Inferior [completed]

Didn't...

Aunt Clara gasped. "Oh my God! Jane!" She was quick on her feet and walked towards her niece, helping her to stand back on her feet.

Jane felt hot blood rushing to her cheeks, as she kept her teary gaze glued to the carpet. She was trembling and barely acknowledged the pain erupting from her knees. Instead, all she could hear was the mocking snickers of her cousins, who were hiding their laughs behind their hands.

Jane's parents had heard the loud crash as the plate fell down and had dashed into the living room.

"What happened?" Mrs. Miller asked and came to stand in front of her daughter.

"Oh! Jane tripped and fell," explained Aunt Clara as she inspected her niece for any injury. "Are you hurting anywhere, dear?"

Still in a daze of humiliation, Jane managed to shook her head in negation and bent down to pick up the mess from the carpet. Her heart was beating so fast and loud in her ears that she had the impression that it can be heard by everyone in the room.

"Let it be, honey. I'll clean this," Jane's mother said. She then bent down to the same level as her daughter and added in a low, stern voice, "Leave it! Go to your room."

Jane felt a dark emotion engulfed her — a feeling of disappointment. She was feeling ashamed, even though she was not supposed to. Her mother should instead.

Jane kept her head down as she made her way towards the staircase which led to her bedroom. However, an insistent feeling of being watched propelled her to look up.

And she regretted it. Her eyes landed on Derek whose gaze was fixed on her shoulder — the strap of her dress had fell off of one shoulder, leaving that part of her body bare. She was not wearing any bra either since the dress already came with a built-in one; not only was her shoulder on sight but from the angle Derek was standing he had a slight glimpse of the curve of his cousin's breast.

Jane felt sick in her stomach and she all but ran towards the cocoon of her bedroom. There, she slammed the door shut and allowed the tears to fall freely. She was feeling so upset. Upset about so many things at once.

She was upset about the misery Olivia put her into. She was upset about how her mother had reacted down there, faking concern for her while discreetly scolding her for creating a mess in front of the guests. Then again, maybe she deserved it. She had no one to blame besides herself for being so clumsy. She should have known that Olivia would have done such a thing. But what disturbed her more was the incident with Derek. She didn't like the way her cousin was looking at her body at all. It made her feel so dirty. And guilty once again — she was in this situation because of herself. If only she hadn't worn that dress.

She looked down at her 'lovely' dress and felt angry. "It's all my fault," she said angrily and wiped away her tears furiously. "All my fucking fault!"

Jane started walking towards her bed but she winced when a pricking pain erupted from her knees. Looking down, she frowned at the ugly and bloody scratches which covered her knees.

She sat down at her vanity table and retrieved a first-aid kit from one of the drawers. She pulled out a small bottle of alcohol, a piece of cotton and proceeded to clean the wound. Initially, she was rubbing at the scratches rather roughly which caused more pain than relief. She was still so angry at herself.

But then she took a deep breath to calm down her raging emotions, before cleaning the wound much gentler. When that was done, Jane decided that a shower would do her some good and that's exactly what she did. She changed into a pair of jeans and threw a flowery blouse over it — still presentable but less revealing than the previous outfit.

A loud knock was heard, followed by Connor's voice, "Yo Cinderella! Mom is calling you to set the dinning table."

"Coming," she responded back before taking one last look at herself in the vanity mirror. She faked a smile at her reflection and was pleased to see that it can pass as a genuine one.

Cheerful chitchats were heard when Jane descended the stairs, passing through the empty living room — her baby cousin was fast asleep on the couch — and entering the kitchen, where Aunt Clara and her mother was.

"Jane how are you feeling, my dear?" Aunt Clara asked worriedly, coming to hug her. Jane returned her comforting hug and all the while, she strictly avoided her mother's piercing gaze. "I got so scared back there," added Jane's aunt as she rubbed her back comfortingly.

"It was nothing Aunt Clara. I'm fine," assured Jane as she put back on her famous fake smile.

Aunt Clara pulled away and cupped her niece's cheek. "Alright then. I'm glad you are okay. By the way you look even cuter than before with this outfit," she said, giving her an appreciative look.

Jane blushed and smiled. Genuinely this time.

"Can you please help me set the table, honey?" Jane's mother interrupted.

"Sure!" Jane faked enthusiasm and without any more word, she took the plates, knives and forks and went towards the dining room.

There, her father, Uncle Will, Connor and her evil cousins were already seated. Acting indifferent, as if nothing had happened earlier, Jane started setting the table. She was very aware of the pair of eyes which was observing her every movement and she tried her hardest not to shiver in disgust.

She willed herself not to let her cousins see the effect they had on her anymore, even though that might be hard. She just wished that the courage she possessed at that moment to do so remained intact for as long as she would need it.

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