Expose dress

Expose dress
“I know the hell you must be going through, seeing that this girl is your sister,” one of the women said, and Ellie immediately burst into laughter, clearly enjoying every word.

“Well, she’s my sister, of course I can’t change that,” Ellie replied with a shrug, “but I can put her in her place, and she knows where she belongs.”

I kept my expression neutral, refusing to give them the reaction they were obviously looking for. Their words hurt, but I had bigger things to worry about than proving myself to two women who had already decided what they thought of me. I just needed to find a way to get through this party, because if Ellie succeeded in humiliating me in front of everyone, I had no idea how much damage it would do to my life.

The two women continued making a few comments, laughing among themselves whenever they looked at me, but when they realized I wasn't going to answer them or give them the satisfaction of seeing me upset, they eventually lost interest and walked out of the room with Ellie. I remained standing where I was, my arms folded tightly across my chest as I watched the door close behind them.

I let out a long breath and lowered my arms.

There had to be a way out of this.

Maybe I could pretend to be sick, sneak out before the guests arrived, or find some excuse that would keep me away from the party entirely. I considered several possibilities, but none of them seemed realistic. Ellie was clearly determined to have me there, and after everything she had threatened me with, I knew she wouldn't simply let me disappear.

I sat down on the edge of my bed and rubbed my temples.

"How am I supposed to get past this?" I whispered, staring at the floor.

My thoughts eventually turned toward my mother.

I hadn't spoken to her in a while, and suddenly I felt guilty for not checking on her sooner. With everything happening around me, I needed to hear her voice, even if it was only for a few minutes.

I picked up my phone from the bed and dialed her number.

It rang several times before the call ended.

I frowned and immediately tried again.

Still nothing.

My eyes remained fixed on the screen as the second call went unanswered.

Why wasn't she picking up?

I tried one more time, but there was still no response.

A small knot formed in my stomach.

"Maybe she's busy," I told myself. "Or maybe she's taking her medication and sleeping."

I tried to convince myself there was nothing to worry about, but the unanswered calls continued bothering me.

Eventually, I shoved my phone aside and decided I would try again later.

I couldn't spend the entire morning worrying about everything at once.

I headed into the bathroom, took my bath, and returned to my room to get dressed. The moment I opened the box Ellie had left for me, my stomach tightened again.

I picked up the red dress and stared at it for several seconds before finally putting it on.

I wouldn't lie, wearing the gown made me feel embarrassed.

The moment the fabric settled against my body, memories of my previous job at the club came rushing back. I remembered the clothes I used to wear there, the way customers would stare at me, and the uncomfortable feeling I carried whenever I had to walk through the club dressed in something that revealed more of my body than I wanted.

This dress brought all of those memories back.

I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection.

"How am I supposed to wear this?" I muttered.

I turned slightly, examining the dress from another angle.

"How am I supposed to stand in front of all those elegant people dressed like this?"

The dress hugged my body closely, exposing the shape of my figure in a way that made me uncomfortable. I pulled at the fabric slightly, hoping I could somehow make it less revealing, but there wasn't much I could do.

Ellie knew exactly what she was doing.

She hadn't given me this dress because she wanted me to look beautiful.

She wanted me to feel exposed.

She wanted everyone at that party to stare at me, whisper about me, and judge me before they even knew anything about me.

I looked at myself in the mirror again, my eyes moving over every part of the dress.

My body was fuller than the fabric seemed designed for, making the outfit look even more revealing than it probably would have on someone else.

I felt my cheeks grow warm.

"This is ridiculous," I whispered.

I reached for the black strappy stilettos Ellie had left inside the box and placed them on the floor beside me.

Even the shoes looked like part of some carefully planned outfit meant to attract attention.

I stared at them for a moment before slowly sitting on the edge of the bed.

I didn't want to go to this party.

I didn't want to be humiliated.

I didn't want to be reminded of the life I had worked so hard to leave behind.

But I also knew that hiding in my room wouldn't solve anything.

Eventually, I would have to walk downstairs wearing this dress and face whatever Ellie had planned for me.

I took a deep breath and looked at myself in the mirror one more time, trying to gather enough courage to get through the day.

Whatever happened at that party, I just hoped I could survive it without allowing Ellie to completely destroy me.

My hands tightened around the doorknob, trembling slightly as I stood there, trying to figure out what to do. I took a slow breath and finally pulled the door open, but before I could step outside, someone on the other side opened it at the same time, and the sudden movement caught me off guard.

I lost my balance and stumbled forward, my body colliding with a hard chest.

I immediately froze. That cologne… It felt familiar.

I slowly lifted my head, and my eyes widened when I realized who was standing in front of me.

Diego. For a moment, I couldn't say a word.

There was something different about him tonight. Unlike the usual cold and composed expression he carried around the house, his eyes looked intense, almost as though there was a fire burning behind them.

He was dressed differently too, wearing a sleek black shirt that fit perfectly against his broad frame, with an expensive suit draped casually over his shoulders. His dark hair looked slightly messy, giving him an effortlessly attractive appearance that made it difficult for me to look away.

He looked more handsome than I had ever seen him.

And unfortunately, I noticed. I quickly reminded myself to look away, but before I could, his gaze moved over me.

His eyes slowly traveled from my face down to the red dress I was wearing, lingering for a moment before reaching my heels.

I watched his throat move as he swallowed.

My cheeks immediately became warm.

The dress suddenly felt even more revealing than it had when I stood in front of the mirror earlier.

I instinctively tugged at the hem, wishing I could somehow make it longer.

When I looked back at Diego, his expression had changed slightly, and the intensity in his eyes made my heart beat faster.

I knew exactly what had crossed his mind.

The memory of the night we had shared came rushing back to me, and I immediately felt embarrassed.

I lowered my gaze, unable to hold his eyes for too long.

Why did it have to be him? Of all the people I could have bumped into while wearing this dress, it had to be Diego.

And judging by the way he was looking at me, he remembered that night too.

I swallowed nervously and tried to step away from him, suddenly very aware of how close we were.

"Sorry," I murmured.

Neither of us moved for a moment.

The silence between us felt strangely uncomfortable, and I could feel my heartbeat growing faster with every passing second.

I finally stepped back, putting some distance between us.

"I did
n't know you were standing there," I said quietly.

Diego's gaze remained on me for another moment before he finally looked away.

"Clearly," he replied.