Today is the day, the day I marry a monster, the day my surname changes, the day I become his wife.
I look at my reflection in the long mirror. Everyone says I look beautiful in this white dress, but all I see is a young woman who is sacrificing her life for her family's reputation. This wedding was not supposed to be mine, but my sister's...Isabella.
Two days earlier
"Isabella. You really cannot be serious about this! We have agreed and you can't get cold feet now!" My mother, Elizabeth, shouts from across the living room, glaring at my sister. "He is abusive mum and you still want me to marry him? How could you?" My sister falls to her knees, crying.
I look at her, noticing the horrific bruises on her arms, my heart breaks as I see my sister in such a condition, "Isabelle." I kneel next to her, comforting her, "You need to calm down. Let me speak to mum and dad." I whisper to her. She glances up at me with tears in her bright blue eyes and shakes her head, "Violet, he treats me like I am nothing. Mum and dad still want me to marry a monster just because of a business agreement! He is cruel and he made me suffer to the point where he finally broke me."
She grabs my shoulders and jerks me forward, "You do not know what he's capable of." She whispers in my ear, Isabelle was in a hysterical state.
"Get away from her, Violet." My father bends down and pulls me away. "You have gone insane! He will never do that. I know the man, he loves you! Yes! This is also a business deal and by you behaving in such a manner, it is like you want to ruin the Amber name!"
My sister continues crying but all I can do is rest my eyes on my feet, trying so hard to ignore what is going on. Isabelle continues trying to convince our parents how much of a monster that man is but they still choose not to believe her, "SHUT UP ISABELLA!" My dad roars, as he storms up to her and grabs her by the shoulders, yanking her up from the ice cold floor and what happens next is something that no man should ever do to their daughter or any woman perhaps. He slaps her, I, strongly believe that no man should raise their hands on a woman and I stand strongly by my belief.
"I have had it with you. I have had it with your constant complaints and your lies! Pack your bags and leave this house immediately! I do not ever want to see your face anywhere near this house or in front of any one of us. You are dead to this family."
I stare at my dad in shock. How could he do this? Can he not see the bruises on her? Why were they acting blind. I turn to look at my mother, "Mum you can't le-" Before I could finish, my mother raises her hand stopping me from uttering another word, "Violet, you will not speak. Go get the helpers and make them pack her stuff up, and call a cab - right now."
I can not believe this is happening. What kind of parents are they? "NOW VIOLET!" My father roars again. I grab Isabella and rush her upstairs towards her bedroom. I push open her bedroom door and shut it when we get in.
She sits on the bed with her head in her hands, finally letting out all her feelings, "I don't know what to do Violet. This is all so much to take in. I'm just worried about what's going to happen to you if I leave and back out of this wedding." I sit next to her and hug her as she starts crying again. "You know it is a business deal and dad will do anything to not let his name get trashed upon."
"Isabella you don't need to worry about me. You should just pack your bags and leave because; I think it's the best thing to do right now. I don't want you to marry a horrible person like him, because I do not accept him abusing you, Isabella. I just can't see you in pain." Tears slip down my cheek as I touch the bruises on her face. All this time he was torturing her and she didn't say a word about it.
She sits up and turns to the other side, "I need to tell you something Violet, and please promise me that you won't tell anyone else." She says, as she turns to face me again but grabs my hands in the process. I nod, giving her a smile making sure she knows that I'm trustable. "I'm pregnant, Violet."
My hands immediately drop from hers, as I stare at her waiting for the 'I'm joking, Violet' but it never came.
"Please, say something Violet." She looks at me nervously. "Who's the father, Isabella?" I give her a hard stare. She fiddles with the hem of her dress and looks up at me once again, avoiding eye contact with me. "It's his, Violet." I stare at her in confusion. Does she think I am stupid? Isabelle only gets nervous when she lies and right now her nervousness is way too much.
"Who's the father, Isabelle?" Again, I question her, waiting for the right answer. "What do you mean, Violet? I just told you-" I shake my head at her stupidity, I know my sister too well yet she thinks she can lie to me, "Do not lie."
She looks down guilty, "The father of my child is the man I really love." My eyes widen as I lean my head into my hands, slightly shaking it in disbelief, "You need to get out of here before mum and dad find out about this." I stand up from the bed, "Start packing, I am going to get a few things for you." She nods and grabs a suitcase and starts emptying her closet.
I walk out of the room, heading to mine with one thought playing in my head, the time when dad found out she was pregnant and not married. I will never forget that day.
I open my bedroom door and open the safe to where I keep my savings. I pull out all the savings that I've saved over the years for leaving this house and renting a place for myself. "She needs this more than you do Violet," I whisper to myself as I put the money in an envelope.
I walk across the hall towards her bedroom as I notice that the bedroom door is slightly ajar. "Isabella?" I call out, pushing the door open. I find no one inside. "Isabella, where are you?" I open her bathroom door and there is no sight of her. I run downstairs to see if she's in the kitchen but still get no response.
After searching for a while, I still couldn't find her. I was beginning to get worried. I make my way back to her room and spot the suitcase on the bed. It was half-filled, so where could she have gone? "Honey, what are you doing here?" My mother comes in and looks at me with suspicion in her eyes.
"Nothing much, just looking for Isabella. By any chance, do you know where she is?" I ask her as I stand near the suitcase. "She already left, your father gave her enough money to buy new things and do not worry, your sister is safe." She whispers the last part to me with a slight smile.
"Thanks for telling me, mum." I was about to walk out of the bedroom when I heard the words that brought me here today. I heard the words that would ruin my future. "You should have a lot of rest, Violet because tomorrow we are going dress shopping for your wedding."
Present Day
This is how I landed here. It was my wedding day and now I stand in front of the big black church doors, watching as random bridesmaids walk down the aisle. I stood there as my dad put his hands around mine and lightly pressed against it. I wince. He looks down at me and smiles, "You do not know how much this means to us."