Vivian Monty had the perfect life. At just fifteen she was already well known for her musical, cooking, dancing, singing and perfect body. Everybody in Verona knew her. She was “Miss Perfect”. She was rich. Had five full time maids, two masseuses, and one butler who carter to her every need. If she had trouble sleeping in her plush California king canopy bed, rumor had it, that her butler would sing her to sleep. She had thirteen other siblings, eight of whom lived with and her mother in cramped sleeping quarters along with the maids. That was because, well, Vivian was “mother’s favorite”. Mother, or Isabella Monty, was a self serving conniving elderly woman. She was already a great grand mother when she had her last child 13 years ago. But her husband, Patrizio left her for his temporary secretary at his big construction “business”. It was not a construction business. It was in a way one, but it was more like the mafia. To get back at her husband for cheating on her 13 years ago she got pregnant by his rival, Consort Capp, and made her husband believe that the baby was his. That was until the baby came out as white as the walls on his Italian villa. He left with the secretary when Vivian was two. She hadn’t seen her father for a while. He just showed up at her sold out concerts and whisked her away for the night, and for a while it really felt like that one time he would really take her away from Mother. But he never did. She always got dropped off at 7am at Mother’s house. He says before his limo would drive off into the morning light “Viv, never trust your mother. Take care kid.” Vivian always replied as his limo drove off. “And never trust your father.”
Tonight was a big night in the Monty household. Maids would clean for hours, Isabella would scold their methods. Mother always said “These lousy ‘helps’”. “Helps” were not to be addressed by their name. There was “Lucile”, the main maid who’s real name was Julia. “Anthony”, the male maid, whose real name was never bother to be learned. “Sullivan”, the butler, whose real name just happen to be Sullivan. “Gavin” the male masseuse. “Nicolai” the female masseuse. Sonya, Vivian’s personal assistant but more like mother. And the rest? The rest where just “helps”. But they all prepared for the night. It was the pre-premier of Vivian’s new record. Only family friends and “show” people were invited. Vivian’s last record went triple platinum. They hoped to go Quattro platinum this time.
Vivian was cooking the meal herself. After all she wrote a cook book at age eleven. “The lobster only cooks for an hour” Isabella scolded one of the “helps”. “How long has it been in there?” The poor man looked sad, just the face they all got when they knew they were going to be fired. “One hour.” Vivian jumped in.
That “helps” was Marco. Macro’s wife had just had a baby girl. He needed the money. “Oh.” Isabella looked startled that Vivian even could speak with out her. “Vivian care on.” Isabella said as she went to go get ready. I should probably get ready soon. But the food will catch on fire if I’m not here. This was one of many of Isabella’s techniques to minimize her daughter’s independence. But Vivian left anyway. She got dress with Sonya’s help. Then she asked a question that startled Sonya.
“Does my mother control my life too much?” Sonya knew the answers. Yes, would keep Vivian’s trust and was the truth. And No, kept her job. “Oh, Miss Vivian, what will we do with you and your crazy questions?” Sonya chose the job.
How many of them are lying to me? Vivian thought. She thought about her past. At age three her mother deiced to make her daughter a star. At age seven, plastic surgery. 2 hospitalizion for eating disorders. And a twin who never spoke to her. In fact none of her siblings talked to Vivian. They just glared at her.
As if it were my fault they weren’t Mother’s favorite. Vivian made her grand entrance to the party. She looked for a friendly face in the room. But all were “show” people and Mother’s friends. Vivian realized she had no friends. She didn’t go to school. Mother took care of that. She never had a boyfriend. Mother was all the company she needed. Her twin Vienna wasn’t even in the room. Vivian knew where she was. Hiding. With her other siblings. They hid while these things happen because “they aren’t as good as you.” Mother often said.
Slowly Vivian began to mingle with Heath Heartache, a famous teeny popper.
After Mother and her friends got a few cocktails in them they made Vivian play request. But instead of “Bridge over troubled water” Vivian began playing like she never played before.
She sang the blues for the first time. Her sweet melancholy song about never finding love or happiness with herself;
that she was making up as she went moved people to tears. After she was finished people stood up and clapped, all except Mother.
Who looked angry, she probably hated the song because she had not written it. But Vivian didn’t care. The she had finally over come mother in one way. What was next?
