Prologue ✔
Joslin's POV
Just smile. That’s all you have to do.
Smile, and everything will be fine.
“Joslin! You’ve gotten so big! It’s been ages since I last saw you!” An overly cheerful voice cut through the chatter of the crowded room. I turned slightly, already recognizing the voice as belonging to Anna Marshall, an old friend of my parents.
Most of the people here were.
I forced a broad smile onto my face, the kind that made my cheeks ache, and turned to meet her gaze with an equally cheerful tone. “Hey, Anna! It’s so good to see you. How have you been?”
“Oh, absolutely fantastic! I swear, turning forty has been the best thing to happen in all my years. Henry and I have been traveling nonstop, and our relationship couldn’t be better.”
I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Henry? Weren’t you married to Frank?”
Her laugh was loud and a bit too forced. “Divorced! Found him in the garden with our gardener, and not exactly tending to the roses, if you catch my drift. But, hey, everything happens for a reason, right? Henry and I couldn’t be happier now.”
I blinked, trying to process the sudden onslaught of information. “Oh. Wow.”
She waved a hand dismissively, her jewelry clinking with the movement. “Enough about me. What about you? How’s school going? You’re a senior this year, right?”
I nodded, my smile growing even more strained. “Yeah, senior year. It’s going... great.”
She leaned in closer, as if sharing a secret. “You’re keeping those grades up, I hope? You’ll need them if you want a shot at Harvard.”
“Excuse me?” I managed, my confusion evident.
“Law school, dear. That’s what your parents told me. They said you’ve got your heart set on Harvard.”
Before I could respond, my mother’s voice cut in from behind me, smooth and authoritative. “That’s exactly right, Miss Marshall.”
I felt her presence beside me before I even turned to look. She placed a hand on my shoulder, her grip gentle but firm. “Joslin is following in the family tradition, just like everyone else has done. She’ll be attending law school, and I have no doubt she’ll be brilliant at it.”
I stayed silent, knowing that anything I said would only make things worse.
“I’m going to find Dad,” I muttered, excusing myself as politely as I could. “It was nice seeing you again, Miss Marshall.”
“You too, dear!” she called after me, but I was already slipping away.
I weaved through the throng of guests, searching for my father. His presence was slightly more tolerable than my mother’s, and I needed to find him before I completely lost my composure. After a few moments, I spotted him across the room, surrounded by a group of men in suits, likely his colleagues from work. They were laughing, glasses of scotch in hand, probably discussing business.
Not wanting to interrupt or return to the stifling presence of my mother, I made a quick decision. I slipped away, heading upstairs to the sanctuary of my room. The further I got from the noise and chatter, the lighter I felt.
When I reached my room, I quietly closed the door and locked it, shutting myself off from the world. Or more accurately, from my parents.
Kicking off the heels that had been torturing my feet all evening, I sighed in relief. The shoes had been a gift from my mother, specially purchased for this event. I wasn’t a fan of them or any heels for that matter. They pinched my toes and made my calves ache, but I knew better than to complain.
I crossed the room to my bathroom and turned on the sink. The cold water splashed against my face as I washed off the layers of makeup my mother had insisted I wear. The foundation, the mascara, the lipstick—they all melted away, leaving me with a bare, slightly reddened face. I stared at my reflection for a moment, feeling more like myself with each passing second.
After drying my face, I stepped back into my bedroom and changed into something more comfortable: a pair of gray sweatpants and a matching crop top. The soft fabric was a stark contrast to the stiff, formal dress I’d been wearing, and I felt a weight lift off my shoulders.
I collapsed onto my bed, sinking into the plush pillows. Finally, I was away from those people. People I didn’t even know, but whom my parents wanted me to impress. People who represented everything I was supposed to be, but nothing I actually wanted.
But what choice did I have? In this world, in my family, my path was already laid out for me.
Just smile and wave, right? Smile and wave.
With one final sigh, I reached over to my bedside table and flicked off the lamp. Darkness enveloped the room, and I rolled onto my side, closing my eyes as I welcomed the peace that came with sleep.
In the quiet, my muscles finally relaxed, the knot of anxiety in my stomach unraveled, and everything became...
Peaceful.
*Edited*
