CHAPTER 3

Mia knelt next to her and gave her a kind nod. Yes, it would be incredible!"

Peyton rested her head back on the sofa, gazing up at the sky. "When she finally gets a hold of me, my sister is going to have a field day," she said. "And Declan will laugh himself silly."

Does Declan have a sister that he married?"

Not at all. It is he who wed my boss on his own private island in the Whitsundays.

Right. the person you're crushing on.

"Had." possessed a crush on. But it's terrible how smitten he is with Chloe. I no longer have any regard for him at all.

Yes, exactly, Mia snorted. It's awful, but not really, to see a gorgeous billionaire, that is, become all mushy and gooey over his expectant wife. Not in the slightest.

Peyton let out a sigh. "I am aware."

After the song ended, it began again.

Mia sprang to her feet and exclaimed, "I have an idea." "This song is perfect for making fun of Dale. You may inform his new wife that she married a complete douchebag and tell him what a useless piece of sh*t he is.

Peyton also leaped to her feet. That's quite clever! She started to cry and started to move to the music.

Mia remarked, "But first, we have to make you look hot."

Peyton cast her gaze inside. Her slacks had an unidentified stain and her t-shirt had a stain from the Thai she had spilled on herself during her catastrophic supper. That was most likely from the gathering. As she was leaving, one of the younger children grabbed her and begged her to bring back Cinderella.

"I'm wearing the cutest thing! Peyton cried out, glancing back to see the abandoned clothes bag.

"One of your outfits for a party? Mia questioned in an unclear tone.

Peyton picked up the bag and remarked, "It's perfect," revealing the gorgeous blue dress as she unzipped it. It bore a striking resemblance to the one from the live-action movie released a few years prior. It's just what all men anticipate us to be. They want us to be attractive at the ball so they may flaunt themselves in front of their friends, but they also expect us to be knelt down when we get home.

Mia laughed and spewed wine up her nose. "Pardon me?"

"Not in that manner! Peyton furled her brows. "They expect us to be on our knees, cleaning the kitchen floors and cooking for them and all that, like Cinderella."

"Well, I'm not sure what century you're in, but there's this little thing called women's liberation—" said Mia.

And just what benefit has women's liberation brought me? Exasperated, Peyton questioned. "I have to work, take care of the house, look well, and avoid coming off as a ballbuster by being neither overly domineering nor timid. Otherwise, I risk seeming like a doormat. I'm so over-contradicting myself! All I want is to be myself!"

"Sister, preach this! Mia pointed her phone toward Peyton and said.

"All right, here it is. My serious promise. I will no longer make an effort to win over guys! I'll put on clothes only for me. For me, I'm going to eat. I'm not going to the gym because I think I have to look good in order to attract a man; I'm going because I want to. I'll wear sweatpants to the bar if that's what I want to do. God help me, I'll leave the home without applying makeup or styling my hair. I'm done living my life in hopes of attracting and then maintaining a relationship with a man. What did that cocksucker Dale do to me after I done everything for him? married a showgirl on a goddamn scale. For heaven's sake! Not that he was all that terrific a boyfriend. In any case, why the hell do I need a man? I'm a self-sufficient, independent lady who is free to do whatever the heck I want. Men are only useful in the bedroom, and Dale wasn't particularly skilled in that area either. I don't even need a man for that since I haven't experienced an orgasm that wasn't self-assisted in three fucking years! What about the whole issue of the double standard? What? Why is it that when a woman engages in sexual activity, she is labeled as a crazy, nymphomaniacal slut, but it is acceptable—in fact, encouraged—for males to do the same? It's all a farce, this whole affair. The days of males having to haphazardly scatter their seed throughout the landscape to preserve the species are long gone. Some of those fools should never procreate, in actuality! N-E-V-E-R.

"Awesome! Mia purred.

But I'm getting off-topic. Peyton said, staring directly into the phone's camera, "To all the men of the world." "I've had enough trying to win your favor. I'm over the entire marriage and love trap! And that's it! Peyton came to a stop. Her memory of the "light bulb" moment became clear. "I'm over-loving. You become foolish in love. Love compels you to say and do things that you otherwise would not. You become someone else out of love in an attempt to win back the affection of another. Okay, I'm through with it. I will only love myself. No one else. Do you desire this? She let go of the clothing bag and took a few photos, without revealing much in her tattered yoga pants and loose top. Then, you'll need to convince me that you're worthy. It's past time that a man bowed down to me.