undesired.

one- cake.

present day

on the eve of laina's nineteenth birthday celebration, she wandered through the quaint local grocery store, in search of supplies to craft a cake for the upcoming event. her plan was to invite a few co-workers, as her social circle in the area was rather limited.

almost a year ago, she had relocated to this small town, escaping the home where her father had orchestrated an unwanted marriage for her. severing ties with her entire family, laina embarked on a journey that involved multiple bus lines, ultimately leading her to a tranquil town in upstate new york. it was strategically far enough from anyone who might recognize her, ensuring she wouldn't be coerced back into the life she had fled.

in her newfound simplicity, she discovered beauty. having grown up within one of the most influential mafia families, laina had been overprotected and sheltered from the outside world. now, being on her own allowed her to savor a sense of control over her life that had been absent before.

as she approached the checkout line, placing her baking supplies on the belt, she noticed her favorite childhood candy, triggering an instant flashback.

a year ago

a few days post-laina's 18th birthday, the celebrations concluded. laina sat in her bedroom, her knees drawn up to her chest, consumed with thoughts of escape before the impending wedding in a few weeks. she harbored intense anger toward her father.

a knock on the door signaled her father's entrance. "i was at the gas station and saw an almond hershey's bar... i thought of you," he said, placing it on the bed. dressed in a suit, clearly returning from some business function, her father's peace offering felt peculiar amid the promise he made to a stranger for her hand. she felt objectified, yet the gesture held sentimentality. spoiled with grand gestures growing up, laina now appreciated smaller, thoughtful things.

"thanks, dad," she said quietly, gently placing it on her nightstand.

"feeling any better? your mother wants to start going over wedding planning with you; she's thrilled," he informed her.

"that makes one of us," she mumbled, displaying her attitude. her father shook his head.

"no lip from you. i know you're mad, but i'm still your father. besides, you knew this day would come," he told her. the girl sniffled.

"well, most girls my age are going off to college and having fun, not being forced to marry," she protested.

"ah, all these tv shows and movies filling your head with nonsense. exactly why i don't let you hang out with just anyone. it may look fun, but they have no self-respect. you are a respectable, high-class girl, and you will uphold this tradition. don't act like it's a shock, laina; you've known since you were a tiny girl this day would come. your older sister wed when she was 19; your mother and i wed at 23 and 18. we are happy; look at us. you will be fine," he assured.

"i want to marry someone i love," she protested.

"you will learn to love each other over time. i didn't love your mother at first; i thought my father was crazy to arrange us. but by the end of our first year of marriage, i was madly in love with her," he shared.

"is that supposed to be comforting?" laina replied, rolling her eyes.

"watch it," he warned her.

"i'm not going through with it," laina protested.

"dear, you don't have much say in the matter. this marriage is important; it will bring peace between two families that have been at war for years. you won't be miserable; you will be a don's wife. i'm sure he will take excellent care of you," her father stated. the word 'don' instantly flashed through her mind; how old was this guy? her father hadn't become a leader until his father passed; he was in his late 30s by that time.

"i know nothing about him; can you at least tell me?" the girl said quietly. her father nodded, sitting on the side of her bed.

"he's a very successful young man, twenty-five years old, tall, with blue eyes and brown hair. you will only live about an hour and a half away from us. when he approached me, he didn't just ask for any of my daughters or nieces; he expressed interest specifically in you," her father explained. the revelation sent shivers down her spine. he had never met him in person; how could this man be so dead set on her?

"i won't go through with it; i'll run as far away from here as possible unless you call it off," she threatened. her father's face turned stern and serious.

"alright, then you are on house arrest until the wedding. there is too much riding on this marriage," he stated coldly. the girl's eyes teared up as he left the room; she could hear the turn of the lock as the door shut behind him.

"dad," she called out after him, banging on the door as she heard his footsteps go farther and farther away until she couldn't hear them anymore. she turned around, her back sliding down the door until her bottom hit the ground. she needed out.

present day

"m'am," the cashier spoke, and the girl jolted back to reality.

"i'm sorry, what did you say, sir?" she mumbled, feeling embarrassed.

"your total is 24 dollars and 60 cents. would you like to pay cash or card?" he inquired.

"cash, please," the girl responded, fumbling in her purse, retrieving a crisp 20 and a 5.

later that night

seated in her kitchen, the girl diligently worked on the cake for the upcoming festivities, knowing that this celebration would markedly differ from those of her past. set in her modest one-bedroom apartment, the gathering would be a low-key affair with just a handful of coworkers she considered friends from the bakery where she worked. it might not be a grand celebration, but she was content with it.

glancing out of her second-story kitchen window, she noticed a black mercedes parked outside – the same car that had caught her eye multiple times throughout the week: at work, outside the grocery store, and even at the park. a lingering sense of being watched crept over her, but she dismissed it as mere paranoia.

with a sigh, she closed the blinds, convincing herself that she was overthinking and allowing anxiety to take hold. finishing up her cake-making, she prepared the trash for the night.