DALLAS
“Did you see Mary's new post on Instagram?” Stephanie asked.
“The one about her new haircut? Yeah, and it looks disgusting.” Sylvie replied.
“I know right. The worst thing is that everyone keeps telling her the bangs look cute on her curls when it is the exact opposite. Yuck!” Stephanie said.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Sylvie and Stephanie, my step sisters who were born with enough venom to poison the whole New York city.
“Alright ladies, that's enough badmouthing. It's not Mary's fault that she was born without good taste.” Lucien said.
I rolled my eyes at his words. Lucien was the twins father, and unfortunately, my step father.
“Let's work on how you'll approach Oliver when you get to the ball. One of you must end up as his wife.” He added.
A sassy retort hung at the tip of my tongue but I bit it back. I couldn't say anything because, one, the Gilberts hate my guts and would reward me with more chores back home. Second, I literally wasn't in a position to talk because I was curled up in a fetal position in the car trunk, breathing shallowly so as not to blow my cover. Never in my life have I imagined I'd be doing this, but here we are. I felt cramps in my legs from being in a fetal position for so long. According to my prior investigation, we are like twenty minutes away from our destination. I made a silent prayer that I don't pass out before then.
The family was headed to the ‘Kang’ mansion for the celebration of Regina Kang’s birthday. It was rumored that the ball was just an excuse for Regina to gather all the New York elite singles and select a bride for her son.
Oliver Kang, the American-Korean billionaire named by Vogue as one of the top ten billionaires in the continent, is the most eligible bachelor in New York city. While my family is a bit well-to-do, well before my mother's death, Oliver and I belong to different social circles and have never crossed paths.
So it doesn't make any sense that my family got invited to the ball. Except Lucien managed to cut a deal with Oliver or Regina after selling off all of my mother's belongings, a decision of his that got me in this position. I don't really care about how they got invited, all I care about is getting back what is mine. And that thing is currently in Kang's residence.
“Do you think he is going to choose me? I mean I'm the smarter twin.” Sylvie's voice came and I almost blew my cover by snorting. Thankfully, they were so consumed with their wild imaginations that they didn't pay attention to the sound.
“What? I'm smarter than you. I have a job and you don't.” Stephanie retorted.
I rolled my eyes at her words. Not long after Lucien started selling off my mum's belongings, he gave Stephanie and Sylvie some money to start a business. He didn't give me. His words were 'there isn't enough left to waste'.
Sylvie spent her portion on shopping. She claimed she wanted to be a model and needed lots of ‘sexy’ clothes so that agencies would sign her. Her modeling career sunk before it could even properly take off.
Stephanie, on the other hand, decided to open a restaurant even though she couldn't cook shit. The restaurant shut down after running for a few months. She sorted for a few waitressing jobs but didn't last a week on any of them, she always claimed she wasn't meant for hard labor. Now she does a food vlog on social media even though she doesn't have that many followers.
I am the only one in the house with a stable job. Waitressing, babysitting, and cleaning jobs. Ever since my mother died, I became the sole provider for the entire household. No easy feat. I was able to do all these jobs and still deal with my family's tantrums as a result of years of training as a fencer. I did make it to the Olympics, before I blew up in the most spectacular way ever. I could have moved out of the house and not have to deal with them years ago, but I had a goal I needed to achieve. My chances were already low, if I moved out, they would be even lower.
As a result of allowing me to stay under 'his' roof, Lucien collects 50% of all my earnings. For a man who is extremely dumb at all things, he has really great maths skills. But he still couldn't outsmart me. I was generous enough to give him half of the half of my earnings.
“Ladies, you shouldn't fight. It doesn't matter who Oliver chooses between you. There will be other influential single men present at the ball, make sure to bag one of them.” Lucien said.
Lucien's delusion that his daughters would bag anyone at the ball was almost laughable. They are about as desirable as terminal illness. They have a dangerous combination of high maintenance and low IQ.
“I don't think Oliver would marry anyone that Regina doesn't approve of.” Stephanie said.
“Oliver is a grown man, his mother can't control him, he can marry anyone he wants.” Sylvie said.
I suspected that Stephanie and Lucien rolled their eyes at Sylvie's tantrum and decided to keep quiet. No one can win an argument against her. The silence in the car was tense for me as I was scared they would notice me in the trunk. I didn't have any explanations for them if they did.
“Does anyone smell bleach?” Stephanie suddenly said.
I felt my heart jump in my mouth. I gently placed a hand on my mouth so as not to make a sound.
“It must be Dallas's smell. She cleaned the car this morning.” Lucien said.
“Argh! I swear that the wrench's smell is wearing on me. I can't stand her. She is so dirty and disgusting.” Sylvie said.
“I told her to do my laundry and she left some clothes out. She is so lazy and unkempt.” Stephanie said.
I scoffed mentally. The clothes I left out were her underwear that were stained with menstruation blood. The smell that came out when I wanted to do the laundry made me puke three times. Who leaves their underwear unwashed for more than a month?
“Dad, let's just send her out of the house. Not like she is contributing much to the house. She only cooks and cleans, we can easily hire a maid to do that.” Sylvie said.
I scoffed. I'm sure Sylvie won't last a week if she tries cooking and cleaning the house.
“Trust me, I want her out of the house more than you girls, but she is the only one with a stable job among us.” Lucien said and sighed. The twins continued throwing tantrums.
As a result of allowing me to stay under 'his' roof, Lucien collects 50% of all my earnings. For a man who is extremely dumb at all things, he has really great maths skills. But he still couldn't outsmart me. I was generous enough to give him half of the half of my earnings. That is 25%.
“Are we almost there?” Stephanie asked. Her voice sounded tired as if she got of a 9-5 job and not just sitting in the car for a few minutes.
“Just a few more minutes.” Lucien said.
After a few minutes, the car screeched into a halt. I waited till I heard their footsteps retreating before climbing out of the trunk. My legs hurt from curling in the same position for so long.
After straightening my leg, I walked into the mansion. I wore a red dress that stopped a few inches below my knees. It showed a very indecent amount of cleavage and I had to discreetly raise my purse to my chest to preserve some of my dignity. I stole the dress from Sylvie's wardrobe specifically for this situation. I was going to return it after tonight. I needed to blend into this event so that no one would suspect me till I complete my mission. I also pray silently that no one notices the sneakers I'm wearing. I couldn't handle Sylvie's heels, they were too high.
The ball room was filled to the brim with people dressed in luxurious outfits. The decorations of the ballroom were top tier. The colours were green and golden. People of very high calibre were present. I could see Regina Kang dressed in a shimmery and obviously expensive outfit. All the ladies here hope they will be Mrs Oliver Kang one day. I silently shook my head at their mentality. I did my investigation so I know how many guests are present at the ball. Most of the house workers were at the ball.
Thanks to my super invisible personality, I moved seamlessly through the crowd. I was able sneak out of the ballroom without a hitch. I made a sharp turn to the left. I've watched all the videos that carried the tour of the ‘Kang’ mansion for this mission. I also know where all the cameras were placed so I was able to move in their blind spots. The item I want to retrieve is in the mini art gallery where the ‘Kang' family display their historical ornaments and some family heirlooms.
I darted my gaze around to make sure no one was following me. I finally made it to the art gallery. I dragged my eyes around until it settled on the item I was here for.
I smiled as I walked towards it, tears gathered at the corner of my eyes. The shiny silver object looked so beautiful in the glass it was put in.
“I missed you so much. I’m so sorry we got separated. I should have kept you safe.” I said, tearing up a bit.
“Now let's get you out of this prison.” I rummaged through my purse and found the glass breaker.
I brought out and set to business when I heard a soft click behind me. My hands froze in the air.
“Who are you?” A deep masculine voice said behind me.
I discreetly put the glass breaker back in my purse before turning to face the man. My mouth hung open as I saw who it was that came in.
It was none other than Oliver Kang himself. I'm so dead!.