeve and the other one.

— Are you sure you want to put the dress on already? The make-up artist isn't even here yet! And we still have an hour. — Penelope said as I stood next to her in the big mirror, trying to put on my dress without looking at Audrey's clothes.

— Oh, I want to get off early, there's no need to delay, I'm getting married right in the garden. — Marilyn exclaimed, shrugging her shoulders.

I stopped to watch her, with her hands on her huge white ice dress, her face radiated happiness, looking like me after a day at the spar, getting my grades, buying shoes, visiting a new country, or when Dad brought me Swiss chocolate by surprise.

— I don't want to stay long, after all I want to finally meet Victor's parents.

— I can't believe they've only been together for a year and they're already getting married! — Penelope closed her zipper, and smoothed her hair over her shoulders, with a strained smile.

— Are you really going to start the lecture again that I should wait longer? — Audrey bit her lips, climbing into the white scarpin heels I had chosen for her, simple, elegant, classic! — Why if it didn't work two months ago it won't work now at the altar door, I'm happy not to see?

— It's not that I just...

— Well, you should listen to Penelope's advice! After all, she's twenty-five but experienced, she knows what to do to make a marriage work...

— Okay, what do you have today? — Penelope said, coming towards me, annoyed.

I huffed. — I don't know, maybe the fact that you're the maid of honor and I'm just a stepparent? — You know, I don't even know why I'm still here.

I stopped focusing on the two of them, and walked in hurried steps down that corridor, remembering how cheap Penelope was, stupid, among the clothes in her closet was a mix of colors, buttons ... I loved buttons and all kinds of skirts.

Penelope was a collector of dresses that appeared in movies, few people knew this, but I knew how corny she could be.

She had the green dress from "Suddenly Thirty" and the replica of the red dress from "A Beautiful Woman". The classic black dress that Rose wears in "Titanic".

The type of clothes we wear is a way to externalize our personality. With that in mind, I never look at clothes, accessories in a superficial way. Not that every piece of clothing in your closet will tell you who you are, but rather focus on the commonalities in those clothes.

For example, in Penelope's clothes there are a lot of jeans, she customizes her clothes. In fact, she doesn't care what she wears, maybe that's why Sebastian broke up with her.

Audrey was always very closed, about everything, her opinion ruled over her and nothing would change that, always closed in her little world of ideas. But, she had good taste, not that I would admit that out loud, ever!

The same pride that coursed through her veins coursed through mine.

I was in my room getting dressed, furious, I spun around trying to grab the zipper, twisting my arms back so that my hand would find the zipper, the flash made a thin buzzing noise, and I tried to pull it up more to the middle of my back, I felt other hands helping me by closing the zipper.

— You're welcome. — Penelope said behind me, with a wide smile.

— I was just about to zip it up.

— You're too self sufficient to just thank me, aren't you?

— Why did you come here?

— I want to..." She took a deep breath. She drew her hands together around her thin belly. — I want peace with you, at least today! It's no secret that you hate me, well, we're not really fans of each other. But, we can't fight about Marilyn today.

— I don't hate you! — I crossed my arms. - And okay, I'll be quiet.

She stood there, I think waiting for an apology for my comment, a few seconds and her mind was made up that she wouldn't have one. She turned and walked out of the room.

Who does she think she is? I always locked it by myself, and it was true I was enough for myself. I didn't need anyone, well, at least not for most things, I drove and dressed myself.

I turned my eyes to my dress, a violet strapless dress with shimmering fabric but nothing too shiny, tight at the waist all the fabric fell velvety on my skin, my mouth blossomed into a smile, I looked beautiful.

The maids came in with my mail, and boxes of groceries, along with a table, I felt my stomach rumbling I needed some snacks first.

I felt myself on the bed, and opened some Gucci bags, a huge box caught my attention, it had no sender, only sender, when I opened it was full of pink Styrofoam apparently empty, I searched with my hands had only a paper with a short sentence, formed by clippings from a magazine.

''For siding with the infidels, you are next.''

I swallowed dryly, looking to the sides, I stooped down putting on my white Anabela heels. The feeling of being powerful was gone, as was the color of my eyes. I ran to the door and opened it, breathless, my white diamond earrings wobbled a little. I walked to the door of the room, walking to the area of the hotel where the wedding was to take place.

The back of my neck tingled as I bid farewell to the air-conditioning of the room, when my whole body was faced with the humid climate of the corridors of any hotel in Hawaii, our employees pacing back and forth in the hallways.

I walked among the guests on the second floor, not many. My sister was very reluctant for my father to invite some of his friends.

This was because Audrey's friends were mostly Hispes, most of them lived in a trailer park, and I observed one of them who was wearing dark jeans, and when he turned around to face me I could see that the jeans had torn knees and a hole in the pocket. Who comes to a wedding like this?

Anyway, focus. I need to talk to one of the hotel maids, where did that box come from? No, it couldn't be, I thought stunned. Sebastian! I need to talk to him too, but did he come?

I turned around, seeing Mom in a red dress so tight that I could never explain such a lack of sense, her blue fingernails waving as I expected she would give an order or lecture to one of the waiters about not leaving her glass empty.

I couldn't tell if her facial expression was always the same for everything because of the Botox, so I walked away from her still trying to keep the mood I was in in the morning.

She was the last person I needed to meet right now. She moved quickly down the stairs and I hurried up the stairs hearing my name called by some people however I was busy, so I bumped into someone.

I felt an icy liquid falling down my neckline and my whole lap had been hit with white wine, I looked at the person who hit me feeling my blood boil when he smiled in surprise.

— Of course it's you, I knew you were around, because there was a smell of futility and childishness in the air. -— He retorted.

And there he was, Ian Fontana, just another pretty face, one of those with good Asian genetics, in controversy with not so good attitudes. Of those little guys who trivialize everything and yet charm people with the little bit of intelligence they possess, again none of that would be admitted out loud.

But I knew how to admit the qualities of my opponents, no matter how annoying they were. I hated that way of looking in the corner, like someone looking for something unreachable, although I knew well this kind of cheap irritant he tried.

I hated the fact that he knew my weaknesses, that he knew my worst secret, and that our families were so close.

These reasons made it so that he was always at our parties even at our most intimate family reunions, and it was distressing to have him on those occasions without being able to offend him or put ice in his pants, slap him. Not that I haven't done those things before, but it would be fun to do it again.

— You know, if it was someone else's I would believe I didn't mean it. — he told me, smiling.

I imagined myself throwing him down the stairs after strangling him, but I kept it classy. He outlined his eyebrows with his thumb, and closed his face.

— I didn't say it wasn't on purpose. Well, but if you're here, who's guarding Hades' gate? — he exclaimed with a smile on his face, fixing his blue tie.

I swallowed hard, closing my hands. — Don't tease me, today could be the day I use my primary defendant.

—Actually it's defendant one.

His dark brown eyes receded from mine, he placed the empty glass cup he was holding on the waiter's tray, and walked away with backward steps.

There he was correcting me, we always did that as kids, correcting each other whenever we could, and somehow it didn't tire me, it irritated me so much that it made my throat burn.

However, we weren't always like this, we used to be friends, it was the two of us against the unbeatable trio, in fact, we were inseparable, until well, he went over to their side, although as I said I was always better alone... But, unfortunately, he knows what I did.

I smiled falsely, looking around at the people staring at us from the great hall, raised my hands to his neck and tightened his tie, and looked around.

Ian slipped on the wet wooden floor, I tightened his tie some more.

— Leave me alone, will you, and after this is over go back to hell!

He put his hand on my waist, and I shivered, feeling his watery scent intoxicate me.

But, I decided to resist the approach, I took steps backwards until my back met the warm wall, I sighed, our eyes met, his stepping finger on my cheek leaned forward so that his mouth reached my ear. I stood there without taking a step, closing my eyes.

— You know you can't resist! Deep down, deep down you like it, I'm yours if you stop playing games and lying.

I squeezed my eyes shut, still closed. — I thought you hated me? Isn't that what you said the last time we spoke? — I opened my eyes, dizzy.— I said I won't tell her anything, why don't you go and tell her, because some people will love to know your dirt too!

I felt like throwing my heels up at him and shouting at him how stupid he was for throwing the only woman who thinks he is handsome into that ridiculous grey suit, and putting up with his slangy manner and excessive perfume.

Ian ran his fingers over the cup he was holding, getting out of my way, I ran my hands down my dress trying to clean myself up by walking, my mother was well out of my field of vision but,

— Esme, you don't have to run away from me! Just tell me, what suite is your sister in? She must be magnificent.

— Hi mommy! — Smiling sarcastically, she hated to be called "Mom," she closed her smile. - And yes, she looks amazing, she's in her thirtieth second.

— Yes, I'm going there right now. After all, this might be the only wedding in the family. — She tapped her fingernails on the glass.

— Do you really think your hints are getting to me, Kendra?

— No, Darling! They're not hints, they're facts, who would be crazy enough to marry someone with no personality like you? — She smiled, taking two steps to the elevator near the yellow flowers, standing in front of me, close to us. — But, that's good dear, use it for the one thing you do reasonably well!

As soon as she finished her sentence, my mother dropped the cup on the floor, the glass shattered in a clatter, everyone in the lobby looked on, her hands were bleeding as she put her hand on her hip, my heart suddenly racing.

My mother had been shot, one of the nearby gangs shouted, people started to run, Ian put his hand on my back, my mother was screaming in pain on the floor, I bent down close to her.

I heard another shot, I ducked, realizing that if I hadn't ducked it would have been at me, Oh my God, were those shots at me? I didn't have to reason.

I opened my mouth in an ''o'' shape Adrenaline rushed through my blood, as I knelt down the shards of glass, went into my knee. Ian picked her up in his arms, I walked towards them in hurried steps, tripping over my own feet, no one cared but Ian the people were so focused on running that they didn't even pay attention.

It was the first time and hopefully the last that I was running from death, my heart felt like it was going to stop, the urge to vomit the shrimp I had eaten in the morning was there, it stuck in my throat, I felt the rush of blood in my veins, his mouth dry and his legs trembling, his hand sounded.

When we got near the lobby of the first floor of the hotel it seemed to escape from my lungs, my mother had collapsed in Ian's lap who I knew felt bewildered by the screams and all the commotion.

I remembered that envelope, and felt dizzy, with the sound of the ambulance. Victor, Audrey's fiancé, came over to us, he was a doctor, but everything was spinning around me, someone had tried to kill me, I held Ian's arms.

— They were for me! They were for me.

He frowned, putting both hands over my trembling shoulders, he blinked a lot, and I just hugged him.

In shock I thought, who was behind this?