Riana's Adventures
Apr. 15th, 2024 11:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aliyn_ravenShort sketches from the lives of a variety of people through the eyes of an ironic lady.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/52497217
https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3370230/1/Riana-s-Adventures
Story-5. What can you see in the mirror?
Emil, thanks for the preliminary reading.
Riana is used to the fact that a sales assistant in an antique store is a position where employees change every two to three months. But the current salesman, Mark, when he quit, brought in not an unemployed postdoc, as usual, but a newly divorced housewife. Her name was Alice Palmer, and, according to Mark, her ex-husband was a zealous collector, and his wife kept all the documentation on his treasures. That's why Ms. Palmer has become a better expert than most professional appraisers.
Riana didn't argue. She carefully examined the candidate, and it became obvious that this was an extremely profitable acquisition.
"You did a good deed," Mark said. "Mr. Palmer left his wife after sixteen years of marriage."
Riana shrugged.
"Marriage is not an antique or a work experience, and every new day in it is not a plus but a minus because love is a perishable product and easily replaceable."
"That's right," Mark agreed. "But it is very difficult for someone who has been abandoned to realize this truth. Especially if you remain poor. Before the divorce, Mr. Palmer transferred part of the property to his mother and burdened the rest with debts so that Ms. Alice would not claim division and alimony. This is fraud, and on a large scale, based on the value of his property, but a court is needed to prove this. And in court, you need a good lawyer who costs much more than you can afford with unemployment benefits."
"Feminist organisations have many free lawyers," Riana noted.
"They are enthusiastic about protecting only poor women who are beaten by their partners. And the wife of a rich man, whom her husband abandoned without insults or assault, must take care of herself."
"That's fair," Riana replied. "There are plenty of lawyers who will work for the future percentage of whatever their client receives in the division of property in court."
"Palmer is not a fool; he understands that, having lost half of his fortune, if not more, he will no longer be needed by the young fairy, who now pleases him in every possible way, competing with other beauties for a lucrative boyfriend. Children will also not want to stay with their father, who has become less generous with money. And wherein there are many illegal migrants hanging on his neck who need to legalise their stay in the country. Additionally, they don't at all want to share their lover's pennies with his children. Moreover, this is all provided that Ms. Alice doesn't imprison her ex-husband for fraud."
"And work helps to overcome stress," Riana added. "Do you think I should take Ms. Palmer on my trips? Her job will be of little help to her, where she sits alone at the counter with a book almost all day and checks purchases on the website before the offline store closes. But then you have to find me an intern from the university who will sit behind the counter for free in exchange for professional practice."
"I'll try to do something. But it will be better if you make Ms. Alice learn website management, web design, and all sorts of market monitoring through AI. This is a difficult task for an ex-housewife who is far from young, and she will have no time to think about her grief while she is alone in the store. You may not even pay her a percentage of sales, but spend it on paying for courses. The main thing is that Ms. Alice has more difficult homework from different teachers."
"And she will find inspiration for a new life when she sees how her demand and value on the labour market have increased." Riana nodded. "No matter how you look at it, only work will never deceive or let you down."
…For the first two days, Ms. Palmer showed herself to be an excellent worker who knows how to talk a buyer into making a purchase. And on the morning of the third day, she broke the mirror—and this was not accidental.
"Sorry," Ms. Palmer said quickly. "I will bring a box in compensation; that costs even more."
"But this will not change the fact that you will see emptiness in all other mirrors," Riana noted. "Why don't you want to start building your own life? Now is just the right time for this."
"It's good to talk about building your own life when you are young and good-looking!" Ms. Palmer seethed. "And even if I return the money and children, I will still be useless trash."
"Youth and beauty are ways to please others. And I'm talking about creating your own life. You are so much more than your age and appearance. And the only real need is to be needed by yourself."
"It's good for you to reason!" Ms. Palmer became even more angry. "All loves and all people are easily replaceable only by young people. Now that you are in the prime of beauty, every man you meet falls at your feet. But not many years will pass, and you will become a void for everyone."
"Love is something that you do in between businesses. And a person is the business that he, she, or they are engaged in for their life. The business has no age, no appearance, and no gender. While you are busy with your own business, you are always so happy that you don't care about anyone else. And now no one and nothing is stopping you from doing what you always wanted to do but didn't dare because you were pleasing others."
"I always wanted a home and a family," Ms. Palmer said bitterly. "How can you do this without caring about others?"
"Well, what fool said there was only one family option?" Riana was surprised. "There are a lot of them. And this city is full of lonely, homeless children and old people. And in the foster system, there are always not enough people who want to become a family for someone, even for very decent municipal housing and the more than good money that they pay there."
"This is not a family!" Ms. Palmer was indignant.
"The family has many varieties. And only one of them needs a husband. Think about what you really want. And don't care what a bunch of stereotypical assholes think about your desires. The main thing is you and your desires. And teenagers don't need parents. They want friends, a good place in society, and at least a little understanding of their hormones. So it's time for you to think about yourself."
Riana put on a leather hat decorated with flowers from photographic films and left the store. The forecasters were calling for rain, but the park's rack sale was expected to take place no matter the weather.
On the way, she called several former assistants and asked them to find an employee for the store. "If I understand anything about people," thought Riana, "the place behind the counter will soon be free again."
But days passed, and Ms. Palmer continued to sit in the store. The only thing is that she stopped being afraid of mirrors. Riana once noticed Miss Palmer smiling triumphantly at her reflection.
Riana didn't ask how Ms. Palmer solved her problems, but she was glad that such a good salesperson remained in the store. Staff turnover is inevitable, however tiresome.
Ms. Palmer quit after six months.
"Now I'm ready to take my dream into my own hands," she said. And she added with a smile, "I will foster five children with cerebral palsy. I know very well what it feels like to be rejected because you don't look perfect. And I know what it's like to be unwanted. I want to help them overcome this. And I always wanted many children—as many as my body could create. But all the men who looked after me wanted only one child. Chris Palmer was the only one who agreed to the heir-and-spare option." She sighed. "Social services don't allow foster workers to take more than five children, and I decided to take those who are just as rejected by the world as I am. This is a conscious decision. I spent six months as a volunteer at a boarding school for children with cerebral palsy, and I know what awaits me. I accepted it and got ready."
"What about your first children?" asked Riana.
"They understood everything. Irene, having lived with her stepmother for a while, wanted to go to a boarding school that prepares students for admission to a good college of business. She decided to create part-time remote jobs and effectively manage passive income. She also wanted to be a housewife, like me, but life made adjustments. Irene realised that the most important thing for a woman is financial independence. And if a woman wants to take care of only the house and children, she should be able to do this, even if she doesn't and never will have a husband. I'm proud that Irene wants to make this a reality. And I will support her, no matter what the school, religious organisations, politicians, and other members of the public think about it. She and I really became close friends."
"Belief in oneself and determination are the best things a mother can give a child," said Riana.
"Yes," Ms. Palmer nodded. "Now I understand it. Therefore, my son has at his disposal a large mansard, garden beds, and the opportunity to create as many paintings from dried flowers as he wants. My husband thought it was stupid; I was a submissive wife… But now I think Ethan should try. Even if he is mediocre as an artist, Ethan will not regret that he missed the chance. He will check this option and make a decision based on the results. And I'm glad that Ethan chose me first among all his friends to discuss new ideas or the progress of a project."
"That makes sense," Riana agreed. "And judging by what you said about the attic, have you won the process of dividing property?"
"Oh yes," Ms. Palmer smiled contentedly. "The lawyer demanded payment for all the years of my work as a housekeeper, nanny, secretary, and salesman, plus compensation for late wages and a penalty for late compensation. The amount turned out to be even more than during the division of property. And if Chris had not agreed, then I would have started a fraud case. And Chris paid."
Riana laughed:
"You're right. Leaving your wife or husband is a normal part of life. But not sharing all jointly acquired property with ex-spouses is a crime."
"Yes. I also introduced Chris's new wife to one of your store's customers. And now Chris is going through a second divorce. I heard from my lawyer that this young lady is very practical and persistent, so she will not allow Chris to leave her before her new marriage without a good dowry."
"This is a very beautiful revenge!" Riana approved.
"Oh yeah!" Ms. Palmer replied proudly. And she said, "Now I have a big house, many children, and shares of a successful corporation. The only thing I regret is that I forgave Chris for his first adultery. And she forgave all things those who followed it. Our marriage ended when he first slept with another woman. It is stupid to endure emptiness and wait for the revival of feelings. 'Forgiving, enduring and waiting are exercises for a doormat.' And it is true. It was stupid to spend years maintaining a lie."
"What's done is done," Riana said. "But now you have the courage to make your dream come true. And give others a chance for their dreams."
"And I'm happy," Ms. Palmer said.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/52497217
https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3370230/1/Riana-s-Adventures
Story-5. What can you see in the mirror?
Emil, thanks for the preliminary reading.
Riana is used to the fact that a sales assistant in an antique store is a position where employees change every two to three months. But the current salesman, Mark, when he quit, brought in not an unemployed postdoc, as usual, but a newly divorced housewife. Her name was Alice Palmer, and, according to Mark, her ex-husband was a zealous collector, and his wife kept all the documentation on his treasures. That's why Ms. Palmer has become a better expert than most professional appraisers.
Riana didn't argue. She carefully examined the candidate, and it became obvious that this was an extremely profitable acquisition.
"You did a good deed," Mark said. "Mr. Palmer left his wife after sixteen years of marriage."
Riana shrugged.
"Marriage is not an antique or a work experience, and every new day in it is not a plus but a minus because love is a perishable product and easily replaceable."
"That's right," Mark agreed. "But it is very difficult for someone who has been abandoned to realize this truth. Especially if you remain poor. Before the divorce, Mr. Palmer transferred part of the property to his mother and burdened the rest with debts so that Ms. Alice would not claim division and alimony. This is fraud, and on a large scale, based on the value of his property, but a court is needed to prove this. And in court, you need a good lawyer who costs much more than you can afford with unemployment benefits."
"Feminist organisations have many free lawyers," Riana noted.
"They are enthusiastic about protecting only poor women who are beaten by their partners. And the wife of a rich man, whom her husband abandoned without insults or assault, must take care of herself."
"That's fair," Riana replied. "There are plenty of lawyers who will work for the future percentage of whatever their client receives in the division of property in court."
"Palmer is not a fool; he understands that, having lost half of his fortune, if not more, he will no longer be needed by the young fairy, who now pleases him in every possible way, competing with other beauties for a lucrative boyfriend. Children will also not want to stay with their father, who has become less generous with money. And wherein there are many illegal migrants hanging on his neck who need to legalise their stay in the country. Additionally, they don't at all want to share their lover's pennies with his children. Moreover, this is all provided that Ms. Alice doesn't imprison her ex-husband for fraud."
"And work helps to overcome stress," Riana added. "Do you think I should take Ms. Palmer on my trips? Her job will be of little help to her, where she sits alone at the counter with a book almost all day and checks purchases on the website before the offline store closes. But then you have to find me an intern from the university who will sit behind the counter for free in exchange for professional practice."
"I'll try to do something. But it will be better if you make Ms. Alice learn website management, web design, and all sorts of market monitoring through AI. This is a difficult task for an ex-housewife who is far from young, and she will have no time to think about her grief while she is alone in the store. You may not even pay her a percentage of sales, but spend it on paying for courses. The main thing is that Ms. Alice has more difficult homework from different teachers."
"And she will find inspiration for a new life when she sees how her demand and value on the labour market have increased." Riana nodded. "No matter how you look at it, only work will never deceive or let you down."
…For the first two days, Ms. Palmer showed herself to be an excellent worker who knows how to talk a buyer into making a purchase. And on the morning of the third day, she broke the mirror—and this was not accidental.
"Sorry," Ms. Palmer said quickly. "I will bring a box in compensation; that costs even more."
"But this will not change the fact that you will see emptiness in all other mirrors," Riana noted. "Why don't you want to start building your own life? Now is just the right time for this."
"It's good to talk about building your own life when you are young and good-looking!" Ms. Palmer seethed. "And even if I return the money and children, I will still be useless trash."
"Youth and beauty are ways to please others. And I'm talking about creating your own life. You are so much more than your age and appearance. And the only real need is to be needed by yourself."
"It's good for you to reason!" Ms. Palmer became even more angry. "All loves and all people are easily replaceable only by young people. Now that you are in the prime of beauty, every man you meet falls at your feet. But not many years will pass, and you will become a void for everyone."
"Love is something that you do in between businesses. And a person is the business that he, she, or they are engaged in for their life. The business has no age, no appearance, and no gender. While you are busy with your own business, you are always so happy that you don't care about anyone else. And now no one and nothing is stopping you from doing what you always wanted to do but didn't dare because you were pleasing others."
"I always wanted a home and a family," Ms. Palmer said bitterly. "How can you do this without caring about others?"
"Well, what fool said there was only one family option?" Riana was surprised. "There are a lot of them. And this city is full of lonely, homeless children and old people. And in the foster system, there are always not enough people who want to become a family for someone, even for very decent municipal housing and the more than good money that they pay there."
"This is not a family!" Ms. Palmer was indignant.
"The family has many varieties. And only one of them needs a husband. Think about what you really want. And don't care what a bunch of stereotypical assholes think about your desires. The main thing is you and your desires. And teenagers don't need parents. They want friends, a good place in society, and at least a little understanding of their hormones. So it's time for you to think about yourself."
Riana put on a leather hat decorated with flowers from photographic films and left the store. The forecasters were calling for rain, but the park's rack sale was expected to take place no matter the weather.
On the way, she called several former assistants and asked them to find an employee for the store. "If I understand anything about people," thought Riana, "the place behind the counter will soon be free again."
But days passed, and Ms. Palmer continued to sit in the store. The only thing is that she stopped being afraid of mirrors. Riana once noticed Miss Palmer smiling triumphantly at her reflection.
Riana didn't ask how Ms. Palmer solved her problems, but she was glad that such a good salesperson remained in the store. Staff turnover is inevitable, however tiresome.
Ms. Palmer quit after six months.
"Now I'm ready to take my dream into my own hands," she said. And she added with a smile, "I will foster five children with cerebral palsy. I know very well what it feels like to be rejected because you don't look perfect. And I know what it's like to be unwanted. I want to help them overcome this. And I always wanted many children—as many as my body could create. But all the men who looked after me wanted only one child. Chris Palmer was the only one who agreed to the heir-and-spare option." She sighed. "Social services don't allow foster workers to take more than five children, and I decided to take those who are just as rejected by the world as I am. This is a conscious decision. I spent six months as a volunteer at a boarding school for children with cerebral palsy, and I know what awaits me. I accepted it and got ready."
"What about your first children?" asked Riana.
"They understood everything. Irene, having lived with her stepmother for a while, wanted to go to a boarding school that prepares students for admission to a good college of business. She decided to create part-time remote jobs and effectively manage passive income. She also wanted to be a housewife, like me, but life made adjustments. Irene realised that the most important thing for a woman is financial independence. And if a woman wants to take care of only the house and children, she should be able to do this, even if she doesn't and never will have a husband. I'm proud that Irene wants to make this a reality. And I will support her, no matter what the school, religious organisations, politicians, and other members of the public think about it. She and I really became close friends."
"Belief in oneself and determination are the best things a mother can give a child," said Riana.
"Yes," Ms. Palmer nodded. "Now I understand it. Therefore, my son has at his disposal a large mansard, garden beds, and the opportunity to create as many paintings from dried flowers as he wants. My husband thought it was stupid; I was a submissive wife… But now I think Ethan should try. Even if he is mediocre as an artist, Ethan will not regret that he missed the chance. He will check this option and make a decision based on the results. And I'm glad that Ethan chose me first among all his friends to discuss new ideas or the progress of a project."
"That makes sense," Riana agreed. "And judging by what you said about the attic, have you won the process of dividing property?"
"Oh yes," Ms. Palmer smiled contentedly. "The lawyer demanded payment for all the years of my work as a housekeeper, nanny, secretary, and salesman, plus compensation for late wages and a penalty for late compensation. The amount turned out to be even more than during the division of property. And if Chris had not agreed, then I would have started a fraud case. And Chris paid."
Riana laughed:
"You're right. Leaving your wife or husband is a normal part of life. But not sharing all jointly acquired property with ex-spouses is a crime."
"Yes. I also introduced Chris's new wife to one of your store's customers. And now Chris is going through a second divorce. I heard from my lawyer that this young lady is very practical and persistent, so she will not allow Chris to leave her before her new marriage without a good dowry."
"This is a very beautiful revenge!" Riana approved.
"Oh yeah!" Ms. Palmer replied proudly. And she said, "Now I have a big house, many children, and shares of a successful corporation. The only thing I regret is that I forgave Chris for his first adultery. And she forgave all things those who followed it. Our marriage ended when he first slept with another woman. It is stupid to endure emptiness and wait for the revival of feelings. 'Forgiving, enduring and waiting are exercises for a doormat.' And it is true. It was stupid to spend years maintaining a lie."
"What's done is done," Riana said. "But now you have the courage to make your dream come true. And give others a chance for their dreams."
"And I'm happy," Ms. Palmer said.
