Everyone wears a mask. Wear it long enough and it becomes a part of your skin. When life is a masquerade, is a mask deception or survival? For Elaine Wood, she need not speak a word to play with one’s inner demons. Her gift behind the mask was to embrace the all-consuming darkness and let it burn her. To rise again with a sweet smile on her lips. There’s nothing wiser, nothing worse, than when she makes the mask fall from every face but hers. In the words and thoughts of the temptress with a mask stepping out from the pages of House of Cards, find the answers to questions the readers asked:

Elaine: Since you asked nicely, I’d let you in on my secret. Scents trigger a detailed memory even intense emotions. Lillies have a floral scent that is not too overpowering and kinda sweet. So it is likely to smell pleasant unless you have no taste. Anyone who has ever been near me can smell that sweet note of my perfume and it triggers their memory or whatever I make them feel every time they come close to such a floral scent. 

Elaine: What do you think it is? I’m more curious to know your answer. Whatever it is, that is my only defense. Do you think I did a good job?

Elaine: Like what? Did what? You mean survive? Ask anyone who has lived in the middle of Sitciny, it is us who have it the worst. The forgotten middle child of the city. It’s the extremes that fight and we become the unwilling soldiers and spoils of their wars. If someone prideful drags you, you get dragged. If someone crazy wants you, you embrace them.  No questions asked. We might not have the money or the thirst for blood. All we have is ourselves, our bodies. And all of us must make do.

Elaine: I really shouldn’t have gone against Wayne. Maise had more money, but Wayne was crazier. A level of crazy Maise could never be. It was almost like asking for it. I don’t know who I loathed more at that moment, Wayne or his wife. But at least it was over. I was free.

Elaine: Regret is reserved for people who don’t know what they were getting into. I always knew. Not saying I was okay with it. But sulking about it wasn’t going to make things better. I prefer facing things head-on. So, I always looked Wayne in the eye. Haven’t you heard, if you can’t beat them, join them?

Elaine: Which one should I tell? He cannot sleep near the door, especially an open door. His side of the bed, no matter where, was away from the entrance of the room. He cannot shower or bathe with another person or an unlocked door. However, certain other things he enjoyed putting a show of. Then the doors, windows, and everything in between can remain wide open. I often used to wonder if he knows where he was messing up. If you want to hear anything more, you’ll have to tell me one juicy detail about yourself first.

Elaine: I don’t know if he wanted to, but he never did. I am assuming because he never saw me as his mother. Though it was a sensitive topic, especially since she died soon after he was born.

Elaine: Like I said, regret is reserved for those who don’t know what they’re getting into. The closest I’ve been to that situation is trusting Maise. So, you can say I regret but it wasn’t a surprise Wayne came for me once Maise put me in the prison. He had people in there. Obviously, that wasn’t a safe place for me. He couldn’t get his hands in there, but he had other hands. Other than that, I regret the accident. I regret running away. I knew the man wasn’t dead. We could’ve saved him if Wayne had listened to me.

Elaine: Has no one ever told you to never ask a lady her age? Judging from your tone, I am assuming you think I’m too old. I’m not as old as you think. Take a wild guess if you’re curious.

Elaine:Wayne wasn’t thinking, I can attest to that. I was hoping his wife wasn’t as crazy as him. I could never get away with running from Wayne. I could stay away from his wife. It just took me by surprise when I found out Maise knew about me. That was scary. But once nothing happened, I eased up about it all too. I was no advocate to tell Wayne to stop having an affair. Why must I jeopardize my life to save his doomed marriage? Besides, at one point, he did fall in love with me. However much he was capable. Then all my thoughts were out of the window too. Running away was not even a daydream. I did whatever I could to make the best of my situation with him and hope Maise had more sense than him and she leaves him… by extension leave me too.

Meet Elaine Wood in Sitciny: Read House of Cards on Inkitt and Wattpad.