arranged | ✎

Chapter 3

A day has passed by since my incredibly embarrassing burst out to my mom. Honestly, I wish I could go back in time and adequately tell her instead of shouting at her outside. I felt horrible, she must have been ten times more embarrassed than the embarrassment I am feeling now.

I tried to stop thinking about it, turning left and right on my bed, I was trying to sleep but these thoughts kept me awake. Not only the fact that I had gotten angry at my Mother publicly but the fact that I have a spouse I do not know about.

Doesn't 'Spouse' technically mean married? So that means I am married to someone I do not even know. If anything is disrespectful it is the fact that my mom married me off without even consulting me first.

Does that mean a child is now forming in my womb?! I shoot my eyes up and run in front of my mirror. While looking I touch my belly in a circle, a single tear drops from my eye because I was not ready to have a child and now a baby is forming in my womb.

I didn't know where babies came from, I knew you had to be married to have one. Not for my mom tho, apparently she was cursed by the devil with a baby, Me. Because she was way too comfortable with a man, my Father.

Hence, if you get married, you are blessed with a child for being pure. But if you flirt with a man you are not married you are cursed with a child.

I scoffed in disbelief, this was no blessing but a curse, I was not in love with this man and I didn't wanna have any kids.

I startle when my mom barges into my room causing me to jump and look at her.

"You're up." She says softly before walking up to me. I slowly walk away and she stops as she notices I do not wanna be near her.

She sighs and brings out a little box, "What is that?" I ask "My wedding ring?" I say before sitting down and putting my hands in my face.

I was very frustrated about this. I had plans. I wanted to take the school route and become what I wanted to be, All my dreams were crushed by this unexpected engagement or wedding.

"No, it's from your father." I frown, "Dad?" She nods and looks at her then scoffs "Wow so he cares about getting me a gift now, now that I am of age"

"No Navea, he has cared for you your entire life," She sighs before looking down "He just wasn't here to show you"

She sits next to me and gives me the box. I untie the ribbons and open the box revealing a beautiful bracelet. "It's beautiful," I say while softly smiling at the bracelet. Even tho he wasn't there for me I was happy he finally got me something as a token of his maternal love for me.

"You must wear it all the time," She states while taking the bracelet and tying it around my wrist.

"Why? Surely I can wear it any time I want." Honestly, this was stupid but the way she said that as if I would die if I didn't wear it.

"It shows that you are your father's daughter, and it mustn't be messed with." She said I looked at her confused as she got up and went to my bathroom to prepare my bath.

I shrug my shoulders, honestly what I should be thinking about right now is the fact that I am to be married and possibly with child. A silly bracelet was the least of my worries.

I needed to find a way to escape, to be free.

Agatha Brecketts

I sigh with shakey hands, she doesn't know, I constantly remind myself. I need to keep my daughter from the truth even if it must hurt her.

I came into her room and gave her the bracelet that Victor told me to give her. That necklace was a symbol that she was part of the France mafia.

As much as I want her to get out of society, I can't. It was my obligation to keep her here, she must stay pure and innocent. The real world will shatter her, she is my daughter and I know keeping her innocence is a very important duty of mine.

After her outburst, I knew she didn't want to get married. I had to force her into this marriage and I have no choice.

She starts washing up after I prepare her bath. I go to the kitchen and decide to serve her some of the baked goods Christa has made for her. I place a plate and make some tea and put the baked goods on the top of the plate.

Navea walks down with her dress and I look at her wrist to check if she is still wearing the bracelet. She is.

"Here are some of Christa's baked goods sweet, I prepared them for you with some tea," I gesture to her to sit.

She sits and starts pouring herself some tea while splashing some in the process. I sit in the chair next to her and hold her hands.

"Honey," I start and look down, I knew this wasn't what she wanted and it hurt me to do this but I had no choice, She needed to be married so she could be protected from the real world.

"You have to marry Mr. Louie, you have no choice, I know-" I paused as I felt her body stiffen under my touch. I look at her while feeling awful.

"Mr. Louie?" She starts before laughing with tears in her eyes "The old man with a huge estate?"

"Yes, I- He was the perfect match" I startle as she stands up from her seat looking at me with angry tears.

"Perfect match?! Mom, he is 30 years older than me! I am way too young to be tied up to a man who is almost as old as you!" She shouts.

"He is! He can protect you more than I can, this is not only for your place in the society but for your safety!" I fire back.

"Protection?" She scoffs in disbelief "What possibly do I need protection from Mom? The only person I need protecting from is you and Mr. Louie!"

Protection from me? All I have done is try to protect her my entire life, I did not want her to end like me, I was very unfortunate with my life and I didn't want her to be.

I look at her in shock almost tearing up.

"Mom," She kneels and places her hands on my knees while looking down "Please Mom! I do not want to get married to this man" She sniffs.

"Please respect my wishes and let me go abroad to study, let me get out of this place. Please, Mom! I beg you!" She cries.

I couldn't let her go abroad, to the real world. This is exactly what I needed to protect her from. The real world. There is no way I am gonna let her go abroad to study.

"No."

She looks up at me in disbelief before getting up and looking at me with angry tears.

"I absolutely loathe you, you are not my mother."

And words never shattered me as much as my daughter said that to me.