Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Brinley stood against a wall in the staging area to the side of the temporary platform that had been set up in the large conference room and watched as each of the contestants strutted onto the stage during the evening gown competition.
In the first round, they wore their own choice of dress, and then the finalists would be chosen and they’d wear a gown designed by Louis Pangilinan, an entrepreneur and world-renowned fashion designer from the Philippines.
Earlier, Brinley had just finished helping her Australian client with a last-minute tweak of her gown, when Louis had approached and complimented her on the design. It had been one of the highlights of the entire trip for Brinley.
But the warm and fuzzy feelings she’d gotten for being singled out by one of the best fashion designers in the world dimmed a bit when she saw her mom, Callista, and two other contestants coming her way.
She straightened and braced herself for whatever awful things they were going to say. And Brinley had no doubt they were about to ruin her day, because that’s what her family did. In fact, it was what they did best.
“You bitch!” Callista hissed as she got close.
Yup. Totally attempting to ruin the amazingly awesome day she’d been having for sure. She didn’t bother to ask what had crawled up her sister’s ass and died now, because without a doubt her sister would tell her, in excruciating detail, what Brinley supposedly did to set her off this time.
“You shouldn’t be allowed to be here. You’re cheating!” Callista seethed.
“Yeah, it’s not fair that some of the others have a personal fashion designer to help them with their outfits!”
Brinley wanted to roll her eyes at the comment from the tall brunette.
Tamika Black was the second competitor from Canada, and she hadn’t looked her best when she’d taken the stage earlier.
The gown she’d chosen was the wrong shade for her coloring and it didn’t fit very well, as if she’d bought it off a rack and didn’t bother to have it altered in any way.
“If I’d known we could bring someone to make alterations and changes to our gowns on site, I totally would’ve done that!”
Looking at the other contestant, Valerie Mosely from South Africa, Brinley took a sort of sick pleasure in knowing that anger was not a good look on the woman. Her face was flushed and the severe frown contorted her features in a way that would surely scare kids on the street.
Brinley couldn’t hide the small smile that formed involuntarily at the thought.
“You think this is funny?” Callista barked.
Her mom had yet to say anything, content to stand back and watch her youngest daughter bully her oldest, as she’d done her entire life.
But Brinley was sick of taking her family’s shit. Being friends with Cypress had taught her to stand up for herself. She wasn’t always good at it, as it was easier to ignore snide comments than comment on them, but she’d had enough.
She stood up straighter and met the four women’s gazes one by one as she spoke.
“Give me a break. You all know just as well as I do that there’s absolutely nothing illegal about me being here.
You’re just pissed because you didn’t do as well as you wanted onstage.
Crooked buttons, a hem that was uneven, wearing a color that didn’t suit you at all…
these were all easy mistakes that anyone could’ve fixed.
But instead, you were all too busy trying to intimidate your competition. ”
“It’s not fair!” Tamika bitched again.
“I’m going to complain to the board about this!”
Brinley stared down Tamika and Valerie. She wasn’t scared of them.
She and her clients had done nothing wrong.
“You guys were allowed to bring up to two people each to this competition. You could’ve brought your own designers, or makeup person—that might’ve been an even better choice…
just sayin’—but you didn’t. That’s on you, not me.
So instead of getting pissed at me for coming at the request of my clients, you should be upset with yourselves.
Learn from this and make adjustments for future pageants. ”
She was trying to keep her voice level. To not let the disdain she had for these spoiled bitches get to her, but it was extremely difficult.
“You’re just jealous,” Callista told her, in a tone of voice that told Brinley she was about to throw her lack of good looks in her face.
She braced.
“You’re so pissed that you’re as ugly as a toad wearing lipstick, you’ll do anything to ruin the pageant for me.
You can try to cover up your disgusting face with makeup, but it’ll never do any good.
Your nose is ridiculously huge, your ears stick out like Dumbo, and you have eyes like that dog from Ren and Stimpy.
They look creepy as hell, and everyone is uncomfortable when you stare at them like a freak! ”
Yup. Her sister wasn’t happy with her, for sure. Even though the words hurt, they always did, Brinley kept her expression blank. Didn’t let Callista know her words had struck home.
“You’re gonna pay for this. For ruining our chances to get into the finals,” Tamika said in a low, menacing tone that actually had the hair on the back of Brinley’s neck standing up.
But she still refused to stoop to the levels these bitches had. To name-calling and insults.
“I wish you were dead!” Valerie told her with a glare, before turning and stomping away, Tamika right on her heels.
Unfortunately, Callista and their mom didn’t seem ready to leave just yet.
It was hard for Brinley to wrap her mind around adults feeling the need to fling such awful insults, and even threats. Kids, she could understand, but grown-ass women?
“You’re pathetic,” her mother said, sounding almost calm, which was eerie on a whole new level. She could’ve been discussing the weather for all the emotion that was in her tone. But Brinley could see the hatred in her eyes.
She had no idea what she’d ever done to forever be on the receiving end of her mother’s ire, except for having the misfortune of not being born cute, like Callista. And really…that was half her mother’s fault.
“You’re ungrateful, deceitful, and an embarrassment.”
Oddly, those words didn’t have the ability to hurt Brinley the way they had in the past. Partly because they were nothing her mom hadn’t said before.
When they failed to get a response…Callista weighed in again.
“You’re the kind of bitch men fuck just to get off. Not someone anyone would honestly want to spend their life with. How could they? Looking at you across a table or in bed would literally turn their stomach. Not even plastic surgery could help you. You’re just too damn hideous.”
Okay, now those words hurt a little more.
The one thing she’d always wanted was a partner who would stand by her no matter what.
Who wouldn’t care about her uneven features.
Who could see beyond her looks to the person underneath the awkward skin she’d been born into.
And her sister obviously knew it—and was using her deepest wish against her.
But again, Brinley refused to react. To give her family what they wanted—proof that their cruel words were hitting home.
“You should be helping your sister, not her competitors. I raised you better than this, Brinley.”
Actually, she hadn’t, but Brinley continued to keep her face blank of all emotion. She just wanted this over with. She made a mental note to check to see if her sister would be at the competitions before she accepted any future invitations to attend on behalf of a client.
“You aren’t going to say anything? You’re just going to stand there?”
Brinley looked at her mother, and sighed.
“I already know exactly what the two of you think about me. Nothing you’re saying now is new or a surprise.
You both know I’m not doing anything wrong by being here at the request of paying clients.
If you weren’t so cheap, you could’ve done the same thing, brought along someone who could help make sure Callista looked her best onstage.
” She switched her gaze to her sister. “Except you’re too conceited, you think all you have to do is show up and you’ll win.
That might’ve worked when you were six, and ten, and fifteen, but you’re in the big leagues now, Callista.
And judges pick women who are not only beautiful, but good people to boot.
“You might be able to pull the wool over some people’s eyes, but I know firsthand how awful you really are.
I feel sorry for any man you end up with.
He’ll learn soon enough, though, how selfish and catty you are, and if he’s smart, he’ll run away from you as fast as he can before you infect him from the inside out.
” Then, she looked back to her mom. “As for you? The best thing that ever could’ve happened to my father was being dumped. ”
She took a moment to enjoy the stunned looks on their faces before turning to walk away. But she stopped and looked back briefly for one last parting shot.
“Callista, I’d take a good hard look at our mother—because that’s what you have to look forward to looking like in the not-so-distant future.
Pageants are a young woman’s game, and at twenty-six, you’re already over the hill.
I hope you have a plan for what you’re going to do next…
but you’d probably make a lot of money in a strip club. You can always fall back on that.”
And having said her piece, she walked away, pleased with how she’d managed to get the last word in.
She wasn’t proud of stooping to her mom and sister’s level, but whatever.
After years of insults and slights, they’d deserved it.
And she hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true, she’d simply been brutally honest.