Phoenix ✔️

Chapter 5: A New Flame

The information that my mom delivered to me took a few seconds to soak in. It's not easy to absorb this information, especially around this time. Then, the thought of it hit me in the face like a hard slap. 

This can't be happening. I can't believe this was happening. My relationships have never even gone this far, and now I'm getting married? This is unacceptable. I can't deal with this. 

"What are you saying, Mom? I'm not engaged," I state. "Play innocent. That way, she'll soften up. She'll sympathize with me. She'll have a change of heart, and then I can just go to college and live my life," I think to myself. But somehow, deep down, I know that was far from reality. I know I'm not kidding anyone when I'm trying my tactics. 

"Our family is in a financial black hole, Nicole. This is the only way to help our family with our problems. I found a lovely man to marry you off to. He's financially stable, and good looking. He's a good match," my mom says, like there's nothing wrong with her actions. My eyes widen at her insensitivity. I know my mom has always been like this, but this is taking it to a whole new level. 

"This is illegal," I think angrily. She is taking my rights away as a human and marrying me off to someone I don't even know. I shake my head. I'm not an object. I won't get pushed around like this at all. My mother can't control my choices like a tyrant. I want to do what my heart desires. I'm fully intent on finishing college first, finding a job, and then marrying. But I won't let her interfere in my dreams. I won't let her stop me from doing what my heart craves. I won't let her run my life like this. 

"No," I say bluntly. I cross my arms over my chest, and look at her with a serious look. My mom raises an eyebrow at me, with her mouth falling open slightly at my defiance.

"What did you just say?" she demands, like I just told her that she can go rot in hell. To be fair, I wouldn't mind if that happened. The demanding look on her face morphs into a raging look, like she wants to rip me up with her bare hands. I raise my head up even higher. 

"I said no. I'm not getting married to him, and I don't care what you say. You're not the one who dictates my love life," I spit. The fury in my mom's eyes intensifies, like a forest fire. Her eye starts to twitch violently, like she's ready to punch a wall out. She leans down and her hand fastens its grip around my shirt collar. She roughly jerks me up off the bed and closer to her. She's in my face. Literally. 

"Now, listen here young lady. You are going to marry that man no matter what you think or what I think. You are going to do so and you're going to be with that man," my mom says in a fierce tone. I scoff. Her threats are more empty than a cardboard box. There isn't an ounce of fear that's sizzling inside of my body, and I can see past that threat like it's made of glass. 

"And what are you going to do? I'm not scared of you," I say, straightforwardly. My mom smirks at me. The fury in her eyes is replaced with something much more sinister. It's something absolutely vile. She has something up her sleeve, and she'll pull it on me. 

"If you don't get married to this man, then I will throw you out. I'll make sure that you'll never see Dominic and Elena ever again. I'll make sure the next time you see them will be in a coffin. And, we wouldn't want anything to happen to your father, would we?" she asks, with the malevolent look in her eye intensifying. I gasp. She wouldn't do that. She may do a lot of things, but I refuse to let her touch my father and my siblings in any sort of way. 

"Don't you dare bring them into this," I say angrily. My hands ball up into a fist when I hear her threats. If she lays a finger on them, then I'll make sure that she regrets it. No matter what it takes. She smirks.

 "Oh, but I'll have to if you don't obey me. You remember Bruno and Aldo. You know my connections to them. Now, what do you say? Are you going to marry him?" she asks. Just then, the memory of our connections plagues my mind. My mom has the power to do it. She's sitting on lots of family connections from her past. All it takes is a simple snap of her fingers, and we're at her feet, begging for mercy.