Yours

Chapter 2

One year ago

"Come on ,Reine",my mom called out.

"Please open the door. Talk to me", she says on the verge on tears.

Two days. Two full days I've locked myself inside my room. No, I wasn't processing the downfall of my life. No, I wasn't thinking why me. Those won't help my situation. I was numb to everyone. I didn't even want to think cos thinking will remind me of my situation and I didn't want that. After I woke up from my fainting spell, I locked myself in my room and cried my eyes out. I cried for a whole day my brain couldn't convince me to stop. I wanted to stop crying but I had no power to stop. But now, I have no tears left in my tearducts. I didn't bother getting up from the bed to eat. I didn't bother to wash or brush my hair and now they are all tangled and stringy. I only got up to attend to nature's calling. I didn't even bother to take a bath and now I stink badly but my brain wasn't ready to process that. I get up from the bed to look into the mirror and I didn't recognize myself. I didn't look like the girl I used to be. All I saw was a shadow of my former self. I looked dull and unkempt and I chuckled to myself.

"Wonder if they still can't wait to make me an addition to their family if they see me like this", I said bitterly.

I hear my mother still knocking and move towards the door to open it. I was done punishing myself and everyone with my self wallowing. I open the door to let her in. Upon seeing me, my mom moved forward to pull me into a hug.

"Mom ,I stink", I say softly.

"I don't care. You can stink for all you want as long as you don't have to go through this", she says and starts crying. I couldn't help myself. I started crying too. Guess I wasn't out of tears afterall.

"I'm pretty sure that's not a reasonable excuse to stop the wedding",I say trying to control myself.

"It's okay, baby" ,my mom says moving us towards the bed to sit down. "There won't be a wedding. We have a year to go. That's enough time to come up with something", she says, sniffing in an effort to control her tears.

"Mom, you know that's not possible",I say, wiping away my tears. "You know how powerful they are. And let's not forget their ties with the mafia. Even if they aren't actively into it, it doesn't mean they've completely it and can't use the mafia when they want to"

"No, I don't care. You aren't getting married to their son or into their family. Over my dead body. We'll go to the police. Or we'll run away. Or... Or...",she says frantically.

"Mom",I call softly, "there's nothing we can do and they know that. We'll go to the police and what? We both know their connection extends to the police. We'll run away and what? They have ties everywhere. We'll be found, mom. We have no choice. I have to marry Nicholas or.... ",I close my eyes and swallow. "I don't want to even think about the alternative. I can't let your deaths be because of me. I can't. I won't. I will marry Nicholas."

"No ,you won't", a voice calls out and I look up to see my dad at the door.

"Dad.... ",I say and close my eyes, feeling the tears coming again. He steps into the room and seats on the other side of me.

"You won't marry Nicholas",he repeats. "We won't go to the police, that will be stupid. We won't run away, they'll find us".

"Then what are we going to do? ",I ask quietly.

"We'll talk to them"

"What????",my mom shouts."Tall to them??? Talk to those barbarians???? And say what? Please, reconsider this marriage, Our daughter doesn't like your son???"