Stars Aligned

Insert 34

Narrated

As soon as Leo and Betty entered the room, people hushed. But just like they had been before, they started to converse among each other again, ignoring the two. But the newly wed couldn't. As soon as Lisa saw Betty, she got up from her chair throwing herself in her arms. Snakes sat still, with Ronnie playing with his phone on his lap. Betty gave her a small chuckle, patting her back.
Lisa: Where have you been? You missed my wedding!

She whined still in her arms, refusing to let go. To say she was worried was an understatement. She needed her to be there for her on her big day and when she couldn't see her anywhere, she had thought the worst.
Betty: Guess who's not getting married anymore.
Betty said, already getting teary-eyed. She couldn't allow herself to cry in front of these people.

Lisa pulled away. She gaped at Betty with wide eyes. Maybe she hadn't heard right. She was confused but at the same time relieved and happy for her best friend.
Lisa: Are you serious?
Betty nodded with a small smile on her face.
Lisa: Do you know what that means? You free!
Lisa laughed hugging Betty again. Little did she know that Betty felt anything but.

Free wasn't the word to describe her right now. If being owned by someone who she didn't know was a definition of free then she didn't want to be free. She'd rather be confined in the cruel realm of her father.
Lisa: Aren't you happy?
Betty smiled convincingly. It was better for her to hide herself emotions from Lisa. If anything she didn't want to ruin her big day for her. She deserved this, to be happy. Although she wasn't, it didn't mean she should make others unhappy as well.

Betty: I'm happy. Are you happy?
Lisa's smile spoke for itself. The glint in her eyes said a lot too. She was happy and that's all that mattered. Lisa was the only family she had now. Her own family had cut all ties with her, the moment they sold her to a foreign man for business. Although she still wished them all the good in the world, she also wished that they shared all that happiness with her since she was the one who was sacrificed for it.

Hell she wished she wasn't the sacrifice but then they wouldn't be happy now would they. Deciding to put aside her thoughts. Lisa dragged her to the girls. The reception was great. People ate, drank and danced. Much to her dismay, someone asked her for a dance and even though she wasn't feeling it, it would've been rude to dismiss him. She didn't even know who the man was, but then it didn't matter as long as he seemed genuine.

Muzi: What's a beautiful girl like yourself doing by herself?
That had been his typical line to get her attention. She was at the bar, drinking a glass of wine. She knew it was a bad idea to be drinking but she had no intentions of drowning herself in alcohol, especially on her friend's day.
Betty: Do I have to answer that?
Without removing her gaze at the glass wandering in her hands she gave him a dull answer.

Muzi: No, but it would be a civil thing to do.
Civil? She thought. The word was oddly familiar with her ears. People had told her she was civil her whole life. Strangers, to be exact. Now that she hadn't acted the way the man wanted her to, she wasn't civil anymore, how odd. It was rare for her family to compliment her, but then again they seemed to be suffering from OCD. She chuckled at her own thoughts.

Betty turned to look at the man who had indirectly called her uncivilized. She sighed loudly, her lips pursing into a thin line.
Muzi: How about we talk about all that gloominess over a dance?
Refusing would be uncivilized. She took his extended hand reluctantly so. Her steps followed his as he led her to the middle of the room among other dancing couples. His hands on her waist hadn't felt like his did.

Muzi: The name is Muzi by the way.
Betty put her arms on his shoulders. She didn't want to feel to closed with him. She kept her distance even though they were close. It confused her as to why she didn't want any other man to touch her.
Betty: Elizabeth.
Muzi: Beautiful name, rare.
Betty: Yeah, it was my late grandmother's name. Apparently I resembled her too much for them to name me after her.

She jokingly inputted. Muzi chuckled a little. They swayed to the music oblivious to the daggers they were receiving from someone. Leo clenched his jaw tight at the interaction between the two. For some reason, seeing Elizabeth with another man's arms around her made his body boil with anger. How dare he put his hands on what was his. He should kill him. Vile thoughts crossed his mind, various ways to kill him swam in his head. He had even gone as far as to think of how he would dispose of his body.

Leone: That's a face I never thought I'd ever see.
Leo rolled his eyes at his little brother's choice of words to start a conversion after not seeing each other for weeks.
Leo: Not in the mood Leone.
Leone: I leave you for a few weeks and you already in love. Frater (brother) come on.
Leo: Get lost Leone.
Leone raised his hands, not wanting to agitate his brother more than he was.

Leo: Lo voy a matar. (I'm gonna kill him)
He muttered to himself. He didn't know where the rage had came from but it was eating him up. He couldn't take it anymore. Without wasting another second, Leo strode to the dance floor. She hadn't realised that someone was behind as she was caught up laughing at a lame joke Muzi had said. He really was trying to lift off the gloominess from her.

Until, she heard someone clear their throat. She stopped dancing. Her smile faltering slowly as she turned around to be faced with the man himself. Betty removed her arms from Muzi's shoulders, letting them fall on her sides.
Betty: Thanks for the dance, I appreciate it.
As she had seen Leo trying to say something. She immediately beat him to it, she had a feeling it wasn't something good.

Muzi smiled at Betty, taking her hand and kissing it. Betty felt like Muzi did it purposefully. He was also a man after all. All about boasting their egos. She didn't want any man trying to show how dominant or manly they are, using her. She'd had enough of that with one man her whole life already. Now another one was here, acting like a caveman. Leo took Betty's hand and placed it on his shoulder. He put his hands on her waist, pulling her close.
Leo: I'm the only one allowed to touch you like that, got it?

Did she have a say to defy him. He hadn't left her with much to stand up for herself. His dominance over her made her somewhat content. Maybe it was because she's never valued like that. It may have been a small gesture and it may also have came across possessive but to her it was an act of being wanted. She nodded her head, before letting her head fall on his chest. She was tired, all day she'd been on her toes, not only physically but emotionally as well.