A knock on the door came a moment before the door swung open.
“Ready?” her dad asked.
Wringing her hands, she tried to give it one more shot. “You can’t tell them that I’m sick?”
The door came to a close as her father stepped into the room. “No. Get fucking used to the spotlight. Now come on.”
Feeling the impending doom in her stomach, she stood and adjusted her black dress that her mother had picked out with long sleeves to cover up the real horror show she was.
“Remember, none of that germaphobe bullshit. Suck it up and pretend to like it when they shake your hand. Do you understand me?”
Solemnly, she nodded.
“And try not to stutter,” he added harshly.
“Yes, Father.”
When Maxwell was satisfied, he opened the door for them to leave.
Walking through the house, she felt the bile in her stomach started to rise. The city liked to call it “the little white house,” but to her, it seemed like the opposite. Everything was so white, cold, and empty that it made her feel as if she were locked up in an insane asylum.
I am … and the people who were holding her hostage there certainly made her feel as if she would be classified as insane.
Hearing the commotion draw closer, she wanted to turn back. However, her father was a step behind her, watching her every move. She had no option except to face what was coming.
Reaching the room, she saw there were TV crews and cameras filling up the space. Again, if it weren’t for her father behind her, she couldn’t have made it to her place beside her mother.
The ceremony started within minutes. A man handed a Bible over to her mother, and she watched as her father placed his hand upon it.
“I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution and Laws of the State of Missouri, and the Laws and Ordinances of the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and that I will, to the best of my ability, faithfully perform the duties of the Office of Mayor in the City of Kansas City, Missouri, during my continuance therein.” Maxwell paused for just a moment. “So help me God.”
At that moment, Chloe tried her best to smile next to her parents as the cameras began flashing a mile a minute. The oath her father had just taken solidified the truth of what had happened to her never coming to the light. Maxwell had successfully achieved everything he had been working for to become the mayor of Kansas City, and it had come with a price.
The devil had come to make him pay in his daughter’s blood.
A small part of her hadn’t thought he could take the oath after what had happened that night, but she had been wrong. Maxwell had just swept it under the rug, and all of Kansas City would never know the devil himself resided there.
“Congratulations, Mr. Mayor.”
Another pit in her stomach began as the congratulatory handshakes started.
“Happy New Year, Mrs. Masters.”
She took a small step back. Please ignore me.
A hand extended out to her. “Happy New Year to you, too, Chloe.”
Staring at the manly hand extended to her, her mouth ran dry. She could feel her father’s harsh gaze on her.
She slightly lifted her hand before putting it back down. “I-I’m sorry. I’m a g-germaphobe.” She made sure to say it just loudly enough for people to hear so that it would spread by gossip, or if she were lucky, the newspaper. That way, she would never have to shake a hand ever again, and that was a win she needed, being the mayor’s daughter. The amount of places and events she was going to be forced to attend to shake the hands of strangers in the future was something she didn’t want to think about.
The room had gone silent at her words, and the focus had been drawn to her, scaring her shitless. The people around the room all looked as if they were examining the scars on her face and thinking one unison thought: freak.
She felt it then, the bile slowly creeping up her throat.
“Excuse m-me.”
Running out the room, she could hear her father explaining how she had been feeling under the weather. She could hear his unspoken words that were just for her, telling her that she should be afraid. Very, very afraid.
Managing to keep from vomiting, she went to her room as quickly as she could and locked the door behind her. Her breathing was heavy as she backed away from the door, wondering if she had made the right choice.
There was only one way to find out.
* * *
He took a swig of his beer and sat back in his chair, smiling at the TV screen. The sight of her brought back the feelings he’d had the last time he had seen her. He thought his work looked beautiful on her, and he felt satisfied that, every time she looked in the mirror … She sees me.
Laughing wickedly, he could tell, even though he was no longer physically hurting her, she was fucked up mentally.
“I told you it would just hurt worse, little girl.”
* * *
The loud banging on the door had her hiding under the covers.
“Unlock this goddamn door right now!”
Even though Maxwell had learned how to become a functioning alcoholic over the past few weeks, she could hear the drinks he had consumed tonight in his bellowing voice.
“You embarrassed the hell out of me and your mother tonight!”
Fear started to creep in as it went quiet. She had greatly underestimated her father’s wrath, and she just prayed she was going to survive.
Boom.
A body slammed into the door.
Chloe had been wrong.
Tears streamed down her face, caught upon her pillow that was now getting soaked.