Our Forced Love

𝓢𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷

Aurora

Chef has prepared an amazing course for dinner. It was a simple Spaghetti bolognese dish with a tomato and cucumber salad as a side. It tasted amazing and I couldn't help but ask for more. Daniel has already had 3 plates and Mr. Maricceli was on his second as well. I was also on my second.

Daniel scoffed down his food. "Chef, keep it coming!" He yelled into the kitchen.

"Daniel, inside voice." Antonio scolded. "Plus, you already had 3, you don't need anymore." He told him. Daniel sucked his teeth and rolled his eyes. He looks at me as I'm eating I'm trying to eat a long spaghetti noodle. I embarrassingly suck it up quickly and chew. He laughed. "You like it?" He asked and I nodded. "I can tell." He raised his hand towards my lips and wiped leftover tomato sauce from the sides of my mouth.

"Antonio, dear, you are sure you want to marry someone who eats like a pig at the dinner table? It's disgusting, to say the least. If she can't have proper table etiquette, she shouldn't be here." Mrs. Maricceli scoffed. What the hell did she just say? I look at her in disbelief and scoffed, wanting to say something back. She's been throwing comments and insults at me the entire dinner, and I'm starting to get tired of it. At one point during the dinner, she told Kylie that she had preferred her marrying Antonio.

I wiped my mouth with my napkin and sat back in my chair, avoiding everyone's stares. "Mom, that was not necessary to say." Antonio said defensively. "If you cannot treat my wife in an appropriate manner then_"

"Oh, son, okay." Mrs. Maricceli replied. "If apologizing would make you and her feel better then I apologize." I never liked to call people out of their names, but she's acting like a huge bitch. I don't even want to talk anymore. I sink away into my own world, dissociating from her own vile words and behavior.

I hear Daniel, Antonio, and their parents talking amongst each other. I just sat there, not saying anything thinking of my parents. My mom would never let Mrs. Maricceli talk to me that way. She would've definitely spoken up more and probably insult her back on my behalf. No one did anything, and that's sad. I feel tears brimming in my eyes. Shit, I don't want to cry in front of everyone.

I tapped Antonio's arm. He looked at me. "I have to go to the bathroom." I told him. He nodded understandingly and I excused myself before quickly walking to the bathroom. I stepped in and quickly closed the door.

The tears started to fall down and I groaned in frustration, trying to wipe them without destroying my makeup. I can't let this woman upset me like this. I can't let her get what she wants, which is a reaction.

Antonio

Shit. She's upset. She looked as if she was going to cry, which I hate. I cleared my throat. "Mother, your behavior during this dinner was entirely inappropriate and just ridiculous." I scolded. I've never once disrespected my Mom but how she's been treating Aurora was disgusting and made me sick to my stomach.

"You're mad because I'm saying the truth?" Mom retorted. "You're leader of the Organization. She's a little girl. She's too childish to be married to you." She turned to Dad. "Why'd you pick her, of all people?" She asked him.

"Her Dad and I made a deal." Dad replied.

"You couldn't have picked any other girl for him? Doesn't she have another sister, or a cousin?"

"Aurora is the only child." Kylie responded before I could. "She does have cousins, but they're way older and married already. She's been taught well by her parents. She knows how to fix car parts, she knows how to cook, she cleans her whole house whenever her parents are gone. Aurora is anything but incapable. She's 18 years old, she's not going to go into wife mode automatically." The whole table went silent. Kylie turns to me. "Can I excuse myself? To check on Aurora?" She asked.