Chapter 4: The Ghost in the Mirror

The invitation was like a warning, all gold. I was holding the card staring at the letters: A Celebration of Legacy Hosted by Lis Brad. This was a bold move. Lis was inviting me the woman who had just taken her fiancé to a tea at the Caldarian Club. It was not an invitation, it was like a challenge.

"Do not go " Darlington said. He was standing by the window of the study. The morning light was shining on his shoulders. He looked like a statue made of ice.

"If I do not go, then she wins " I replied. I was smoothing out the gold dress I had chosen. "In my last  life I hid in the dark. I let Stacy and Maurice decide who I was. But not this time."

Darlington turned around. His green eyes were searching mine. He was looking for the girl who used to work in the basement.. He did not find her. "Lis is not like Maurice " he said. "Maurice is a manipulative person, but Lis? She  is like a queen. She has all the people in Mavick City in her pocket. She will try to embarrass you in front of everyone."

"Let her try " I said. My voice was steady. "I already know what Lis Brad has in her pockets."

The drive to the Caldarian Club was quiet. I was watching the rich district pass by. We saw the glass buildings and the perfect lawns. When we arrived Darlington walked me to the door. He squeezed my hand. It was a firm touch that made my skin feel funny.

"I will be in the lounge " he whispered. "Ten minutes. If you are not out by then I am coming in."

I walked into the room. It smelled like flowers. That smell reminded me of my funeral. My heart skipped a beat. I kept walking. Ten women were sitting around a table. At the head sat Lis Brad. She looked very rich in a suit. Stacy was there too. She was sitting at the end and looked nervous.

"Vivian you actually came " Lis Brad said. The other women went silent. They were watching me like hawks. "We were just talking about the archives. It must be so quiet and  lonely there she said."

"It is a place to hear secrets " I said. I took the empty chair. "Dust has a way of settling on the truth."

Lis Brad smiled,. Her eyes were cold. "Speaking of the truth we have a surprise guest. Someone who says they know you well from the slums. Before you became a 'Caldarian' of course."

The doors opened. A man walked in. He was wearing a wrinkled suit. He looked desperate. My blood ran cold. I knew him. His name was Leo. In my life Maurice had hired him to scare me so Maurice could "save" me.

"Vivian?" Leo said. He was pretending to cry. "Honey why are you doing this? Why did you leave me and the kids? You can not just act like we do not exist!"

Everyone at the table gasped. Stacy smiled behind her teacup. Lis Brad leaned forward. She looked happy. "Vivian is this true? You’re a runaway wife? Does Darlington know you have a family in the slums?"

I looked at Leo. He was an actor but he was sweating. I looked at Lis Brad. She thought she had me trapped. She thought I would cry and run away. I stood up slowly. I did not look at Leo. I looked straight at Lis Brad.

"It is a show, Lis Brad. How much did you pay him? Five thousand?. Did you promise to help pay his gambling debts in Town Shanghaii?"

The room went silent. Lis Brad stopped smiling. "I do not know what you are talking about."

"I think you do " I said. I walked towards her. "I also know about the secret bank accounts your father uses. The ones in the Babel trade. Are you surprised? I said to her They are being checked by the government now. If the news finds out you are using money you will lose your seat at this table."

Lis Brad face turned pale. "You are lying."

"Check your phone, Lis Brad. Your fathers main researcher just quit. He left a trail of papers behind. I know because I archived them this morning."

I turned to Stacy. ". You. You think Maurice will save you? He is already planning to blame you for the stolen pension money. He has a flight booked for tomorrow. But unfortunately, he booked just one seat. Not two."

Stacy dropped her glass. It shattered into a thousand pieces. She looked at me with terror.

I walked to the door with my head held high. I did not need Darlington to save me. I had saved myself.. As I reached the hallway I saw a shadow by the exit. It was not Darlington. It was a man in a delivery uniform. His face was hidden by a cap.

As I passed him he leaned in. Whispered one sentence.

"The brakes are already cut, Vivian. See you at the cliff."

I turned around fast, but the man was gone. My legs felt like lead. I looked out of  the window. Saw my car waiting. It was the car Darlington and I were supposed to take home.

I ran toward the lounge screaming Darlingtons name. The room was empty. His phone was just  lying on the table, but  the screen was damaged, and there was a single drop of blood on the glass.