The next day I was folding the last of my clothes into a suitcase when my mother called.
"Claire, my dear." her voice was sickly sweet "Tonight is Xander's cocktail party with Victoria. I want you there, after he is married tomorrow… mom will start searching for marriage candidates for you as well."
I almost smiled, a miserable tear slipping free.
The last time she sent me on a blind date just to get ‘acquainted’ with the chairman of Holler group, the man old enough to be my grandfather, I was drugged and sent to his hotel room.
If it wasn’t for Xander rushing to save me at the last moment, I would have been raped and long become the fourth wife of the man who was my assaulter.
"I am not coming."
"It's not a request." My mother’s voice turned cold. "You must think that now you have become something after seducing Xander but remember a worm like you will never become the madam of the Hart family.
Xander’s dad is getting suspicious about the relationship between you two so if you have even a bit of shame left, come and perform at Xander’s engagement so that those stupid rumors around you two quickly die down-”
“I don’t care.” How could I? When everything was already over?
“Claire!” My mother quickly turned her approach to a soft one “Mom was harsh on your previously, how about you come and perform today and I transfer you your father’s money fund he specifically deposited for your twentieth birthday.”
With that she hung up, making me stand frozen in my place, no tears left to shed before slowly checking the time..
24 hours until my flight.
My father’s love was the only true emotion I received all my life, I didn’t care about the money in the fund but…his warmth before he died was true. Dad, I will do it for you.
After that, I dressed like a ghost.
Black lace. Red lipstick, the shade Xander once said, made me look like sin. I hadn't worn it for years but tonight I dressed as the black swan for my performance- the pure white swan had lost all her hope and love turning her white feathers dark, her heart was dead.
The banquet hall was decorated with white roses and crystal chandeliers as people laughed, celebrating the grand event.
A second later I entered the large venue, disappearing into the crowd when Xander’s business partner asked casually.
“Xander, we heard that you are terminating Claire’s ballet contract and giving her position to the new girl?....are you completely abandoning her?”
"So what? The fairy-like ballerina everyone talked about is no longer here. She has gone out of shape and has started gasping after two flights of stairs, she even trembles during rehearsals…she might be an adopted daughter but Mr.Hart won’t show any favoritism.”
“She tries.” Xander’s voice wasn’t particularly low. “But no matter how much I invest in her… she just keeps failing..At first I thought it was because of fatigue but maybe she is just too lazy and has lost her shine…”
The words that have once pierced through my heart like an arrow, now merely left a dull ache as I walked onto the stage with water fluid rhythm and slowly the song began like a war symphony.
The movements made me body crumble with pain and yet I danced like a puppet on strings.
I had once danced across global stages until Xander was caught in a car accident two years ago and his heart was failing.
When the doctors told me I was a match and cutting half of my heart could buy him a future I signed the documents without any hesitation.
And now in my place, Victoria stood at the center in a gown that cost more than my entire childhood, her hand resting on Xander's arm as she gave me a smile flashing with victory.
Every second passed in agonizing pain as the crowd chanted “KISS! KISS! KISS!”
And then I saw Xander kissing Victoria.
In front of everyone, his hand cupped her face like she was a treasure unlike me.
Moments passed as I stood like a broken rag doll when Victoria walked on stage
“Claire! Thanks for your lovely dance. I want to give you a embrace for your performance.”
Stepping closer, almost like a friend in the viewer’s vision her voice dropped venomous.
“Oh dear, I never thought I would thank a slut one day but Claire, if you hadn’t readily become my stepping stone, I wouldn’t have risen to the position of Mrs Hart.
Two years ago, the doctor who told you that donating half your heart to Xander was futile and the surgery failed….guess who paid him to lie…..ofcourse it was me.
The surgery was successful, half the heart beating inside Xander is yours.”
