The Bride Trials

"You spent five million dollars on a handbag?! We're going bankrupt, and you're wasting our last funds on your vanity!" Mr. Carson screamed with anger, as he slammed his fist on the dining table, rattling the dishes.

"Selfish doesn't begin to describe you!" He spat out, his anger erupting.

Mrs. Carson, who had stumbled in, drunk and boasting about her latest extravagant purchase, replied nonchalantly. "What's my offense this time around?" 

Raya's family dinner grew colder as the tension from the argument flared up.

"What are you teaching our kids?" Mr. Carson questioned, exasperated by his wife's behavior.

"Kids? They can go to hell for all I care." Mrs. Carson sneered, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Don't you dare talk that way about our children!" Mr. Carson roared, his face contorted with rage.

"And what would you do about it?! Huh?!" Mrs. Carson countered, raising her voice too.

Seeing the argument between her parents escalating, Raya and her sister pushed back their chairs. They had heard enough. They could no longer bear their parents throwing tantrums and quarreling with each other like children. 

Without a word, they got up and left the dining room, escaping the argument to their respective rooms, with the tension following them like a shadow.

Once in her room, Raya collapsed onto her bed exhausted, her mind reeling. She couldn't take it anymore - the constant fighting, incessant arguments, accusations, financial struggles, her parents' selfishness, all of it weighing on her like a vice, tightening every day. She felt trapped and suffocated by her family's dysfunction.

This was what she and her sister had been putting up with for the last two years since the family company started going bankrupt. Initially, her father wouldn't have concerned himself with the amount of money his wife spent on shopping but now it's a different case due to the financial crisis they have been experiencing.

As she reached for her phone to distract herself, a mysterious message notification caught her eyes: "You've been selected by the Ackerman family to participate in the bridal selection contest."

Raya's heart skipped a beat. The Ackerman family? The wealthiest and most influential family in the country? It had to be a joke. Or a scam. 

"Scam. Totally a scam!" She scoffed, muttering into her phone, in disbelief. "Yeah, right. As if the richest family in the country would ever contact me."

Raya was skeptical, yet, a spark of curiosity ignited within her. What could this contest be about? And why her? And to clear her doubts, she read on, her heart racing. 

The subsequent messages confirmed her wildest assumptions: "Your presence would be required no later than noon on Monday. A chauffeur will transport you to the Ackerman estate on our behalf. Rest assured, your safety and convenience are our top priority."

Raya froze. She could hardly believe it. Was this… real? The language sounded official. Perhaps this wasn't a scam after all. She sat in stunned silence, her mind racing as she reread the messages. Something about this felt both thrilling and ominous, and she knew she had to investigate further. 

Intrigued, she scrolled through her social media feed, looking for anything that could give her some answers, anything about the Ackermans. Her eyes widened and her curiosity was piqued when she came across similar posts from other young, affluent women, including the President's daughter announcing their invitations to participate. 

Setting her phone aside, Raya stood up, her mind buzzing. She began to pace as she tried to put the pieces together.

"Okay, Raya, think this through. This could be real. But what if it's not? What if it's some elaborate scam?" she said aloud, to herself

"But what about the president's daughter? She's involved, isn't she? That has to count for something." she reasoned.

"Yes, but what if she's just a pawn in the game? What if they're using her to lure in other victims?" a part of her countered.

"Victims? That's a bit dramatic, don't you think? Maybe it's just a legitimate contest." she suggested.

She ran her fingers through her hair, frustrated. "Legitimate contest? With a mysterious message? No, something's off."

"But what if it's exactly what you need? A real chance to break free from your mundane life and do something exciting?"

"Exciting? Do you call being a pawn in a potential scam exciting? No, thank you." 

"But what if... what if it's real? What if this is your chance to break away from this madhouse and all its toxicity? Get a fresh start and maybe find love?" her voice went soft as she thought about it.

Her body slumped on her bed, her amber eyes distant as she thought of what to do, but each time she concluded, another 'what if' appeared in her head.

"Ugh, stop it, Raya! You're going in circles. Just make a decision already!" she chided herself.

Her mind was spinning. She had been handpicked to participate in a mysterious contest by the Ackerman family, alongside the President's daughter. And yet, she knew almost nothing of what it entails.

So, how could she make a decision?

As Raya lay in bed, her thoughts raced. The idea of participating in this contest, surrounded by high-society girls vying for the attention of the Ackerman family, was not at all appealing to her.

And as hours passed and the night wore on, she found herself unable to sleep. Her thoughts conflicted: Should she accept the invite or not?

Tangling further in the world of wealth and privilege was the last thing on her bucket list.

Anxiety churned in her stomach as she realized she would also have to tell her parents. The longer she lay in the darkness, her mind spinning, the more Raya understood that she must approach this carefully. 

She didn't know what her parents would say but she could easily guess that her mother would be delighted. Any opportunity that would give her access to buy more expensive things was a source of happiness for her.

She had stared at her phone's screen so much that the lights were beginning to blur her vision. With a deep sigh, she reached to put down her phone, and her finger slipped, accidentally clicking on the 'Accept' button beneath the invite.

"No, no, no, what have I done?!" She yelled as she read the message indicating that her response had been accepted. Her heart dropped.

"How do I take it back? I don't want to accept it!" She said in frustration, as she kept on clicking on the 'decline' button, hoping for a miracle.

"Decline, decline, decline! Why won't this stupid thing decline?!" She burst out in rage before hitting the bed angrily.

Putting her phone aside, she stood up, running her hands through her hair, in a bid to calm her nerves.

"Deep breaths, Raya." She said to herself, taking a deep breath. "There has to be a way to fix this. Maybe you can go there on Monday and tell them that it was a mistake. I'm sure they'll understand… right?"

In the middle of groaning and falling on her bed, a loud slam of the door jolted her up and also shattered her thoughts.

"Ana, you can't keep living like this. You need help!" She heard her father's outraged voice.

Raya tensed, dread settling in her stomach. Her mind raced. It's happening again. She tiptoed to the door and peeked out.

The fight was unfolding at the entrance of her parent's bedroom, just a few feet away from hers.

"Are you calling me mentally unstable?!" Her mom's shrill voice pierced the air.

"Yes, that's what you are! A mad woman! No one in their sane mind would spend the amount of money you did today, even after knowing everything we are facing!" Mr. Carson retorted, his anger vicious as he gripped his wife's wrist, his knuckles white. 

Raya flinched, her heart pounding as she watched. Just then, her sister, Amaya appeared beside her, clutching her arm with teary eyes. Amaya sought comfort and security from Raya as the argument took a heated turn

"Why don't you just kill me so you don't have to be with me?!" Mrs. Carson yelled, grabbing her husband's collar, her head thrust forward defiantly. 

Mr. Carson gripped her hair painfully and she yelped. "Let go of my shirt before you ruin it." He growled.

 "You monster! Woman hitter!" Mrs. Carson cried out as she began slapping him on the chest, each hit ringing through the hallway. 

The grip Mr. Carson had on her hair tightened as a way to restrain himself and stop the hits.

"Mom! Dad! Stop!" Amaya cried, tears heavy on her face as she approached them trying to put asunder their fight.

Raya stood on the sideline, watching it all unfold, her tears pricking at the corner of her eyes, her lips quivering, her breathing ragged. She knew she had to get away before she broke.

She slipped back into her room and slammed the door shut, pressing her back against it as she wiped away her tears. Her gaze drifted to the phone on her bed, the invitation message still open on the screen. She made for her phone, this time, she read it differently, her eyes gleamed with determination and her fist clutching her phone so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Maybe accepting wasn't a mistake.

The muffled sound of her parents' fight came in as she turned off her lights and tucked herself in bed. Her phone still clutched tightly in her hand and her pulse steadied as she made a decision. 

"Raya, this is the only way out." She whispered to herself, letting the darkness wrap around her as she drifted off… in the violence.