Diane's Disenchantment

By A.W.Parker

Nice is not free.

We are nice to those who earn it.

I have done everything perfectly, so now it's time for me to be rewarded.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.W.Parker
• Release date: Nov 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988601906

Book preview

Author's Note

Let me start by saying that this is not a romance.

There is no happily ever after here.

We love to hate the villain,

but what if things are not the way they seem?

This is Diane's backstory. Is she really a villain, or is she just misunderstood? You will have to read and decide for yourself.

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Chapter One

The Meek

The shouting woke me up. It always did. The marble floor was ice cold beneath my feet as I tiptoed quietly down the hall. The library door was open just enough for a sliver of light to cut across the shadowed hall where I stood, heart pounding in my chest.

Quiet as a mouse, I inch forward until I can make out the outline of Daddy standing by the fireplace, glowing with delicious heat that doesn't reach my hiding place.

Though I can't make out where Mother is, I can hear her voice, a combination of bored and irritated. Oh, Steven! Really! What is the big deal?

The big deal is that she is only nine years old, Moira! I don't want my nine-year-old daughter traveling to the city, going God knows where with her irresponsible cousin. A teen cousin, I might add! You know that girl draws trouble like a magnet. No! No more arguing. That is my final answer!

My mother finally comes into view. She must have been sitting on the couch, out of my line of sight, all this time. Her long hair is loose and hangs down, covering her breasts from view in her sheer nightgown, the edges gliding on the polished floor. With the soft light, it looks like she is floating across the room before reaching for Daddy. It's all over now, I think triumphantly. He will never be able to tell her no. He never does.

Mother tells me secrets. She says we share a bond, and others are not special enough to understand it. She explained that there are different kinds of people, and most are okay, but we must be careful of the Meek. They are the worst.

Mother says being meek is the same as being wishy-washy or spineless, and people like that can't be trusted because they will not stand by you when you need them.

She also told me that Daddy is like that. Once, she even apologized to me for letting him be my Daddy, saying she wouldn't have had she known how weak his character was in advance. She said that I deserved better.

I don't agree with her, but I keep that to myself. Mother is scary when she gets angry, and knowing that I love my Daddy would surely make her angry. When she starts one of her long, long talks about how worthless Daddy is, I think about my dance class or music lessons, or I imagine counting brush strokes on my favorite pony Snowdrop. Sometimes I have to do all of them and come up with more if she is extra upset.

First of all, Steven, Serena is not a child; she's nineteen and has been going alone to the city for ages. It's not like she'll be taking Aideen out clubbing. Goodness, you can be so dramatic! They will most likely shop all day, get their nails done, and then eat junk food in the hotel. If it makes you feel better, I will book all the reservations myself so you know exactly where they are.

The whole time that she is talking, Mother touches Daddy's arm and gives him the eyes. I have to hold in my giggle. He is never able to resist the eyes. Mother says that is Daddy's weakness. I am so excited! I can't wait to go with Serena and do all the things that Mother will book for us!

Mother lowers her voice, and Daddy softly argues for a few more minutes, but it's all over. He finally gives in, and Mother pecks him on the cheek before gliding toward the doorway. Just before passing my spot in the shadow of the door, she stops. Caressing one side of my face, she whispers, See, I told you Mother would take care of it. Such a beautiful girl. Too bad you have your Daddy's eyes. With a dismissive shrug, she continues down the darkened hall.

I head back to my room, much too excited to sleep. Tomorrow I get to go with Serena, and it's going to be a great trip!

THIS TRIP IS NOT GREAT.

I thought going to the city would be so exciting, but so far, it sucks. It didn't start off like that, though. Mother's driver dropped us off in front of the hotel, and we checked in all by ourselves and took the glass elevator up to our suite. Serena said we would eat first and then go shopping.

After eating, we walked around for a few hours going from store to store, but every time I picked out anything I liked, she would scrunch up her nose and say no. 'That dress is not your color' or, 'Oh! You don't want that!'; on and on all afternoon. Finally, I gave up and just followed her around like a puppy, carrying my share of her bags.

Late in the afternoon, Serena was finally done when we couldn't carry any more packages, and I thought we would get our nails done as Mother had promised, but no. I asked her if we could at least go to the pool in the hotel, and she said no, she had better plans.

The better plans ended up being us back in the hotel room with her glued to her telephone until her friends started arriving. One of the girls asked her why she had me here. Oh, she's the Golden Goose. Daddy's little precious here comes with an unlimited credit card. They high-fived and asked everyone what they wanted from room service. The music got louder, and I got shoved into this room.

The music was so loud that I couldn't hear my program, and Serena warned me that I shouldn't leave the room, no matter what! She said I should lock the door and only open it if she did the secret knock, but that was hours ago, and I'm bored and hungry.

I unlock the door, crack it open, and cough as the smokey air seeps in. I don't see Serena, but it's hard to see anything with the low light and cloudy air. There are a bunch of people that I don't know all around. Some are drinking and laughing, and two girls are dancing and kissing.

I spot Serena, duck out of the room, and hurry to where she is. About halfway there, she notices me, rushes over,