00 - if it isn't love
YOU WINCED AS YOUR HAIR GOT pulled by your mamma to make the hairstyle she was doing as tight as possible. "Ow, be careful," you mumble under your breath. She tugged at your hair again, this time on purpose. You could already feel the headache coming on.
"What was that?" she asks and you look up at her through the mirror, "Do you want to be late to the dinner being thrown at your own house?" she asks since you are the only one still hurrying to get ready, it's not your fault that you napped longer than expected.
You held her eyes in the mirror, no warmness was found, just cold and emotionless. Sad really.
"No mamma... I don't. I'll finish in less than five minutes and be down there." you look at the dress she had the maids laid out while she was giving you another speech about doing things in a timely matter. You've heard it about a hundred times since you liked to take your time, there was no rush.
Your mamma had finished the touches and a small smile was now on her lips, only for a split second since she paid doctors to get rid of her wrinkles. "Five minutes," she repeats before leaving your room, finally you were able to breathe correctly.
After putting on the simple dress that grazed the floor even with heels on you exit your room and see your sisters who were also shocked to see you in the hallways. "Dioni, Melina what are you two doing here? Dinner has already started," you ask as they run up to hug you.
Melina and Dioni were twins and born only years after you, they were now about to be twenty and you knew all too well what mischief they could get into if left alone. Melina was more of the angel but Dioni definitely brought the devil out of her, in the best way possible.
The two teens had now looked relieved to see you. "We told mamma we had to journal before dinner, you know how she is about mental health."
"She doesn't believe in it," you say.
Dioni nodded, "Exactly, so she just shooed us away and said to come back once we poured our little hearts out." they shrugged in unison and then began to text on their phones. "She did demand I tell you, and I quote to get your ass in that chair at the dinner table." Dioni stops taking a selfie to tell you before resuming the smile.
You rolled your eyes at the two but decided it was best to not fight before the woman downstairs had your head. "Well, thanks for ditching me."
Dioni was the one to turn around, "There's this guy there, he's fine and looks so yummy!" she pretended to lick her fingers after a good meal. "Too old for me, maybe for you." she winks.
Now Melina chimes in with, "And if not, ask if he has a brother!"
You were already gone.
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You thanked the maid who opened the dining room doors with a smile and heard laughter coming from the table.
"Ah, there she is! Beautiful as always." your papà stands up to greet you with a hug and kisses on both cheeks. Your mamma stayed sat in her chair, looking at her food as if it was the nastiest thing ever. Or maybe she was disgusted at the 'oversized portions' being served.
You hugged your papá back and over his shoulder, you caught the eye of the handsome stranger that the twins were speaking of. The man sat next to your empty chair that already had a plate of food in front, while he and your papá were eating a steak, the women had salads with grilled chicken. You hated grilled chicken.
When your papà realizes the elephant in the room that is your eye contact with this stranger, he smiles, "y/n this is Suguru Geto, a close business partner of mine that I wanted you to meet."
Suguru's lips turn up in the smallest of smiles but you had a feeling it wasn't genuine. Still nice to look at though. "Nice to meet you y/n."
"Likewise." you nod at him politely, suddenly feeling as if your mother ordered the dress you wore a size too small. Without making eye contact again, you sit down next to your seat and take a sip of water to avoid thinking about his eyes still on you.
As you picked through your salad, the tension was thick and you had no idea why. Nor were you going to bring it up, sadly the salad was your only form of distraction.
The silence broke when your papà cleared his throat, making you look at him. The look in his eyes was something unreadable and you knew they held more secrets than you could ever count. You were no stranger to your papà's 'close business partners', aka people who I trust enough to join me in my illegal activities.
"Now what I'm about to say must be heard with an open mind before you refuse." your papà begins and you already knew that meant you weren't going to enjoy what he would say next. You put down your fork in the skimpy salad and once again felt Suguru's eyes on you. "In exchange for Suguru's business, there must be a marital bond between you and himself."
Thankfully your fork was out of your hand or you might've overreacted and stabbed yourself as it felt like your father was trading you like a cow. "What? A bond with a stranger I just met?" you ask and look around the table, their neutral faces remind you of the table scene from the Texas chainsaw massacre, without cannibalism.
Suguru places a hand on top of yours as a means to comfort you but it just feels like fire touching bare skin. You look at him offended and pull your hand back, making his smile come back to his lips. He was amused by me, like a toy.
"Leave y/n and I, obviously she's overwhelmed. I'll find you later, f/n." Suguru says without looking away from you and you hear the footsteps walk out of the room without another word. Your breathing doesn't return to normal but now you can finally think without all the eyes on you.
Being alone with Suguru made you nervous but you were sure not to let him know, not wanting him to take advantage. The man looked to be older than you but that didn't dampen his looks at all, genetics was obviously on his side. You cringe as he retrieves a cigarette from his front pocket and lights it without another thought. The smell made you want to scrunch your nose in disgust but you refrain from doing so.
"y/n I understand what your father had just said makes you scared, nervous even." he leans towards you, cologne hitting your nostrils immediately. His hand rubbed your shoulder gently, caressing almost. "But we're in the same boat, you're not alone," he says as if that would make you ready to get on a flight to Vegas.
Suguru stands up and lets his hand drift up as well, now on the side of your neck. He looks down at you with the cigarette hanging from his lips, a dark gaze that makes you want to recoil in fear. "Being a wife is a big step and I'll be there to make sure you don't fall out of line." the words come out just as dark and make the air thick once more.
"Trust me, marrying a snotty rich girl who doesn't know how to do anything on her own doesn't make me too happy either. But we make it work." his voice drips with hate and your heart takes a stab at his words.
A snotty rich girl who doesn't know how to do anything on her own.
Your breath was now caught in your throat, trapped was all you felt in this grand dining room. Even over Suguru's overpowering body could your blurry eyes see the family portrait that was taken earlier in the year, the ground was covered in snow that was clean and white. The girls wore red gowns while your papà was in a black suit, being the middle and main attraction of the photo. The family you saw looked to be complete, and now it was breaking in a matter of seconds.
"Look at me." Suguru's deep voice brought you back to him. "Good girl," he whispers when you stare him in the eye, no tears dropped which was a win in your book. The hand on your neck was now wrapped around your throat in a collar manner. That's what you imagined your life would be like if you married this man. Suffocating.
"I don't expect you to love me, hell, even care about me but only to sit there and act your ass off as if you do while your papà and I make your family millions. Your papà is grateful for my sacrifice, don't make me regret accepting his offer." he releases you with a push and you watch shakily as he walks out of the room, not before flicking his cigarette to the ground.
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