TW => Hazing and blindfold
*All the events and people in this story are fictional and are not, in any way, meant to reflect an actual sorority or how actual sororities work.*
Author's note
Hello, dear reader! Miss Roberta here! This series will be divided into five chapters. Just a heads up, this story is not one of my usual quick jerk-up stories, so if you're looking for that, you can check out my other stories. I hope you all enjoy it, and feel free to leave a comment--I love reading them! XOXO
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"Sienna, Mrs. Walker is requesting your presence in her office," Carmen, our maid, said through the door.
I knew what she wanted to talk about. I also knew she was going to do it today. But even though I tried preparing myself for this conversation, I felt my heart race and my anxiety rising. Talking with my stepmother is always scary, but talking with her about college is even scarier.
I got up from my bed and checked myself in the mirror. I had to look composed to see Mrs. Walker; she always complained when I looked messy, and I avoided displeasing her. My black hair fell in curly waves over my shoulders, my skin tanned from our recent trip to the beach, and my eyes the usual green. I decided that I looked good enough, so I hurried to the office and knocked on the door.
"Come in," I heard her voice from inside.
I opened the door just a bit and poked my head in. Mrs. Walker was sitting at her desk, typing away in her notebook. She's the type of person that gives off the impression of being constantly at work. She glanced at me before turning her eyes back to the screen.
"Take a seat, Sisi," she said.
I slowly entered the office and sat down on a chair right in front of her desk. I felt very nervous and couldn't help fidgeting with my fingers.
"Carmen said you wanted to see me," I said, my voice almost a whisper.
"Yes, I wanted to tell you I'm very pleased you got into our preferred university, and you also did it with the best grades amongst the students. Congratulations, Sisi. I knew you wouldn't disappoint me in that matter."
"Thank you, Mom," I answered. Calling Mrs. Walker "Mom" always left a sour taste in my mouth, but she insisted on it, so I always did it.
"But you know there is still something we have to discuss," she said, closing her notebook and staring at me. "I've already made the arrangements for you to get into Omega Lambda. Everything's set. You won't have to go through rush; I already got you in."
"But I told you that I didn't want to join a sorority," I said hesitantly.
"And I'm going to tell you now, this isn't about what you want, Sisi; this is about what you have to do," she said matter-of-factly. "Omega Lambda isn't just a sorority; it's a high-class exclusive club. All of my business partners and, more importantly, potential partners their daughters, go there."
"But your daughters already went there, didn't they? Do I really have to go too?"
"Yes, Sisi, because you are one of my daughters, and you know I always gave and expected from you all equally. So, if I insisted on them joining, it won't be different with you."
That was true. Even though my dad only married Mrs. Walker when I was 11, I was always treated equally to her two daughters. Same school, same credit card limit, same stunning birthday parties and gifts, and the same sky-high expectations. But the thing is, I could never help but feel in debt to her. When your parents spend money on you, they're your parents; it's their obligation to take care of you financially until you reach a certain age. Mrs. Walker isn't my mother, but she put me in the best schools, dressed me in the most expensive clothes, and gave me, along with her daughters, only the best of the best. So, I always feel like I owe her everything. That makes it almost impossible for me to go against her.
"But I don't know if I will get along with the girls there," I said, feeling a knot in my throat. I knew I wouldn't be able to convince her not to send me there, and I wanted to cry.
"You'll manage it. I'm not asking you to be best friends with them; you just have to have a friendly relationship with the girls there. It won't be hard; you have a good personality. Use it to your benefit."
I kept silent for a bit, closed my hands into fists, and felt my nails biting into my skin. It wouldn't draw blood, but it would definitely leave a mark. I wasn't doing that because I was angry; I almost never feel angry. At that moment, I felt desperate, like a cornered animal. But there's nothing I could do, so I just nodded yes.
"Use your words, Sienna. I hate when you use gestures to avoid talking."
I took a deep breath and concentrated on not letting a sob escape when I opened my mouth to answer her.
"Okay, I will join Omega Lambda."
"Excellent. You never disappoint me, Sisi. Now that we've got everything set up, you can leave. I will fill you in on the details another time; I'm very busy right now."
I got up and quickly left the office. As soon as I stepped into the hall, tears were streaming down my face. Once again, I was thrown into doing something I absolutely did not want to do. And I already knew that I would be thrown into a place I didn't fit in at all. It was like that when she changed me from my old school to the one her daughters attended, when she made me take ballet and piano, and made me go into her business partners' daughters' parties. I always ended up ostracized, and I thought maybe things would change when I got into college, but that wasn't the case.
I ran to my bedroom as fast as possible. I hated when people saw me cry; I hated bothering them with my stupid rich girl problems. I was able to get to my bedroom without anyone seeing me, and I lay on the bed, bawling my eyes out, shaking and sobbing, but making sure not to be too loud. I didn't hear my door opening and closing, just my dad's tender voice as he sat by my side, rubbing my back.
"PerchΓ© piangi, tesoro?" he said delicately. Dad mostly talks to me in Italian; he said it was to make sure I didn't forget my roots.
I wanted to answer him, but when I opened my mouth, the only thing coming out were sobs. So, I just hugged him and let his fingers brush my hair as he helped me calm down. It took a while before I stopped crying and was able to explain the whole situation to him.
"I know you're scared, and it seems hard, but everything will work out. Just try it for a couple months, and if you hate it too much, I can try and convince Jenna to let you out." he answered, still hugging me closely.
"But you're never able to change her mind, Dad! You know that," I said, feeling like crying again.
That made him tighten his grip on me. I knew my dad felt guilty about not being able to go against Mrs. Walker. Also, he was financially dependent on her, so he always ended up bowing to her will.
"Mi dispiace, tesoro. Sono l'uomo piΓΉ inutile dell'intero pianeta. Vorrei poter essere migliore per te," he said in a sad voice.
"It's okay, Dad. You don't have to apologize. We all wish it was different," I answered.
Dad parted our hug and cupped my face, drying my tears with his thumbs. I could notice his eyes were also watering. Dad always felt useless in these situations. That's why I never told him anything, but sometimes he just figured it out by himself. I got the impression he has a sixth sense just to know when I'm going through something.