just for a bloody contract | Roman Godfrey au

ch. 1 • the big day

I woke up that morning with a lump in my throat. Today was the day I was going to get married to a man I only talked to once before. One meeting. Yes, it was only for two years, but the sheer fact that I was going to be someone's "wife" frightened the living daylights out of me. I recalled what everyone told me about Roman Godfrey. He slept around, did hardcore drugs, got drunk almost every other day, didn't care at all about anyone, and was arrogant. I didn't know about others, but if it were up to me, I would stay as far away as possible from a person like this. Yet here I was, looking at the mirror before hair and makeup would start. I insisted there was no need, but Olivia, Roman's mother, convinced me to say yes.

I put on the lace wedding dress. It was gorgeous, but it sucked that this didn't mean anything. None of it did. And technically, I was forced to consent to the whole charade in the first place. When I finally got ready, everyone left, and my mother entered the room.

"Liana, what are you doing? There is still time to turn back and leave. You don't have to do this, honey. Just call it off please. We can do something else and move far away from Hemlock Grove" she assured me.

"Mama, there's nothing I can do now. I signed the contract. And please, let this stay between you and me. No one, and I mean no one, should get to know why I am getting married. Promise me please," I pleaded, tears welling up. I told myself to stop. I couldn't look weak today, not in front of the Godfreys. Not in front of the crowd.

As soon as I entered the old church, I put my eyes to the ground. I didn't want to see Roman at all. I didn't want him to sense my fear. My mother led me in, with everyone's eyes on me. I plastered a fake smile on my face, but I felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter. This was it. This was actually happening. I drew my breath in, as my mother continued to lead me to the front, put my hand on top of Roman's, and let go.

I slowly gazed upwards to see one striking pair of green eyes looking at me with annoyance. Not going to lie, Roman was gorgeous; no wonder he got around with the girls. He had soft chestnut hair and an ivory complexion. His cheekbones were prominent, and his jawline was sharp, and he was tall. Very tall. He also wore rich, musky cologne, which smelled like heaven.

I got lost in my thoughts until the minister's voice rang against my ears. Roman's head was cocked to the side. Like he was annoyed but also confused. Then he looked at the ground and said "I do".

"Do you, Liana Blinds, take Roman Godfrey as your husband?"

Should I escape? Should I just make a run for it?  Thoughts spun around my head, but I stood there and uttered, "I do", knowing those two words now bound me in a disaster of a marriage. I knew it was coming.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride".

Oh, I forgot that happens in weddings too. I looked down, not knowing where else to look. Roman leaned in but kissed me near the edge of my lip and pulled back just as fast. It was fine though because Olivia's fake, over-enthusiastic clapping sealed the deal.

Olivia arranged for a reception to be held afterwards. Many business people the Godfreys knew came up and congratulated Roman and me. Roman shook hands with the men and stole glances at the women he found pretty, all standing right next to me. I knew better though. I could see him tapping his left foot. He was getting impatient. Olivia asked too much of him already.

When it seemed like the last person greeted Roman and me, Roman let out a deep breath. "Okay, enough of this bullshit. I'm out", he said either to himself or to me, I'll never know. But he walked straight to the bar and got himself bourbon. My feet were killing me from the heels, so I decided to sit down. Before that, I scanned the venue to see if I could see my mother anywhere. She wasn't there. My heart sunk. Had she left without even saying bye? I could see Olivia though; she was standing alone staring at Roman.

I sat down for a while and just observed people mingling. My mother was still nowhere to be seen. She had left or maybe she was forced to leave. My heart beat faster at the thought of living with two monsters for two whole years. I would lose my sanity. "Only two years," I assured myself. "And who knows, maybe they will be able to work a way around this, and I will be free before that."

My thoughts were interrupted by Roman's bourbon glass shattering on the ground. Olivia immediately walked towards a very, very drunk Roman and looked at me. She cued me to say the party's over, and it's time to go home. Her home, my prison.

"That was quite uneventful," Olivia tried to small-talk in the car. I kept my mouth shut. I knew she was not sweet. She could not fool me. Roman was unable to make coherent sentences. I looked out the window and tried to avoid everyone.

When we got to Roman's house, Olivia asked her butler, Comway, to take Roman upstairs, and she retreated to her own room somewhere on the second floor of the gigantic mansion. I was left all alone in the foyer, wondering where to go or what to do. Every passing second, I regretted signing that contract. Smart enough to get into med school but certainly not smart enough to avoid falling into Olivia's trap. Just great.

I heard someone coming down the stairs and straightened up my sagging position. It wasn't Olivia. Rather, it was a tall girl who trudged down the grand staircase. She had black hair covering her face and wore olive-colored clothes. Something told me I'd find a friend in her.

"The new bride? That's you?" the girl asked in the quietest voice. She stopped midway down, like she was hesitant to come any closer.

"Yup, that's me. I am Liana Blinds. Um, Liana Godfrey now," I said looking down. "What's your name?"

"Shelley. I'm Roman's sister," she said. I looked at her and smiled. She seemed to smile back and walked down the stairs. I noticed that she was even taller than I thought. She completely towered over me. But she gave off this kind aura, something her other family members lacked completely.

"You must be hungry and tired. There's a lot of empty rooms in this house. You can stay in the one right beside mine. That way, you can come see me easily," Shelley said.

"May I give you a hug?" I asked on the brink of tears from her kindness after a dreadful day.

Shelly nodded. So I almost collapsed into her and held her tight. "You have no idea how much this means to me. You're the best part of today. I am not kidding."

This was going to be a long two years, but at least I'll have someone with me. 

►▸note: please comment, vote, and share!! also, here's a Roman gif because he looks like a marble statue and is just really dreamy