The Unwanted Marriage

Prologue

"Mama, please.. please don't do this to me. Please don't leave me"

It hurt. I couldn't bare with the pain.

"Althea, honey," my mother tried to reach my hand. "You will be okay, sweetheart. You will be okay."

How could she say it like that? I won't be okay. I won't ever be okay.

I shook my head. "Please, don't leave me. Please be strong, mama, please, I have no one"

Mama touched my wet cheek and brushed the tear with her thumb. "You are not alone, sweetheart. You will never be alone. You have Elisa and Michael, you also have Arthur. They will take care of you"

"God, please stop, mama. I'm not going to marry him!" I argued. The last thing I wanted to think right now is that man.

That cold man.

Not when I was at the verge of losing both my parents, right now at the hospital. Some drunk asshole hit my parents' car on their way home after work.

"You will be okay, sweetheart. The Williams are good people, they are my family too. You will be safe with them."

I shook my head. "Why are you doing this to me?"

My whole body was shaking in agony, watching my mother in the hospital bed, blood all over her cloths. I already lost my father a few moment ago, and I knew I would soon lose my mother too.

"Promise me," her voice was getting smaller as she tried to stay awake. "Promise me you will forgive this day. Promise me.. you will be okay, that you will.. take care of yourself and.. be kind to yourself. I don't have.. much time left, but.. I want you to know.. that your father and I.. we will always love you.. we've loved you so much we'd do anything.. to make you happy."

At the moment I felt like something sharp just stab my whole heart, I felt gasping for air. I knew my mother didn't have much time left.

"Her pulse is getting weaker" I heard the nurse said.

I watched my mother's face, my heart's beating so fast. She was in so much pain, but still tried to smile at me. She never let go off my hands.

I gripped them tightly. "Mama, I love you so much. Thank you so much for being my mother. Thank you for everything you've done in my life. I love you, Mama. I love you so so much."

She smiled, her eyes began closing. "I love you the most, sweetheart. You will be okay. You will live, sweetheart. Remember that."

Then I watched her eyes slowly closed as her grip began loosening. I could hear the flat line sound from the monitor, and someone pulled me back as the nurse and the doctor immediately did the CPR on my mother. I watched as my life was slowly taken away. And that moment, I knew that my life was never going to be the same.

"Time of death, 07.35 PM" the doctor announced.

With that, October 20th was the day I completely lost my life.

***

I didn't know life could be so.. bland.

I watched as my parents were buried side by side. I watched as these people, whom I mostly had no idea who, shed tears as Michael Williams said his speech. Elisa beside me held me tightly, like she was afraid I would break.

I didn't. 

Because what I felt right now was nothing. I felt numb. Like I was not able to feel anything. I didn't cry. I didn't speak the whole ceremony. All I did was staring at my parents' graves, wishing that someone would wake me up from this nightmare.

After the ceremony's done, people began to leave. Some of them talked to me, my parents' co-workers, telling me how kind-hearted and lovely my parents were. I only smiled in return, I believed them. I believed what they said about my parents. Grateful to have known how people think about my parents.

"Althea," a male voice called beside me. I looked over and recognized him immediately. He was Garrett Coleman, my father's boss in the office, we met once when my parents and I came over to his house for dinner, a few months ago. "You remember me?"

I nodded. "Hi, Mr. Coleman."

He pulled me into a quick hug. "I'm sorry for your loss. Your parents were good people."

"Thank you. I believe they were."

"They really were, your father was a hard-working man." he had a proud look when he said that. I only smiled in response. "Listen, if you need anything, don't hesitate to come to me. Ophelia and I-"

I zoned out as I felt someone's gaze on the corner of my eyes. When I glanced behind Garrett, I saw him. 

Arthur Williams.

Michael and Elisa's only son. My soon-to-be husband.

Arthur and I met a few months ago. His parents and mine had been friends since forever. They said that Arthur and I were friends too when were kids, but truthfully I had no slight memories of our friendship.

He watched me with a look I couldn't read. Pity? Mad? Either way, I couldn't careless. He didn't even smile at me. The man was cold enough for me to care. When we met a few months ago, he only uttered a few words and his tone of voice was not so friendly.

My gaze never left his, and his never left mine too. It was the first time in a while that we acknowledged each others.

Getting enough of him, I finally broke our gaze and glanced at Garrett to see him offering a smile once again before he bid goodbye.

*****