The Night Behind The Mask
1855 Words
Natalia stood frozen in the street.
Ethan Jones.
Lyra was in her arms. The crowd slowly cleared. But Natalia’s mind was no longer in the present.
It went back.
Seven years back.
To the night everything changed.
Becky, her best friend had been crying on the phone that evening.
“Natalia, please. Please go for me,” she begged.
Natalia lay on her small bed, staring at the cracked ceiling.
“Becky, you know I can’t fit in with parties like that. They are rich and I’m poor. I’m sure they will figure it out in seconds of just looking at me.”
“Plus,” she paused. “They are boring. Everyone acts fake too.”
“I know,” Becky whined. “But my father will kill me if I don’t show up. I already promised him. I don’t want to miss my date with Bryan. Please. Just wear my dress. Put on the mask. No one will know.”
Natalia sat up slowly. Her eyes rolled.
She knew Becky would literally give up everything for just one day with Bryan, her forever crush.
She scratched her head. Unsure.
She had never attended anything like that before. Big parties. Rich people. Expensive drinks.
Her world was small. Simple. Loud. Real.
But Becky’s world was different.
Her father was wealthy. Strict. Proud.
“Natalia, please,” Becky whispered again. “Just one night.”
Natalia sighed.
“Fine!.”
That was how it started.
When Natalia arrived at the venue, her heart almost jumped out of her chest.
The building was huge.
Tall glass doors. Bright golden lights. Valets standing straight like soldiers. Expensive cars lined up outside. Cars she had only seen in movies.
She stepped out of the borrowed car and held Becky’s small clutch tightly.
The guard scanned her invitation.
“Welcome, Miss Becky.”
Natalia swallowed.
Miss Becky.
She walked inside.
Her breath caught.
Everything was shining.
Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling like frozen stars. The floor was smooth and polished. It reflected the lights above. The walls were decorated with gold patterns. Soft music played from a live orchestra at the corner.
Women wore long dresses that flowed like water. Men wore fitted suits. Everyone had a mask.
Everyone looked powerful.
Natalia suddenly became aware of everything.
She felt nervous. She didn’t know what to do or how to keep herself busy.
She felt small.
A waiter walked past her with a tray of drinks.
He stopped politely.
“Champagne, miss?”
Natalia stared at the glass like it was something sacred.
She picked one carefully.
“Th-thank you,” she said nervously.
The waiter gave a small nod and walked away.
She held the glass with both hands.
Her eyes kept moving.
She looked at the stairs. The decorations. The way people laughed softly. Even their laughter sounded expensive.
“So this is how the rich live,” she whispered to herself.
For a moment, she felt fascinated.
Like she had stepped into another world.
She even smiled.
Then someone approached her.
“Good evening.”
The voice was calm. Mature.
Natalia turned.
A middle-aged man stood in front of her. His mask was silver.
“Becky Salvador right?” he said.
Her heart skipped. She wondered how he knew about her but then she remembered the tag in her hand had her name.
“Yes,” she answered softly.
“I haven’t seen you in a while. How is your father?”
Natalia’s fingers tightened around her glass.
“He is… fine,” she replied.
The man smiled slightly.
“You’ve grown. I was just speaking with your father last week.”
Her stomach dropped.
Last week?
Her mind began to race.
“I believe he mentioned something about your university plans,” the man continued.
Natalia nodded quickly.
“Yes. Yes, he did.”
The man tilted his head.
“You sound different tonight.”
Her throat went dry. She coughed a bit
He stepped closer.
“Are you feeling alright? I do have a doctor friend here, he could check you up quickly. Take off your mask dear.”
Panic rushed through her body.
If he saw her face.
If he realized she was not Becky.
“I’m so sorry,” she interrupted quickly. “I just remembered something urgent. Please excuse me.”
She didn’t wait for his reply.
She turned and walked fast.
Not too fast.
But fast enough.
When she finally reached the hallway, she stopped.
Her breathing became heavy.
“He almost caught me,” she whispered.
She placed her hands on her chest.
Her heart was beating so loudly.
“I shouldn’t be here,” she murmured.
She needed air.
She walked toward the elevator.
The doors opened.
And she froze.
A man stood inside.
Tall. Broad shoulders. Black suit. Black mask.
But something was wrong.
His breathing was uneven.
His hand pressed against the wall.
He looked like he was fighting for air.
Natalia stepped inside slowly.
The doors closed.
The small space suddenly felt tight.
Suffocating.
The man’s chest rose and fell quickly.
He removed his mask halfway and bent slightly.
He was having a panic attack.
Natalia forgot her own fear.
“Hey,” she said softly. “Breathe slowly.”
He didn’t answer.
His fingers trembled.
Natalia moved closer.
“Look at me,” she said gently.
He tried.
His eyes were sharp but filled with distress.
“Slow breath,” she whispered. “In… and out.”
She placed her hand lightly on his back.
“It’s okay.”
He slowly slid down the elevator wall.
Without thinking, Natalia sat on the floor and allowed his head to rest on her shoulder.
She tapped his shoulder softly.
“In… and out.”
Her voice was calm.
Soft.
Warm.
His breathing slowly began to match hers.
The elevator stopped, but neither of them moved.
Minutes passed.
Finally, his body relaxed.
His eyes closed for a second.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“It’s okay,” Natalia replied.
He opened his eyes and looked at her.
For a moment, everything felt quiet.
Even his fear disappeared.
“Thank you,” he said softly.
She nodded.
“Are you better?”
“Yes.”
He stared at her mask.
“Can I?”
His fingers lifted slightly toward it.
Natalia’s heart jumped.
She quickly held his wrist.
“No.”
Her voice came out sharper than she expected.
“I mean… it’s a mask party,” she added quickly. “Let’s keep it that way.”
He studied her for a second.
Then he smiled faintly.
“Fair enough.”
They stood up.
They walked back into the party together.
This time, Natalia did not feel as alone.
But her eyes kept following him.
Ethan.
She heard someone call his name.
Ethan Jones..
He was different in the crowd.
Confident. Cold. Powerful.
People greeted him with respect.
His posture was straight. His voice firm.
He was nothing like the fragile man in the elevator.
And yet, sometimes, she caught him looking at her too.
Longer than necessary.
The party finally ended.
Natalia felt tired.
Out of place.
She thought she would enjoy this world.
But she did not belong here.
As she walked down the hallway to leave, she felt a hand tap her shoulder.
She flinched and pushed it away quickly.
She turned in fear.
It was him.
Ethan.
But he looked different.
His eyes were unfocused.
His steps unsteady.
He was drunk.
“Help me,” he whispered.
Before he could fall, Natalia rushed to hold him.
“You shouldn’t drink if you can’t handle it,” she muttered.
He leaned heavily on her.
She struggled but managed to drag him outside.
She stopped a cab.
With great difficulty, she took him home.
His house was huge.
Even bigger than the venue.
Tall gates. Quiet surroundings.
Inside was dark.
Silent.
She dragged him to his room. She didn’t realize when she felt exhausted on his bed.
Lifting a drunk man was much work than she expected. Her breath was heavy and unsteady. She struggled to even stand up from the bed after Ethan’s body was largely resting on hers.
But finally she did. She took the opportunity, looked around a bit.
Everything was expensive.
Modern furniture. Large windows. Soft carpets.
“Wow,” she whispered. “You rich people are so different.”
She picked up her bag to leave.
But then she noticed he rolled uncomfortably on his bed.
Natalia slowly helped him take off his shoes.
She stared at him for a short while, she helped him adjust the duvet on him.
Just when she turned to leave, his hand grabbed her wrist.
She gasped.
He pulled her gently but firmly.
She fell onto the bed.
“Wait!” she tried to speak.
But he held her tightly.
“Help me,” he whispered again.
He removed her mask.
Her face was exposed.
Before she could react, his lips crashed against hers.
The kiss was deep.
Confusing.
Warm.
She tried to push him away.
But his grip tightened.
Her heart was beating wildly.
Everything felt blurry.
Fast.
Wrong.
But she was too shocked to think clearly.
The night swallowed them whole.
Morning came too quickly.
Natalia woke up first.
Sunlight entered through the curtains.
Her head hurt.
Her body felt heavy.
She turned slightly.
Ethan was sleeping peacefully beside her.
Like nothing had happened.
Like she was nothing.
Reality hit her.
She sat up quickly.
“What have I done?” she whispered.
She gathered her things in a hurry.
Her hands shook.
She did not look back.
She ran out of the house.
But then she didn’t realize she had left her mask just at the left corner of the bed.
One month later, Natalia sat on the edge of her bed.
The small test lay on the table.
Her hands trembled.
Two lines.
Positive.
She stared at it for a long time.
Only one person could be responsible.
Ethan.
She immediately took a cab to his house.
She knocked on the door nervously.
A woman opened.
“Yes!?”
“I’m looking for Ethan Jones,” Natalia said quickly.
The woman frowned.
“No one by that name lives here.”
Natalia heart dropped.
“He lives here. Tall. Black hair. About..”
The woman shook her head.
“We bought this house recently.”
Natalia felt dizzy.
“Please. Please think.”
The woman looked at her carefully.
“Maybe you’re talking about the former owners. I heard the young man left the country after selling the property.”
“Where did he go?” Natalia asked desperately.
“I don’t know.”
The door closed gently.
Natalia stood there.
Alone.
The wind felt cold against her skin.
She had nowhere to go.
No one to ask.
No proof.
Just a child growing inside her.
She placed her hand on her stomach slowly.
Tears rolled down her face.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered to the unborn baby.
That was the day she realized.
Her suffering had just begun.
- Writer
