Backup Dress I

Amelia jumped back in shock. With a white dress like that, the cold splash of alcohol left a jarringly obvious stain right on the front. Kelsie's glass was now half empty, and she held a hand against her lips in surprise.

"Oh no!" she cried. "Your dress is ruined!"

She turned to Caleb and playfully swatted his chest. 

"You should've been more careful," she said. "That toast was a little too rough."

"My apologies, sweetheart," he said to her, combing a strand of hair away from her face. "Let's get you a new drink."

"What about Amelia's dress?" Kelsie asked, fluttering her eyelashes. There seemed to be small beads of tears already appearing in her eyes as though she was the victim.

"This dress is long overdue," Caleb said, sneering as he eyed Amelia up and down with disgust. "You've done her a favor, Kelsie. She ought to get rid of this anyway. It belongs in the trash heap."

Amelia clenched her fists tightly, chewing on her bottom lip to suppress her boiling anger. It seemed like Caleb recognized this dress.

She couldn't make a scene, especially not when she was here for work and not for play. This wasn't the neighborhood supermarket, and one wrong thing said or move made could create irreparable damages.

 It didn't matter if her reputation was ruined, but she couldn't risk bringing harm to Matteo. If he fired her, she would have nowhere to go. 

Thus, there wasn't much Amelia could do but hold her tongue, watching as Caleb and Kelsie walked away, a bounce in their steps as they went and got themselves new refreshments. Their bodies disappeared into the crowd, leaving Amelia to bake in the embarrassment alone.

Even after they left, no one bothered to lend a helping hand. They didn't even dare to meet her eyes, as though the wine spilled on her dress was a contagious disease.

Amelia sighed, quickly making her way to a bathroom that was tucked in a hidden corner. It might not do much, but she was hoping some water and soap could still wash off the stain. She didn't have enough money to consign this dress to the trash, despite all the negative memories associated with it.

"What happened to your dress?" Matteo's voice caused Amelia to swivel around in surprise. She had almost forgotten that Matteo had gone to the restroom.

"Wine spilled on it," Amelia said, trying for a casual shrug but not quite managing it. "I'm going to wash it off now." 

But just as she tried to squeeze past him to get to the Ladies', Matteo gripped her arm tightly, stopping her in her tracks. 

"You're not telling me everything. Who spilled it on you?"

"That's not important," Amelia said, shaking her head."I need to wash it off now before it stains for good. Please excuse me."

"It's important to me," Matteo said, tightening his grip, his fingers a brand on her arm. Amelia stared into his tempestuous blue eyes, the very shade of an ocean in a thunderstorm, anger flashing in his irises. 

For a moment, Amelia's mouth ran dry. Matteo almost seemed like he was enraged on her behalf, and she felt her tongue loosen― she wanted to let him know what happened, so he could help her get even.

But then past experiences from school reared their ugly heads, and she felt her tongue stick to the back of her throat. There was no guarantee that Matteo would be on her side, no matter how nice he was to her as a boss. She had only known him for a week, while he, Caleb, and Kelsie ran in the same circles. 

So what if she had told him that Caleb and Kelsie had splashed wine on her? If it came down to it, they would simply claim that it was an accident― that they were simply overenthusiastic in toasting her and that they underestimated their own strength. 

And it wasn't as though Amelia could count on eyewitnesses to back her up. Anyone who spotted her humiliation wouldn't speak up, for fear of being next on their list. Years of being picked on in school by the popular girls meant that she knew all too well how bullies worked. 

In the end, it would come down to her word against theirs. 

Besides, Caleb had said something about Matteo bringing entertainment over. She was just a joke to him, to all of them. 

"Let go of me, Mr. Montgomery, or I'll start screaming," Amelia said, blinking back tears. She needed to go, right now, before she burst into tears.

"Scream all you want," Matteo said evenly, the barest trembling in his fingers. "I'll still be here until you tell me the truth." 

Amelia's body sagged, as though she was a puppet with her strings cut. "Is this a joke to you?" Her voice escaped in a breathless croak. "How could you bring me here just to humiliate me like this? You rich people are all the same! Cruel and heartless―" 

The first hint of confusion entered Matteo's eyes as Amelia began to wipe her eyes frantically, overcome with emotion as memories plagued her mind. 

"Amelia, I would never humiliate you," Matteo said, a furrow forming between his eyebrows. He reached out and placed his hand gingerly on her shoulder as if she was a glass vase prone to shattering at one rough touch.

"Oh yeah? Forgive me for not believing you," Amelia spat out bitterly, twisting away from his touch. With her eyes clouded with tears, she did not catch the faint look of hurt on Matteo's face. "I'm just going to go―"

"Wait!" Matteo said, sounding more panicked. "If you wish to wash your dress, I'll let you pass. But if you want to wear something else, I have an alternative outfit prepared for you."

"What?" It was now Amelia's turn to be confused. 

"Come with me," Matteo said, offering his hand out to her. Once again, Amelia was struck with a sense of déjà vu.