A young lady wore a bright dress with red lipstick; she looked in the mirror, but she couldn't help feeling worse than ugly.
Everyone tell her she's beautiful but sometimes her beauty brought pain.
Today was her birthday and she's planning to to a birthday dinner that was set up by her family. She would've been happy but since her fiancé is going, she can't help feeling dread.
She forced a smile on her face. "I got this."
She patted her face gently and took a deep breath as if gathering courage from within.
She put the last blue eyeshadow on her eyelids, put her purse on her shoulder, and stepped out of her room and saw her little sister waiting for her outside the door.
Her sister, Isobella, asked with a hint of concern in her eyes. "Sister, why do you look unhappy?"
She stepped forward, grabbing her hands. "Do you feel that you're not pretty in that dress? Surely you're not thinking that!"
Her eyes turned fierce. "You are the most beautiful; don't listen to anyone who tells you otherwise. They're just being jealous."
Aria smiled, her eyes filled with a hint of joy. "Thank you, sister. You always know what to say to make me feel better."
They walked down the stairs, their parents waiting, sitting on the couches. Their father wore a black suit with a thick fur coat across his shoulder.
His wife stood up upon seeing her youngest daughter and stretched out her arms.
Isobella smiled and stepped into her mother's arms. "Mama, you look beautiful!"
Her mother smiled, and her eyes became gentle. "My daughter, you do look beautiful as well."
She turned to her adopted daughter, and her eyes couldn't hide the disdain. "You look beautiful too."
Then she turned away and started speaking to her daughter. "Come, let's not be late."
Aria watched their interaction with hidden sadness in her eyes. She always wanted the same love her little sister has. She couldn't help feeling envious, but she knew it was useless. This woman who raised her looked at her with nothing but disdain and coldness.
She smiled. "Thank you, ma'am."
She turned to her father. The man stood up and looked at his watch and replied. "Let's go; otherwise we'll be late."
They walked out of the door, and the father and the adopted daughter walked behind the mother and youngest daughter.
Before they reached the car, Aria felt her wrist being grabbed and heard her father say, "You look amazing tonight. Happy birthday."
His stern voice made her smile, the kind that couldn't hide the light in her eyes. "Thank you, Papa."
She went to kiss his rough stubble on his chin and saw him smiling toward her and gently patted her back.
They stepped into the sleek black car that looks more expensive than two houses. Its sleek, dark windows where you couldn't see through them.
She stepped into the car, sitting next to her father, and could feel the stare of her adopted mother, who watched her sharply.
Her heart pounded with a nauseous feeling building in her stomach, but it helped when her father sat next to her. It made her feel safe.
She smiled, but her mother narrowed her eyes as if she were being a troublemaker. Then she turned her head away and smiled at her daughter while she patted her head.
When they arrived at the location, she turned to the restaurant. It wasn't for people who are poor, but for people who have power and money. The restaurant was large and expensive. Its shiny window reveals people inside.
Aria took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. She looked through the window and noticed a familiar figure.
Her fiancé.
The man she had loved for three years.
The man noticed her, then revealed a calm smile and tilted his head. He wasn't extremely handsome, but his aura filled with authority and money naturally caught people's attention.
She stepped inside the restaurant with her family. She noticed the waitress smiling nervously at them. It was a normal sight to see.
People feared her family because of the influence they carried. They walked to her and told them they were already registered.
The woman revealed a nervous smile trying to appear calm and respectful. "Yes, please follow me."
Aria and her family follow her where she leads them to the table where her fiancé and his family sit.
Her fiancé smiled, walked to her side, and gave her a brief hug. The hug was controlled, and his deep voice echoed in her ears. "Hello, darling. It's good to see you."
Aria smiled, her eyes flickering with unease, but she couldn't hide the love in her eyes. "Hey."
She said shyly; she waited for him to tell her happy birthday. But he was silent and turned around and sat down at the table with his parents. He wore a nonchalant expression.
His controlled expression and his manners were what attracted her in the beginning. He was the perfect man for her.
She watched her mother and sister sit down at the table, and she started feeling awkward when she froze in her spot, and she also sat down as well.
She saw the waitress coming to the table and smiled nervously, and her hands trembled on the notebook, her head bowed down. "Hi, my n-name is Cassy. What would you like to order?"
Everyone ordered what they wanted, and the table turned silent when the waitress left. She felt a little nervous. She turned to her fiancé, Jake, who was on his phone.
Jake's mother narrowed her eyes at him and noticed her hands slapping his shoulder gently. "Put your phone away."
Jake looked at her and nodded, "Yes, ma'am."
He was polite and respectful to his mother, put away his phone, turned to Aria, and said with a calm smile, "Happy birthday."
Aria felt happy, but she couldn't help feeling disappointed. Regardless, she smiled. "Thank you."
Aria waited for the food to arrive and heard her father start talking, "Mr. Luciano, I hope you are doing well."
Jake's father replied calmly with a bored expression, "Yes, thank you for asking."
He turned to Aria. "Happy birthday."
Aria smiled. "Thank you."
The man looked like a carbon copy of his son. The same eyes, the same nose, and the same smile.
Aria noticed something from the corner of her eye. She turned around and saw a man heading into the restaurant. He wore a simple black t-shirt and black pants, and a woman stood by his side, but she wore an expensive red dress that showed her cleavage.
Her eyes held arrogance and haughtiness, but the man was walking behind her, and he was on his phone, with a bored expression.
But his appearance grabbed her attention. The man was handsome but not exactly handsome. He looked more rugged, more dangerous, and more like a commoner, but something about his aura was attractive. She noticed that she wasn't the only one watching him, and she saw the man look up and turn to her.
He didn't smile at her; his gaze was cold and blank. Aria felt a tug in her chest. She felt her hands becoming clammy underneath the table.
She couldn't hold the stare anymore and turned away, her heart pounding like a drum. She shook her head and lifted her up and saw Jake's gaze upon her.
For some reason, she felt guilty and tried to hide it with a nervous smile.
But Jake didn't smile and turned away from her.
She felt disappointed but it faded when the waitress came back with the food, and she carried two plates with food on it, and she set it down.
The food was placed before her, and everyone waited till she was gone. She couldn't eat until her father and the man who would be her father-in-law started eating.
When she saw them eating, she also started eating, and the food was delicious, and she ate quietly for a half-hour.
Slap!
She was startled at the sounds and turned around to see the woman with the red dress slap the man across the table. The man had a red handprint, but he didn't show anger. He still carried that nonchalant gaze, but his gaze turned dark and cold.
She heard the woman say angrily, "You dirty bastard!"
She got up and took her purse and left the table. She followed her with her gaze and saw the woman leaving the restaurant.
She turned back to the man and saw him putting his jacket on and also leaving the restaurant, but her heart shuddered when she noticed his gaze turning to hers. His eyes were empty and blank, like an icy wall between them.
Then from the corner of her eyes, she noticed a half-smirk on the corner of his lips.
Then he left.
His back is calm and unbreakable.
Then she felt a grip on her wrist, her chest tightened, and she turned around to see Jake smiling at her. "Hey, I'm going to take her to somewhere for her birthday."