Keep your head down. Do not speak to the guests. And for heaven’s sake, do not tell anyone you are related to the bride. If the Jeffersons find out my oldest daughter is a lowincome civil servant who cannot even afford a decent car, they will cancel the wedding. Make yourself useful since you brought nothing of value to this family.
‘ I stood frozen in the middle of the bustling kitchen. Catering staff rushed past me, carrying trays of oysters and truffles. I looked at the stained apron in my hands, the sheer audacity of her demand, rendering me momentarily speechless. I was a Supreme Court justice. I handed down rulings that dictated the fate of multinational corporations.
Yet here, in my mother’s eyes, I was merely free labor to protect her fragile ego. I could have walked out right then. I could have dropped the apron, walked back to my car, and driven back to the city. But a lifetime of conditioning, of trying to keep the peace, and avoid a catastrophic public meltdown from my mother kept my feet planted on the tile floor.
I told myself it was just one night. One night of playing the obedient, invisible daughter, and then I could return to my real life. I silently tied the apron around my waist and stepped up to the massive industrial sink. The hot water scalded my hands as I began rinsing the fine china that the servers dumped beside me.
The sounds of laughter and celebration drifted in from the dining room, a stark contrast to the humid, suffocating heat of the kitchen. I scrubbed the plates mechanically, swallowing the bitter pill of my family’s relentless disrespect. About an hour into my unexpected shift, the kitchen door swung open with a violent thud.
I did not turn around, assuming it was another waiter bringing more dishes. But the heavy scent of expensive floral perfume told me exactly who had entered. Brittney strutdded into the kitchen. She looked radiant, practically dripping in diamonds, wearing a custom designer gown that Brenda had proudly announced cost $10,000.
She stopped right behind me. the rustling of her silk skirts loud even over the running water. ‘Look at you.’ Brittany laughed a sharp, cruel sound that bounced off the stainless steel walls. ‘Mom said she put you to work, but I had to see it to believe it. You actually look like you belong back here.
