Wedding day
Sereia POV:
Today, Dad went to see the elder son of the Knight family. According to my parents, he is also not willing to marry me and there is a chance that he will agree to this with us. I paced around the room nervously as I waited for his return.
It's not that I did not like him but it is his family that is scaring me. They are going to kill me alive. Girls that are sold for issues like me, they are bound to be ruined. There is no doubt that I want to save Ryan from something which he did not do but not at the cost of my own life.
The second I heard the sound of Dad's car, I rushed to see him. But Mom was already waiting for him at the door. He walked out of the car, with a pale face and red eyes. Just one glimpse of his face was enough to tell me what had happened there. My heart started to beat so fast that I could feel it in my throat.
"Edward, what happened?" Mom asked but Dad did not answer her. Instead he walked towards me and for a second I wanted to run away. I know what he will say.. I know what kind of a life I am going to live.
No!! No!! This can't be. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs but unfortunately nothing came out of my mouth.
I shook my head and tried to run away because I was not ready to listen to the verdict about my life but my feet were glued to the ground.
"Edward-" I heard Mom's voice coming from somewhere extremely far. It was like they have slipped away from me, like they have pushed me from the edge of some cliff.
In the next second, Dad hugged me and started sobbing while I stood there like a statue.
"I am sorry, Ria. I have failed you. I am sorry, this incompetent Dad of yours could not protect you." He wept, his voice breaking with each word.
"I am really sorry." He repeated. The sobs of my parents were heart wrenching. However, I was too tired and exhausted to even think about them. I stood there like a mannequin while they hugged me one after another one. But this time they failed to thaw my cold body.
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2 days later:
My room, that has always been my comfort zone, today felt suffocating as I stood there. Today, I am going to get married and to be honest, I would have been the happiest bride if it weren't for the circumstances I am in.
Mom gave me a simple white long dress. I wore it. However, instead of a wedding dress, it looked like some mourning dress. I stood in front of the laminated vanity mirror. I didn't wear any makeup; my eyes were red and swollen from the tears that seemed to have no end.
Soon, there was a knock on the door. But I did not need to turn around to see who it was. Right now, Mom was no less than a grim reaper for me. She was here to take me to another world.... HELL, to be precise.
"Sereia, my child." She broke into tears all over again and gave me a tight hug. But I did not say anything. I let them pour their guilt out. It's not like they are going to change their minds upon seeing any sort of reaction from me.
"We are extremely sorry." She whispered.
The lump forming in my throat was killing. It would have been far better if there was a noose around my neck. But even death is not being grateful to me.
For a long time, Mom continued to cry and hug me while I stood there like an ice statue. Soon, she harshly wiped her tears away. Like the trance was broken, "Let's go." She held my hand tightly and we walked out of my room. Of course, it was my room but not anymore.
Unlike the weddings I had seen in movies, there were no flowers, no elaborate decorations—just a cold room with a heavy atmosphere. I was brought to the living room. My eyes were glued to the ground while the nerves suddenly started to take a toll on me. I fiddled with my fingers while my lips quivered so I bit my bottom lip to stop showing the nervousness that I am feeling at the moment.
Jace stood across from me. I could feel his eyes on me but I did not had the courage to meet his eyes. Meanwhile, his father, Mr. Knight, and a lawyer were the only witnesses to this peculiar ceremony. The silence in the room was deafening.
Dad made me sit next to him on the sofa and it was like I am some sort of a rug doll, they were doing whatever they wanted to do to me.
"Start the paperwork." Mr. Knight ordered the lawyer while my heart stopped beating for a couple of seconds, at the cold tone of his voice. I would have been grateful to the heavens if my heart would completely stop beating right now but it didn't. It was like every single thing has turned a blind eye to my misery.
The lawyer handed us a stack of papers, legal documents that would bind us together in this strange union. My hands trembled as I held the pen, the ink almost mocking me with its permanence. Suddenly, I glanced at Jace, his jaw clenched, his eyes reflecting a mix of frustration and something I could not comprehend. Today, instead of making my heart beat in some other manner, he scared me. There was so much coldness on his face that I shuddered because of it.
Thus, I immediately looked away.
No vows were exchanged, no declarations of love. Just the scratching of pens against paper, sealing a fate neither of us chose.
As I signed my name on the marriage certificate, I couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness. This was not how weddings were supposed to be. They were meant to be celebrations of love, joy, and unity. Instead, it felt like a dark transaction, a transaction in which I was the currency.
The deafening sound of the room was broken only by the distant sobs of my parents.
Jace signed his name next, his movements robotic. His father observed with a stoic expression, devoid of any warmth or emotion. The lawyer collected the papers, and the sound of shuffling documents echoed in the room.
"Congratulations," the lawyer muttered, but the word felt hollow, devoid of any genuine sentiment.
My parents, still teary-eyed, looked at me with a mixture of sadness and resignation. This was not the life they envisioned for their daughter, and the weight of their disappointment hung heavy in the air.
The next set of papers brought an unexpected twist. A document stating that my family had dropped the lawsuit against Ryan, my brother. It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted, but at what cost?
Mr. Knight explained, his voice cold and businesslike, "As part of the agreement, we have decided to drop the charges against your son. This is a gesture of goodwill."
My father nodded, the lines of exhaustion etched on his face. My mother continued to weep silently, her grief transforming into a quiet acceptance.
I exchanged a glance with Jace, his eyes revealing a flicker of something—regret, perhaps? But it was gone in an instant, replaced by the same impassive mask.
With the signing of those documents, the transaction was complete. The papers held the power to dictate our lives, to control the narrative of our future. It was a contract signed with ink but stained with the tears of shattered dreams.
"Let's go." Mr. Knight immediately got up.
And I am... I am not ready to leave yet. I glanced at my parents and their tears that have dried up, they started to fall all over again. My parents clung to me, their embraces desperate as if trying to shield me from the harsh reality we now faced.
"Mom, Dad, I don't want to..." I sobbed as I held onto them.
"We are sorry, Sereia." Dad whispered. There was nothing that they could do for me now.
"Stop this drama now. I do not have a whole day to see this." Mr. Knight's sheer coldness laced voice jerked us back into reality.
"Go." Dad mouthed. I know he does not want to create any more trouble for me but he has already pushed me into hell.
I did what I was told to do. There is nothing that can be done to change my life now. I followed them to the car. The sobs of my parents were heart wrenching but this time I did not turn around to look at them. Jace opened the front door of some luxurious car for his Dad but not for me. It was not like I was expecting some kind gesture here. Thus, I quietly opened the back door for myself and sank into the seat.
Soon, he settled on the driving seat while the engine roared to life. I do not know where I am being taken to but I have given up.