Cruella x Reader Oneshot Collection (GXG)

Deceived By The Mask - Part 4

I walked into work the next morning, again feeling unusually happy. My mind continued to to re-live the night before over and over again. I had to keep reminding myself that it was actually real, that I had actually been on a date with Cruella. She excited and intrigued me like no other person I had ever met before. Yet there still seemed to be a strange sense of familiarity and comfort beneath all her mystery and charisma that made me feel at ease with her almost immediately. It felt as if our connection was almost magnetic, as if it was supposed to be. When I was with her it felt as if I already knew her and I really couldn't understand why that was. All I knew was that I couldn't wait to see her again, to allow myself to fall under her spell again and to find out more about her.

As I pulled my thoughts back to reality I noticed the Baroness standing at the top of the dreaded green staircase, her cold intense stare looming over the room. The whole room filled with dread as we all stood waiting for what she was going to say.

"This hideous Cruella woman has seemingly made it her intention to destroy me. She has crashed my ball, kidnapped my dogs and now she is trying to ruin the name of the House of Baroness. Well I will not let it happen. You are all to work your hardest on my latest collection, which needs to be the best we have ever done. And if I find out any of you so much as know a single detail about this Cruella, you will be instantly fired. Do you understand?" She commanded.

As the thunderous boom of her voice stilled, the rest of my colleagues and I all let out a quiet and nervous "Yes Baroness."

Suddenly all the excitement and anticipation I felt previously that day turned to fear and anxiety. As those words left the Baronesses mouth, I knew I was at risk of losing everything. If the Baroness were to find out about me associating with Cruella, I'd lose my job. Feeling uneasy about the whole thing I dropped my eyes back to my desk and carried on sketching out a new design to distract myself. Hoping that this time my design would finally be chosen for the Baronesses next signature piece.

Despite trying my hardest to concentrate on my work, I was still kicking myself about the night before. How had I been so stupid and allowed myself to get in to such a messy situation? I should have known fraternising with the Baronesses competition was off limits, especially after the ball. Yet I still went to meet her, and worse than that, I kissed her; and despite knowing that it was wrong and forbidden, the second our lips touched everything felt right. Even thinking about her made all rationality and logic leave me, my mind just filling with my limitless desire to be with her once more. As lunchtime arrived I decided to go for a walk to clear my mind.

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As I returned to work after lunch I saw Estella waiting at my desk with a proud grin on her face. I had no idea what she could have possibly wanted from me. I hadn't exactly been the most talkative that morning, so seeing her there with a smile on her face waiting for me unsettled and confused me. I took in a deep breath and prepared myself for whatever Estella had to say to me.

"I have good news!" She exclaimed excitedly. "The Baroness has picked my design for her new signature piece!"

"Oh – " I replied hesitantly feeling a little disheartened. I had desperately wanted my design to be picked for her signature piece – my job quite literally depended on it. It had been months since the Baroness had so much as even looked at one of my designs, let alone chosen one for her collection. I knew that I was already on the Baronesses bad side, and not being able to prove myself to her only made my position working for her more unstable.

"Aren't you happy for me?" Estella added confused by my response.

"Sure." Without so much as even looking in her general direction I walked past her and sat myself down in my chair at my desk, looking down in shame at my incomplete design in the sketchbook that lay open. I felt utterly defeated, and if I was being honest with myself, I was jealous that yet again Estella was the one getting all the Baronesses recognition.