Page 45 of Twins for the Secret Prince
“Eva, with respect, you have no idea what life is like for me. You’ve got no idea what it’s like growing up in a royal family.”
“Oh, poor Pieter. You really expect me to feel sorry for you? I think you need to give your head a shake!”
“No, I don’t expect you to feel sorry for me. I’m just saying you have no idea what it’s like being me.”
“I can’t imagine how hard it is going through life with everything handed to you. Being so privileged and entitled must be really, really terrible for you, Pieter.” Eva didn’t even try to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
“Itishard when all I want to do is live my life the way I want to, but my parents won’t let me.”
“Maybe they won’t let you because you were born into the royal family, which means you have certain responsibilities and obligations. Not to mention a ton of privileges.”
“It’s not fair, Eva. I didn’t ask to be born into my family. I’m not comfortable with all of the wealth and privilege. I’d rather earn my own living.”
Eva scoffed. “Are you listening to yourself? You’re whining about being a prince, for heaven’s sake! For living in a palace!”
Pieter looked desperately sad, like he was sorely disappointed in Eva for not being able to see where he was coming from. “That’s just it. I don’t want to live in a palace. It’s not the life I want.”
“Thisis the life you want instead? You expect me to believe that this beats living like a prince?”
He nodded his head. “This beats living like a prince any day. This is where I’m happy. This is where I can be my own person.”
Eva’s temper flared again. “You know what really makes me mad? For the past few weeks, I’ve been working so hard that I’ve basically run myself into the ground, all because I wanted to make sure I beat you to the promotion. Here I’ve been worried about beating you because you’re a man, but the truth is I’ll never beat you, Pieter. Who is going to promote me over aprince?”
“Eva, the better sergeant will win. They’re not just going to make me sergeant major because I’m a prince.”
“You just don’t know how the world really works, do you?”
“What does that mean?”
Eva threw her hands in the air. “It means you don’t even recognize your own privilege. You don’t even realize how disadvantaged everyone around you is byyouradvantage.”
“That’s not fair, Eva. You’re acting like I’ve got my head buried in the sand. I’m very aware of what has been handed to me in life, and I also know what I’ve worked hard to earn, off my own back.”
“No, Pieter,I’veworked hard to get where I am. You have no idea.”
“No one can ever really know how hard life is for someone else,” Pieter said. “That’s the point I’m trying to make, too.”
“Don’t patronize me. I don’t need you to mansplain this for me.”
“I didn’t mean to do that.”
“Let me make this very clear for you, Pieter. This is my point. You’re an entitled prick who’s been given everything he everwanted in life, but still has the nerve to complain that his parents are being mean.”
“Oh, Eva. I’m sorry you think that about me.” He shook his head.
“I also think you’re a liar. In fact, Iknowthat about you because of what I’ve found out here tonight.”
“I am very sorry about lying to you, Eva.”
“I’ll make this easy for you. I’m going to carry on acting professionally towards you because I’m not going to risk getting reprimanded again. But whatever this has been between us is over.Completelyover, Pieter. Do you understand me?”
He hung his head and nodded. “I understand.”
“Good. Good night, Pieter.”
“Good night, Eva.”
Eva held her head high as she strode out of his office. She’d barely taken two steps along the corridor before the tears came, flooding down her cheeks, dropping down onto the front of her uniform like raindrops.
