Ella

I looked at the woman sitting right in front of me. She was silent, the so-called representative and spokesperson of The Belly Beauty Awards had suddenly lost her speech.

I dropped my wine glass on the table we shared and spoke to her.

"You heard me right? Mrs??" I called.

Mrs Mia Soo shook herself off her self-exiled trance, she adjusted herself on the couch before she could even talk to me. She then gave me a smile which I did not understand at that point in time.

"I said how can my company win over all the best awards, how can Skin by Nature take home the awards of the most prestigious skin care brand in Washington, preferably the whole f**g world." I had lost my temper. Mrs Mia has to Know that I am not here to play.

"Oh I heard that, Mrs Ella." She said slowly catching her breath. "It just was not the kind of question I expected to hear." She muttered and I was profoundly irritated.

"Ohhh!!!" I replied with so much sacarsm. "But you asked me a few minutes ago to tell you what I really want!!"

"Yes Mrs Ella, I did say that, and you fell just right into my traps!!!"

"Does that mean you cannot help me??" I asked. "I thought you had the powers??"

"You are right Mrs, I do have the powers. Whatever reports I give to The Bella's Beauty Awards is what they would be working with."

"Really." I said looking excited. A light sparked in my heart.

"Yes Ma'am. I have to take into record the work ethics and also run some product testing on real individuals....all these reports are compiled and sent to the chairman of The Bella's Beauty Awards. The list of companies are then graded in points. The company with the highest point wins."

"Ohh.." I thought to myself. "Mrs Mia, I can do anything just to grab an award. It's going to do well for the reputation and growth of Skin by Nature.... what must I do Ma to win your favor."

"Nothing Mrs, I can not be won. In fact, you have indeed lost some points for Skin by Nature for trying to bribe a representative of The Bella's Beauty Awards." She said, giving a coy and deceptive smile.

I narrowed my eyes. "You won't dare, Mrs."

"Is that a threat, Mrs??" She asked back.

I stood up from my couch and walked towards the window.

"I was married into the Russell family just last year." I started. "You can not imagine Mrs, the joy I felt to be choosen, loved and accepted by this family. A poor girl, a nobody Mrs. "I looked thoughtfully out the window.

"Mrs Mia Soo." I called.

"Yes Ma'am." She replied.

"Have you heard about the Russell family before??" I asked.

"We have alot." She replied dropping her wine glass.

"Then trust me, whatever you have heard is nothing compared to what I have seen!"

"Oh is that so?"

"Yes Ma'am."

"That family hides a secret that even I do not know about and I fear for my safety. Skin by Nature has recorded tremendous growth ever since I became first lady and that can only continue, it must. That is my only chance to be fully seen and recognized as a true Russell......it's only then I can learn their secrets."

"I see!!" I could hear behind me. Mrs Mia Soo had since stood up already.

"I am sorry I cannot help you, Mrs Ella." She uttered.

"How dare you??" I fired back. "You cannot defile me!!"

"I do not care who you are Ma'am but I cannot help you. You do not scare me Ella, I have met a lot of your kind. You might have found yourself in the midst of the rich and wealthy, but you do not have to forget your place in the corporate world."

Mia was now angry. She straightened up her dress and was about to walk out of the room.

I immediately came back to my senses.

"Mrs I'm so sorry." I uttered just in time before she left the room. "Please forgive my manners, I did not mean to threaten you." When I saw she was not moved with my feigned apology, I knew I had to act smart.

"Ohh Mia.." I said bursting out crying. I cried really heavily and watched at the corner of my eye for Mrs Mia's reactions. She was clearly taken aback and terrified, and I was so pleased.

"Mrs Ella, it's fine okay. You do not need to cry." She said.

She walked back to me, trying to console me.

"You do not know what it feels like to be married in such a huge family and feeling so out of place. Mia, I feel so out of place and if I do not prove myself to the Russell family I fear for my safety." I said still crying.

She had walked close to me and took me back to the couch, patting my back, so I could stop crying.

"It's okay Mrs. I do understand, but I still do not support going through crook means to prove yourself. If Skin by Nature deserves the award, then Skin by Nature will get it."

"This lady still does not get it." I thought to myself and all my acting had gone to waste.

"Thank you, Mrs Mia Soo." I said feeling defeated.

"No thank you, Mrs Ella for telling me about your problems."

I rolled my eyes at her statement.



***

JACKIE

Today at work was the peak of it all.

For the past weeks, we at Skin by Nature have been going through severe stress, and it's all for this Bella Beauty Awards. Around this time of the year, beauty companies always fight tooth and nail to grab an award at BBAs. It's like a Grammy or an Oscar for beauty companies, skincare, haircare and make-ups alike.

The fights to grab an award are usually bloody but, of course, not literally.

"Jackie baby welcome."

"June!! Oh, June! How are you doing..."

"I'm fine obviously."

"Wait, hold on a minute. How did you get into my house." I asked, shocked. June was my cousin and second-best friend. I just got back from work and met her on my bedroom eating pie.

"June!!!"

"Oh stop being so dramatic." She said. "Your door was unlocked, so I let myself in."

"Wait, what?? No freaking way!! I always lock my doors.

"But you didn't this time." She said munching greedily on the pie.

"Wait is that??"

"Oh yes it is Jackie!!" She said, rolling her eyes, still munching at my evening snack.

"And how did you get that??"

"Well, it was sitting beautifully in the microwave oven so I had to help myself." She said.

"That was supposed to be my evening snack girl."

"I'm sorry." She said but she did not look sorry.

"I know you always have lots of snacks, evening snacks more, so that was why I decided to help myself to just this one hoping you would not notice." She said, gulping down my pie with a huge bottle of soda.

"Oh I took this too, from the freezer." She said showing me the almost empty soda bottle.

I just stood there wide-eyed. I wanted to fight. I did not know who was the most annoying person in my life between June or Jill.

I flung myself onto my bed and breathed in heavily.

June looked at my side-eye, gulping the last drop of soda.

"You look stressed, sis."

"I am stressed."

"Work or something else?" She asked.

"Work and something else."

"Do you want to share?"

"Maybe," I said sitting up. "I don't know June, a lot of things have been happening at work lately. Ever since Mrs Ella became first lady the work load has been unbearable. The Bella Beauty Awards just made things worse."

"Really?" Called June. She was looking really serious, a frown was on her face. "But really Ella?? What exactly got into her??" She asked.

"I'm not so sure. I think it's just the craze of being the CEOs wife!"

"I must say I am really disappointed," June said.

"You can say that again June." June knew Ella. We all grew up in this small town at Washington.

Ella always paid me visits in the past, and she would meet my cousin's sister June.

"Ella really changed a lot and turned her back on her friends."

"Yea, it's crazy."

There was silence for a moment.

"But these awards, are the preparations that serious?" June asked thoughtfully.

"Oh yes it is. It has truly been a crazy ride. If we do not win, I don't know what our fate is going to be like."

"Hmm, it's fine dear. Let me make you dinner since I ate your pie." June said.

"Awwnn you are such a darling."

"You can say that again and don't you worry about work, you see this whole craze with Mrs Ella....is going to die down soon." She said, walking away.

"I hope so June. I just hope so...."