Chapter 4

The Vance family arrived earlier than expected.

Eleanor spent three days preping me—fittings, posture checks, and memorizing the Vance family's profile.

Ethan's father loved rare Earl Grey tea. His mother was severely allergic to shellfish. Ethan himself was an LSE graduate who hated when people brought up his academic pedigree.

I memorized every detail like I was preparing for a corporate interview.

During my final fitting, Eleanor took me to the most expensive boutique in Manhattan.

While the tailor adjusted my dress, Eleanor stood by the mirror, giving orders.

"Take the waist in another half-inch. She's lost weight."

"Keep the neckline conservative. Ethan's grandmother is old school."

"Use the champagne-gold silk. It looks expensive, but it won't upstage the bride—even though she's not the bride yet."

The designer nodded, smiling.

I stood in the center of the triple-angle mirror, looking at myself.

For seventeen years, they had sculpted me into a perfect outline.

Flawless posture, pristine skin, measured steps, and a smile that never showed more than four teeth.

Turns out, none of this was for the CEO seat.

It was just to make sure I fetched a high price on the marriage market.

"Mom, I don't like this color."

Eleanor didn't even look back.

"Your preferences don't matter, Maya. What the Vances like matters."

As we left the boutique, my phone buzzed. It was Chloe.

"Maya, come home for dinner tonight. I made that black truffle and prosciutto flatbread you loved when we were kids."

"Since when did I like black truffle and prosciutto flatbread?"

There was a second of awkward silence on the line.

"Oh? Was that not you? I must have mixed you up with someone else."

She didn't even know what I liked to eat, yet she used this overly sweet tone to pretend she did.

I loved spicy food.

And my entire life, not a single person in this family remembered.

When we got home, the flatbread was indeed on the table.

Eleanor pointed at it, looking proud.

"Chloe made this specifically for you. Taste it."

I took a bite.

It was sweet.

I put it down.

"I want something spicy."

The entire table went dead silent.

Arthur frowned.

"Chloe made this out of the goodness of her heart. Why are you being so difficult?"

Eleanor sighed.

"Maya, can you please just give us one day of peace?"

Chloe bit her lower lip, looking incredibly hurt.

"Maya, I'm so sorry... I got it wrong again. If you don't like it, I can make you something else?"

When she said that, Arthur and Eleanor immediately looked at her with pure sympathy.

As if she was the victim, not me.

"No need."

I finished my oatmeal, stood up, and went to my room.

Behind me, I could hear Eleanor comforting Chloe.

"Don't worry about her. Just a childish tantrum. She'll get over it."

"Even Grandma praised your cooking. Don't let her ruin the mood."

I walked into my room and didn't bother locking the door.

I couldn't. Eleanor had ordered the lock removed from my door last month, claiming "family members don't need secrets."

Yet, Chloe's room had a fingerprint lock.

I sat on my bed, put the burner SIM card into an old phone, and texted my uncle, Julian, who lived in France.

Julian was Eleanor's younger brother. He ran a wine export business in Lyon and kept his distance from the family.

When he visited us for Christmas years ago, he was the only one who secretly took me out for spicy street food.

Eleanor called him "unstable" and told me to stay away from him.

But he was my only lifeline left.

"Uncle Julian, it's Maya. If I wanted to leave the country, could you help me?"

The message sent. Silence.

I didn't expect much.

I turned off the burner phone, took out my main phone, and politely replied to Eleanor's schedule for tomorrow.

"Got it. I'll be ready by 9:00 AM."

She replied instantly with a heart emoji.

On the day of the family meeting, I wore the champagne-gold dress.

Standing in the living room, I felt like a freshly painted porcelain doll.

Ethan Vance didn't show up.

His father laughed it off, saying he was held up with some urgent business.

His mother, however, inspected me thoroughly. She took my hand and smiled. "Beautiful, elegant. You can tell she was raised right."

Eleanor beamed with pride.

"Our Maya has been trained since she was a child. Arts, business, etiquette—she is flawless."

Chloe came out of the kitchen carrying a tray of rosewater pannacotta with edible gold foil, serving Mrs. Vance with a sweet smile.

"Please try this, Mrs. Vance. I made it myself."

Mrs. Vance took a bite and praised her endlessly.

Chloe seized the moment and giggled.

"Once Maya marries into your family, I'll make sure to send some over to you every week."

She positioned herself as the generous benefactor.

As if my marriage was her gift to the Vances, and she was the saint who made it all happen.

Before leaving, Mr. Vance shook Arthur's hand.

"The alliance is sealed. We will fully support the kids."

I stood at the door, waving them goodbye with a picture-perfect smile.

Back in my room, I turned on my burner phone.

Julian had replied.

"Maya? Why are you suddenly texting me? What's going on?"

I stared at the screen for a long time. I typed and deleted several messages, and finally sent:

"Uncle Julian, can you help me get a French student visa? I want to study abroad."

Two minutes later, Julian replied with three words:

"Send your documents."

I didn't cry.

I just gripped the phone tightly, went to the bathroom to wash my face, took off the gold dress, and folded it.

I hid it at the very bottom of my closet.

I would never wear it again.