Chapter 4: The Arrest & The GALA

~ EVANGELINE ~

The police pounded on the door again.

"Police! Open the door now!"

Jason stared at me with his hand still raised. "You called them."

"I didn't," I said. "I swear I didn't."

"Liar!"

The pounding got louder. "We have a warrant! Open this door or we're breaking it down!"

Jason dropped his hand and ran downstairs. I followed him with my heart racing.

He opened the front door and four police officers rushed in.

"Jason Blackwood?" the lead officer asked.

"Yes, that's me. What is this about?"

"You're under arrest for assault and domestic violence." The officer pulled out handcuffs. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back."

"What? This is ridiculous! I didn't..."

"Sir, turn around now."

Victoria came running down the stairs in her robe. "What is going on here? Get out of my house!"

"Ma'am, step back," another officer said.

They put handcuffs on Jason and he turned to look at me with pure hatred in his eyes.

"This is your fault," he said. "You're going to pay for this."

"Sir, stop talking," the officer said.

They started dragging him toward the door and Victoria grabbed one of the officer's arms.

"You can't take my son! He didn't do anything wrong!"

"Ma'am, let go or you'll be arrested for obstruction."

She let go and Jason was pulled out the front door. I could hear him yelling from outside.

"I didn't do anything! That bitch is lying! She's lying!"

They carried Jason away after telling me they needed me to come to give my statement.

Victoria turned to me slowly after their departure.

"What did you do?" she asked.

"Nothing. I didn't call them."

"Then who did?" She stepped closer. "Who knew what was happening in this house?"

"I don't know."

"You stupid girl." She grabbed my arm. "Do you have any idea what you've done? The scandal this will cause? The embarrassment to this family?"

"I didn't do anything!"

She let go and walked to her phone. "I need to call Augustus. He'll fix this."

She dialed and pressed the phone to her ear.

"Augustus, it's Victoria. Jason's been arrested. I need you to post bail immediately." She paused. "I don't care what time it is. Get him out now."

She hung up and looked at me.

"Go to your room," she said coldly. "And stay there."

I went upstairs and sat on my bed. My whole body was shaking.

Someone called the police. But who?

******

Two hours later I heard a car in the driveway. Then the front door opened.

Jason was home.

I heard him and Victoria talking downstairs but I couldn't make out the words. Then footsteps came up the stairs.

My door burst open.

Jason stood in the doorway. His eyes were bloodshot and his hands were clenched into fists.

"You," he said.

"Jason, I didn't call them. I swear..."

He crossed the room in three steps and grabbed my shoulders. "I don't know how you did this but you just made the biggest mistake of your life."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Those papers. You're signing them. Right now."

"No."

His grip tightened. "What did you say?"

"I said no." I looked him in the eyes. "I'm not signing anything."

Victoria appeared in the doorway. "Jason, let her go. We have bigger problems right now."

"She needs to sign the papers!"

"And she will." Victoria walked into the room. "But first we need to do damage control. The arrest will be in the news by morning. We need to show everyone that this family is fine."

Jason let go of me and stepped back. "How?"

"The gala," Victoria said. "The fashion industry gala is tonight. We're all going. Including her."

My heart stopped.

The gala. The Milan Fashion Week gala.

MY gala.

"What?" The word came out strangled.

"You heard me." Victoria looked at me. "You're coming with us. You'll smile, behave, and show everyone what a perfect wife you are. No arguments."

My mind was racing. They didn't know. They had no idea that tonight was supposed to be MY night. That MY Phoenix Rising dress would be showcased. That I was supposed to walk onto that stage as Evangeline, the designer the entire fashion world had been waiting to meet.

And now Jason was forcing me to attend my own event. As his puppet wife. As nobody.

"I don't think I should go," I said carefully, trying to keep my voice steady.

"You don't have a choice." Jason's face twisted into a smile that made me sick. "You're coming to this gala and you're going to play the role of the loving wife. That's not a request."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I'll make sure you never see the outside of this house again," he said quietly. "Do you understand me?"

I looked between him and Victoria. My chest felt tight.

If I went to that gala, everything would explode. But if I refused, they'd know something was wrong and start asking questions.

"Fine," I whispered. "I'll go."

"Good." Victoria grabbed my arm. "Come with me. We need to get you ready."

She dragged me to her room and sat me down at her vanity. She pulled out makeup and a dress from her closet.

"You're going to look perfect tonight," she said as she started doing my makeup. "And you're going to smile. And if you do anything to embarrass this family, anything at all, I will destroy you. Do you understand?"

I nodded, my mind still spinning.

She did my makeup with rough hands. Pulled my hair back so tight it hurt and shoved me into a dress that was too small.

I felt like a puppet being dressed for a show.

When she was done she stepped back and looked at me.

"There," she said. "Almost acceptable."

I looked at myself in the mirror. I barely recognized the woman staring back at me.

Downstairs I could hear Jason and Veronica talking. I walked to the top of the stairs and stopped.

Veronica was on her phone in the hallway. Her back was to me but her voice carried up the stairs.

"Yes, tonight's the night," she said quietly. "The Phoenix Rising showcase where everyone will finally see ME as Evangeline. That pathetic nobody will watch while I take everything that should have been hers."

My eyes flew open in shock while I stood extremely still unable to move at the revelation.

She knew.

Veronica knew about the showcase. About my designs. Somehow she'd figured it out, and now she was planning to walk onto that stage tonight and claim my work as her own.

I gripped the banister as the reality hit me.

If I stayed silent tonight, Veronica would steal my identity. The entire fashion world would believe she was Evangeline. Three years of work gone just like that?!

But if I exposed her, my father would find me. Jason and Victoria would discover the truth. Everything would fall apart.

I stood there weighing my options.

Then I thought about the past two years in this house. Being called useless and worthless! Treated like I was nothing!

Veronica was about to take the one thing I had left which was my work, my name and proof that I was more than what they made me feel all this while.

And I realized something.

I'd rather face hell than watch this woman steal my life. I'd rather risk everything than lose the only thing that was truly mine.

My decision was made and whatever happened after that I'd deal with it. But I was not letting her have this!