A bigger man wearing a fancy suit fixes his dark rimmed glasses as he walks by the stage. I almost completely didn’t recognize Ted Silvers, the social worker who told me about Cain’s offer, starting everything for me at Ryland. Mr. Silvers smiles at me as he passes. Behind him, two men are holding a large plaque. Mr. Silvers stands in front of a podium with the two men standing behind him.
Mr. Silvers speaks into the microphone. “Excuse me, everyone, excuse me.” The crowd doesn’t listen very well, and Mr. Silvers starts to speak louder. “For his long-standing charity work with the poor, destitute, and homeless, Arthur Cain has been a pillar in his community. That’s why I am proud to reward him with the Lifetime Community Charity Award.” The crowd breaks out in an eruption of clapping.
Arthur Cain stands up and lightly grabs my arm as he does. He guides me towards the podium. Lance is smiling at me as I pass.
Arthur shakes Mr. Silvers hand and speaks into the microphone. “Thank you, everyone. Thank you for voting for me, and for this prestigious reward. I don’t give charity to be recognised for it, but this means everything.” Arthur raises my hand with his, and the crowd erupts.
I look out into the crowd. Everyone is staring back at me with smiles. It’s not because I’m one of them that makes them so enthusiastically happy. I’m the outsider. I’m being praised as if putting up with me is deserving of some type of reward.
I am not one of them. I’m the prize. I’m the plaque on Arthur Cain’s wall.
I lower my hand, forcing all my strength from Arthur Cain keeping it in the air, and return to my seat. The crowd continues to clap, and I hear some laughter. The only other person who is solemn in their presence is Senator Ferlong.
When I sit back down, Lance is staring at me. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t gloat, or rub it in my face.
Lance has told me everything I needed to hear without saying a thing.
You are just a charity case. You don’t belong here.
∞∞∞
Once dinner is over, and nobody seems restrained to their seating arrangements, I attempt to take my leave again. I walk towards the foyer to make my second escape tonight. Now that he’s got his reward, something tells me Arthur Cain won’t stop me this time.
He doesn’t need me anymore tonight.
I walk past a large sign at the entrance of the foyer. In my haste to flee before, I didn’t even notice it. The sign mentions how tonight was in honor of Arthur Cain’s charity work with the poor and less fortunate. It goes on to mention examples of the work he’s done. Not too far under that is a picture of me. It was my grade eleven high school photo. I’m not even sure how he got that.
Under my picture, is my story—all of it. The loss of my parents, the fire. It may as well said, ‘Poor girl from the ghetto saved by a rich white man. Let’s feel bad for her.’
What a sympathetic story I have. The kind that could entice judges who vote on rewarding these fancy plaques to recipients over the edge in favour of Cain.
I thought I was chosen for some reason. I thought it had more to do about me though. I didn’t realize I was the poster child for charity cases. I thought if I gave the world everything I had, something good would happen to me.
But it’s all a farce. It’s bullshit.
I was given this opportunity so some old man could have a sympathetic face to get his reward. I was being used.
I feel like ripping the fucking sign right there in front of everyone.
“You’re right in feeling the way you do, Elle,” a soft voice says from behind me. I turn and Senator Ferlong is there. She puts her hand on my shoulder gently. “All of this is make-believe. A fairy tale land, where people like us don’t get the point of it all.”
I wipe a tear and hope she doesn’t notice. “I’m no fucking charity case,” I say under my breath.
Senator Ferlong sighs. “That’s the problem though. You are. To them, that’s all you will ever be. Unless…” She turns my body towards her and wipes another tear from my eye. “Unless you use it to elevate yourself. How do you think a poor girl from the city become a senator? I told you where I was from, right? I used it. Let them think of me however they want, but one day, I told myself, they would adhere to me. Now I have the power. Now they want my power, but can never truly have it.”
“I’m just sick of the games.”
“You’re right. It’s a game. These rich people don’t know what people like us had to deal with in life. They can never understand. That’s what makes us smarter. That’s what makes us better at this game than them. We know the real world, and they don’t. So, use what you know to get ahead.”
I breath heavy. “To get the power.”
Senator Ferlong grabs my hand. “And make them grovel.”
Chapter 10
“It feels like it’s been ages since I kissed you,” Chase’s warm voice says. It comes off sexier when I talk to him on the phone. “I can’t tonight though.”
Rejection.
I talk to Chase a little bit more, and then we end our conversation. I’m extremely bummed out after the charity function and could have used a pick me up like Chase. I walk around my house and try and figure out what else to do with my time.
I had already called Bryce, but he couldn’t hang out today either, since he’s practicing for his big show tomorrow. Danna has been a complete no-show lately. Any time I text her, she gives me one-word replies, as if she is suddenly too busy
