The Divorce

23

I looked at the green dress, wondering how much it would cost. Not that it was extravagant or shining with a million stones on it, but because it was so ... simple but not at the same time.

I picked up the dress, and held it against my body wondering if it was even going to fit. It looked big holding it up, but the fabric and zip would be unforgivable. 

I pushed my wet hair away from my face sighing, staring at how pudgy I looked in the mirror, yes it was because the robe was divine but fluffy and massive but this dress just looked and weighed too expensive to suit someone who wasn't from money.

A rich person could made a dirty rag look fashionable but for someone who was used to $20 dresses on the sale rack, money never sat well, or at least on  me. I was just not fashionable and it showed in the way I walked.

Whatever suck it up, you'll get lots of money soon, maybe...

I shrugged of my robe, realising that the sleeves of this dress were on the shoulders exactly, which meant I couldn't wear a bra.

But I had to wear a bra!

I did not have perky breasts to be kept up without a bra!

The zip was just as tight as I thought it was going to be, and all it did was squash my breasts against my rib cage and that was not comfortable, not one tiny bit.

"Yuck." I snapped as I turned around to look in the mirror. Could I potentially wear a bra, and then safety pin it to the sleeves so you couldn't see? You couldn't tell I wasn't wearing a bra, that was positive at least, because the padding of the dress had was thick enough, until it was going to be freezing and my nipples would be poking through.

I shoved my hand into the neckline, pulling the ladies up, it sort of helped, they were sitting a bit above now, hopefully the tight dress would hold them up, without trying to knock all the air out of my lungs. 

The dress was so simple, and I probably made it look even more simple, emerald green, silky and shiny fabric, no shimmer, just with an off shoulder straps that had a double the thickness making it almost look like a design and then a long slit up the leg to the thigh. You couldn't even tell there was a slit when I moved, because my legs weren't long enough to showcase or do the dress this justice.

Maybe heels would help, I grabbed a pair of my tallest heels which wouldn't match the dress but it was long enough  to conceal it. 

It made it a little better, but not a lot. It was annoying how the dress was off the shoulder, but instead of sitting on the upper arm like most, it was sitting exactly on the shoulder edge, I was worried that one slip of the shoulders would make the entire part come off. 

I grumbled at my reflection one more time before taming the hair the best I could. I blow dried it, straightened it and then put pins on one side so it was sitting away from my face. At least it looks like I put in some effort. 

By the time Fern entered the room, I was semi presentable with half dried hair and the top part was straightened at least. Who was even going to go through all my hair and see if every part was straightened...you couldn't tell.

"Ready," I said pursing my lips as I looked at him, all dressed up in a suit. He was definitely from money, he looked good. Unlike me, you could tell they plucked me off the street and chucked on a four figure dress. 

"You look great," he said, and I sighed hunching my shoulders as I looked down.

"I don't feel great, tell me though, am I meant to look and be crap tonight cause I'll act it." 

Who knew whether Gabriel's plan was to make me look undesirable and crazy so he could justify the divorce, which is fine, if that's what they were going for but I liked to be in the loop. I had terrible acting skills anyway so I probably would give off that vibe.

"No, you really look good. That might just be your colour."

"Black in my colour," I said as I walked out the door he opened, "Like my soul..."

Gabriel was waiting outside, busy typing on his phone, he looked up running his eyes top to bottom and sighed, "I guess it'll do," but the expression on his face was definitley not pleased. 

Great thank you for the confidence boss! Or husband, no ew.

Okay, I didn't look great, I looked okay, average, so that expression haunted me and my self confidence as I walked down the stairs with them both. 

Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip was the mantra in my head. I was normally good with heels, but with the weight of this expensive dress on me, I feel like it was going to drag me down these never ending stairs.

It almost felt like a workout before we got to the bottom of the stairs and I was trying to remember if I had put deodorant on after my shower, I did perfume but what about roll on?

I hope so, my arm pits were out in the open, damn it.

"Shall we?"

"Huh?" I asked looking up confused and noticed Gabriel was offering me his arm.

Ew

"Think of the money," I muttered to myself as I slipped my hand through his arm and let it hang, so gross I thought as he started walking.

At least he smelled good.

When we walked through the double doors I was not expecting the sudden influx of people and noise. You could barely hear a thing from outside the door but then you stepped inside and you were violated with loud classic music, chatter, laughing and all the chaos of waiters running up and down the place.

"I thought we were meeting you siblings?"

"We are," Gabriel said, sternly.

"Why is there a party?"

"It's always a party when they come."

He was walking fast, really fast that I was almost taking longer strides than I normally do to keep up with him. There were super closes missed because Gabriel would just walk without considering who was walking near us which meant I was a dangerous obstacle for everyone else who were carrying glasses with liquids right to the brim.

No wonder Gabriel needed a fake wife, or ex wife, he had zero mental capacity to care about someone else. I looked over my shoulder to see where Fern had disappeared to, wasn't he going to hang out with us?

I could see a group of people dressed in the distance, and I could recognise the familiar person that I loved to hate, his grandmother.

Athena of course looked stunning, she always did, she was in a long full sleeve black dress, with a white fur scarf. At least now I didn't feel so over dressed to what I thought was just dinner with the family.

I clearly needed to pay better attention.

Gabriel suddenly changed course of direction, I was expecting him to walk right up to them, instead he took a sharp right turn and I nearly lost my footing since i wasn't paying attention to where we were going.

Instead he ducked us both into a quiet corner, under a set of stairs.

"What are you doing?" I asked confused.

Gabriel turned to face me, my arm awkwardly still stuck through his but he hadn't noticed that, and neither did I once I saw how serious he looked.

"Just be careful, they'll ask you all the details about our relationship," Gabriel said, almost sighing. There was a strange look on his face, almost like he hadn't slept in a week, "Just don't answer anything. Leave the talking up to me."

"Oh 100%, I don't want to talk to them anyway, should I pretend I can't speak? Oh wait your annoying grandmother and I have shared some words."

"Just don't talk."

"Got it!" I nodded. 

Gabriel looked at me for a moment longer, maybe to make sure I really won't talk and grabbed my palm, interlocking our fingers and pulling me behind him.

Ew his hands were too big.