Sinfully Yours|18+

12

Celeste

The mansion had been buzzing like a beehive all day after all it was the Curella Devil’s birthday and by Curella Devil I mean Genevieve.

Yeah! That’s the name that fits perfectly.

From my room at the far end of the houseI could hear the music, the clinking of glasses, and the loud, confident laughter of people who had never worried about money or any problem.

I had a strict plan: stay in my room and avoid getting embarrassed by Curella cause she made it clear to me that she didn’t want to see me around

Not like I cared, to hell with her party.

I’d been hiding up here for hours reading a book trying to ignore the party downstairs.

But the noise was getting a bit too loud almost like it wasn’t an elderly woman’s party.

My stomach grumble has a hiss slip from my lips. It was past 10:30 PM and I was starving.

“Gosh Celeste” I groaned getting up and changing into my nicest hoodie to cover myself up and a pair of dark jeans.

I took a deep breath before opening my door and slipped out into the hallway.

The noise got louder as I went downstairs.

The foyer and the main living areas were packed with woman in sparkling dresses, men in sharp suits.

I kept my head down trying to be invisible and made a beeline for the kitchen planing on grabbing some food and sneak back up.

“Well well…Look who decided to join the living.”

The voice was like nails on a chalkboard.

Sweet but sharp making me freeze.

Genevieve.

She was standing with a small circle of women, all of them dressed like they were going to a royal ball. Genevieve was in a silver gown that clung to her like a second skin with a glittering necklace around her throat that probably cost more than my dad’s old car.

I forced myself to turn around. “Happy birthday,” I said my voice flat.

“Thank you darling,” she said her smile not reaching her eyes as she turned to her friends. “Ladies this is Celeste. She’s… staying with us for a while.”

The women looked me up and down.

Their smiles were polite but judgy as their eyes absorbed my simple clothes and worn-out sneakers.

“Oh how lovely,” one of them said her tone implying it was anything but.

“Yes,” Genevieve continued sipping her champagne. “As you know Jared is such a softie. Her father was an old friend who passed you see…. He left her with nothing, poor thing. Jared felt simply obligated to take her in. Out of pity of course. We’re just trying to help her get back on her feet.”

Every word was a deliberate cut.

She was painting me as a charity case in front of her friends…A pitiful orphan they had to tolerate.

My face burned but I kept my mouth shut knowing better than to speak.

Arguing with her here would just make a scene.

“Going to the kitchen? How perfect be a dear and take these with you.” She gestured to a small table nearby that held about a dozen empty champagne glasses. “The staff is swamped. Just pop them in the dishwasher for me would you? It’s the least you can do since you’re eating our food and living under our roof.”

It was a clear order, a humiliating one, a servant’s task.

Her friends watched their smiles turning smug.

I did as told and turned away without a word feeling their eyes on my back hear their muffled laughter as I walked away.

I wasn’t going to let her get to me tonight.

I walked to the kitchen the tray was heavy, the glasses clinking as I pushed through the swinging door into the kitchen.

My steps came to a halt as I saw them.

Ethan and a woman in a sleek red dres her hands in his hair as they made out the woman pulled back for a second, laughing, and the light from the ceiling caught her face.

Isabella.

Of course!

It had to be her.

My blood turned to ice, the tray in my hands wobbled.

Isabella’s eyes cold and blue shifted over Ethan’s shoulder and landed right on me and her laughter died replaced by a slow vicious smile.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” she purred not bothering to push Ethan away.

Ethan turned around.

When he saw me his expression went from annoyed to angry in a second. “What are you doing in here?” he snapped.

I just stood there holding the tray unable to move.

Seeing them together again in this kitchen in this house… it was like getting hit by the same train twice.

“I think she’s working the party,” Isabella said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. She looked at the tray of dirty glasses in my hands and smirked. “Aww… looks like you bagged yourself another job one that you still don’t deserve… you know your level is the kind that beg on the streets… it fits you better”

My jawline tightened, “for your information, I live here,” I said my voice surprisingly steady.

“You mooch here,” Ethan corrected his eyes hard. “There’s a difference.”

Isabella stepped away from him smoothing her dress.

She walked a little closer to me looking me up and down like I was something she’d scraped off her shoe. “You just don’t learn, do you? You followed him all the way to New York? To this house? What’s your plan? To leech off his family now that your own is gone? You’re pathetic..”

“I didn’t follow anyone,” I shot back my grip tightening on the tray. “And I’m not the that goes around stealing people’s man”

Ethan’s face flushed red. “Watch your mouth.”

“Why?” I asked, turning my glare on him. “You two made your feelings perfectly clear in Seattle. You’re rich, I’m poor. You’re classy, I’m not. You belong together. So what are you doing hiding in the kitchen and making out? Why don’t Ethan introduces you to his family or is he ashamed of you as well?”

Isabella’s smile faded. “You have a nasty little tongue for a charity case. You’re a gold digger, Celeste a f*****g leech. You latched onto Ethan until he got smart and now you’re trying to latch onto his family. I’m not sure why Mr Harlen took you in pretty sure he just piety you”

I was tired of being called a charity case but the last thing I’d do is show my emotions to this pathetic people.

“You know nothing about me,” I said my voice low. “And you know nothing about why I’m here but I’ll tell you one thing, I am not a leech. I work for my money and I don’t have to sleep with men or be with someone that is ashamed to show you off… a f*****g cheat and an asshole ”

Ethan took a threatening step forward. “You b***h! “ he snapped moving toward to hit me but I stopped him.

“Don’t you f*****g dare” I warned sending him a glare.

They aren’t worth it, blinking back my tears I spare them a last disgusting look before walking away.

My hands were shaking so badly I was afraid I’d drop the whole tray. I yanked the door open and shoved the glasses inside not caring if they broke.

I just needed them out of my hands.

I slammed the dishwasher door shut.

“This isn’t over,” Ethan said to my back.

I didn’t answer.

I pushed through the swinging door and back into the noise of the party.

I didn’t stop to get food my appetite was gone.

I just walked back to my room furiously feeling the tears hot in my eyes but I refused to let them fall.

I made it to my room and before I could close the door the last person I expected to see pushed through, walking ins