The Favorite Girl

Bradley takes Demi to an office that has a wall made of “off-white objects” (66), which later are revealed to be fragments of human bone. Bradley tells Demi to wait for Conrad, Ian and Daphne’s son, to go over the NDA and leaves. When Conrad comes in, he startles Demi, and she drops the medical book she was looking at. She reassures him that she wants the job and admits that she borrowed her fancy clothes. As he jokes about her outfit, she notices his silent shoes. Conrad says that he has to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a doctor; he is attending the University of North Carolina but is on break. Demi claims to be saving up for college. A voice then comes into the room through a speaker, demanding that Conrad get to the business of the NDA and pick up the book. Demi realizes that there are cameras in the room.

Conrad becomes business-like and emphasizes that privacy is very important to the Ivory family. He gives her a list of rules. These include not talking about anything that happens in the house, wearing white, not wearing makeup or perfume, and getting an IUD. Demi asks about the mandatory IUD, and Conrad says that it is so that she doesn’t get pregnant and leave her job. The next rule is to be silent in the Orchid section of the house. As she asks Conrad about this rule, Ian comes into the office. He scolds Conrad for taking too long, tells him to hurry up, and leaves.

Other rules in the list are about the company phone they are giving her. Then, Conrad makes her read a passage out loud. Demi is nervous and hesitates but eventually is able to read the text about the foods she must eat, supplements she must take, and exercise she must do; she will also be weighed every week. Demi mentally compares this to her life on the streets, scrounging for food, and tells Conrad that the contract sounds great. He is surprised and writes her a note asking if she is sure, warning that there is no turning back. She signs the first page of the NDA.

Demi spends an hour signing page after page of the NDA. Then, Conrad gives her a pearl bracelet and commands that she never take it off. Bradley collects Demi and takes her to her room. She exclaims happily about it, and Bradley shushes her. After Bradley leaves, Demi hallucinates her dead sister and cries. She takes a shower, noting that all the products are fragrance-free.

After the shower, Demi feels very clean and reflects on getting dirty from a lack of menstrual products when she was unhoused. There is a gown in the closet for her to wear to dinner, and she is surprised that it fits perfectly. Bradley returns, complains about Demi’s long, dark hair, and finds her a hair tie to use for a bun. He also complains about her lips and gives her some lip balm. She responds to his insults about her appearance by insulting his whiteness, calling him an “Edward Cullen-wannabe” (92). They then talk about Priyanka Chopra marrying a Jonas brother.

When Demi asks Bradley why everything is so quiet, he claims that silence is normal for rich people and that she should not question the Ivory family. There are women in white dresses in the dining room, and Demi is intimidated by the amount of silverware at her place. Daphne comes in and kisses the top of Demi’s head, saying that they are happy she is there. Conrad arrives, and Demi blushes when he sits next to her. When Ian arrives, Demi assures him that she will do anything he needs and thanks them for the opportunity. Ian mocks her enthusiasm for cleaning. More thin, white women with blonde hair and green eyes wearing white dresses serve dinner. One woman plays a harp. Conrad says that her name is Misha and that Demi is taking over for her. Misha is “making it out” (100), and Demi wonders what this means.

Conrad explains which silverware Demi should be using. They joke about the fork from the movie The Little Mermaid. Misha introduces herself to Demi and says that Demi is an unusual hire. Demi jokes about being a “diversity hire,” and Misha asks Demi to meet her after dinner to go over her duties. Misha makes a vague statement about someone wanting to wear Demi’s hair, and Conrad interrupts her. Misha asks Conrad to protect Demi and apologizes for not being good enough. Conrad claims that Misha is “a little off” (105), and Demi starts thinking about how long it will take for her to save up enough money to leave this job. She feels dread about being in the house.

After dinner, Bradley escorts Demi to say goodnight to Ian and Daphne. She thanks them for dinner and is surprised when Ian responds positively to this. Bradley escorts Demi back through the dining room, and one of the women there silently mouths the word “run” (109). Bradley tells Demi to hurry and meet Misha so that she can clean the Ossis area in the morning. Demi doesn’t know what he is referring to, and he realizes that she didn’t read the contract. Bradley is exasperated and tells her how to get to the peony garden.

In the garden, Demi finds Misha on a swing. Demi touches Misha and realizes that her neck has been sliced open. A knife falls, and Demi picks it up. Then, she tries to stop Misha’s neck from bleeding and calls for help. Ian and Daphne arrive, accuse Demi of murdering Misha, and say that they will protect Demi. Daphne injects something into Demi with a needle.