The University of the South

The Bride (1 of 8)

Medicine always interested me.

Since I was a little girl, I had always wanted to be a doctor.

Learning about the human body definitely fascinated me and I wanted to help people at the same time.

My mother couldn't care less about what I wanted.

She just wanted me to get married off to the richest guy I could find and cared more about how I presented myself.

"Juniper! Get down here. Your sisters and I are waiting." I hear my mother call as I hurry down.

Ugh I hated when she called me Juniper.

I put my books away, hiding them from my mother's view of them.

If she found them, she'd kill me.

"Coming!" I say from upstairs, rushing down to her.

I see her and my two younger sisters, Kate and Maggie.

It was just us girls, with my father passing away a year ago.

It was hard to come by nowadays. The money that my father had left us, was lessening by the month.

I didn't know if I could even afford to continue med school.

My father, when he was alive, allowed me to take a premed course but if my mother had it her way, I'd probably not be where I was at school.

"June, you're not going to like what mom is going to say." Maggie warns as I sigh.

When have I ever liked what she had to say?

"Thanks Mags, hopefully it isn't as bad as when she offered to move me across the country." I tell her with a little smirk.

I roll my eyes and huff, as Maggie giggles at me.

My sisters and I have always been close. Whatever we knew, we'd tell each other straight away.

We helped each other too when we were in trouble. It's how we survived in this household.

"Ah, Juniper. You're here. Please get ready for tomorrow. I've done us all a favor!" Mom says as I raise a brow at her.

I knew that wasn't all she had to say. Maggie did warn me after all.

"What favor? What's happening tomorrow?" I ask in confusion at my mother's smile.

Usually when my mother was happy, it wasn't a good sign.

"You are 21 and on your last year of college, so I found you someone." She says excitedly.

Someone? Someone to what?

Wait hold on...

"What do you mean someone?" I ask in more confusion.

What was with all these riddles mother? Spit it out!

I see Kate and Maggie frowning before mother smiles wider.

"To marry, silly. We're meeting the Darlings tomorrow night for dinner to discuss it further. You're marrying their son, Grant." Mother says before I gasp.