My father and brothers are dressed in their most beautiful navy blue suits, with ties of different colors. Father always wears a blue tie, matching his eyes. Mario wears red and Manuel purple. Mother wears a pale pink dress that Father will reproach her for later.
Pink always makes her look like she is close to the skin and he always tells her that she is ugly with this dress whereas it is her favorite color.
My hands were sweaty all the way to the mansion. Alerandro's other aunt decided that her house was big enough for such a party and she is right. It's almost as big as the mansion we have in Santa Barbara, the one I'll never live in again. Manuel discreetly takes my hand in his and rubs his thumb on my joints, silently telling me that everything will be fine. But this is not the case. I'm going to marry a man I don't like and don't know.
The Garcias family welcomes us in the entrance hall, we are late, the guests have already arrived and have started to mingle with each other.
Ophelia, Antonio's aunt, takes me in her arms and looks at me: "She is very pretty. Very pretty indeed."
I feel like I'm a piece of meat that they inspect.
Sister-in-law. Jimmy said to me, hugging me.
"You are beautiful. He whispers in my ear."
In heels, I only reach the height of his chest, he is perhaps 1,80m tall, and Alerandro is definitely two centimeters ahead of his little brother. They both look alike, they have brown hair and dark eyes, but Jimmy has a rounder face while his brother has more marked features. Jimmy also has a birthmark on his chin while Alerandro has a scar on his cheek. The two brothers are endearing and beautiful, but they both make me a blue fright. Jimmy,not that much, he looks like a joker, but I don't know him well enough to say that he is harmless. I mean, he's a made man and a consigliere of the Outfit.
"Your fiance is in the other room."whispers Jimmy, pushing me slightly in the direction of Alerandro.
When I enter the living room, everyone stops to look at me. Girls look bitterly jealous and men are speechless. I'm looking at Alerandro, incredibly nervous. He wears a black suit with a red tie.
Is it a coincidence that we are matched? His jaw tightens while his eyes run through my body. He approaches me and I'm starting to feel sweaty. I have to bend my head to look at his face. He's extremely tall and muscular, I'm starting to imagine what he looks like shirtless.
No. Stop.
I'm looking at his black waxed shoes.
"Hello, Mr. Garcia"
"Come. I have something to show you."
Please don't be sexual.
He takes me upstairs until we no longer hear the crowd talking. He opens his suit jacket and searches his pocket. I startle, but he takes out a black velvet box. He opens it and reveals a large diamond ring, whose brilliance tells me that it is stupidly expensive.
"You shouldn't have."I said, holding my breath.
"You are my fiancée and my fiancée needs a ring."
"But not such an expensive one. I'm afraid to touch it."
He shakes his head.
"Only the best."
"But why?You don't even know me. That's too kind."
Antonio laughs in a low voice.
"I'm not nice. This ring is there to prove that I am rich and powerful. Don't take me for a good man, Veronica". He grabs my left hand and passes the ring to my finger.
It is so beautiful. I always thought that this moment would be when I would cry with joy by jumping into my fiancé's arms and kissing him.
To kiss him. I'm engaged and I still haven't had my first kiss!
"Now, are you ready to make our announcement to our guests?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."I blew heavily, panicked.
Antonio simply takes my hand and accompanies me to the ground floor where our guests are surprised to see us holding each other by the hand.
"Welcome everyone, thank you for your presence, I'm sure you were waiting for the news. As you all know, I took my father's place as Capo of the Outfit. We are strong, but we lost most of my father's best soldiers and my father himself. Santa Barbara was kind to us and as a token of gratitude and honor, I married Veronica Dantez,"he said, raising his hand slightly to show the engagement ring. Women are speechless and I know that in their minds, they would like to be in my place. And I would like to be in theirs too.
" I know the deadline is short, but the wedding will take place in a week. The invitations should be delivered to each of you by tomorrow. We hope you will be present."Alerandro bows and turns to me, while the crowd applauds and speaks loudly among themselves.
"Did you go shopping for the wedding dress?"
"No…"
"My cousin, Valentina, will take you tomorrow.
"Okay, but…"
"Your bodyguard, one of my best soldiers, Matameros will watch you until the wedding night. I hope your mother also told you what is expected of you."
"Do you mean our wedding night?"
"Yes."
While I feel embarrassment and a hint of worry, Alerandro looks stoic and cold. He doesn't seem to want to talk to me in a personal way. It's only about business.
"I think so, but we don't have to do it. Isn't it?" My eyes are filled with hope.
He shakes his head.
"It's tradition. If you need something, Matameros will do it for you."Like that, Alerandro left and Matameros replaced him while keeping his distance.
Alone in the middle of the home, I have never felt so defeated. My life no longer belongs to me and I will be the slave of the new Capo of the Outfit. Forced to live in misery, like my mother.
At the age of six, I asked my mother why my father hated me and his simple answer remained in my mind for all these years.
"It's not that he hates you, he's Capo, he's unable to love in the company. It's weaknesses, loving you would put it in danger."
My father never loved my mother either.
If he had, she would have been used as a way to hurt my father. Now, I am destined to live married to a man unable to love anyone or anything other than the company. My duty as a wife will be to spread my legs and give him an heir and a reserve.
God forbids me to conceive a girl so that she never has to live as I am forced to do.
My father and brothers are dressed in their most beautiful navy blue suits, with ties of different colors. Father always wears a blue tie, matching his eyes. Mario wears red and Manuel purple. Mother wears a pale pink dress that Father will reproach her for later.
Pink always makes her look like she is close to the skin and he always tells her that she is ugly with this dress whereas it is her favorite color.
My hands were sweaty all the way to the mansion. Alerandro's other aunt decided that her house was big enough for such a party and she is right. It's almost as big as the mansion we have in Santa Barbara, the one I'll never live in again. Manuel discreetly takes my hand in his and rubs his thumb on my joints, silently telling me that everything will be fine. But this is not the case. I'm going to marry a man I don't like and don't know.
The Garcias family welcomes us in the entrance hall, we are late, the guests have already arrived and have started to mingle with each other.
Ophelia, Antonio's aunt, takes me in her arms and looks at me: "She is very pretty. Very pretty indeed."
I feel like I'm a piece of meat that they inspect.
Sister-in-law. Jimmy said to me, hugging me.
"You are beautiful. He whispers in my ear."
In heels, I only reach the height of his chest, he is perhaps 1,80m tall, and Alerandro is definitely two centimeters ahead of his little brother. They both look alike, they have brown hair and dark eyes, but Jimmy has a rounder face while his brother has more marked features. Jimmy also has a birthmark on his chin while Alerandro has a scar on his cheek. The two brothers are endearing and beautiful, but they both make me a blue fright. Jimmy,not that much, he looks like a joker, but I don't know him well enough to say that he is harmless. I mean, he's a made man and a consigliere of the Outfit.
"Your fiance is in the other room."whispers Jimmy, pushing me slightly in the direction of Alerandro.
When I enter the living room, everyone stops to look at me. Girls look bitterly jealous and men are speechless. I'm looking at Alerandro, incredibly nervous. He wears a black suit with a red tie.
Is it a coincidence that we are matched? His jaw tightens while his eyes run through my body. He approaches me and I'm starting to feel sweaty. I have to bend my head to look at his face. He's extremely tall and muscular, I'm starting to imagine what he looks like shirtless.
No. Stop.
I'm looking at his black waxed shoes.
"Hello, Mr. Garcia"
"Come. I have something to show you."
Please don't be sexual.
He takes me upstairs until we no longer hear the crowd talking. He opens his suit jacket and searches his pocket. I startle, but he takes out a black velvet box. He opens it and reveals a large diamond ring, whose brilliance tells me that it is stupidly expensive.
"You shouldn't have."I said, holding my breath.
"You are my fiancée and my fiancée needs a ring."
"But not such an expensive one. I'm afraid to touch it."
He shakes his head.
"Only the best."
"But why?You don't even know me. That's too kind."
Antonio laughs in a low voice.
"I'm not nice. This ring is there to prove that I am rich and powerful. Don't take me for a good man, Veronica". He grabs my left hand and passes the ring to my finger.
It is so beautiful. I always thought that this moment would be when I would cry with joy by jumping into my fiancé's arms and kissing him.
To kiss him. I'm engaged and I still haven't had my first kiss!
"Now, are you ready to make our announcement to our guests?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."I blew heavily, panicked.
Antonio simply takes my hand and accompanies me to the ground floor where our guests are surprised to see us holding each other by the hand.
"Welcome everyone, thank you for your presence, I'm sure you were waiting for the news. As you all know, I took my father's place as Capo of the Outfit. We are strong, but we lost most of my father's best soldiers and my father himself. Santa Barbara was kind to us and as a token of gratitude and honor, I married Veronica Dantez,"he said, raising his hand slightly to show the engagement ring. Women are speechless and I know that in their minds, they would like to be in my place. And I would like to be in theirs too.
" I know the deadline is short, but the wedding will take place in a week. The invitations should be delivered to each of you by tomorrow. We hope you will be present."Alerandro bows and turns to me, while the crowd applauds and speaks loudly among themselves.
"Did you go shopping for the wedding dress?"
"No…"
"My cousin, Valentina, will take you tomorrow.
"Okay, but…"
"Your bodyguard, one of my best soldiers, Matameros will watch you until the wedding night. I hope your mother also told you what is expected of you."
"Do you mean our wedding night?"
"Yes."
While I feel embarrassment and a hint of worry, Alerandro looks stoic and cold. He doesn't seem to want to talk to me in a personal way. It's only about business.
"I think so, but we don't have to do it. Isn't it?" My eyes are filled with hope.
He shakes his head.
"It's tradition. If you need something, Matameros will do it for you."Like that, Alerandro left and Matameros replaced him while keeping his distance.
Alone in the middle of the home, I have never felt so defeated. My life no longer belongs to me and I will be the slave of the new Capo of the Outfit. Forced to live in misery, like my mother.
At the age of six, I asked my mother why my father hated me and his simple answer remained in my mind for all these years.
"It's not that he hates you, he's Capo, he's unable to love in the company. It's weaknesses, loving you would put it in danger."
My father never loved my mother either.
If he had, she would have been used as a way to hurt my father. Now, I am destined to live married to a man unable to love anyone or anything other than the company. My duty as a wife will be to spread my legs and give him an heir and a reserve.
God forbids me to conceive a girl so that she never has to live as I am forced to do.