"So you are the girl who outlined us, huh?" one of them said. It was as if the air around me had grown colder, and a sense of hunch enveloped me like a dark cloud.
"By the way, I'm Daisy's,"
"Stacy,"
"And Priscilla. And we are, the grand triplets," They said the last sentence in union.
At first it was Cinderella's mother and now we had disney witches. The resemblance was more vivid with the dark liners they applied circling their eyes. The only thing they were missing were witches' sticks.
"Camilla Del Monte. The woman who managed to make Marcus hers. Must be a dream come true," stacy's smile and words were anything but genuine.
" We are very good friends with Marcus by the way. I believe we will be meeting with each other more often." Daisy kept looking at me from head to toe.
I just nodded. I mean, what else could I do?
"We have been watching you, Camilla," she said, her words sending shivers down my spine. "You may not know it yet, but your fate is intertwined with ours."
I tried to make sense of her words, but they only added to the sense of unease that surrounded me. Their presence felt otherworldly, like figures from a haunting tale, stepping out of the shadows to reveal secrets long forgotten.
As I stood there, surrounded by these enigmatic women, I couldn't help but wonder what they meant and how my life was connected to theirs.
It was a weird feeling, a mixture of curiosity and trepidation as if I had stumbled into a realm of mystery and uncertainty.
Pricilla continued with a sly grin: "Where are Marcus's parents? I expected them to be here for such an important occasion."
I, feigning composure: "Unfortunately, they couldn't attend due to unforeseen circumstances."
Daisy, raising an eyebrow: "And your family, dear? Are they not here to witness this grand event?"
I, struggling to hide her discomfort: "Their schedules were too tight and they couldn't be here."
They looked at each other in disbelief, "What kind of a parent would have a schedule too tight to attend her own son's wedding? And what about your family? How come both sides couldn't attend? What do they do for a living?"
"Mmh mmmh," Suddenly, the ghost of the party, Marcus, grunted, " Excuse me, ladies, I need my bride,"
Marcus took me to the dance floor. Along the way leaving everyone eyeing judgementally on us.
The dance floor turned purple due to lights beneath. Marcus' grip on my hand tightened as he pulled me back into the dance.
I forced a smile, trying to ignore the harsh whispers that lingered in the air like an unrelenting storm and the fact that it was not Marcus I wished to be with right now.
The soft music filled the hall once more as we resumed our dance. The room seemed to fade away as I focused on the steps, trying to lose myself in the rhythm. But the weight of the gossip and the suffocating atmosphere were impossible to shake off.
Marcus's touch felt possessive, and every move felt like a calculated display of power. As we danced, he leaned in close, whispering in my ear with a deceptive sweetness.
Our dance was interrupted by the jarring ring of Marcus's phone. He excused himself with a curt nod, leaving me standing alone on the dance floor, feeling vulnerable and isolated.
My heart trembled. Anything but not leaving me here in the middle of the dance to answer that phone call.
He stepped outside to take the call. I couldn't help but have a pounding chest. I didn't know how to react.
Marcus just threw another stone of humiliation right in front of me and these judgemental people.
I had no choice but to go among them. The whispers around me grew louder. The guests, who had previously been polite and composed, now let their tongues wag with abandon.
Woman 1, speaking in hushed tones: "Did you see her reaction when Marcus's phone rang? She's clearly just a pawn in his game."
Woman 2, chuckling with another guest: "Did you hear? She doesn't even know his parents passed away years ago!"
Woman 3, with a scoff: "I heard she knows nothing about his family. How can they be married without her even knowing the basics?"
Guest 1, with a knowing grin: "And what about her own family? I heard she abandoned them to marry a rich man. Desperate move, if you ask me."
Guest 2, shaking her head: "It's a shame, really. She seems like a lost little lamb, completely unaware of the wolves surrounding her."
What the...
His parents died? I mean how could I not know that simple fact? How could not tell me even that? Curse you, Marcus!
Curse you!
How he didn't even tell me that his parents passed away kept me in more fear. A fear that kept telling me I didn't marry a normal human being. I married a devil in disguise. And for that, I was angry.
And my mother. My only family. The words cut deep, each whispers a sharp dagger to my already wounded heart.
Laughter echoed around me, and I felt like a fool, caught in a web of deceit that I hadn't even spun. Not even the loud music was able to cover people's laughter.
The pretence that had surrounded me all night now seemed like a suffocating cage, and I longed to break free from it all.
My heart sank, and I couldn't find the words to respond. How could they twist the truth to fit their own narratives?
I had left my mother's side It was out of desperation, an attempt to make my mother have a second chance of life. I didn't ask for this.
I couldn't bear to stay in that suffocating room any longer. The weight of the elaborate gown felt like chains binding me to a life I never asked for. With each step, I yearned for the freedom of open space, away from the prying eyes and the pretentious smiles.
I couldn't take it anymore. So I ran.