I stare intently at the envelope, the one that holds the key to my future—a future shrouded in uncertainty, hidden in a thick, impenetrable fog.
Inside that envelope lies my chance at the freedom I’ve been promised, yet it’s currently in the hands of the man who keeps me from it.
“It’s probably best not to open it right now,” Caroline says, her face flushing crimson with nerves. “It’s… a game…”
“What kind of game?” the man asks, arching his eyebrows in curiosity.
“Well, it’s for couples,” my friend stammers, tripping over her words. “It’s a set of cards with different challenges, the kind you can only do in the bedroom.”
Caroline’s imagination is wildly vivid, but why on earth would she say something like that? It’s absurd! And to top it off, I’m mortified! My nerves are stretched so thin they might snap any second, and here she is, babbling about some risqué game rated for adults only!
“And why is it in an envelope?” he probes further.
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” she replies, her voice gaining a bit of confidence.
“Well, the surprise didn’t quite work, but thanks anyway,” Herman says, turning the envelope over in his hands. “I bet it’s something interesting. Though, I must say, it’s a little hurtful. Did Margo really say I’m that boring in that department?”
My eyes nearly pop out of my head. He knows there’s no silly game in there. Herman is toying with us!
“Margarita never said anything like that,” Caroline quickly denies. “This gift is just to spice things up… I didn’t mean to offend you; I thought it might bring a smile.”
She forces a smile, flashing her teeth and batting her lashes, thick with burgundy mascara. My friend is playing the clueless card. Herman stays silent, his gaze dropping to the envelope.
I can’t take it anymore and jump in.
“Herman, if you don’t like it, we should just return the gift,” I say, reaching for the envelope with trembling fingers, but he doesn’t let go. He holds it tightly. “Caroline won’t mind. She’s family—she’ll understand.”
“You don’t look a gift horse in the mouth,” Herman counters. “There’s no need to return it. You should be thanking her instead.”
“But you said it offended you,” I insist, still trying to pry the envelope from his grip.
“I said it stung a little… But now I’m dying to know what kind of spicy challenges are in there. So, no one’s returning anything. Besides, it’s rude and ungrateful. Your friend put effort into this, and here you are, turning up your nose.”
“Fine,” I mutter, pulling my hand back from the envelope. “Whatever you say, Herman.”
I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing by backing down. I glance at Caroline. She looks utterly lost.
“Then we’ll take a look at it tonight,” Herman continues, slipping the envelope into the inner pocket of his jacket. “Who knows, maybe we’ll even give it a try.”
A chill runs through me, and it’s not just because of his suggestive remarks… Everything has fallen apart. I dreaded this, yet I held onto a sliver of hope. What a fool I was!
My documents are with Herman, and tonight, when he sees a passport with a different name and a ticket to sunny Italy, he’ll turn this into a game of his own—a far crueler one.
“Margo, what’s wrong?” Herman presses.
“Nothing.”
“Are you sure?” he asks again. “You look pale.”
“I’m fine,” I say, turning to face him.
“Alright then, let’s head back to the hall. Why are we just standing around here?”
“I need to tell Caroline something important,” I reply. “Is that okay? Or are you going to stand here and eavesdrop on boring women’s talk?”
“I’ll wait for you in the hall,” he says, heading off toward the guests.
As soon as the door closes behind him, I turn to the wall and start pounding it with my fists, hitting it like a madwoman, feeling the roughness against my skin. I want to scream at the top of my lungs.
“Calm down!” Caroline grabs my shoulders and pulls me away from the poor wall. “It’s not over yet!”
“It’s over!” I snap. “He has everything! And he probably already suspects that…”
“Margo, don’t jump to conclusions,” Caroline interrupts, shaking me. “He’s not a fool, but he might actually believe it’s just some silly game!”
“And why would he?”
“Because running off to another country with forged documents on your wedding day would be completely insane, and he doesn’t think you’re that crazy. I’m not saying I didn’t mess up by blurting out that couples’ game nonsense—it was the first thing that popped into my head,” she says, still holding my shoulders. “But don’t give up. You have to fight until the very end!”
“But how?” I bite my trembling lip. I no longer believe I can pull this off.
“Hold on, I’ll think of something,” Caroline says, letting go of me. She starts rubbing her temples and pacing in circles. How can she think straight at a time like this? I’m completely unraveling. All I want is to sit down and sob bitterly.
“I’ve got it,” she turns to me after a minute. “I know what to do.”
“What?” I ask, pressing my cool palms to my burning cheeks, so hot you could fry an egg on them.
“We need to swap the envelopes without him noticing. Slip him one with a game inside and take back the real one,” she explains, shedding light on a deceptively simple plan. “I’ll run out now and get a new envelope. Your job is to keep an eye on Herman and make sure he doesn’t get curious and open it.”
It sounds easy enough in theory. You could say digging a hole to the center of the earth is simple too, but in practice? It’s a whole different story! And this is no different!
“But what if he opens it in the bathroom?” I whisper. “I can’t follow him everywhere like a shadow. And what if he’s already looking at it? Never mind figuring out how to switch the envelopes.”
“Then hurry and get to him!” she snaps, crossing her arms sternly. “Margo, everything depends on what you do right now! If you just sit here crying and panicking, nothing will work out! Pull yourself together! You have to push past everything and do whatever it takes to reach your goal. Even if it means trailing him to the bathroom, you’ll do it!”
Caroline’s words hit me like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head, snapping me back to reality.
She’s right. I’m spiraling into uncontrolled panic, screaming that it’s all over, that my ship is sinking fast to the bottom of the ocean. But no! It’s only taken a hit—it’s still afloat.
And right now, my main goal is to keep it from going under. I’ll patch the hole with anything I can and keep pushing forward.
“I’ll get it done,” I say with newfound resolve.
“Finally!” Caroline throws her hands up, her face relaxing. “I was starting to think you’d never stop wallowing.”
“I’ve stopped because I want to escape,” I say, the panic that once raged in my voice now gone.
“Go to him. I’ll handle the envelope,” she instructs.
We part ways. I head to the hall where the celebration is just picking up steam. It’s only three in the afternoon, and midnight is still a long way off.
I scan the room. Everyone’s having a good time, eating, drinking… I search for Herman with my eyes—he’s at our table, talking with Vitaliy.
I make my way toward them. A few steps in, a man I don’t recognize, maybe in his forties or older, blocks my path. His age doesn’t matter—what does is the instant dislike I feel. He looks down at me with a smug, condescending air, as if I’ve stolen something from him and then done something unspeakable in his leather slippers.
“Congratulations,” he rasps in a gravelly voice, his dark, wolfish eyes sliding over my bare shoulders. “Wishing you a happy family life.”
“Thank you,” I reply curtly.
He stands there for a moment, blocking my way. I get the sense he wants to say more—it’s on the tip of his tongue, ready to spill out—but he doesn’t. Instead, he forces a tight smile and steps aside.
I don’t waste a second and head straight for Herman, who’s no longer chatting with Vitaliy. He’s now sipping champagne, lost in thought.
I mentally prepare myself to act natural, and most importantly, to hide the intense anxiety buzzing in every cell of my body.
I take my seat beside him. Herman immediately turns to me. I’m sure he’s about to ask about Caroline, so I beat him to it with a question of my own:
“Who’s that man in the burgundy suit?” I ask, nodding toward the stranger.
He glances over and replies:
“A friend of your father’s. Why? Did he say something to you?”
“Just congratulated me on the occasion, but he did it in a way that made me wish he’d kept quiet,” I say, picking up my glass and pressing it to my lips. “He’s very odd and unpleasant. The kind of person who could scare anyone.”
“Probably,” Herman says, turning back to me with a pointed remark. “Don’t drink too much, or we might really have to play that game tonight. I have no idea what to expect from you, let alone what you’re into,” he adds, narrowing his eyes until they’re mere slits, a spark igniting in them.
He’s throwing suggestive hints my way. Does he really believe there’s some scandalous nonsense in that envelope? I take another sip and say:
“I have no idea why Caroline thought to give such a weird gift. That’s why I didn’t want to accept it—I thought about returning it, but you stepped in and took it.”
“Are you going to hold that against me?”
“No, but you can look at that game on your own. I’m not even touching those sinful cards with their challenges,” I say, setting my champagne glass down on the table. The bubbles have already fizzled out.
“You’re awfully stubborn about this,” he replies, placing a hand on my knee. “Are kisses on the neck or forehead really so sinful?”
“I don’t know, but… you’re hinting at inappropriate things,” I say, flaring up like a match. These kinds of conversations make me uncomfortable! Why couldn’t Caroline have said it was something like Monopoly instead?
“Don’t I have the right to?” he asks, leaning in close. His lips are just an inch from mine, and his hand creeps higher on my leg. I feel a shiver crawl up my spine.
“I suppose you do,” I say, my body tensing.
“Then what’s the problem?”
“Nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, why are you huffing? I’m only teasing, not forcing you. And I’m certainly not doing anything you don’t want.”
“I don’t want to talk about this with you,” I say, turning away and grabbing my champagne glass again. I take a sip.
“You’re impossibly stubborn,” he whispers in my ear. “But luckily, that’s the only flaw in your character.”
Herman sits back straight and removes his hand. Things aren’t going quite as planned. Still, I’m now convinced he doesn’t know the true contents of the envelope. He thinks it’s really just some silly game.
Over the next hour, I keep a close watch on Herman, who doesn’t stray far. He mostly stays by my side, and right now, he’s talking with my father.
I pull my smartphone from my small white clutch—it’s almost four. There’s hardly any time left until six. Just two hours… I’m on edge. So much so…
“I’ve got everything,” a message from Caroline suddenly pops up on my screen. It’s like a balm to my frazzled nerves.
“Waiting for you outside the hall,” the next notification reads.
“Coming out to you now,” I reply, slipping my phone back into my clutch, where it sits alongside a tube of lipstick.