SUBSTITUTE BRIDE

- LILY KRESH -

Her face was full of hope while looking at me.

She was smiling so brightly. But it is not a pure smile. Rather it was a mischievous smile.

She took a step closer to me. I feel weird. Something is not right.

"My dear daughter, you will listen to mother, right?" She rubbed my face gently. If other people see this, they will think ' What a kind and gentle mother she is.'

But I see through her. I see she is planning something. Something is telling me I should run. Even if I did run away, where should I go? I have nowhere to be. I don't even have any money. I'm still underage. I'm 17 right now.

"Bring her to the living room," she said to the guard.

Once I arrived in the living room, it was a rare sight to see. It looked like a burglar had come to our house.

"MOM! PLEASE MOM I DON'T WANT TO MARRY THAT UGLY GUY!" My big sister was shouting like a crazy person. She looks like a mess. Her hair and her outfit are all messy. She does not look like her usual self.

My mother hurriedly to my big sister's side. She hugged her and said, "Don't worry. You will not marry him."

My big sister looked up. She stared at my mother. "What did you just say?"

"I said what I said, you don't need to marry the disabled guy. After all, you have your lovely little sister, right?"

My heart dropped. I feel betrayed. I do know that mother never regards me as her daughter, but I never thought it would be to such an extent.

"Mother, what did you mean by that? Are you replacing me to be the guy's bride?" My voice cracked while I talked to them.

SLAP

"You should not have any objection. You should be happy that you are getting married. Or else you will stay as a single person till you die."

A tear fell from my eye. Running through my red cheek that was red from the slap.

"Bring a leash. You need some teaching."

A maid brought a leash. "Now let's begin. You will be a good little puppy, right?" Seeing the leash, a memory suddenly popped up in my head.

FLASHBACK

"Mom, it hurts." I was sobbing. I can see my father from afar.

"Father, please help me"

He smirked. My world stopped. 'I see, you also never regard me as your daughter.'

"WHY?! WHAT DID I DO WRONG? TELL ME PLEASE." I was on the edge of bursting out with the feeling that I have kept for as long as I have lived.

He held a leash. "Why, you asked? It's because..."

END OF THE FLASHBACK

'What did father say at that time? I can't hear him well because of the sound of the leash hitting my skin.'

The beating was finished. It's almost five minutes of me getting hit by a leash many times. My skin feels like its almost torn off.

'It's hurts. I don't want to stay here anymore.' The marriage suddenly popped into my mind. 'Maybe that is my opportunity to run from this house.'

"Listen here, Lily Kresh. YOU will be marrying a son from the Wright family, replacing your big sister.".

I'm so tired. I already know what came after that. I can't move my hand or my leg.

"You have no choice. All you have to do is marry that disfigured guy, wait for him to die and take all his money. Do you understand me?"

My body and face are full of bruises. I have no energy left. All I can do is obey my family request.

"Do you hear me or not? Are you deaf? If you understand, then say yes!" My mother shouted as she kicked my face on the floor.

"Y-Y-Yes." That's all I can say.

'Marrying a disfigured guy? Maybe this is the best outcome for my life'