"Louise, are you ready?" Anton called. "This associates meeting will not greet itself!"

Sighing as she faced the mirror, the elegant, tall figure that bounced back at her, she didn’t recognise. This didn’t feel like her. This didn’t act like her. This wasn’t her. As the black material floated down her legs, she slipped on her strapped shoes before securing a small necklace around her bare collar. Now she was complete but she didn’t feel it.

"Louise!" He now shouted.

"I am just coming!" She exasperated back.

Glancing across her appearance, in the mirror and her real self, she flinched away and quickly opened the door. Hurrying down the stairs, she shook away that false image she saw and told herself that although that’s how she looked, she was different inside. To her it was a disguise, a disguise she used when around him, them, but soon it would have to unravel.

"There you are Louise. You look beautiful." Anton smiled as he admired her appearance. "Come on, they are waiting."

"Anton, I really am not much use at events like this…"

"Louise, do not worry. You will be fine if you just sit near me. My associates will only have to look at you and love you." He announced, smiling as they moved towards the dining room.

Entering, a small minority of middle aged men peered up at her, before smiling sweetly as they both strolled in, Louise uncomfortably sitting down nearest Anton and a man that watched her like a trophy. Inhaling as she looked away, she sent her focus somewhere else, where Christie hinted encouragingly as she was too on show tonight, offering drinks.

"Anton young sir, why did you not tell us of this lovely beauty you had tucked away!" A deep voice from the other side of the table chuckled. "Keeping her all for yourself were you?"

"You could be right there Mr Johnson!" Anton chortled, taking a sip from the brandy glass in front of him. "This here gentlemen is my fiancée, Louise."

"Ahh, well looks like we have to keep ourselves to ourselves tonight gentleman." An older man laughed. "But very nice to meet you Louise. If you ever fancy leaving this young fool for someone a little older…"

"I think you will find Louise is very happy with me." Anton grinned. "Actually, Louise here has just started her very own piano lessons. She will be playing at the ball next week."

"Oh great stuff Anton! I am sure she will be very good. How is it going Louise?" Another man asked.

"Erm… ok." Louise said bluntly.

Already ten minutes into the associates meeting she felt like she wanted to be ripped in half; one side staying, the side that could cope, and the other where she could escape, feel free. Trapped while easily sitting in an open room made that feeling more frustrating, and as she took a gulp from the wine glass in front of her, the eyes that had been studying then, still were, wanting to snatch a piece of her that was so refined. To her, they could have it. She didn’t want it nor need it.

Laughing nervously, Anton added to it as the table fell quiet. "What I think my Louise means is that everything is going swimmingly, but she does not want to taunt fate… That is it Louise, right?"

"Yeah…" She sighed as yet again she was being pushed into that corner.

"So Anton, these business plans of yours. Where do you hope to develop them with my company’s help?" A small man asked.

"Well, with your help, giving the expansion my company needs would give it enough room to breathe and outstretch to another market maybe…"

"Oh Anton, I really think that selling horse’s to another market can very well be done…" She mocked.

Glaring at her, the sarcasm scratching away at him inside, she suddenly felt very uneasy and as he quenched the glass tightly in front of him, she had to think fast.

"What I mean to say," Louise began, "Is that Anton here has already erm… cornered most of the er… markets so erm, your company’s boost behind him would erm, be a definite fixture for erm… you."

"Good thinking there Louise." The man across the room grinned. "Have you ever thought about operating a business yourself? You cou…"

Coughing, ending the discussion that could have next been aroused, Anton sat upright, tall and in order whilst Louise sunk low, trying to hide herself.

"Anyway, what do you say?" He continued. "My business could thrive off yours. Call it a partnership if you like."

"Well, after your beautiful fiancée’s comment there, I do not think I can argue." Anton’s business partner to be said. "A good point was raised there and it could work."

"So, shall I drop the papers round tomorrow?" Anton urged.

"Yes. Yes and we can run through the details there." He agreed. "Now then, let’s not spoil the rest of the evening."

"I agree." Anton chuckled, raising his glass. "Christie, fill this up." He ordered, as his glass was nearly empty.

Doing as she was told, she quickly headed over with the bottle while Louise seethed inside at the careful politeness he somehow obtained.

"A toast. A toast to the future with new business plans, and a toast to the future with my fiancée, soon to be wife." He grinned, taking her hand.

Raising her glass slowly as sturdy "hear, hears" were exchanged around the room, Louise took a mouthful before getting up and leaving the table.

This ‘culture’ was too much for her to take on, and although she’d handled it for so long, the ray of light that Mark brought with him continued shining in her darkened room, like a shred of hope, a beam of happiness. The way Anton conducted himself, around them, around her, agitated her as the love that she had felt once then was now turning into a chore, a habit, loosing all feeling. Love wasn’t this and as long as she would be living here, it would be that keeping her here. No matter how much didn’t exist between them, something did somewhere else, as turning her back would not only loose her the fiancé, but it would loose her everything else too.

"Louise, where are you off to?" Christie called quietly as she followed her out of the room. "Anton will be most unimpressed."

"I don’t care what he thinks!" Louise told. "I can’t… I can’t stay in there anymore. I hate it! I hate it!"

"But Louise you have too. You’re his fiancée." She said pointedly.

"Well maybe I don’t want to be anymore." Louise revealed in what could have been rage.

She couldn’t have meant more, could she?

"Louise! What do you think you are doing? You cannot just storm out like that! Think about how it is going to look." Anton whispered angrily as he marched into the room.

"Anton, I… I…"

"Christie, can you leave us in private please. Attend to my associates until I get back." He instructed.

Silently walking off, he turned his attention back to Louise as he studied her saddened face; her frustrated look; her blind expression.

"Louise, what is it? I have not got all day!"

"I… I just can not sit in there. I do not feel right… I…"

"Well you have to. You are my fiancée and when I ask you to do something for me, you will do it!"

"But Anton," She pleaded. "Please can I go some place else. I am no use there anyway. I am sure you can handle everything without my presence." Louise bravely said.

"Louise, it is not about your presence that I need. It is about presentation." He notified. "How do you think it would look with a business man not being supported by his… his wife to be? What kind of marriage would that look like I was placing myself into."

"But…"

"Come on," Anton softened, taking her hands. "Just come back in there with me and tomorrow you can go pick out your ball gown for next week. You can take mother with you – make a day of it."

Allowing to be led as she sighed for the millionth time that evening, his view on presentation had yet again won and taken priority over how she felt. Just like she was being watched like a trophy, she now felt like one and as she trudged back into the dining room, her shine gleaming on the outside, the truth she knew inside, cowering completely. If she was going to have to do something, she might as well do it properly…

"Ahh, Anton. You’re back. I was just saying to Andrew here what a lovely place you live in. You take pride in presentation, something I like to see…"