Ariana’s POV
By the next evening, I was already exhausted.
Not physically alone—
Mentally.
Emotionally.
Completely drained.
Mrs. Carter didn’t go easy on me. From the moment I woke up, it was training, correction, repetition… over and over again until even breathing felt like something I had to get right.
And now—
I stood in front of a full-length mirror, dressed in a fitted black gown that hugged my body in a way that made me feel… exposed.
Not beautiful.
Not confident.
Just… seen.
“Shoulders back,” Mrs. Carter said from behind me.
I straightened immediately.
“Relax your expression. You look tense.”
I tried.
But my reflection betrayed me.
My eyes looked tired.
My smile looked forced.
My entire existence looked like a lie.
Because it was.
“This is a simple dinner,” she
