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CHAPTER THREE

“Hello everyone. My name is Suzanne. Today, we gather to learn how to welcome, care for, and appreciate our guests at La Gabbia. This resort was built from the ground up by Alister Ivory, and is invite-only to guests who need an escape from reality.” The woman standing on stage had straight, black hair and was wearing a black ball gown. Her thin fingers were covered in gorgeous rings with various diamonds.

“Your group is known as the doves, and your counterpart colleagues, who are in orientation after this, are known as nightingales.”

I brushed my finger against the raven tattoo on my shoulder. Looking around the room, I was surrounded by women in all white, with their hair chopped into a stark blonde bob that matched the wig on my head. Every single girl had a tattoo of a dove in the exact same place.

The difference between the Ivory estate back in Charlotte and here was that I was no longer alone. Part of me also rationalized that this was safer somehow. This was a resort, with actual guests who were here for vacation. There had to be some kind of regulation by the island, but then again, my former boss, Dr. Ian Ivory, was running a deranged human experiment and ‘business’ from the comforts of a Charlotte, North Carolina suburb.

“Hey.” A light tap against my legs shook me from my thoughts and I looked at the woman next to me. “This is weird, right?” She brushed her hand against her blonde hair and then reached to touch mine. “Why do we all have to match? I?—”

Clearing her throat, Suzanne was looking straight at us.

“It is crucial that you all listen carefully to what your assignments and roles at La Gabbia are, my precious little doves.”

My heartbeat grew erratic as chills splattered against my arms, and I locked eyes with Suzanne.

A small, sinister smile grew across her bright red lips. Dropping my eyes down, I focused on my breathing.

“Your role is to serve and entertain our guests. Our female guests primarily are drawn to this resort as they heal and recover during their married phase of life, while their partners are brought here to learn to displace any resentment or anger they may feel as the attention is shifted from them to the demanding roles that being a wife entails. That’s not our only focus, as we’ve recently added and expanded to any couple who is on the brink of demise in their relationship. Ultimately, we separate the couples and then bring them back together when it’s time to depart. Mr. Alister Ivory has always been an advocate of a healthy marriage and family dynamic because of his own quite damaging upbringing. He believes divorce could be significantly reduced if couples go through this program, which is very much disguised as a fun, all-inclusive, but also an exclusive resort vacation.” I found myself completely taken aback. This was different… This was…strange. Alister wanted to help couples?

“There are countless success stories as seen here.” Suzanne clicked the remote and on the large screens behind her, images of smiling couples and quotes from them appeared.

“La Gabbia saved my marriage, but also allowed me time to rest and pour back into my cup as a mother and wife before going back home with our baby, which we were also able to have made possible thanks to La Gabbia. My husband and I have never been as close. Thank you, Mr. Ivory and team!” A woman’s voice played through a video clip, and then was seen rocking her baby as her husband looked on lovingly.

Suzanne clasped her hands together and looked at us before opening her arms wide. “My beautiful doves, you will each be assigned a section of La Gabbia and begin working with new guests today. Remember to smile and speak quietly. The guest is always, always right. However, I must add that no one, and I mean no one, is allowed to depart from La Gabbia under any circumstance unless they go through our check-out process. This is simply to maintain the utmost safety and security of our guests.” Suzanne took a sip of a pink liquid from a champagne flute and lifted it into the air. Within seconds, an entire group of women dressed exactly like me swiftly moved through each row and gave us all a champagne flute as well.

“Cheers to the most amazing experience of your life, and a job you’ll never retire from or leave…” Thea tipped her flute gently as the girls around me did the same, and I mimicked them.

I didn’t actually drink the champagne because, as soon as I inhaled the fragrance, nausea pooled in my belly.

The scent of peonies made my head feel light.

“Do you smell that?” I turned to the girl next to me, who was licking her bottom lip after she finished drinking.

“Smell what?” She shrugged.

“Floral? Peonies, maybe?” I whispered.

Her forehead crinkled as she eyed me with confusion. “No?”

I nodded and looked away, swallowing the saliva in my mouth to coat the dryness of my throat, which felt like it was closing in on me.

“I’m Taylor, by the way.” She reached her hand out and I looked down at it.

“The music industry didn’t work out?” I added with an awkward laugh.

Taylor looked at me with annoyance. “You are the strangest person I’ve ever met. I don’t understand what you are talking about.”

“Like Taylor Swift?” I had just recently learned about Taylor Swift from Marcie, who loved to quietly hum her songs before bed.

“Oh, yeah. Okay. Ha.” Taylor let out a fake laugh and then looked at the girl on her other side.

I felt embarrassed. I was trying to be this normal girl talking to someone, but I made a fool of myself. Maybe the truth was, I’d never be normal or even able to pretend to be.

“Time to stand and shuffle out quietly, little doves. Someone will be there to guide you to your stations and guests as soon as you exit.”

Taylor stood excitedly as I stared at Suzanne. She was looking right back at me without blinking. Tilting her head, she lifted her hand and wiggled her fingers at me.

I wasn’t going to depict weakness or fear, so I forced a smile on my face. Suzanne knew something about me already—maybe everything—and now I needed to know everything about her and this so-called family and marriage saving resort.