My Slippery Slope

I was angry.

It was as if my entire nineteen years worth of upper class upbringing was being thrown away like it was nothing more than common garbage.  My Father, the sleek, strict, fierce high powered political attorney, the man who stressed power and appearances above all else, the man who didn't believe in love - even to his only daughter, the man who was never home; got remarried to... to... to that!

My Mother was the quintessential trophy wife. She was a beauty incarnate platinum blonde bombshell with surgical enhancements added for the finishing touches. Her only jobs were to be gorgeous, help a few nonprofits (Father didn't care which ones, and all she did was donate - appearances to the public matter!), and, of course, raise me. She was perfect and I was her canvas.

My stunning DNA came directly from her, and she showed me how to use it to my full advantage. Fashion, make-up, how to platinum blonde dye my hair, and flirting with purpose were all in my arsenal by the time I became a teenager.  In my formative years, manipulation and coercion were my lesson plans. Finally, for my eighteenth birthday, she finished her masterpiece with my cosmetic surgeries. Nothing major - you need to make sure it all still looks real, she would always say - my breasts, ass, and lips were all touched upon to take me from a nine and a half out of ten to a fourteen. I was perfect, just like her.

My Mother passed away right as I graduated High School. I wasn't devastated, as I knew it was coming. I had known for several years of her addiction to coccaine, and Father shrugged me away the few times I tried to tell him. Honestly, I'm surprised it hadn't happened sooner.

I wasn't even lost, as Mother incorporated a very thorough road map in me on how to be successful - marry wealthy and dominate underlings - but her loss did hurt. My Father, whose lack of love didn't allow him to grieve nor be someone able to comfort me, simply brushed me off by giving me an all expenses paid three month summer vacation to travel Europe before my attending State University in the fall.

Of course, I wasn't looking forward to college either, but having a diploma looks good to people and being able to speak in an educated manner in a social setting is a valuable skill, "you don't want to sound retarded," my Mother would always say. All that meant was I didn't need straight A's; passing was enough. I, of course, coerced Genevieve Holbrook, the girl who did all my homework in High School, to come with me to State University as well. I love when people don't have a choice in doing what you say.

I knew something was amiss when I pulled up to the mansion in my cherry red 992 Turbo S Porsche and Juan wasn't there to valet my car. Even more alarming was when I elegantly strode inside, careful not to let my pink Versace sundress to get caught on the heavy wooden door, and Abul wasn't there to bring in my luggage. Even worse was when I went to the kitchen, the clicking of my stiletto heels offering the only sound coming from the almost always ruckus fueled room, and Tao wasn't there to make me food after my long, tiring first class flight. What in the hell is going on here? There didn't appear to be a maid, a butler, a groundskeeper, or a servant of any type around... Where is everybody?

My attention was drawn to the back yard by a sound that was foreign to this household... laughter. When I stepped on the patio, I took off my large, Prada sunglasses to witness the atrocities first hand with my hazel eyes.

My Father was in our Olympic sized pool.  My Father was laughing in our Olympic sized pool. My Father was picking up a whale sized giggling black haired woman and tossing her in the water while laughing in our Olympic sized pool.

None have ever occurred before.

For the first time that I can remember, my body, on its own volition mind you, did the ungainly act of having my jaw drop, completely stunned at the improbable sight.

"There she is!" Father exclaimed as he held the hand of the walrus while they started marching toward the ladder of the pool. "Yvonne, I would like you to meet someone."

I pulled myself together. I may have been caught off guard with this situation happening in my own home, but now was the time to assert my dominance. My eyes narrowed, my lips tightened, while my body relaxed to a calm, threatening demeanor. I was a python ready to strike. I swear I could feel the seismic trembling of the earth as this woman stalked closer.

My Father smiled, "Yvonne, my daughter, I would like you to meet Francine, my wife."

'Did he just say wife?' I barely caught my eyes from becoming saucers. I tempered my breathing from this surprise attack. I stared pure menace into her eyes as I spoke, "What are you; a size 16?"

"Uh, yeah, umm..." Francine held out her hand.

Direct hit. The outmatched woman stood bewildered at my brazen question. I ignored her hand and didn't even spare the pathetic woman a second glance as I turned my attention to my Father, "Where are all the servants? I need Abul to unpack my car and Tao to make me that chicken dinner that is nonfat and low in calories; I have to stay trim so I don't end up a size 16, you know.  I mean, someone that size deserves a harpoon, not a ring." I held back my smirk; my Mother taught me oh so well.

SMACK!

My face burned red as my Father slapped me across the cheek. "What was that for?"

"You will show my wife the utmost respect in my house or you can get out... and without your credit cards!" My Father's eyes showed his fiery displeasure. "This is your only warning."

Now that was the strict, stern, and fierce look I was accustomed to seeing from my Father. He meant every word. I stewed in my anger, fear of what might occur if I utter even a peep of reprisal.

Father then offered a warm smile as he put his arm around his wife, "And Francine convinced me that I was being cruel to our immigrant help with not even paying a living wage and constantly threatening deportation. So to make it up to them, I filed and fast tracked all the paperwork so they could become citizens."

"Don't worry, Dear," Francine gave me a look I had never seen before... a motherly expression that showed compassion. My Mother was always, "this is how it is and this is how you get what you want," never compassion. She then continued, "I've had years of practice being a homemaker. I can take care of a household of four. Dinner will be ready at 5:30."

Father chuckled, "Ha, ha, isn't she great?" He then had a deep smoldered look in his eye as he leaned in and kissed Francine. "I love you."

Yes, I was angry.

I turned with a muted huff, angry at what has become my life. No, angry isn't even a strong enough word. My Father went off the deep end; since when does he laugh and believe in love? Even if this Francine woman was a fucking Princess, the optics of him getting married only four months after Mother overdosed is insane. He sent me away for three months and all of a sudden he hitches his bed to Suzy Homemaker? Not to mention he freed the servants? Why? The servants were why I chose to stay home for college. Does Father expect me to do everything myself? Or worse, let that tub of lard handle any of my clothes; that woman wouldn't know Gucci from her Salvation Army hand me downs. She can handle a household of four - ha! - she probably... I stopped myself half way through the kitchen, mid mind rant, "Did she say four?"

"Hello, you must be Yvonne."

FUCK! I took a breath as I turned to see a thin, gangly looking teen with I don't give a fuck black hair wearing an anime t-shirt and jeans. His expression was one of compassion, but unlike Francine's motherly version, his was like he was begging for forgiveness. If this Loser expected a response, he was sorely mistaken. 

"Very well," he continued. "My name's Jude Griffith, seventeen years old, and your Father married my Mom." He then shrugged," I'm attending your old High School next week for my senior year, so if you have any advice, I'll surely take it. I've never been to a private academy before."

I grabbed a crystal goblet, "What do you want; a cookie?" I turned to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle Veen, and poured. The smooth water helped, albeit slightly. There were just too many surprises in a too short amount of time today.

"Just so you know, size 16 is normal to the rest of the world. You can do irreparable harm to a girl when you pose impossible standards of beauty on them through magazines, television, and worst of all, people like you on social media with your unrealistic expectations for an impressionable teenager. I knew a girl who suffered from a severe case of anorexia; she would starve herself and even when she did eat, she threw it up. Her body was failing her because it couldn't get any of the nutrients it needed to sustain her life." Jude then thought for a moment as if in a fond remembrance, "She was my first and I am proud to say that because of me, she is finally happy with her fully healthy self."

So the Loser wasn't a virgin. Congratulations, yeah, great for him... That doesn't mean he's right. "And who are you, Judge Judy? Of course you, in your scrungy clothes and unstyled hair, know everything there is to know about fashion. Forgive me for not trusting the fashion sense of a lowly cochroach."

Jude shook his head while letting out a sigh, "I overheard you would like help to bring in your luggage." He then smiled, "I'm officially offering."

I just found my new servant. Time to put what Mother taught me to use, "Would you?" I turned and offered the Loser a helpless look while flashing a little bit of what makes me perfect. "They can be quite heavy." I finished by batting my eyes.

"Wow," Jude sarcastically responded as he shook his head. "Whatever."

It was the oddest reaction to a faux flirt I had ever seen. "What?"

"Nothing. Let's go get that luggage," Jude walked toward the garage.

I raced as much as I could in my heels to catch up with him. I tried to hide the slight irritation in my voice. "No, what was that about?"

Jude didn't stop. He took a half a second to find the one car he didn't recognize and walked toward my Porsche. As he pulled out the first suitcase, he finally spoke, "I know you are having a rough day, so I'll forgive your audacity in trying to manipulate me."

"I didn't..."

Jude cut me off with a look before starting the walk through the mansion. "I know it feels odd to come home to find your Father remarried after only four months from your Mom's passing, especially to a woman who is normal looking in every way, but that is what happened. They love each other deeply." He set down my luggage in the heart of my bedroom and, with a somewhat knowing smirk, he added, "I can promise you one thing above all else, your Father will do everything in his power to protect my Mom from any and all circumstances... even you."

Jude's speech felt like a lecture with a warning, stating everything like it was preordained fact. It annoyed me greatly, especially from a snot nosed kid. What did he know, anyway? What little the water helped, evaporated. I somehow believed him regarding my Father concerning his Mother, but that was only because of the stern threat and the reaction I already received to my cheek.  Now, in my own room, on top of all the crazy I went through compounded with my failed flirtation, I boiled over.

"Shut up, Judy!" I screamed as it felt like steam was blasting from my ears. "This is MY room, MY house, and things run MY way. You think you know me or my Father, well you don't know shit! You'll see soon enough I'm right... Now get the fuck out of my room!"

"I understand your anger and frustration, and I'm sorry, I really am, but things happen for a reason."

"GET OUT!" I pointed as I stomped my foot.

I watched the twerp leave, closing the door behind him.

As soon as the click of the door happened, I collapsed onto my queen sized canopy bed.  I was overwhelmed by the unpredictable events and therefore lost my cool - never a good sign. I need to be calm and collected. What can I do?

Reconnaissance. The first step in any and all conniving acts is to know thy enemy. Information is key in bending a person to your will... which means I have to go to this stupid dinner cooked by this stupid woman that will be attended by her stupid son.

*

"Francine, this looks delicious," I lied. It actually looked fattening. The woman remembered I said chicken, but totally forgot I said low calorie and nonfat. With the chicken being pan-fried, the only thing healthy about this dish was the steamed broccoli... that is until she poured some sort of cheddar sauce on it. I slowly picked around the sauce trying to find the broccoli I could actually eat. "So, tell me how you two met?"

"Don't you owe someone an apology first, Yvonne?" My Father's words were harsh and full of authority, his message: I still wasn't forgiven for my earlier attack on his wife.

"Oh yes, of course... I'm sorry, Francine." Fuck, that tasted like vinegar dipped in skunk spray marinated in dog shit, which I hid with a soft smile. "I was simply overwhelmed with the surprise news, and that is why I lashed out inappropriately. I do hope you will please forgive me." Anybody have a breath mint?

"I understand," Francine cooed in her motherly tone. "Everything is forgiven."

"You know how once a year I do a pro bono case for appearances?" Father gave an excited grin, he was genuinely happy to tell the tale. I never saw this side of him. "Well, right after you left for Europe, it was Francine's case."

Great; my new stepmother is a felon.

"I'm not a felon, or anything," Francine mirthly added. "I was just trying to regain custody of my son."

So not a felon, just a deadbeat parent. I really had to try to not roll my eyes.

"You can learn quite a bit from Jude," Father pointed his fork at me. "Not only is he mature beyond his years, he can articulate it through his speech as well as his writing. His emails to me are what prompted me to take on Francine's case."

"He's also my hero," Francine smiled, a small tear escaping her eye.

I gave Jude a sideways glance when he spoke, "I am not a hero," as he shook his head.

"Are too; you saved my life." Francine then became emotional, "And as your Mother, I still feel horrible for putting you in that situation. I should have been better." Her hands went to her eyes as she began crying.

Blah, blah, blah - This is so fucking melodramatic.

Father put his arm around his wife, "Her ex husband was abusive, and on one especially severe night, Jude put a stop to it with a baseball bat... and he was only ten years old at the time." He then looked at Jude, "I can't even imagine the courage it took to stand up to a grown man, let alone your own Father at that age to save your Mom."

Does that mean I could beat my Father with a bat? He is totally being abusive to me by releasing all the servants.

"He was going to kill me." Francine sniffled as she wiped away the remnants of her tears before looking at her son, "I'll never forget afterward, when you told me you would always protect me. It opened my eyes to how backward the situation was... I mean, I was supposed to protect you."

"I saw injustice and acted. I only did what anyone else would have done." Jude shook his head, "I'm just glad we never have to see him again."

"Me too," Francine patted Jude's hand. "But the aftermath was brutal. My career criminal ex went to prison on a myriad of other charges he was wanted for and since I had no means to care for him, Jude became a ward of the state. We wrote to each other daily, and he even included job applications in the letters to help me find work. Once I became employed and stable, that's when Leonard knocked on my door."

"You should have saw her face," Father chuckled at the memory. "She didn't even know I was coming, didn't even know Jude had had been emailing me - complete with audio recordings - to convince me to take her case to bring them back together... And then, after her initial interview, I met Jude to hear his side. I started seeing Francine in a whole new light. She was a delicate flower who I didn't just want to win her case, I wanted to win her. I fell in love."

"Me," Francine put a hand to her chest, "I was skeptical, but it was of men in general. Jude encouraged me to go for it, and I am sure glad I did. Fell head over heels once I allowed myself to get out of my own way." She finished off her statement by kissing Father.

"Greatest decision of my life," Father squeezed Francine tightly. "And I will do everything in my power so Francine will never have to go through what she did ever again. We found happiness together and I will protect her to my utmost."

I think I'm going to puke. Father married Mother because of her family name, and this Bitch gets love? Worse is Mr. Hero, Mr. Mature For His Age, being the whole reason they even connected. The reason my home life is shit.

I needed to think... No, I needed to plot... Actually, I needed to scheme.

"Well, it was a long flight inside a long day. I think I'm going to take a bath and relax. Have a good night, everyone."

I excused myself and marched myself toward the east wing of the mansion, towards the bedrooms.

Father had seemingly lost his fucking mind. Francine, Little Miss Homemaker, apparently was untouchable. A sinister smile percolated my lips as I thought about Jude.

My anger turned to hatred.

I hated that snotty, arrogant, waste of space. If I could make his life a living hell, then that should put a splinter between Father and Francine.

Then I would take a sledgehammer to the splinter.

First step: Eliminate any possibility of a social standing.

Now, I couldn't post anything online myself; that would be uncouth.  Fortunately, being I was a senior at Hilldale Academy just a few months ago, I had plenty of underling contacts I could exploit.

I snuck toward his room to find it unattended. Ha! Hasn't Jude ever heard of a lock? I glanced around quickly, carefully pulling out drawers, looking under his mattress, and his computer required a password, so that was a bust. I rifled through some papers and the only thing useful was his class schedule. It looked normal in here, except for the geeky anime posters on his wall.

Oh well, a girl has to do what a girl has to do.  I slid my panties down and placed them on his backpack. The idiot already attached his school ID to it with a lanyard. I snapped a picture with my phone, close enough to ensure you couldn't tell where it was taken, grabbed my panties and his school tie (because the principal just loves it when your not in proper uniform, especially day one), and made my way back to my room. As I did, I texted a couple would be senior girls the picture with the caption:

- Beware of the pervert Jude Griffith. He'll steal yours too.

Yes, that should be degrading for Mr. Mature for his Age.

Then to the senior boys:

- Just heard Jude Griffith is a bad ass who beat the shit out of his own Father with a baseball bat. You could be next.

Yes, that one should be painful for the Hero.

I then sent Mr. Humphrey's a text.

- Jude Griffith is going to cheat in your class as often as he can.

Ah, Mr. Humphrey's... I caught him looking at the view I was giving him, so I texted myself with his phone when he stepped away. It was just a little conversation between the two of us that culminated in me sending a photo of myself from neck to waist wearing only a bra... at seemingly his request. It was only meant to be a reminder to never leave your phone unattended. His was the only class Genevieve didn't have to do my homework.

There, that's a good start. Maybe Jude should learn a thing or two from me. Now, how else can I fuck with him?

*