Page 1 of If the Shoe Fits

Chapter One

Ibit my tongue again, knowing that no matter what I said, my stepmother wouldn't listen. It didn't matter to her that this was the biggest event of the year, nor that everyone who was anyone would be there. The Queen was getting married after all, those kinds of events only happened once in a lifetime.

"We can get you the most beautiful custom design." My stepmother fussed with Rita's hair, drawing it over her shoulder and smoothing it down.

"Really, Mama?" she asked, almost jumping up and down in excitement.

I refrained from rolling my eyes. Rita was...I had no words. She wasn't like anyone I'd ever come across, but it wasn't really her fault. Her mother had married my father and been elevated to landed gentry. Even in the twenty-first century, that meant something.

"Really, darling. We can get you all the trimmings, everything to catch a Prince."

"It seems unlikely there'll be a Prince there," I blurted.

"Tss," my stepmother responded. "Of course, there will be, it's a royal wedding."

"And if you want to marry her off to someone three times her age, then you're probably on the money." My eyes hardened as I looked at the two of them.

"Be quiet, you little tramp!"

A small smile lifted the corners of my lips. It wasn't often my stepmother let her anger show. She was normally very calm and collected. Almost too calm and collected. Personally, I thought it was the Botox. It did funny things to anyone's face.

"You're going to have to accept the truth at some point," I muttered, turning away and making to go to my room.

"One more word, young lady...."

"And what?" I demanded, spinning on my heels. "You'll stop me from going to the wedding? You weren't going to let me go anyway."

Her lips pursed as she studied me, trying to work out how much effort I was worth. I met her gaze, refusing to give in to her. She wasn't worth my time.

She looked away first and pride welled up within me. Good.

"Don't push me, Sadie." The threat in her words should have been menacing, but I'd never known her follow through on it.

I didn't answer. I had nothing more to say to her. The only reason I was still in this house was because she held my trust fund to ransom and without it, I was dependent. Even with the scholarship I had to study music.

I could hear her doting on Rita still, but chose to ignore it. My step-sister wasn't a bad person, but she was definitely controlled and that made her my enemy and not a potential ally.

Not that it mattered. I didn't need to go to the wedding, even if I wanted to. The food would be divine, sure, but standing up on so much ceremony...not so much. The Queen might be young, but she'd shown with her coronation that she would abide by tradition over everyone else.

"Why are you looking so glum, Sades?"

I looked over at the outside wall where my best friend, Enrique was leaning and looking as fabulous, and as gay, as ever. Needless to say, Enrique wasn't his real name, but it was the one I used. I'd tried calling him Derek once and the look he gave me could have stopped traffic.

"The usual."

"What's she not letting you do now?"

"Go to the wedding," I replied.

"You could go anyway. It's not like you won't be on the guest list." He studied his immaculate nails, as if trying to find an imperfection that would ruin his image as a designer.

"Yes, I'll be on the guest list, but I'm already living in hell, I don't want to make that worse." I also had nothing to wear to an event like that and no money to change that. Or no spare money I should say.

Enrique raised an eyebrow. "Are you really saying you don't have anything to wear to me?"

"Just because you're a designer doesn't mean I should expect freebies," I pointed out. As much as I wanted one of his dresses, I'd pay for it when I got one. No way was I cheating my best friend out of hundreds of pounds. That was wrong on so many levels.

"Not a freebie. A gift."

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