WOUNDS OF silk

1. Eeva

The sleep didn't come easily that night. Eeva tossed and turned over her bed and when she had enough, she just laid over her bed staring at nothing but darkness. Her mind went on a rampage, spinning over everything that had been happening so fast all around her since the last week that she wasn't allowed to take a breath alone.

The sudden news of her marriage — though Eeva begged at first that she wanted to continue her schooling. But the choice was never hers to take. When Eeva showed defiance, her father slapped her hard across her face and locked her in her room the whole day without food and zero human interaction. Took away her phone and laptop, cutting away the outside world. Still, Eeva didn't stumble over the firmness of her decision. She cried until her eyes resisted and her screams sucked out by the pillows turned to rasp breath.

When her father warned her if she stayed adamant in her decision, he could lock her up till the day of her marriage but nothing could change his decision. And he didn't want to do that to her during the last few days of her stay in her home. But he will if she forced him to. It was the last straw.

Eeva realised nothing could stir her father's decision so she suppressed her sentiments and did what was expected from her to make everything less hard on her and acceptable for her family — frequent rounds to the boutiques, salons and everything done to her to polish her from head to toe until she shined to perfection.

Eeva had seen girls of her age gave away to another crime family for maintaining peace and stop the bloody war. No one had been saved before. Now, why she would be treated differently? She was no different.

Just like them. Another fish in the same bowl.

Dolled in pretty dresses, attending rich parties and to behave. Learning to never argue and be compliant how a proper woman should be. Raising to take care of her husband and children. 

Those reiterating words of her father always left a bitter taste in her mouth. Sometimes, she remained quiet. Other times a split lip made her silent.

When Eeva felt groggy and exhausted from lack of sleep, the sun had already risen up and filtered through the drapes into her room. The morning hours passed by in a rush with hours of prepping, stressing and other arrangements and before she knew it, her father was escorting her down the aisle.

Eeva was curious to have a glimpse of her soon-to-be husband. She had always been a curious child and that led her into a lot of trouble from her younger age and it never boded well with her father. She couldn't even count on her fingers how many times her father had raised his hand over her for her smart mouth.

Eeva couldn't ask outright about the man asked for her hand in marriage when she had opposed to the idea and shown zero interest in the marriage. Still, it spiked her curiosity nonetheless. She could only hope he was a good man as good as a made man can be.

She looked up without further prodding from her inner struggle and peeked through the sheer veil at her soon-to-be husband. The tension humming through her body sizzled and stuck in her gut like a thunderbolt. Fear clenched around her chest, twisted and turned into a dreadful panic.

Her silken bodycon gown felt tighter and her breathing hitched a little. 

A man probably in his late forties waiting for her at the end of the aisle. He was tall, a good few inches above six foot. His crisp white shirt tucked over his grey slacks accentuating his lean muscles. He held himself with an air of confidence and arrogance. His dark, greasy hair was slicked back from his broad forehead, making his facial features more prominent and sharp. He cocked an eyebrow, assessing her with an unyielding look like a lion sizing a gazelle before pouncing on it.