Chapter 13: Daylight
1125 Words
EVE
“The equipment for your makeup class has arrived, Ma'am.”
I choked on the fruit I was eating as Alice came carrying a suitcase in front of me.
“Is this all?” I asked for confirmation.
“That's right Ma'am, Mr. Darren has asked me to list all the types of makeup and equipment and it's as much as this one suitcase,” she explained.
Wow, rich people are different.
But what do I have this much makeup for? Gosh Darren!
Out of curiosity, I opened the suitcase and the contents made me jump.
How could I not? All the makeup and tools are branded brands that in total might cost as much as a car.
“Mr. Darren wants you to enjoy your makeup class, so he wants to give you the best, Ma'am.”
I still didn't think that this much and this expensive was what he would give me. It's too… luxurious.
Darren really made sure I didn't lack anything. Without even going into detail about what I needed, he could give me everything.
“You will be tutored by a makeup artist. This is for the schedule, Ma'am.”
Alice handed me the tab.
Although I didn't know much about the outside world since I married Ethan, I knew who Olivia was, she was a famous makeup artist who had worked with many celebrities and models.
I'm so grateful to be able to learn with her, it's an amazing opportunity.
Darren's surprise really touched me. He made my wishes come true one by one.
I don't know what would have happened if I had refused his request to get married at that time. Maybe my life would have been even more ruined, unlike now which is reorganized by him.
Now I realize that Darren not only made me his wife, but he also wanted to be my husband. And that's how marriage should feel, where it's not just me who is trying, but also my husband.
“Thank you,” I said to Alice.
She smiled, she was also much nicer after I married Darren because maybe before she still thought of me as a stranger.
“Then I'll prepare a room for you to learn to do makeup.”
Alice then left me alone in the living room.
It still feels like a dream, today I'm going to have a private makeup class with the makeup artist I've idolized since high school.
*****
“I'm so nervous about learning with you.” I
can't help but smile nervously in front of Olivia.
She's so friendly, she's been chatting with me since she arrived and giving me a lot of insights about makeup that I didn't know before.
“Your bare face is gorgeous,” she complimented.
“Thank you.”
Honestly, I'm happier when women compliment me because they're usually more honest. Because usually men compliment us because they like us, right?
“Alright, can we start, Mrs. Walton?”
Mrs. Walton?
Ah, so she thinks my last name is Walton. No problem, I don't intend to explain that my last name isn't Walton either.
First, she applied skincare to my face, making sure that my face was well hydrated before putting on makeup because that would lock in the durability of the makeup.
Then, once the skincare was absorbed, she started applying the primer. I know the names because she told me earlier, because honestly I didn't wear any makeup before other than lipstick.
I realized I also had to look my best next to Darren so as not to embarrass him. Although that wasn't Darren's goal in giving me the makeup class, I myself wanted to look better.
Previously, because I didn't interact with people at all during my marriage to Ethan, I didn't care about my appearance. I looked as I was and Ethan said that was more than enough.
I regret believing what he said. Because the truth is that what men call natural, what they think is real skin, is the thin makeup we women wear.
Their definition of natural and ours are different.
After more than an hour, Olivia finally finished doing my makeup. I was honestly dumbfounded by the reflection I saw in the mirror.
“You're getting prettier, I just highlight some features on your face, just a little bit,” Olivia explains.
This is exactly the makeup I wanted. I still recognized my face, it was just different but I couldn't explain it.
“Now it's your turn to do the other side.”
“I'm not sure it will turn out as well as yours.”
Honestly, I was pessimistic if I could make the exact same makeup.
“Precisely so, if you can immediately imitate exactly, it's strange.”
Olivia laughed lightly.
“It's called learning Eve, you'll start from the basics. It's normal that you can't do it right away.”
Ah she's right, I don't need to get perfect results on the first try. After all, there were still other classes later on.
I finally got the courage to start. I tried to imitate all the steps and techniques shown by Olivia. But my hands were still shaking because I wasn't used to it.
I didn't want to give up, Darren must have spent a lot of money to facilitate this private makeup class, so I wanted to keep trying until I got the results I wanted.
“You remind me of Tiffany, that top model. You know what? She couldn't do makeup at all and had tremors in her hands when I first taught her. But now she can do it all by herself.”
My hand stopped abruptly while applying lipstick on my lips.
Tiffany? Ethan's first wife?
“Tiffany Bianca?” I asked in confirmation.
And Olovia nodded.
“Yes, she used to be my mentee too. Long before she was what she is now. And I'm glad she's as successful as she is now.”
Oh God, what a coincidence?
Why did Olivia have to know Tiffany and why did I learn from her?
It stirred up my heartache for Ethan. I couldn't be mad at Tiffany because she was Ethan's first wife and Ethan said she didn't know about our marriage.
It felt equally unfair to both of us, as a fellow woman I could feel how it hurt to know that we were just an option, not the only choice.
“Eve, what's wrong with you?”
I blinked a few times at Olivia's call.
She can't know that I know Tiffany not as a model but as Ethan's first wife. So I forced a smile.
“I'm just remembering the next step. Can you help me?”
- Writer
