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"A month from now," Dex nods. "Eden Falls will never be the same."
1 month later
Today is the day everything's going to change.
The future of Eden Falls lies in my hands and it's up to me to make things better for everyone.
I'm nervous and scared as I put on the finishing touches before Dexter and I leave for the celebration. He lingers in the door frame as I put on my earrings, watching me with approval.
"You ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I mutter, clipping the earring on. I get up from the chair and approach him, and Dex leaves a sweet kiss on my lips before leading me out of the house.
Every year, there is a celebration for the founding day of Eden Falls. One of the founding families hosts the event, and this time, it's Dexter's turn. The Manor has been decorated and prepared to accept hundreds of guests. It's a big event, and it's even more important because tonight, everything could change. I just need to go through with the plan.
We join the droves of guests filling the garden and ground floor of the house. We mingle and talk, and every time I feel nervous, I find Dexter's eyes in the crowd, his cool attitude reassuring me. I do my best to collect myself so I can be ready for the speeches that will happen at dusk. Mine will be the most important one of the night.
The people I talk to are careful around me. They know I'm important, but they're also treating me like I'm a breakable porcelain doll. There's no mention of Reign or Lily Anna. The elephant in the room remains unnoticed. Nobody brings up the tragedy that changed my life. Perhaps that's why I yearn to hold my son in my hands so much. This event is a tradition - a tradition I wanted Reign to be a part of.
My hopes of finding him will never die. I'll look for him until the day I die. And I've given up on despair. All that's left is a small glimmer of hope - that Reign is okay. That the bitch took care of him and made sure he made it through his first month as a baby. That we'll get him back some day, somehow.
There's no time for those thoughts, though, not with dusk fast approaching. As the sky begins to darken, I climb the stage that's been set up in the Manor's garden. Everyone goes quiet as I stand in front of the microphone. I wonder what they think of me now. The outsider will always be just that, no matter how expensive their jewelry, their outfit. I'll always stand out in Eden Falls. But if I do things right, I won't be worse off because of it. I'll make these people respect me if it's the last thing I do.
"Dear Eden Falls," I address the crowd. The murmurs die down, and all their attention is on me now. I should be nervous, but instead I feel a jolt of electric adrenaline shooting up my spine, telling me I'm ready as I'll ever be. "We've gathered to celebrate the town's thirty-second anniversary today. Eden Falls isn't just our home. It's a place of tradition."
I pull out the manual I've been ignoring since I got here while the crowd stares on.
"You're all familiar with this. This manual has dictated everyone's lives, your status, your fortune in this town. Today, that's going to change."
A shocked whisper takes over the crowd as I open the manual to the page Lily Anna marked for me all that time ago. At least the bitch did something right.
"Here it is. Clause eighteen, paragraph C." I show them the manual. "It says the first child born to one of the Firstborns of the town holds the power to change Eden Falls. And until the child turns eighteen, the parents are in charge of making the big decisions."
My eyes meet Father's in the front row. His expression is thunderous - he's hating this. His hands have formed fists. I bet he's wishing he could rewrite that manual now.
"Things are going to change around here," I say next, smiling at the crowd's nervous stares. "I came here and was labeled the outsider right away, despite my status. I was hurt, bullied and taken advantage of by people I trusted. I thought long and hard about getting my revenge on the people who made my life a living hell when I came to Eden Falls."
My gaze finds them one by one. The boys. Dex. Father. Even Brazen.
"But by seeking vengeance on the people who hurt me, I'd be as bad as they are. Instead, I'm going to change this town once and for all. Eden Falls as you knew it is gone. Things are going to be different now. Things are going to change."
I pull out a lighter. It's Dexter's father's, custom-made and engraved. I thought it would be symbolic, and Dex allowed me to use it for this. My eyes find his in the crowd and he smiles, giving me a barely perceptible nod. I open the lighter and hold the manual close to the flame. The crowd gasps.
"The manual is no longer something you must follow," I speak up. "Today, Eden Falls goes up in flames. Because the only way to change this place is to burn its traditions to the ground, until they're ash and dust."
Flames engulf the manual. I watch with satisfaction as it burns. The crowd is shocked, unable to utter a single word as they watch the fruit of their decades-long effort burn to a crisp.
"It's time for a new Eden Falls," I say as the manual crumbles into ash and the flames die down. "It's time for a new ruler. The future is mine, and I'm inviting you to take my hand and make this town a safer, better place for all. Not just the ones born with a silver spoon in their mouth."
With those words, I find Minnie in the crowd. She's working as a busser today, but her bright smile tells me exactly what I need to know - that I'm doing the right fucking thing.
"Goodbye, old traditions." I grin widely. "Hello, new world."
20
Dexter
I watch my woman on that stage with pride. She's brave, beautiful and fearless. Everything I knew she was from the start. But now she has finally embraced the power this town unwillingly gave her. Eden Falls needs a strong leader, and Pandora is just that. She's going to bring these men to their knees and prove once and for all the future is female. The future is her.
