It all started off well enough. I was excited to have Jane as my stepmother and she even tried to include me in her and Amy’s nail appointments. But as time went on, they grew closer and shut me out completely. My dad tried to reassure me, saying that maybe Amy just needed some extra time with her mom. I learned to accept this, realizing that even though Jane called me her daughter, I would never truly be treated as such.
Then prom season arrived, and it quickly became the most anticipated event on the social calendar. I couldn’t deny my excitement, especially since Mason and I were finally dating. I knew it was going to be a magical day. While my dad offered to buy my dream dress, I decided I wanted to earn it on my own. I took extra shifts at the diner where I worked and even started babysitting to save up enough money. Finally, I had enough to purchase my dream dress.
My dad drove me to the store and proudly watched as I tried on the dress. When I emerged from the dressing room, his face lit up with joy. “Oh, Elsa,” he said, beaming. “You look absolutely beautiful.” His approval meant the world to me. As we approached the cashier to pay, he asked if I was sure about paying for it myself. Without hesitation, I declined his offer and insisted on covering the cost.
“But you can buy me a waffle,” I added playfully. Little did I know, my dream dress was about to be destroyed. Hours later, after finishing my shift at the diner, I returned home to find Amy and Jane in the living room, using pieces of my dress to wipe my grandmother’s silver teapot. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and let out a horrified shriek.
Jane looked at me with a concerned expression, oblivious to the pain she had caused. “Honey, what’s wrong?” she asked innocently.
“That’s my dress!” I managed to utter through choked sobs. I picked up a torn piece of fabric, anger and confusion welling up inside me.
“Oh!” Jane exclaimed, feigning surprise. “You were planning to wear this to prom?”
“You did this?” I asked, struggling to catch my breath. The reality of the situation was sinking in.
Jane smirked and admitted, “Well, yes, but I thought it was just some secondhand dress. It didn’t look like something for prom. So, I decided to repurpose it for polishing the silver and cleaning the windows.”
Unable to contain my emotions any longer, I burst into tears, with the tears falling onto my ruined clothes. I could hear my dad’s heavy footsteps approaching from somewhere in the house, but Jane remained oblivious to his presence. She approached me, trying to offer some comfort.
“Now, now, Elsa,” she said with false sympathy.
Little did she know that her actions had shattered my dreams and left me feeling betrayed.
