Chapter 29

The Bigger They Come, The Harder They Fall

 

 

 

Elle is doomed, and there’s nothing she can do about it. One way or another, she’s bound to fall from her pedestal, her empire sacked by Guinevere and Deborah. But she taught them that—how to usurp the position of someone greater than themselves. She’s pretty good at teaching these beauty queens how to rise to the occasion, but this one has backfired disastrously on her.

No matter what Elle does, Cleo will hate her. Every one of them has the right to hate her. Beauty queens who have come her way are entitled to the Elle Loathing Card. But they never dared cross her because of her influence, until Guin and Debbie. Of course, they’d discover that secret. They’ve been with Elle for five years, and somewhere along that road, they’ve become who she is.

Elle hasn’t eaten anything all day. It’s almost dinnertime, and she should have used the day to train Cleo, but she can’t look her in the face, this woman who’s hoping to win the crown for her mother. Elle’s not only disappointing the child. She’s also letting down the mother. How terrific.

“Elle?”

Elle masks her expression and invites Dom inside her office. “Yes?”

“I know you’re busy, but Cleo left over an hour ago to be with her family for one night. No worries, though. We’ve finished the finer details of her costume, and will you be training her tomorrow?” Dom’s staring at Elle like he’s never done before, or maybe she’s simply being paranoid.

Elle can’t dwell on this forever. She has to follow through with Tweedledee and Tweedledum’s orders. As they reminded her earlier, they’re the boss. They’re the new Elle. They think they know all about being “The Elle,” but they’re wrong. Her downfall is only the beginning of all the hard work they’ll have to do to reach that title. The question is, if they do reach it, how long can they keep it up? Someone out there will always come into their lives to prove that they’re not the smartest people in the room. It’s the unpredictable wheel of life. Unlike them, she has made her peace with it.

“Yes, we’ll resume training tomorrow,” Elle assures Dom, noticing how he’s traded his black leather toecap for a brown one. He’s also rolled the sleeves of his polo. It seems that hanging out with Cleo has made him more . . . casual.

Dom smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. He brings out a white envelope and hands it over to Elle. “Cleo asked me to give this to you.”

An envelope. Why does this remind Elle of Thea’s withdrawal letter? She can only hope that Cleo’s fate doesn’t go in the same way her mother’s did.

“What’s this about?” Elle asks calmly, but deep inside she wants to run after Cleo. She can’t have her candidate running off a week from the competition. She certainly can’t fail Guin and Debbie.

Dom shrugs. “I don’t know. I’ll head out.”

Elle likes Dom because he doesn’t pry. His focus is solely on the job assigned to him. He’s a good man, and she knows he’ll be more than successful in the future. He also knows whom to trust. And for Cleo to win his heart—now that’s a feat that only she can perform.

“Thank you.”

Dom nods and closes the door.

Elle wonders why Cleo has decided to send an envelope through Dom. Curious, she opens the envelope and finds a short handwritten letter.

 

Dearest Elle,

 

As a short thank you for everything you’ve done and are doing for me, I feel like a celebration is in order. We’re one week away from coronation night, and everyone’s rooting for me. I wouldn’t have made it this far if it weren’t for you and your beauty camp. So, it would be my honor if you could come tonight and celebrate with me on our rooftop.

 

Love,

Cleo

 

Elle isn’t a fan of any gathering, even if it’s only going to be Cleo. And . . . Thea will be there. She’s not sure she’s ready to face Thea. But she owes the two women a visit to their home, if it’s what they want. So, she thinks of this as the only chance they’ll have to celebrate as a team. It’s too bad it’s the only thing she can give them.

Elle makes up her mind to go. She takes her bag and contacts her driver. When the car arrives, she gets the back seat and steels herself to face past and present ties. The night was young, and she thought she should bring something to their little party.

“Where to, ma’am?” the driver asks.

“To the nearest bakeshop.”

Indeed, everyone loves cake. Not that the gesture could ever make amends for what she’s doing to Cleo. Guilt consumes Elle and she wishes she could push it away. All the way to Cleo’s home her thoughts gnaw at her. For the first time since she became the queen of queen-makers, she’s afraid. And she doesn’t like being afraid. Her biggest fear is that once she steps into the home of these two beauty queens, they’ll see through her, and she can’t afford to give herself away.

Elle has never been this uncomfortable, but she’s determined to go through with it. Just for one last time, they can act like everything’s okay and she’s their superhero. That’s what everyone expects her to be. No one wonders how she’s handling it, and it’s better if they don’t know. Not many people are willing to sacrifice so much for the things they want in life.

“We’re here, ma’am,” the driver announces as Elle stares at the modern two-story house with a rooftop. It’s not a grand mansion, but it’s not so small that no one has space to move around. It’s an improvement over Thea’s old house. Cleo worked hard for this.

Elle inhales sharply and murmurs her thanks to the driver. “I won’t be long.”

Elle steps outside so this can all be over already. She waits at the rusting gate, calling Cleo to get her attention. They may have a lovely house, but the gate’s another matter entirely. And maybe they should consider added a doorbell.

No answer, but a few minutes later, Elle sees Cleo rushing out to open the gate for her. Cleo doesn’t look stressed at all. She’s smiling warmly at her.

“Come in,” Cleo says.

Elle feels like she’s invading, even though she was invited. She’s not one to visit people in their homes. In the entryway, though, she switches her heels to the bunny slippers Cleo provided. Not her kind of home footwear, but it’s not like she has a selection to choose from.

The living room is decent. Nothing too ostentatious. A lamp, sofa, large screen TV, carpet, and a few potted plants. It’s spacious, and it’s everything they need. It’s also well-kept—by Thea, Elle assumes. Thea has always loved keeping rooms spotless. Cleo, on the other hand, is not her mother.

 

“Mom’s on the rooftop already. I thought it’d be nice to reconnect you two,” Cleo says.

Elle holds on to the cake like it’s her ballast. It would have been nice to see Thea again, but not under these circumstances when she’s out to ruin her daughter for the sake of keeping the beauty camp and her image alive.

“Oh, that will be lovely,” Elle responds, stepping slowly and carefully on the stairs. She’s stalling. She knows that. But now they’ve reached the rooftop, and there’s no turning back.

“Good evening, Elle.”

Elle stares. Thea’s beauty hasn’t faded. She’s as lovely as she was back in her glory days. Her jet-black hair is in a bun, and the loose tendrils get in the way of her face, but there’s no mistaking she’s still the same island girl. She will always be the Lady Siquijor who almost won the nationals and would have been the Queen of the Universe if she hadn’t become pregnant.

“I thought I taught you better than that. Your hair,” Elle comments, smiling. She’s pleased to know that her help hadn’t gone to waste. Thea has done well, thriving in a life that does not involve fame.

Cleo offers Elle a glass of wine, and she gladly accepts it.

“I know.” Thea smiles back, offering Elle a chair. “But I’m not a beauty queen anymore. I’m a mom, and moms focus first on other things, so spare me the lecture for now.”

Motherhood suits Thea, Elle thinks as she sits in the armchair. “How have you been all these years?”

On the one hand, Elle doesn’t need to ask because she already knows how Thea’s been. She keeps track of Cleo and Everett, so she knows what’s been happening. But she hasn’t seen the woman in person for years. She hasn’t known the invisible part—she could only try to guess whether her old friend has been happy all these years. Except that Thea radiates contentment.

“It’s a beautiful life, Elle.” Thea sits next to Elle while Cleo sits across from them.

Cleo watches them with curious eyes. “Even if I let old dreams get in the way sometimes. Part of my beautiful life is my crazy daughter,” Thea laughs, glancing at Cleo. “How have you been, Elle? I’m sorry I haven’t looked for you.”

“I found your daughter anyway. Life is what it’s always been since day one—a little rough around the edges, but I keep up. I learn from my mistakes. I do what I think is best.” Elle gazes into the skies. Yes, she’s been trying to live a good life. Nothing good is ever free, and now she’s paying for that.

Thea holds Elle’s hand. “You’ve made a name for yourself. No matter what people say of you, you will always be the Elle I know. That’s the real Elle.”

“People change, Thea,” Elle replies.

Thea offers a toast to Elle. “As long as the change is good, then change is nothing to fear, right?”

“Always the good one,” Elle murmurs under her breath, and she’s sure Cleo’s heard it because Cleo looks up at her.

“Well, I only came down to check on you, and as I’ve been cleaning the house the whole day, I’m tired. So, I’ll leave you two alone,” Thea says.

Elle stands up and offers her hand, but Thea wraps her arms around her, whispering, “Thank you for taking care of my daughter. It means a lot to me.”

Guilt is never a good feeling.

“You deserved that crown,” Elle replies, and Thea only smiles, then retreats, leaving her and Cleo alone.

Cleo drinks her wine and looks at the moon. “Just how important is the beauty camp for you, Elle?”

“It’s everything to me.” Elle has devoted her entire life to that beauty camp. Every bead of sweat, every rejection, and sleepless night–it was all worth it. She can’t be a beauty queen, but she can make queens. She got this far because of herself and not because of her mother, whose whole reason for being was to see her children win in life.

“What about the beauty queens you’ve trained?”

Elle ponders that.

“Do you trust me, Elle?” Cleo presses, staring at her with eyes, so fierce Elle’s suddenly afraid of her.

Elle doesn’t trust anyone. Not her family. Not Thea. And most certainly not Cleo. She can’t bring herself to answer these questions, and she has no idea why Cleo’s being intrusive. They’ve already agreed—no questions. And yet here she is.

“My mother thinks you’re her miracle. You’ve saved a lot of dreams, Elle, including mine. I-I trust you more than anybody else,” Cleo croaks out as if she were pleading for her life. “Do you know what my mom told me when I won the nationals?”

Elle keeps quiet, drinking her wine. She’s not a miracle. She’s a hoax—a perfect hoax. Why would Thea think she’s anything more than that?

“Cleo, take care of Elle. She can be hard on people sometimes—she’s hard on herself too—but I know you’re in good hands,” Cleo quotes Thea.

Elle’s hit by the hard truth that she’s not a better human being for trying to save her beauty camp and herself. But someone who has women thanking her for saving them might not be such a bad person. And Thea hasn’t lost any of her belief in her. It makes her heart warm. She hasn’t had that feeling in a long time.

A tear slips from the corner of Elle’s eye. She grips Cleo’s arm and spills everything out. No more secrets.

“Being blackmailed is scary, but I’m asking you now to put your faith and trust in me. Can you do that?” Cleo asks, and for a moment there, Elle sees a woman without a crown but with eyes that can make anyone believe what she says. “Let me help, Elle. Let’s help each other.”

“Okay.”

“Do you want me to share with you what I’m about to do?”

“No,” Elle stops Cleo. “Better if I don’t know. I might end up ruining it. And Cleo?”

“Yes, Elle?”

“I’m willing to face the consequences now.”

Elle isn’t used to sitting in the back and letting somebody else drive the car. This will be the first time in her life that she’s ever let anyone do it, and by God’s grace, she hopes they don’t end up crashing into anything. If they do, she’s glad she gets to rest in the back seat.

 

 

“That’s your great plan? Is that even a plan at all?” Dom protests. “You’re just going to keep training minus the cheating as if that makes any difference?”

Cleo shushes Dom, hands on her hips. “Yes. Any problem with that?”

Cleo has told her team, mainly Dom, Erik, and Aira, about what happened between her and Elle. It involves them taking shots and screaming “Why?!”. Thankfully, they understand her motives. She can’t change the past, but the present and future are hers to take.

Erik pats Dom’s back. “She wants to win genuinely.”

“The point is, Cleo’s already cheated,” Aira points out.

Cleo is tired of hearing the word “cheat.” She knows what she did, and now she’s trying to make things right.

“As Erik has said, I want to win genuinely,” Cleo explains, her heels clicking on the marbled floor of the welcoming room as she exercises her footwork. “No more consulting Elle. I’ll get involved in every decision that has to be made. We’ll release daily videos until coronation night, and it’ll be about getting to know the other candidates.”

Dom looks puzzled. “Other candidates?”

“At this point, most of the candidates will already be polishing their walks. The mini talk show between us can be Q and As. We know how they answer, but do we really know who they are?”

 

“But you can’t talk to all of them, and aren’t you giving them airtime on your social media?” Dom fires back.

“Exactly. Think of this as a get-together before the coronation night. I think it’s only fair for people to truly get to know some of the candidates whose reputation I’ve damaged,” Cleo says, forever regretting that decision. “It’ll balance them out. I know you never expected me to do what I did, and I’m terribly sorry I did it. I’d understand if you guys want to back out, but can you help me one last time?”

Dom smiles at Cleo, dropping his crossed arms. “It’s a good plan, I admit it. It’ll really help them gain the trust of the people again, especially in their home countries.”

“I didn’t like what you did, but I’m all for making it right again,” Erik responds, and she understands he’s wary of her right now, but she’ll make it up to her team after all this is over.

Aira raises both her hands and smiles like the she-devil she is. “It’s a promising story, so count me in.”