Arranged

I

"Perhaps I don't deserve nice things because I am paying for sins I don't remember." - Rupi Kaur

-

Isn't it funny how when we're young, we never think about how good our situations are, until they change?

"Are you all packed?"

I turned around to face my mother. Her smile was bright and cheery; the opposite of how I felt.

"Yes."

"Good," she praised, "your father is waiting downstairs, shall we get going? Our reservations won't last forever."

I nodded. Do I have a choice?

As if she heard my thoughts, her face fell a bit before walking out of my room. Her reaction only made me angry. She didn't deserve to pity me, she signed me up for this. This was her fault.

ꨄ

The car ride was silent. None of us wanted to talk about it, especially me. My fate was unavoidable, so why rub it in?

"I heard Kai speaks French," my mother spoke breaking the thick quietness of the atmosphere around us.

Just hearing his name made me shudder Kai Parker, "does he?" I asked dully.

"Yes, you should ask him to speak to you in French sometime," she grinned quirking a brow in my direction.

If I hadn't been held back by my seatbelt, I probably would have swung at her. I'm not normally violent, but the way she decides to strike up conversations really turn me around for the worse.

"Hmm, flirting with my forced husband. Definitely sounds like a turn on," I muttered to myself.

"Well, it's better than giving him the cold shoulder," she countered ignoring my sarcasm.

*(Coffee break :)*

I looked out of the window, "you try being in an arranged marriage and then let me know what you would do mom," I said flatly.

She didn't respond. I apparently wasn't worth the fight.

Arranged marriage. My thoughts drifted to my husband-to-be. I had only met him once, and it was one of the worst experiences I ever had with a man. He was arrogant, cold, and looked at me as if I was a dirty animal.

How was I going to marry someone like that? Someone so detached?

Dread rose in my throat the more I thought about everything. There was no way out. I was stuck.

The car slowed to a stop signaling our arrival. Expectantly, I was the last one out of the car. I took my time getting my seatbelt off and stepping out of the car door. Based on my mother's irritated glances she wasn't a fan of my slowness. Good.

"Sometime today would be nice Rowan," my mother reprimanded grabbing my arm.

"What's the rush?" I asked wincing from her tight grasp.

"We're already fashionably late enough, let's not push the envelope."

I sighed, as she practically dragged me into the restaurant. Inside was nothing short of beautiful. The red carpets and mahogany tables screamed elegance. It was an ignominy that a place like this wouldn't be a fond memory of mine.