The Crimson Bride

Chapter 1: Margo

Margo looked down at the DNA test in her hands. It had been the last gift her mother had given her before she died.

Her mother had known they had family somewhere in Europe, but didn't know to what extent. They both wanted to know more about them since her grandfather was always so secretive about their history. However, by the time Margo's mother had saved up for the DNA test and a possible trip her condition had become critical. Margo was then left with the test, but had just never around to doing it until now.

It was Margo's 26th birthday and the first one she had to celebrate without her mother. It made her feel sentimental and a little lonely. So, here she was, laying on her bed and contemplating whether she wanted to find out if she had any living family left or not.

"Happy birthday baby girl~. I got ya a cupcake and a couple of cute little wine bottles." Jessica called out in a singsong voice as she slipped into her and Margo's shared apartment.

Jessica was not only Margo's roommate, but also her best friend. She was tall and vibrant, curly ginger hair and freckles that spotted her fair skin. Whenever Margo would tease her about how adorable they made her look, she would joke that they were the souls of her enemies. The little inside joke never failed to make them both laugh.

"You finally decided to crack that thing open?" Jessica peeked into Margo's room and noticed the short brunette staring at the box. She set the cupcake and mini bottles on the bedside table before plopping down on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah...it's about time I used it, y'know? My mom and I had been planning on finding our family roots for years. Now that she's gone, I don't have any other family." Margo huffed solemnly as she sat up so she could address Jessica directly.

"I understand, it's been four months. Your mom was really cool and these months haven't been easy on either of us." Margo nodded in response as she looked back down at the box.

In between the time Margo's mother had died and her current birthday, a lot had happened. Their rent had gone up and Jessica had lost her job as a security guard. To make up for the loss, Margo took up a job as a cocktail waitress and Jessica took a job at a catering company. Neither paid very well, but it was the best they could do with the minimal schooling. They could only afford one car and were barely scathing by on their other bills. To say they were struggling was an understatement.

"Who knows, maybe I'm related to an old rich guy who's on his deathbed. I could probably snag some inheritance if he's as lonely as I am." I laughed dryly at the prospect. "Come on man, that's cold, even for you." Jessica nudged Margo playfully while chuckling along.

"Anyway, make a wish." Jessica lit the small candle that adorned the cupcake and held it up for the other girl.

"I wish I had the bod and the confidence to become a stripper so we can pay rent." As Margo blew out the candle, Jessica couldn't help but let out a laugh at the wish.

"Really? You want to be a stripper?" "Why not? Being a stripper pays way more than our current jobs and it's better than fucking some rando for money." Both of the girls laughed and Jessica shook her head.

"Alright, alright, I can't argue with that. I thought you were going to wish for something cute like finding your family or something like that." Margo rolled her eyes at the other's comment.

"I mean, I am interested in my family's history. But there's no guarantee that I have any living relatives and even if I do, we have bills to pay." Margo took the cupcake from the dumbfounded redhead and split it with her fingers for the two of them to share.

"Awe, thank you hon." Jessica ate her half of the cupcake while Margo opened the box and downloaded the corresponding app on her phone.

"So, what exactly are your expectations since you're being so sinical about this whole family thing?" Margo shrugged as she ate her half of the cupcake and waited for the download to complete. "Nothing really. I'm just interested in my heritage since my grandma never said much about her side of the family. All I really know is that my great-great grandfather was the first of my mom's side to come to America. Other than that, my mom's side is practically a blank slate. If I do have any living family then they're probably too far removed to actually be considered family."

Jessica got up from the bed and stretched as she seemed reluctantly satisfied with Margo's answer. "Well, I'll leave ya to it. 'Night Margo." With that, she headed to her own room for the night.

Now that she was alone, Margo followed the instructions that came with the DNA test. Once she completed that, she drank a bit of the wine that Jessica had gotten her and went to bed.

The next day Margo mailed off the test on her way out to her job.

....

It took about two days for the app to notify Margo that her family tree was ready. As it turned out, Margo had a third cousin named Louis Freeman who lived near Canterbury, UK. It took an extra day for Louis to contact Margo on the same app, asking to meet up.

"You're seriously going to meet some guy from the internet?" Jessica looked over Margo's shoulder as she pulled up Louis' profile.

"Oh gods, this guy looks like he sells briefcases for a living." Margo rolled her eyes at the other girl's comment.

"We're a match from a DNA test Jess. Even if he looks nothing like his profile picture, we're still family. Plus, I'm broke. If he tries leeching off of me then he's barking up the wrong tree."

"Fine, but don't come running to me if he turns out to be some serial killer." Jessica relented as Margo was stubbornly set on meeting with her newfound cousin.

....

Come that Sunday morning, Margo set off to meet with Louis Freeman at a downtown cafe.