~ATHENA
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, the girl in the mirror staring back at me with an empty gaze. The makeup artist's chatter sounded like a distant hum as my mind had already wandered far off. My skin crawled in an uncomfortable way as I thought about Reid, and the promise he had made to me the night his mum visited.
He had promised me he wouldn't ignore my presence whenever I wanted to have a chat with him, but here we were, back to zone one. He only replies to my greetings and his responses were always a word or two, or most times, just a hum. No acknowledgement, no conversation, nothing at all.
My eyes narrowed as the thought of him consumed my mind, and for a moment, I hated him. I hated the way he'd made me feel, he made me feel like I was nothing more than a nuisance and at this point, it hurts so much because I knew he hated my presence but what I didn't know was that his hatred for me was this much.
The stylist spun me around which made me break out of the thoughts I had found myself. A bright smile settled on her face as she stared at me with amazement. "All done, Miss Athena." She started with a cheerful voice. "You look so beautiful!"
'Lies' I thought to myself as I continued to stare at her because I didn't want to see my reflection. I watched as she reached for her phone which was in her back pocket, my hands fidgeting on my thighs because I wanted this night to be over.
"Can you give me one of your best smiles."she requested with a smile of her own.
I forced a smile which felt like a grimace as the thought of Reid already ruined my mood. The turmoil inside me was a living thing which was beginning to claw hard at my chest.
After she was satisfied with the pictures, she showed them to me and my eyes widened in surprise because I had looked really good. I summoned the courage to take a look at my reflection, my eyes staring at the girl before me as I could no longer recognize myself. The makeup artist had worked wonders on my face which made it looked flawless, my features looked more defined and my lips were painted in a vibrant red color. My deep brown hair was sleeked into a neat bun with little edges framing my face making the style of the makeup more prominent
"I look... beautiful." I whispered underneath my breath in disbelief. A flutter made it's way into my chest as I gazed at the stranger who was staring back at me.
My fingers trembled as I reached out to touch the mirror so as to confirm if it was really me. The stylist beamed, mistaking my awe for appreciation. "I told you, Miss Athena, you were a canvas waiting to be worked on."
But as I gazed deeper into my own eyes, my smile began to falter as my mismatched eyes stared back at me. The contrast between them would always be a constant reminder of the thing I had always wished I could change but couldn't.
Why did I have to be different? Why couldn't I just have one eye color like everyone else? The thought of it made tears well up my eyes because the more I think about it, the more I couldn't help but to wonder how life would've been if I was born normal.
My eyes drifted to the stylist who was busy packing up her things into her box-like bag. I forced a smile, trying to hide the agitation brewing inside me. "Thank you, it's... lovely." I appreciated because she actually did a nice work, but my face only ruined what she had worked hours on.
The stylist patted my hand, oblivious to my inner thoughts. "You'll knock Mr Gambino's socks off, I promise you." She confidently spoke as she cleared up her makeup tools on the vanity table.
I laughed in response, my voice coming out hollow and empty as I tried to play along with whatever she had just said.
What if I didn't knock his socks off? What if I failed? What if he just kept ignoring me, pretending like I didn't exist? The thought of it sent a chill of sadness down my spine and I couldn't help but to frown at the thought.
The stylist's smile faltered for a moment, as if she sensed the tension radiating from me like a palpable force. "Miss Athena, are you okay?"
I waved my hand, forcing a laugh that sounded distant even to my own ears. "I'm fine, just a bit...nervous, I guess." My voice trembled slightly, betraying the calm facade I was trying to project.
The stylist nodded sympatically, her eyes filled with understanding. "It's normal to be nervous but trust me, you look amazing. Mr Gambino won't know what hit him." She beamed at me thinking her words would reassure me, but they only made my anxiety spike. What if Reid didn't care? What if he just saw me as a tool, a means to an end? A pawn in his game of deceit towards his parents?
The door opened, and one of Reid's men who I recognized as Marco, poked his head in, his eyes widened immediately he saw me, and for a moment he only stared without saying anything. "Athena." He started as he cleared his throat. "Mr Gambino is ready for you." His voice was barely above a whisper but it was loud enough for me to hear.
My heart skipped a beat as the stylist helped in putting me into a black strapless maxi gown that came with a matching neck scarf. She gave me a final once-over and nodded in approval before she led me to the door. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts but it was no use because I was a mess, and I knew it.
As I followed Marco down the hallway, my heels clicked on the marble floor which echoed the pounding and frantic beating of my heart.
We reached the top of the stairs and I saw Reid standing at the bottom in his black signature suit which never fails to look amazing on him. His back was faced to me as he spoke to someone on the phone, his voice was low and calm which surprised me because he was always barking orders at people, including me.
I felt a twinge of disappointment mixed with anger because he couldn't even be bothered to look up, to acknowledge my presence. At the end of the day, I was doing all of this for him.
Marco cleared his throat lowly as if he was scared Reid would kill him if his voice was above the sound level he had made it.
Reid might.
Reid turned, his eyes scanning the stairs until they landed on me and for a moment, his gaze lingered and I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes. A glimmer of surprise, or a spark of acknowledgement, which was quickly replaced by his daily mask of indifference as he turned back to the phone, ignoring my whole existence like a plague.
"Let's go." He said in a flat tone which showed nothing but disinterest. He had no right to feel this way because I was the one being forced into this, I was the one helping him in whatever plan he is brewing up for his parents, and he wasn't even appreciative of my efforts.
Sure, I owed him a huge sum of money, an amount I wasn't sure if I'd be able to repay back. But I still deserve a chance to try, if only he'd let me leave the house, I would have a job and eventually pay off the money. I won't have anything to do with him anymore so he wouldn't have to control my life the way he is right now.
I already didn't feel seen, but Reid just makes me feel worse than I already did. The cheerful and positive facade I had built up over the years, hoping if I had an happy personality all the time, people would love me for me and look beyond the differences in my eye, but that doesn't work on Reid. He always seemed to make me feel like the worse version of myself and I caught myself trying to slip up, regressing to my normal way of thinking and talking but I couldn't let that happen.
Even though this personality I had crafted over the years wasn't real, I couldn't help but to feel an invisible connection with the man-made front I had built for myself.
His words were always like a slap in the face, a harsh reminder of my place in his life. I felt a sting but I pushed it down, my anger and hurt simmering just below the surface. I was ready for this, ready to play the part he wanted me to.
I'd do anything to get out of his life.