“Yes,” my mom says again, her smile staying intact but her posture stiffening.
I clench my hands at my sides to prevent myself from yanking Gus away from my mom.
The front door slams. Elliot bounces down the steps and makes his way with long strides to his BMW. If they didn’t park their cars in the garage last night, they must’ve returned really late. They don’t like to leave the Maserati and BMW outside.
Elliot grins as he passes me. “Did you have fun?”
I don’t bother to reply.
“Wait,” Gus says. “You can grab a ride with me.”
Elliot stops in his tracks. “Why not?”
“Later,” Gus says, kissing my mom.
His car beeps as he unlocks the doors. Elliot winks at me before he gets into the passenger side.
Gus opens his door and turns to me. “Wear a dress tonight, Violet, and make sure it’s a decent one for a change.”
Like Elliot, he winks before getting inside. The engine starts up with a powerful roar. The tires kick up gravel as he pulls off too fast, showing off as usual.
My mom’s stance only relaxes when he clears the gates.
“What was that about?” I ask. “What does Gus have to make up to you?”
Waving a hand, she turns toward the house. “He got home late.”
I limp two steps to catch up with her. “He cheated on you again.”
She purses her lips. “They went out for drinks. You know how it goes.”
Grabbing her arm, I stop her. “Gus and Elliot.”
“How did you know?”
“I saw them leaving the office together.”
She pulls free and continues walking. “Yes, well. They’re finally bonding.”
“Mom,” I say, stepping in front of her and cutting her off. “This is not how it’s supposed to go. It’s not okay.”
“Violet, honey.” She cups my cheek. “In our world, this is exactly how it goes. The men get to do it openly. As for us…” Her smile turns sad. “We must make sure we never get caught.”
“He can’t fuck around and expect you not to do the same.”
“Shh.” She drops her hand and casts a worried glance in the direction of the house. “Keep your voice down.” Her expression softens as she continues, “Before you marry Leon, make sure the one rule you lay down is that he won’t sleep with other women in the house. It’ll cost you your self-respect if he does. Let him get an apartment for his affairs if he must.”
“Mom!” I whisper-cry. “The mere fact that this is your premarital advice says how fucked-up the whole thing is.”
“We have to accept what we can’t change. Fighting it only makes us unhappy.” Patting my cheek, she continues on her way. “Come on. Let’s go find you a dress for the party. I have just the right one.”
I follow her blindly, the invisible noose tightening around my neck. Is this what Leon expects from me? To turn a blind eye? Will he lock me up in his house, making sure I’m unobtainable for other men for the rest of my life while he carries on fucking his whores? The fact that he’s never slept with a woman in the context of a relationship tells me a lot about him. He likes his sex uncomplicated. It’s a lot more convenient to pay for it than taking responsibility for someone else’s feelings. He was kind to me last night, our dinner almost like a normal date, but so was Gus in the beginning. I have early memories of him bringing my mom flowers for no other reason than pleasing her. Nowadays, she only gets flowers when he’s cheated. When my mom has cheated, Gus gets false smiles and lies. I don’t want their life. It’s not the future I dreamed about, but it’s hard to escape this world. Once you’re in it, the only sure way out is being dead.
My mom is already in my room when I finally catch up. She’s holding a purple dress up in front of the mirror.
“Look,” she says, turning from side to side. “It will fit you perfectly.”
I smile without really seeing the dress. I don’t care what I wear.
“Come on.” Her tone is upbeat as she dashes over and takes my hand, drawing me closer. “Let’s see how this looks on you.” She shakes the hanger, dangling the dress like bait in front of my face. “Try it on.”
I take in the low neckline and the long slit on the side. “Don’t worry about it, Mom. I’ll wear my black dress.”
“The black dress?” she asks, making big eyes. “Which one? The one you wore when Leon invited you to the restaurant or the one when he came over for dinner?”
“I doubt he’ll notice if I wear the same dress.”
Her smile is wistful. “You’re not giving him enough credit. From the way he was looking at you, I can guarantee you he’ll notice.”