The Hidden Bride

"You should thank me for the dress. No one else would waste fabric on you," Maya's new mother spat as they descended the grand staircase.

The corset hugged her painfully, squeezing every breath from her chest. She had never worn anything like this in her life. The fabric shimmered, but it felt so hard to breathe. Music played around the ballroom and laughter filled the air.

The house was alive with people celebrating Mr. Sterling's birthday, her supposed father.

Maya's heels wobbled as she took another step down. She reached for the rail to steady herself, but her new mother hissed. "Don't touch anything. It's all worth more than your life."

Maya swallowed hard. She didn't want to be here. A few weeks ago, she had been living quietly in her small countryside house, far away from all this glittering cruelty. Then men in dark suits showed up, claiming her father lived here.

They made her take a DNA test which confirmed that Mr. Sterling was her biological father. And now, she was trapped in a world that clearly didn't want her.

As she reached the last step, the room began to notice her. Heads turned and whispers rose.

"That's her...the countryside girl they brought in," a woman murmured.

"She doesn't even look like she belongs here," another whispered behind a champagne glass.

Maya's eyes moved briefly toward one of the women whose heavy makeup made her look like the joker. A faint, bitter smile tugged at her lips before she looked away.

Another woman whispered, loud enough for Maya to hear, "They really brought her here? To this event? How humiliating."

Maya tried to ignore them, fixing her gaze on the grand decorations around.

Then came the click of heels against the floor. The crowd parted slightly as Nelly appeared. She looked dazzling and dangerous in that silk, red gown that accentuated her curves.

A group of equally mean-faced girls followed her, their laughter echoing through the hall.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Nelly said mockingly. "As you all know, she's my dad's illegitimate child." Her words were loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.

Maya froze, she didn't lift her head.

"I don't know what my dad was thinking," Nelly continued with a fake sigh, "but I guess when he was younger, he must have had an affair with one of those... lowlifes." She gestured toward Maya without even looking at her. "And this" she waved her hand dismissively "is the product."

One of the girls gasped dramatically. "Oh, Nelly, I'm so sorry, dear. You actually have to share your father with... her?" She leaned closer and whispered loudly, "A countryside girl."

Maya's jaw clenched.

Nelly scoffed, tossing her hair. "Share? Oh, please. I'm not sharing anything. Dad's just being charitable. Giving her a roof over her head. I'm pretty sure the one back home was leaking."

The girls laughed. Maya didn't. She just looked away, forcing herself to stay calm. Her chest burned, but she said nothing.

Then she inhaled softly, "Um, excuse me, I... I need to use the bathroom. Could someone please show me where it is?"

A few of the girls exchanged looks. "Oh, careful not to steal the soap, country girl," one of them snickered.

Another added, "Need me to show you how a faucet works?"

From the looks of things, none of them had any intention of helping her.

So Maya turned away silently, as she walked down the long, glittering hall. The mansion was enormous, she could get lost in here.

Then she spotted a woman in uniform carrying a tray.

"Um, excuse me," Maya said carefully, "are you... one of the staff here?"

The woman paused and nodded. "Yes, miss. I'm one of the chefs.

"Oh," Maya exhaled in relief.