𝒟𝐸𝒮𝒯𝐼𝒩𝒴

2 | Mr. Mystery

Arabella's POV:

As I lie here, thinking about all the missed opportunities with Jeremy, I can't help but feel a sense of dread and regret. I felt like I was losing a part of me. He was my other half, my best friend and my soulmate.

I haven't stopped crying for days. I don't know how to confront him in a way that will make him happy while also keeping this fake marriage a secret.

When my parents told me about the arranged marriage, I was devastated. I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life with someone I barely knew. I had multiple thoughts about wanting to run away with Jeremy, but my parents had different plans. They put me under house arrest, forbidding me from leaving without a guardian. I was trapped, and I didn't know what to do.

As the days went by, I grew more and more anxious about my future. I couldn't bear the thought of marrying someone I didn't love, but I also couldn't bear the thought of losing Jeremy. He had been my rock for so long, and I didn't know if I could go on without him.

But then came the wedding preparations, and everything became a blur. My parents were focused on making everything perfect for the big day, and I barely had time to think. I hardly saw my siblings, who were also busy with wedding preparations. I missed them so much, but I didn't want to burden them with my problems.

And then came the night before the wedding. I was lying in bed, staring at the moonlight reflecting off the walls of my room, feeling the weight of the situation. My phone buzzed, and I saw that I had received over 20 unread messages and 11 missed calls from Jeremy. Each one was harder to ignore than the last, but I knew that I couldn't answer. I couldn't bear to tell him the truth.

As I lay there, my mind racing with thoughts of what could have been, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held. Would my new husband be unfaithful, like in all the stories? And what about Jeremy? Would he even want to be with me once he found out that I was married?

As I sit on my bed, I can feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. It's my last day as a single woman, and I can't help but feel scared and uncertain about what the future holds. My siblings, Katie and Rufus, enter my room with a smile on their faces and a bucket of ice cream in hand. They're trying to make my last day as special as possible, but I can't seem to shake off the fear that's taken over me. 

 I know I've been in love with someone for years and now I have to get married to complete stranger. It's not about the marriage itself, it's about the changes that will be implemented in my everyday life. Will I have to live with guns laying around? Will I be forced to hurt people? Will I ever be able to see my family again, or will he keep me locked in his house forever? 

 The books I've read about these men have filled me with dread. They're sadistic and possessive, treating their women like property. They set boundaries and rules, wanting everything to be under their control. I don't know if I'll be able to live with someone making every decision for me. 

These men prey on those who are innocent and weak. They seek dominance and power that they let go of the person they're completely destroying.

 As Katie and Rufus settle in my room, we turn on my favorite movie, Divergent. I can't help but think this may be the last time I'll ever watch it. Rufus offers me a spoonful of ice cream, but I wave it off. I've barely eaten this week, trying to fit into the perfect little girl image that my parents have for me. 

They want me to be perfect for the man they're sending me off to, but what if he doesn't see me as perfect?Rufus breaks the silence, "I know what mom has been doing." I whisper for him to keep his voice down. 

"I can clearly tell," and my heart sinks. "take it." I grab the spoon from his grasp just so he'll stop talking about it.

I don't want Katie to be involved in this. I don't want my parents to ever try to morph her into a perfect girl, when she is already so perfect.