Which brother should I choose
Slap of the reality

Ronda was standing outside of the partition.

She was trusting her hip to the counter of the lavatories and folded her arms in front of her. Looking as judgmental and disgusted as she was, before the Alonzo brothers had fixed her.

I knew that nothing good would come out of this confrontation, but I gritted my teeth and raised my chin as if nothing had happened, and I was not waiting for anything bad to come out from her wickedly plump and red lips. "So, Ms. Wonderland, finally we are alone," she said.

"Hello Ms. Meyers, I wasn't aware that you were willing to be alone with me." I said.

"You know, Ms. Wonderland, I hate people who play dumb."

"Good to know, luckily I am not that person." I said. Her blue eyes squinted with malice.

"Now, now, look at this little mouse. The moment you wore a pretty dress you thought that you were out of your misery, Cinderella, right? So, I guess it makes Anton your prince charming then?"

"I am no Cinderella, and I am not delusional to think that Mr. Alonzo is treating me specially just because he ordered, not asked, me to join him for an event."

Her brows raised a little with a small surprise. But the gesture left her face as fast as it came.

"Look ma'am, I just want to get away with this night and go to my bed for the sake of my poor feet. But, this doesn't mean that I will stay and listen while you are trying to insult me. If Mr. Alonzo is your boyfriend. Please go ahead and interrogate him for bringing me here tonight. I am a single person who can go out with anyone I like. I am neither responsible to you nor for working for you. Now, if you excuse me..."

I turned to the door and gestured to her to step aside. As soon as I took my first step towards the door, she shot out her arm in front of me and blocked my path.

"I don't know who you are and what you are after little mouse, but Anton is mine. He is in love with me even though he didn't realize the extent of his feelings. Now, when I am this close to finally having him, I won't let you or anyone wedge between us."

"If he is in love with you, then you have nothing to worry about," I replied. And suddenly, I was struck with a severe burning on my cheek. I held my face and looked at Ronda in disbelief. She had - slapped - me.

Ronda was smug with self-satisfaction, looking down at me.

"Don't forget this pain on your cheek, little mouse." She said with hatred dripping from every word.

"I am capable of causing you such pain that the feeling you have now would be nothing to compare. Even so, keep this as a reminder that I am Ronda Meyers and I can cause you pain in any means. I can crush you and all of your beloved ones under my heel. Don't provoke me!" She hissed with venom and without a second glance, she left the bathroom.

One hand cupped my face, the other holding the edge of the counter, I stood there and tried to make sense of all of the things. I have been humiliated in every way possible now. I looked at the reflection of myself in the mirror and inspected the now swollen - cheek of mine. I clearly saw the trace of five fingers of Ronda on my cheek. She must have used every bit of strength she has in her. Such hatred. I couldn't wrap my head around all of these things. I raised my head and sent a pointed look to the roof, where I assumed god, or higher self or whatever holy things in the universe would be and asked "Is there any way left to make me feel more miserable?" And I wasn't aware I could wish not to ask this and challenge the universe.

I touched my burning cheek and tried to cool it with some water, but to no avail. Then I heard my phone's buzzing in my bag. I took it out and saw Mr. Alonzo's message.

"Where have you gone? Come here right now!"

Patronizing as always. Even on one night, he claimed he took me to enjoy myself. I stuffed my phone into my small bag again and left the bathroom before someone else came in and saw my swollen face. I paid quick glances left and right, and after I made sure no one was looking, I sneaked out from the majestic hallway, by the double door opening to the garden.

As soon as I left the building and stepped out onto the crisp summer night, the summer breeze gently licked my burning cheek and finally something brought me some semblance of comfort for the first time tonight.

I slowly walked away from the building through the garden with ornate bushes and dressings and the voice of the crowd flooding from the ballroom had started fading away. With each step I took, I felt more relieved. If I could survive this evening without any other event, I could still count this as a win, but unfortunately, I wasn't even that lucky.

"Well, well, look who is here tonight. I guess you have a fondness for gardens?"

Daryl Sanders, tall as ever and more intimidated in the darkness, was standing before me.

"Sorry to bother, I am leaving right away." I said. Before I even had the chance to turn back, he grabbed my arm. I was surprised by the speed. One second he was standing before me, the next he was next to me and grabbing my arm. “Please release my arm.” I said in frustration. Oh god, sorry for challenging you. I knew now that this night could go way worse, so I silently wished my angels to end my misery tonight. "Where are you going so fast, Ms. Wonderland? To your precious Anton?"

"Mr.Sanders, please release my arm and let me go. It is not nice to hold a woman like that."

"What is it you are after, Ms. Wonderland? Money? I have plenty. As much as Anton, maybe more. Looks? I guess I am not sore in the eyes. Sweet words? Well, I am doubtful Anton even knows any. So, why don't you give me a try, ha?" "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Sanders, but I am neither interested in Mr. Alonzo nor you, and I am not after anything. I am just a standard assistant. I don't have any desire to tempt you either."

"Anything tempts Anton, tempts me! I saw how he looked at you and how he attacked me proves that he is interested in you. Besides, I cannot deny that you are attractive." he said with a vicious hunger and, to my disgust, he dug his nose into my neck and smelled me.

"Imm, you smell delicious. I can eat you all night." he said.

"She indeed smells delicious. Like apple pie and cinnamon."

I turned and saw Matt standing behind me. A sudden relief filled my chest. Thank you angels.

He held the hand of Daryl and forced him to release me.

"Tisk tisk, Daryl. You should know better than touching a woman without her consent." Suddenly, without warning, Matt twisted his hand backwards and I heard a snap of a joint.

Daryl Sanders cried in pain.

"Ahhh! You idiot! You broke my wrist!"

"No I didn't. I just sprained it. But don't force me to harm you beyond Daryl. You know what I am capable of."

Daryl cradled his hand in his other hand and looked at Matt with smoldering eyes.

"So you are after her as well. Not surprised Matt. Everything Anton likes tempts you as much as it tempts me."

"I am not after anything that Anton liked first, Daryl. Besides, she is not a prize to hold. Anyone who thinks she is a bird in the hand can only be disappointed." Matt turned to me and looked at the apple of my eyes with such intensity. Suddenly, I felt a heat rising from my neck till my face. It was even tenser than the pain of Ronda's slap. I thanked the darkness of the night for concealing my face.

"Come love, let's get going," he said. He gently pushed me towards the building.

When we reached the building, he took me through the kitchen inside the building and, instead of the ballroom, he took me to some kind of library with huge and tall bookcases and a heart in the middle of it with a couch and a swiveling chair before it. I was grateful that I didn't return to the crowd of the ballroom with all the feelings I experienced tonight and a stamp on my face. He made me sit on the leather couch, and he was about to sit next to me when he suddenly shouted a loud curse;

"What the fuck!"

I didn't understand what he was cursing at first, then he held my chin between his forefinger and thumb, then angled my face to examine the hand stamp of Ronda on my cheek. I shook his hold off my chin.

"Who did this to you? Was it Daryl? I should have broken his wrist." he said furiously.

"No it wasn't him."

"Who did this, Alice!"

"Not important."

"It is important to me, tell me love." he said the last part with such naïveness, after all the harshness of tonight, I couldn't help but want to cave in, this little comfort of him suggesting.

"It was Ronda. She thinks I am a danger for her shot with Mr. Anton."

"Damn brute. I would have made her taste her own medicine if it was not a woman. Sorry love, I shouldn't have brought her here tonight." He caressed my cheek delicately. Even though the touch of his palm hurt my cheek, I didn't complain. And tears started to fall down on their own account. He silently wiped my tears and didn't say any other word, and waited until I cried enough to ease the ache in my chest. I was grateful to him not trying to stop me from crying but letting me empty my load.

When my sobs were sparse and my tears went dry, he pulled me from my hand and made me stand up again.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"I say enough for a charity! Let's make an exit"