In my dream, I wore my prom dress and when I went downstairs, I discovered my stepmother, Carol, standing in the living room dressed in the same the attire. She said it was in my best interest to support me but the sickening smile was like the indicators of a continuing wrath. What came about later in the prom just revealed her real motives and really altered everything between us forever.
You are familiar with that shooting feeling like something is too good to be true? That is how I ought to have felt about Carol originally. However, you are 14, and you need to believe in fairy tales when you miss your mother.
You wish to think that your dad might have found somebody who was able to love you as a genuine daughter.
I had been delusive.
Yet two years ago…
Dad plunged himself in work after my mom succumbed to cancer. I believe, it was his own way to face the grief.
There is where he interacted with Carol. She was his lawyer firm accountant.All right then, she was pretty. Blonde hair that was always so well done, that bright smile and of course this sweet voice which inspired everyone to trust her completely.
Dad explained to me one evening that she had a lot to go through too on takeout pizza. She was divorced by her ex-husband when she was attempting to bring up children. She is familiar with the loss of family.”
I wished I could be glad at his being happy. I did so.
Helping dad love us back was the least that we could do after all we had gone through. It extended to the extent that I even assisted him to select the ring when he proposed to Carol after 6 months of dating.
Do you mind this, honey? that is what he requested of me that night. I understand, but it is too fast, Carol makes me feel alive once again. And she is oh-so-wishin to be a good stepmother to you.”
I said, “and I am happy, dad, so long as she is making you happy.” And I did mean it.
The marriage was small. We would just be us, along with the sister of Carol and any of our family friends.Carol was so pretty in her white dress and dad just could not stop smiling. She even looked at me in the process of taking her vows.
Sister, Jocelyn,…I vow to love thee as my daughter. We are going to be very much a family!”
This was the day I cried happy tears. At last the situation improved.
During the initial months or so Carol did make an effort.
She would put my lunches in with little notes that read “Have a great day!” She assisted me and she even took me shopping when the time to go back to school came.
The girls together, she would say, and wink. We must hang together.
However, gradually the situation began to change.
At first it was those little things.
She would forget to cook me dinner when I had a late soccer practice. She would make a habit of putting my favorite sweater in the wrong wash and shrinking it by mistake.
When I told Dad these things Carol would feel hurt.
Oh, sweetheart, I still have so much to learn, she would say with wet eyes. I am striving so much to make a good mother of you. I suppose I am not such a perfect mom like your real mother used to be.”
Any time she would cry and complain dad would console her saying that she was doing well. And I would feel guilty at bringing it up.
Then people began to comment.
Say, Jocelyn, don that skirt seem a bit short to you to wear to school? she would tell on Dad. It is just that I am concerned about the implications you are making.
She would say, “That is nice, dear, when I would get enthusiastic over my chances of becoming a member of the varsity soccer team. Just bear in mind, that everyone cannot do everything well.”Her tones let me know I am little.
When Dad and I were laughing over something on a dinner table, Carol would come in to say, “aware you have some homework to do, Jocelyn? We can not allow your grades to get low, as you are enjoying yourself.”
Daddy would stare puzzled. And so Carol said, “She is only a kid.”
You know sweetheart. She requires organization. Boundaries. I am only looking out to her future.”
The most annoying thing was the way she would behave in absence of Dad. It had gone the charming voice and the smile of sympathy. Instead, she would roll her eyes when I speak and would sigh heavy whenever I requested something.
One day as I asked my mother, she replied to me, saying: your father spoiled you. You believe that it is all about yourself.
Carol would be aghast when I tried to tell dad about these things.
I did not say so! Jocelyn, why do you tell a thing like that?” She would stare at Dad with these injured eyes. I have never treated her otherwise but kind. Perhaps she is experiencing some difficulties in adapting to finding someone new in charge.”
Later on, dad would take me aside. And honey, I understand it is difficult. Carol loves you. There are other times because people are attempting to be helpful, it does not come out so well. Do your best to give her chance?”
Well, I just shut up. For Dad. Since he appeared to have rejoiced once again, and I did not need to become the person who drives him to change.
Carol was not through portraying her real character. By no means.
It was my senior prom this year and I was not going to leave it without succeeding. I had been collecting money my part-time job in the local coffee shop over the months.
I had a very clear idea of which dress to wear. I spotted it in a shop window when I was a teenager because I was 15 years old, and I dreamed of it ever since. Midnight blue floor length satin with an off shoulder neckline, which made me feel grown up and elegant. It was more expensive than anything I had ever purchased, and it was worth the entire penny of it.
On one morning as we were sitting down to breakfast, Dad said, “I can wait to see what you have chosen.” My small daughter will be very pretty.
Carol smiled closely. She is bound to be pretty.
Since I purchased the dress, it remained in the back of my wardrobe in the shopping bag.
I required those ideal film scenes whereby I would make my entry down the stairs as people will awe at my presence.
On the prom day, I was in a salon all in the morning curling my hair in soft curls. Personally, I would take my time as I put on my makeup back home.
It was my night out.At last I got squeezed in the dress, like a dream.
The midnight blue material pops out my eyes and the off shoulder features made me feel very elegant. I slipped on my heels, picked up my clutch and checked myself once more in the mirror.
Lovely I suppose.
I went up to the top of the stairs, and it was now my great time.“Dad! I’m ready!” I shouted.
As I began descending the stairs, I expected that there would be dad waiting with the camera. Rather, I paralyzed myself half-way down.
We were in our living room standing and I see Carol. In the same very dress.
identical mid night satin. Same off shoulder cut. Same everything. Otherwise simply that she was smiling like a lottery-winner.
“Oh, honey!” she said in that false-sweet voice which I had come to detest. “We match! Aren t that sweet? As mother and daughter in real life!”
Her father stood beside her with wide-opened eyes. He appeared as much surprised as I was.Then why… why do you put on that? I asked. “I mean—”
I simply figured it would be adorable! Carol interrupted me. You did not tell me which dress you chose, and I guessed. And see how I have got on! God! we taste the same.”
Guess? I thought. Yeah, right. You know she must have seen my dress.
Said Dad slowly, shrewdly, to Carol, “Isn’t that rather too much?”
And her sugary cover fell over a moment and I had glimpsed the Carol, the real Carol, underneath. Cold and hard-headed.
Well,” said she, “if I have to pay to enable her to live under this roof, I see I have a perfect right to dress as I please. That is not the reason because this is her special night more so than anyone.
Dad was not looking, so she turned and smirked to me. The same unemotional hideous smile that I had witnessed a hundred times now.
Then she leaned over and whispered so I could hear, but not some other person, “Never mind, sweetie. Well nobody is going to be inspecting you.”
I never will forget those words. This was painful. How would she make me appear like that?
I stared at Dad not hoping that he would say something. Yet he did not make any motion, but stood staring about, like a guilt-stricken person.Shall we go, I said. My date has arrived soon.
Prom was supposed to be enchanted and not even Carol could have held a candle to my intentions on destroying it, and I was going to enjoy myself. The person I went on the date with called Marcus was a perfect gentleman and my friends surrounded me as soon as I told them what happened to me.
Your step-mother is in your dress?” my good friend gasped Sarah. What has she got wrong with her?
That is all right, I said, trying to be more courageous than I was. We better just go out there and have a good time.
And we.The decorations were so pretty, the music was super and with a few hours, I almost forgot about the cruel words of Carol. Almost.
Half way through the night she appeared.
I simply wanted to take a couple of shots with my stepdaughter! she made proclaim very loudly to all whom she could hear. We are in the same dresses! Wasp not darling?”
She had also altered her hair to look like mine, and even filled in my make up. It was as what I saw was a deformed reflection of me.
Then everybody began to stare and to whisper. This was so shameful.Carol, wheres ye troupin? I said between my teeth.
I am there to help you, dear! Now then, there we will put that picture.”She held my arm, and dragged me to the photo booth section. However, on the heels, Carol was always so clumsy, and to-night was no exception.
When we crossed the dancing-floor her heel got fastened in the hem of her dress. Stumbling against it she made a half-hearted attempt to regain her equilibrium, but only succeeded in bumping the refreshment table.
All over the front of her copycat costume red punch splashed. She wavered, and cast about with her arms, struggling to recover her footing, and this was just what worsened the condition of things. She fell backwards into the ornament seas of flowers, roses and baby breath flying in all direction.
The whole senior school class ended their dancing and looked at Carol.
Good God! This exclamation Sarah shouted loudly so that all could hear. Why does she wear the dress of Jocelyn? And she even made attempts to imitate her hair!”
There was laughter in the crowd. There was somebody who began taking pictures. Somebody else shouted, “Creepy Carol!” and the name became stuck it at once.Carol started up.
it is all your fault! she hissed me. You floored me!
I had done nothing, I said to myself. You are to blame yourself.
She snatched her damp purse and ran out splashing flower petals on her way. There was the outbreak of applause.
The whole night other people came up to me and asked me whether I was alright and expressed their great sadness that my stepmother had attempted to upstage me. Carol had indirectly moved me to the center of positive attention at my prom instead of ruining it.
That evening I arrived home to find Carol waiting in the living room. She had on the dress, which was stained and her makeup was smeared up.
You slaved me! she has screamed as soon as I entered the door. You were behind this all!
And how did you plan what? I asked. You stumbling your own feet?
And there in the doorway Dad looked weary and puzzled. What is up?Carol indicated me in a dramatic manner. It is my own fault, my daughter had me set up! She was aware I should fall! She was out to make me feel ashamed!”
Now what did she say to me before the prom, Dad?
Said Carol, in the beginning, “Jocelyn, don’t–“
She said nobody was going to be paying any attention to me. She wore my dress to hurt me and when that was not enough, she went to prom so that everyone is aware that she was attempting to take away my moment.”
Even dad turned white. Then red. Then something which I had never before seen. Cold anger.That is it, Carol; isn it so? said her husband in a low tone.
I tried to just support her! I felt like it will be fun..!
You actually said to my daughter nobody will ever look at her? His voice was becoming louder. When one of the most important nights of her life, you attempted to humiliate her?”
That is my daughter, he went on. and you sought to drive out her confidence. This is something to be ashamed of yourself.”
Carol started to say something in argument, but Dad raised his hand.
Tomorrow we shall discuss this. Just now I believe you had better go upstairs.”Over the stairs, as Carol stomped up toward her room, Dad looked toward me with treary eyes.
I am bad, honey. I ought to have noticed this earlier. I ought to have guarded thee more against this.”
I embraced him. Dad, it is fine. It is not unusual that sometimes people just reveal their real colors when you can least imagine it.”
Later the following morning, Carol texted me.
I did not tell you this to make you hurt. I feel jealous, all right? You got it all that I ever wanted with your dad. You are youthfull, in love and full of confidence. I was minor. I’m sorry.”
I save the screenshot of the message and did not answer. Apologies have to be given after it is too late; there are things that can never be taken back.
But that evening I learned a good lesson. There are times when when the universe steps in and makes someone stumble over darkness when he or she tries to put out your light.
and sometimes, that is the kind of justice that is the most beautiful.
When you liked this story, here is another one, that you may like: They say, that grief comes in waves. However, nothing was worse than what I got when I discovered that the will that my father had left was completely exonerating me.
It was akin to betrayal… then an old dust-laden envelope found in his old work shop held the truth that I just had to unearth.
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