Returning to High Society Chapter 20 Analise's POV I went to sleep early last night to make sure I was well rested . I knew that tonight would start the battle . Roger was back now , and every year he took his family to this auction . I never went because I wouldn't be able to hide my identity . Roger is already married , and Sasha is not going to give him up for anything . He thinks she loves him , but to her , he's just a means to an end . This year , I'm sure he will include Sasha . She wants to be by his side , even if our engagement is still valid . We are to be getting married in two weeks . I'm not going to cancel it just yet . I want to showcase just how big a jerk he is and expose exactly who he married in my place . Once that happens , there will be nowhere to hide for either of them . They will never recover from the scandal . I can't wait to see Joyce's face when she finally realizes that the girl she's always put down over the years belongs to the very family she wanted Roger to marry into . She's going to be mad enough to faint when she finds out . After she finds out , she'll pretend she wanted us to be together . But I'm not going to let her get away with the deception . I have a surprise in store for her as well . I slept in and started my coffee maker . I splurged and got myself a drip coffee maker , and the fancy one for when the mood strikes . I love it . I had to rearrange my office while making a dress - one for me to wear for the auction . I knew my parents and brother would be there , and this outfit was my armor . I found some gorgeous copper colored fabric this week . I decided that this auction would be the perfect time to show everyone that I was no longer going to be pushed around . My family needed that message as much as Roger and his family did . I knew my parents would keep their distance . They knew the engagement was over . But until the wedding was called off , Roger was officially still my fiancé . I lined the dress , and had been very intentional about how I wanted it to look . I didn't make it over the top . I made the top part deep , but ensured the straps are wide enough to accommodate a bra . I left the back as open as possible , still allowing me to wear a bra , as there was a strip of fabric that covered the bra , but left the rest of my back exposed , down to my waist . We have a gym here at the company , and I've been using it all week . Christine's husband , Darren , was also a sought - after personal trainer . They have come over twice this week for him to show me what I needed to do . Darren was a nice guy , and he kept refusing payment , but I finally talked him into accepting my help . I gave him the capital to start his second gym . One that happens to be near my home . I now have a lifetime pass to go anytime I choose , So I can use the one at the company , or hist gym , when I need him to give me some tips . I admit that using the one here at my company allowed me to be less self - conscious . I know now that I needed to start therapy . My first appointment is on Monday , and I'm not looking forward to it . Gwen and Emily had kept insisting that I needed to do this for myself . It wasn't healthy for me to hang on to my anger. They said I needed an outlet , and even offered to go with me . But I knew I needed to do this on my own . In fact , Gwen had an epiphany that Emily and Christine had jumped on . Darren had been trying to figure out if 16 < Returning to High Society he wanted three or four bays at his new gym . Christine mentioned to him that I was going to look into boxing , or some kind of self - defense , as a stress reliever . He had already been toying with the idea himself , and that settled it . The fourth bay was going to have a boxing ring and a sparring pad . He was going to be able to hire three friends to run that area . The boxing class was initially scheduled by appointment only, as his friend was teaching in another gym at the moment . The self - defense classes would be on weekdays . They would both be there on weekends to handle the increased traffic and offer options for more challenging classes to be held . After hearing about the gym expansion , both Gwen and Emily also contributed to it , which helped him get everything in place without needing to take out a second loan . He appreciated our faith in him , and they got lifetime passes as well . They would be going with us to the auction tonight . Christine was one of the top sellers at her job . My purchases and sales had pushed her to the top this year . She had bought one of our gowns from the showroom to wear tonight . Gwen's eye was unmatched . The dress looked like it had been made for Christine , despite it not being custom - made for her . Tonight was an opportunity for her and Darren to promote the gym to potential investors and gauge interest in finding someone a new home . Christine really looked gorgeous in her gown . I spent the next three hours finishing up my dress . My shoulders and back hurt a little from bending over , but when looking at it on my dress form . I'm thrilled at how it turned out . It is totally opposite of anything I've ever worn . It's a little bold , but not over the top . When you stand still , the slit is not noticed , but when I walk , it will appear as if by magic . This was not the demure dress that my mother liked for me to wear , but it wasn't scandalous either . The copper color on the dress changed as I moved . The dress flowed well , and the shimmer gave it additional movement . The color would get deeper or lighter depending on the light I'm in . The funny part is that Gwen and Emily were more excited about it than I was . I had RSVP'd that my group would be a total of three this year . There were only a certain number of chairs available at this event . So , a head count started about three years ago . Whatever you RSVP'd was the number allowed into the auction . Since Roger was out of town , he won't have had time to RSVP . I've always done it for him , and advised that his group would be a total of five . That way , he could take his family . I've always been much more helpful to him than he ever realized . Tonight , I hope I'm nearby when he and his family try to enter . If you haven't RSVP'd , you were limited to two entries . The resulting show is going to be fun to watch . Gwen hired a team to help us get ready tonight at her home . She wanted me to look my best as I reentered society . Three women who would glam us up as we got ready on time . Roger's mother like to arrive about an hour before the event . She liked to be photographed and respected . I'm thrilled that the entrance to the event is near where the paparazzi are stationed . They should get some great shots of her meltdown . This was my first time targeting Joyce and her daughter , Regina . They had both been ruthless to me and deserved the humiliation that was coming they're way I had already targeted her husband , Scott . He was the one who involved his youngest son in this mess . There was no love lost between Charlie Cook and me , but he had never hurt me . He might have flirted with me occasionally , but that was it . He was and he was the only one in that family that I felt bad for in all of this . If he doesn't cause me any issues , I will see about finding him a job after the dust settles . By the time Returning to High Society this is over , they are all going to need one . I showered and headed over to Gwen's house with my dress in a garment bag . I was looking forward to tonight . This was one of the targeted attacks that I had come up with on my own . I was going to use the opportunity to watch Joyce and Regina's meltdown and send a message at the same time . Scott and Charlie Cook would just step back and accept they couldn't enter , but not Joyce . She was going to throw a fit , and so was her daughter . But no matter what they said , I'm positive Roger would insist that Sasha be the one who was allowed entry . And just like that , Joyce will no longer like or accept Sasha as her daughter- in - law . Regina will end up turning on her , too . They're all about appearances . Once they're refused entry , they will be humiliated , and that's going to be the end of Sasha . She won't be able to console them . Once she enters that venue , they are going to be pissed . Then the real games begin . I'm hoping against hope that I get to see at least some of it in person . That would be wonderful . Roger is going to fold like a card table . He is going to try to blame me for it , and I welcome the accusation . I'm ready for him . This is my time to shine now , and I won't be letting him use me as a scapegoat again . The ladies getting us ready looked at our dresses to get inspiration . They were excited about my gown and kept asking where they could get it . I had to admit that it was stunning . I was ready to get dressed and head to the venue . I was glad that they hadn't cut a lot of my hair now . I might have made a bad decision if I had told them to just cut it off . My high ponytail was about two inches past my shoulders . Curled to perfection , with a few tendrils pulled down on either side of my face to soften the look . When she did my makeup , she used a beautiful copper shade for the main part of my lid , and made my eyes look even deeper by putting a darker brown at the far corners . She came in with a lighter color on the inside , near my nose , and I was impressed . I had to admit my eyes looked even more intriguing . She added false eyelashes , which ended up making my eyes look even bigger than they normally did . I had to admit that my eyes were captivating tonight . She did a semi - nude lip , as my eyes were the star of the show . Gwen and Emily squealed with excitement when they saw me , as I was the last one dressed . I admit I took a few minutes to grab a few selfies , which wasn't something that I would normally do at all . It took a few minutes for me to accept that this was me . I didn't look like I used to , at all . I looked like a confident , sexy woman . Which was a first for me . We had hired a SUV to drive us tonight , as we planned to have a few drinks and enjoy our evening . I was nervous on the way there . It wasn't over my transformation , because I loved how I looked tonight . It was because this was the first real throwdown . By the end of tonight , they're all going to learn that I'm not the woman I was before , and I never will be again . KatVonBeck