The Last Of Me

Ch21 Wedding

I look into the mirror as the women finish my hair and makeup. "You look beautiful darling you should smile it's your wedding day." How could I smile, I was getting married to a monster, a heartless monster. I put my head down feeling stressed and tired. I am afraid of what my future holds, and I don't have any hope or love. My heart died when they took him from me. When they took Jackson from me. "Okay sweetie lets get your dress on." The older woman takes my hand escorting me to the tall mirror on the wall and three other woman help her get my dress on. "You look stunning sweetie." The older woman begins to cry. I don't see what they see. I see a weak, broken, girl who's lost everything, her life, her freedom, herself. I don't have anymore fight left in me, I've lost. A tear slides down my face but I quickly wipe it away after seeing Asher standing by the door from the mirror.

 "Don't you look breathtaking." I turn around giving him a look, and he chuckles walking to me. "Get out." He barks at the woman, they quickly scurry out of the room closing the door behind them. He puts his hands on my hips pulling me closer to him and I sigh in disgust. "You make a beautiful bride princess." He whispers in my ear his breath smelling like cigars and alcohol. "I just can't wait to get you out that dress were going to have an amazing honeymoon at the Jeju Island., That's your favorite place right?, you told your grandma when you got married you wanted to have your honeymoon there right?"

 I look at him with confusion in my face. I forgot all about the honeymoon. Panic becomes to wash over me and I pull away from him. " Ohhh don't worry princess I don't bite...hard." He begins to laugh and he pulls me back to me but this time I feel something hard touching my back. "You try to run and you will regret it, do you understand?" I nod my head yes waiting for him to remove the gun away from me. "Isn't it b...bad luck for the groom and bride to see each other before the wed...wedding." I choke out hoping it would get him to leave." "That you are right about darling, I 'll see you in a bit then." He takes my hand putting a kiss on it and walking away. When he walks out the door I fall to the ground feeling like I was having a panic attack my breath quickens and I feel nauseous and dizzy so I run to the trash can throwing up. I wish I would pass out if it meant delaying this ceremony, if it meant getting time away from reality.

The woman came back into the room handing me a glass of water and giving me words of encouragement, but it wouldn't change anything. It couldn't change that I was trapped and that my own life no longer belonged to me, and after this wedding, neither would my body. I will be a slave, forced to do what he says. I try to pull myself together as the older woman comes in to tell me that it was time. I take a deep breath and take one more look at myself, to say goodbye, because after today, I will never been the same.

I'm escorted into the large ballroom where I see a lot of Ashers men standing by all the walls with guns in their hands ready to shoot if something went off, and seats are filled with so many people, whose faces I didn't recognize. The music begins to play and I slowly walk down the aisle with the flowers in my hands and the veil over my head I try to breathe as I slowly start to get closer to the monster that stood before me. Once I finally reached him I hand the white roses to the woman next me and Asher lifts up my veil and I see the evil smile on his face as he wraps his arm around my body resting it on my hip. Here we go Anastasia, be brave.

***

"And do you Anastasia Walker, take Asher Waters to be your husband in sickness and in health till death do you part?" I look at Asher with fear in my eyes not wanting to say the words. "I...iii uh....i.." I grimace when I feel Asher dig his nails deep into my hip. "I do." I quickly say and he releases his grip on me. "Well by the Power vested in me, I now pronounce you both husband and wife, you may now kiss your beautiful bride." He grabs my chin pulling me into a kiss and tears begin to fall down my face as the people begin to clap and cheer. I'm completely lost now, forever.