The day of the gala, the sky hung gray and heavy.
Around noon I changed into a loose dress and took a cab to the venue.
Kingsport's top private club.
At the entrance, the people coming and going were all names in the industry.
I knew many of them. Three years ago, when my grandfather was still alive, they'd greeted me respectfully as the young Master Swanson.
Now no one recognized me. I might as well have been an outsider who'd wandered in by mistake.
I followed the crowd inside. The hall was decked out in extravagant style.
The backdrop behind the stage read: the Swanson secret feng shui appraisal gala, signed at the bottom with Joyce Swanson's name.
In a display case off to one side of the stage sat my Sky Pool Compass.
For a moment I could barely hold down the anger rising in me.
My grandfather's keepsake, the treasure of the Swanson family, reduced to a prop a collateral-branch fraud used to line her pockets.
The host walked onstage and opened with warm enthusiasm.
After a few polished pleasantries, he smiled and said, "And now, let's give a warm round of applause and welcome the star of today's gala, the Swanson family's genius heir, Miss Joyce Swanson, along with the host of this event, Mr. Abner Henson!"
Amid thunderous applause, Abner walked out in a tailored suit, leading Joyce by the hand.
Joyce wore a champagne-colored gown, her makeup flawless, looking every bit the daughter of a distinguished house.
Abner picked up the microphone and swept his gaze over the crowd with a smug, satisfied smile. "Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to be here."
"This is Miss Joyce Swanson, the true and orthodox heir of Swanson family feng shui."
"From now on, I hope all of you seniors in Kingsport's feng shui world will look out for her."
He paused and raised a hand toward the display case. "For today's gala, we've specially brought out the Swanson family's ancestral Sky Pool Compass to anchor the event."
"And next, Joyce will demonstrate the Swanson family's secret wealth-gathering array for everyone."
Waves of admiration rippled through the crowd. "A true Swanson heir. She even brought out the Sky Pool Compass!"
"So young and already this capable. The younger generation really is something!"
"Mr. Henson is a lucky man, landing a partner like Miss Swanson."
Listening to all of it, the smile on Abner's face grew deeper.
That was when someone in the crowd recognized me.
"Hey, isn't that Mr. Henson's wife? What's she doing standing over there?"
"Right, Mr. Henson, your wife came too. Won't you let her come up and say hello to everyone?"
"Mr. Henson's wife is a Swanson too. She must know something about feng shui. Show us a little something!"
The teasing rose from every side, and every eye in the room settled on me.
The smile froze on Abner's face, then twisted into irritation and disgust.
He held the mic and forced out two dry laughs. "Everyone, please stop joking. My wife doesn't understand any of this. She just came to enjoy the fun."
"She can't even recite the celestial stems and earthly branches in full. What would she know about feng shui? Don't let her embarrass herself up here. I'll ask for your patience."
The moment the words left his mouth, the whole room burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, so Mrs. Henson is a complete outsider!"
"Makes sense. Mr. Henson is so impressive, his wife only has to be pretty."
"What a shame, the Swanson heir is Mrs. Henson's younger cousin..."
Standing beside Abner, Joyce covered her mouth and snickered, her eyes full of triumph.
She gave Abner's sleeve a fake little tug and said sweetly, "Oh Abner, don't say that about my cousin!"
"My cousin usually only handles the little things around the house. It's perfectly normal that she doesn't understand these professional matters."
"But cousin, if you're interested, I could teach you someday!"
"We can start with the very basics, reading the compass, and take it slow. You'll get there eventually."
I drew in a deep breath, parted the crowd, and walked toward the stage step by step.
The noisy hall slowly quieted, everyone watching me, not knowing what I meant to do.
Abner frowned and hissed under his breath, "Wanda Swanson, are you done making a scene? Get down here. Don't stand there causing trouble and humiliating me!"
Joyce put on a worried face too. "Cousin, don't be upset. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have offered to teach you feng shui..."
I looked at Joyce and said, right there in front of everyone, "A half-baked amateur like you isn't qualified to teach me!"
The moment my words landed, the whole room erupted.
