58. Dress Decently

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58. Dress Decently

The front door opens and Miss Jones greets them. “Welcome, Mrs. Raptis.” Then, she looks at Cassie to give her a formal nod.

The woman has no cracks in her face despite being in her forties and Cassie admires how flawlessly her dark skin gleams.

“Hi, Mary.” Emily enters the house and hands her purse to the maid without a single glance, which Cassie finds snooty. She follows the woman in timid silence and Emily’s phone rings when they pass the entrance.

“Just a second.” She murmurs and answers the phone with exaggerated pleasure. “Hi, ma chérie. What a lovely surprise!” She walks into the living area with Cassie behind her, then disappears into an adjacent room.

The first thing Cassie notices in the living room is a blur of blue tulle fluttering at the top of the stairs. Then, tiny fingers grip the railing and she realizes it’s Lena wearing a costume.

“Sisi!” The little girl shouts, bubbling with joy like every time she sees Cassie. She comes down the stairs with rapid steps and runs toward her with cheerful giggles.

“Oh, hi sweetie.” Cassie can’t hold her own giggles back and kneels as Lena launches herself into her arms. She catches her easily and hugs this cute little girl before picking her up.

“Look! It’s sow beautiful!” Lena plays with the hem of her tulle dress. “We bought this dwress from Dizneyland!”

Oh, so Mathias sent Emily to Los Angeles with their daughter. It was Cassie’s dream place like every child when she was a little girl. However, her parents had never been able to afford a Disneyland tour.

“Oh my God, Disneyland?” Cassie feigns excitement to make the little girl happy. She immediately recognizes the Elsa costume thanks to her cousin who is a little older than Lena. “It’s such a gorgeous dress for a princess.”

The little girl squeals with joy and covers her mouth with both hands. Then she kisses Cassie’s cheek before wrapping her arms around her neck. Even her own cousin doesn’t show Cassie that much attention. 

She suspects that Lena is unconsciously seeking more affection that her mother doesn’t show. Even though the little girl has a devoted father, the void of maternal love has to be carved into her. Is that why Lena gravitates toward older girls so heavily? 

Cassie slowly strikes her back and the little girl looks up. Then she gasps with surprise as pointing to her T-shirt. “Stiich!” 

Cassie smiles at her reaction. “Oh, do you know Lilo and Stitch?”

“Yes!” Lena bounces. “Daddy took me to the cinema. There was popcorn and candies.”

She must be mentioning the live-action movie that recently came out. “Do you know the old ones?” Cassie asks.

Lena blinks her big brown eyes. “Old ones?”

Oh, crap. That’s unacceptable. 

Cassie can’t hold her nerd side back. “They are cartoons. I like them more than the one you saw.”

Lena gasps again with surprise. “I want to wotch the owld ones!” Then she suddenly leaps to her feet before Cassie sees it. Lena’s little hands grab her right wrist and pull on it. “Come on, Sisi! Let’s go wotch them!”

Cassie would love that but she isn’t here for this. “I’m sorry, Lena. We can’t right now, but I promise-”

“No, no!” The little girl looks sad with disappointment and tugs her wrist harder. “Pleez Sisi, pleez!”

“Helena.” Mrs. Raptis’s authoritative voice comes from their back. “She said no, didn’t she?”

Cassie looks at Emily’s stern cold face and gets annoyed by her eyes barren of warmth.

“But…” Lena’s lips quiver. “Mommy…”

Emily rolls her eyes as sighing in annoyance. “Mary.” She gestures to the maid and folds her arms. “Take Helena to the bathroom first, then dress her up with normal clothes.”    

“Yes ma’am.” Miss Jones comes closer to the little girl and Lena clings tighter to Cassie’s wrist. 

“I don’t want normal clothes.” Lena looks at her mother with sad eyes. “I want to show my dwress to daddy.”

So, Mathias isn’t home. Cassie’s shoulders relax. 

“He is busy right now.” Miss Jones speaks flatly, mirroring Emily’s emotionless manner. “Let’s go to the bath-”

“No.” Lena murmurs, shrugging her little shoulder reluctantly.

Cassie doesn’t get why this is a big deal. Just let the little girl wear her dress for a while for Chris’s sake! 

“Enough with your shenanigans, Helena.” Mrs. Raptis speaks with a slight anger this time and points to the stairs. “Bathroom. Now.”

Lena swallows with sadness and lets Cassie’s wrist go. Miss Jones holds her little hand and they head upstairs. Lena turns back over her shoulder, waves a hand to Cassie with misty eyes and pursed lips. Her sad expression breaks Cassie’s heart as she waves back. 

What kind of mother would hurt their own daughter with such cruelty?

Cassie can’t help it and gives a side-eye to Mrs. Raptis who is watching them disappear upstairs. “Was that really necessary?” 

Emily turns to her with a raised eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“I mean…” Cassie hesitates. “She looked happy. In her dress.”

“Are you questioning my motherhood, Cassie?” Emily asks with a slow smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

Yes. Cassie wants to say. I am questioning your non-motherhood.

“No.” Instead, she holds her words back. “Of course not. But my mother would never forbid-”

“If I don’t forbid funny clothing now…” Emily walks toward her slowly, her gaze sweeps over Cassie from head to toe. “She will never learn how to dress decently, will she?”

That arrogant witch.

Cassie struggles to keep her back straight. Swallowing, she fights to maintain eye contact with Emily Raptis. There is nothing she can give her as an answer at this point. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut?!

The woman tilts her head to the side and reaches Cassie’s face, twirling a lock of hair that slipped from her messy bun. It’s like a power play for Emily Raptis, she did it in the L’etoile Pastry, and she used to do it when Cassie was a teenage girl.

“Don’t get me wrong.” Mrs. Raptis says with feigned compassion, examining Cassie’s face. “You are decent in your own way, but-” Suddenly, she goes silent. Letting her hair go, Emily’s fingertips brush Cassie’s neck with a surprised expression. “Well, well.” The woman laughs with sassy excitement. “You are not that decent, are you?”

“I.. excuse me?” Cassie stutters, the woman’s weird attitude makes her uncomfortable. 

Emily's wicked smile widens and this time she jabs a finger at Cassie's neck. “Someone had fun last night, huh?”

What is she talking-

Oh, God. The hickey.

Cassie recoils, slapping a hand over the left side of her neck. “It is… it’s just…” Her brain scrambles as she stammers with anxiety. “... just an allergy.”

Emily blinks, then bursts into shrill laughter. “Jesus Christ. You think I’m that stupid, Miss Hardwin?” She gets closer to her, eyes glinting with abasement. “It’s obvious you were making some boy very happy when I was sending those texts.”

Cassie swallows, her cheeks are burning. “It’s… I…” Then she manages to say. “It’s not your business.”

“I’m just trying to help, sweetie.” Emily keeps making fun of her situation. “You should’ve used a cold metal spoon over it instead of that cheap foundation from a dollar store. You can only fool your mother with it.” 

Cassie exhales with embarrassment, she feels weak for being exposed in front of Emily Raptis with a tender situation like this. 

The woman doesn’t let it go as if this is an entertainment for her and she leans in closer. “Let me see how bad it is.” 

“No.” Cassie takes a step back as the stubborn woman reaches her neck.

“Come on, don’t be shy.” Emily rolls her eyes and grabs her shoulder, making Cassie want to yell.

“What the hell is going on here?”

Emily freezes instantly after hearing that stern voice which cuts through the room like a blade. She looks over Cassie’s shoulder and the mocking expression on her face vanishes.

Cassie is also frozen on her feet but unlike Emily, that familiar male voice spreads something warm inside her chest.

Mathias is here.