Page 65 of Swamp Princess

“Apparently, she's nothing but a two bit whore. She is on drugs and she doesn't care for my daughter the way I told her to. I was sending her money, so my daughter could have everything she ever wanted in this world and yet, my daughter lives in a broke down trailer in the swamps.” He slams his fist down on the desk in front of him, and I see the muscles in his jaw working. “She should have given me my daughter.”

“Why do you think she didn't?” This was information that I was dying to know and at this moment, it looks like he's willing to talk about it.

“My father said that she was going to fight me for both of you and that she just wanted to keep our daughter since she was a woman and would be able to raise her better. My father told me that if I were to go back to her and ask her, she would do something to harm our daughter. So, in case she was that crazy, I stayed away under the terms that I would give her money to help raise her until she reached her teenage years.”

“If I'm correct, Brinley is sixteen, right?”

“Yes, but she went back on her word and my daughter never knew about me.” I watch his fist flax as he releases the fist that he was holding, and stretches out his long fingers. Since I've never been able to get close to my sister, I wonder how closely she resembles our father.

I know that I am a copy and paste with him. Our olive skin and dark hair is identical though, nowadays, his has some graying along the edges of where his ears are. We both tower over six foot and we both maintain a good physique.

Father dismisses me, and the only thing that I can think about is the fact that I'm finally going to meet my sister. I'm excited but I also feel a little bit selfish. Meeting her means that we are going to bring her into this world even deeper, and where I should feel some type of remorse, I don't. I'm selfish and I want all my siblings to be with me, and she was the final piece.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Christmas is right around the corner which means the ball and break. I don’t know if I am looking forward to the break or not. Blaise is not talking to me, so our normal holiday celebration will not be happening. KG, Rem, and Loyal have made my life here in Skystead miserable.

I have to endure slut shaming every day, and I’m half terrified to eat in the cafeteria. I have had gum put in my hair, people have spit in my food. I hate it, and yet, when I tell the teachers, they act like I am lying.

This school is all about the elites and the more I am here, the more the realization hits me. I hate every minute of being in school. My classes are one thing I feel like I'm learning a lot more than I would if I was back in the swamps. The education here holds a higher standard, which is why it leads to better colleges accepting applications if I graduate from here.

Ballroom dancing class has increased, and we have been doing nothing but the different waltzes that we'll be performing. From what I'm told, it's a fancy dinner where people from the school are generous and offer donations that will be presented and awarded.

They will have our presentation highlighting what we've done so far through our year with pictures from the yearbook committee, which I didn't even know we had until just recently. After the waltz, the floor will be open to the board members and their family to dance with the students. After that is over, the presentation will happen where everybody gets to see what the school has done with the board members’ money.

When I asked if I would be allowed to leave, I was told that it's part of our grade and we have to stay the entire time. We also have to accept any dance requests from any of the board members or their family.

After my talk with Diego, I've been more nervous that my father was going to show up. I don't know why I have the feeling that I do, but I just think things are going to go sideways during the Christmas ball. Haven has been begging me to go shopping with her and finally, I told her that I would go today.

I don't have much money, so I told her that I would have to go shopping at a second-hand store, but she told me to think of this as her Christmas gift, and that she was going to buy me my dress. I'm very reluctant to accept it, but she begged me and told me she had no idea what to get me, and that this would be the perfect opportunity for her to give her best friend the best Christmas gift ever, which means now, I gotta’ figure out how I'm going to give her a gift.

The store that I'm meeting her at is further into North Warren than I’ve ever been. It took a moment for me to find the store, but as I'm walking up to it, I can already see that this is one of the pricier stores that I've ever stepped foot in.

When I walk into the building, the little chime lets the sales associates know that I’m here in the building, and a woman with blonde hair and a tight skirt suit comes to the front with a smile on her face until she sees me.

“I'm sorry, dear, are you lost?” The question doesn't surprise me. I don't exactly look like I belong here, which I actually don't, but it still raises my hackles.

“No, actually, I'm meeting somebody here. She should be here soon.” Haven wanted me to go with her to her house so she could talk to her parents before coming here, but as soon as I found out that her brother was going to be there, I vetoed it. There was no way that I was going to be stuck in a house with Remington.

“Well, I think you should wait outside so you don't touch anything.” She crosses her arms over her chest. Anne raises her nose in the air like she's much better than me even though she's the sales associate here and not running her own company.

“Actually, I think I'll wait in here because I am going to be buying something and I would like to look before my friend gets here.” I try to keep a brave face and she steps closer to me. She lowers her voice so only the two of us can hear what she's about to say to me.

“Are you really the one that's going to be buying the dress? Please don't kid yourself, dear. I can smell a swamp rat from a mile away, and you most definitely are from across the tracks.” When I don't say anything, she nods her head and motions to the door again. “That's what I thought. You can wait out there.”

Before I can get all the way outside, Haven enters and looks at me with excitement in her eyes. “Brinley, you made it. I'm so happy you actually decided to come. I was a little worried that you would back out.”

I run a hand through my long hair and sigh. “Actually, I don't think I really want to do this, I'm sorry, but I don't want to give business to these types of people no matter how beautiful the dresses are.”

Confusion filters across her face and she looks at the sales associate who now has a smile on her face behind me. “What do you mean? What happened?”

Turning to face the woman who just asked me to leave, I recount to Haven what the woman said to me. I watched the woman's face get redder and redder as Haven’s gets angrier and angrier.

“You bitch!” She snaps at the woman who spoke to me like I was worse than the insect underneath her shoe. “You're right, I don't think this place deserves the money that I was about to blow here. We can find a better establishment with better people.”

The woman steps forward, intent on trying to save a sale and reaches a hand out to Haven. “Please, I had no idea that she was with you. You have to understand that the type of people she is, they come in here all the time, intent on wasting our time and never actually spend any money.”

“She told you she was going to spend money and you decided that you would judge her based on her looks, and possibly, even the knowledge of where she came from. You told her to leave your store and wait outside like she would contaminate your dresses. I'm going to make sure my father knows about the treatment I had here today, and I'm also going to tell my friends not to shop here. I know you know who I am, and my influence reaches far beyond yours and your pretty dresses.”

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