Chapter 11
Like Cinderella
Hillary Beck
Istood in the center of the hallway, looking around me, feeling uncomfortable. I was dressed in an elegant red dress with a slit showing off a lot more leg than I was comfortable with. My hair was done up in loose curls, and I sported a matching red lipstick. I wasn’t here by choice. The dress had been forced on me by Erica, and I had been forced to the event by Gale. Otherwise, there’s no way I be at this exuberant gala arranged by the company. I was surrounded by snobby people, who barely looked at me twice. The women, in their expensive gowns, looked down on me. The men on the other hand… all I will say is that I wished I hadn’t listened to Erica, and just worn something reasonable.
“And this is my secretary, Miss Beck.” I heard Gale’s voice behind me. I turned around and saw him standing with a group of old men. “I have to say she is a fine secretary, who has been a huge help in my cases.”
“Pleasure,” one of the old men mumbled, while the rest continued to look at me judgmentally. They were probably well aware of the rumors going on about us.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, politely.
“I was introducing them to members of my legal team,” Gale said. He looked absolutely charming in his well-tailored suit that showed his muscular body. His hair was set back, making his jawline seem even more prominent. I swallowed as I took in the sight of him, my body instantly filling with a strange tingling and pride to be with him. My dream came back to me with a force, and I remembered how it felt to have his body intertwined with mine, but I suppressed a shiver.
“That’s her, isn’t it?” I heard a voice say behind me as Gale walked away. “It’s girls like her who seduce rich men just to get their money.”
“She is just a pathetic gold digger,” another voice whispered. “Poor Gale. I have known him since he was a baby. He has such a good heart. She must have manipulated him. This is what women like her do.”
“Tch, such a whore.” Another voice rang in my ears.
I swallowed my tears hard and walked towards the table laden with food, picking up a small pastry. I should never have come to this gala. I knew what was going to happen. I knew the judgment and hatred that awaited me. But I hadn’t been able to resist Gale’s, albeit forceful, invitation.
“I can’t believe you had the audacity to come tonight.” I looked up and saw a middle-aged, expensively dressed woman frowning at me. “You really are shameless, aren’t you? If I were you, I would hide myself.”
I felt my eyes welling up with tears, and I knew I couldn’t stay here any longer. I looked around, well-aware that everyone was looking at me and whispering to their partners. My heart began to race, and I felt suffocated under all the judgmental eyes. As I struggled to breathe, I turned around and made my way towards the door. All I could think about was getting out of here.
My mind was completely overwhelmed; I didn’t hear it when he called me. But when he reached out and grabbed my wrist, I froze. There was something enticing and yet comforting about his touch that calmed me down. I turned around and found his eyes boring at me, burning with an emotion I didn’t understand.
“Want to dance?” he asked, giving me a small smile.
“I… don’t know how to dance,” I whispered.Stay away from him!my head screamed, but my body said otherwise.
“I will teach you,” he said softly.
“But they are all looking,” I said. “What will they all think? They will believe it’s all true.”
“Let them, Hillary,” he said, giving me a warm smile. “Let them think whatever they want. It doesn’t matter. I know you aren’t like that. What they think doesn’t change who you are.”
I looked down at the hand he offered me, and I placed mine in his. He smiled widely, and then before I knew it I was in his arms. Slow music was playing in the background, and as we took the dance floor the lights dimmed. At that moment, I saw only him. His sharp eyes, and the soul behind them. I saw the purity of his heart and the kindness of his being. I saw a light radiating from him, and for the first time, I saw him for who he was.
He pulled me close, and I felt his body pressing against mine. My body was overcome with the urge to just kiss him. To feel those muscles under my hands, to feel the softness of his lips. His arm tightened around my waist and my breathing hitched. I could hear the music resonating in the air as I looked into his eyes. I felt as if I was soaring, high above the hateful stares and nasty comments. As he expertly twirled me around the dance floor, I could only think of the way he smelled. His smile, his body, the feel of his arm around me. I was tingling with excitement, but this time it was different. It was all different. Now, I felt something else. I felt it in my heart, which was racing in my chest. I was so overcome with all the sensations that I wasn't even sure I was on Earth anymore. And then, as the music came to an end, he leaned down and whispered, “Do you want to get out of here?”
I stared at him intensely.I am falling in love with this man, and I don’t know how to stop myself.
“Yes, please,” I answered.
And with that, he grabbed my hand and took me away. Far away from it all.
