Tainted Faith

Five: Cinque [re-written 10/01/21]

Liliana felt sick. Not in the physical sense that you felt from the common cold or a poorly cooked meal. More like the queasy, unsettling feeling you got in the pit of your stomach before something catastrophic was about to happen that she imagined mirrored the sensation of having your entire digestive system removed while still conscious. It was a deep sense of unease that dug deep inside you and was nearly impossible to ignore.

One day.

One day until she was to wed Marcello D'Onofrio.

Already she could hear the boisterous sounds of guests arriving, mostly those from Marcello's side of the family. Liliana didn't want to go out and greet them, and dread ate away at her knowing she would have to act in love with Marcello under so many watchful eyes - or at the very least as if she actually liked the man. How would they pretend to be a happy couple when she had been living in Italy for the past three years? Surely his family would see through the rouse instantly?

A sharp knocking against her bedroom door could be heard, its persistent presence ignored by Liliana as she continued to dress slowly. She already knew who awaited her on he other side of the door; her father. He had been knocking for almost five minutes now but she had been steadfastly ignoring him all week - the if he thought today would be the day she would break her silence then he was a fool.

"Liliana!" Her father hissed, his furious voice barely masked by the door between them. "People are waiting for you. Stop acting like a child!"

Liliana scoffed, slammed the hairbrush she was holding onto the vanity and made no efforts to constrain her anger. She opened the door with one furious swing and fixed her fathers beet red face with a fierce glare he had never seen the likes of from her. Liliana didn't care how mad he was, she was the only one with any right to be mad. And she was so absolutely furious - her fury growing steadily and strong since her first night on the island - at the sudden lack of control she seemed to now have on her own life.

All week she had been swallowing her anger. All week she had behaved as nothing but polite to her grandfather, to Sebastiano and the other D'Onofrio men. All week she had ignored the tears that threatened to fall every single second of the days.

Whatever anger her father thought he felt, was nothing in comparison to rage that trembled deep within her. He was only suffering now as a result of the careless mistakes he, himself, had made.

She was suffering because of him and him alone. And she would not forget that.

All week she had been at the mercy of others, forced to obey these men for fear of offending the D'Onofrio's and suffering the consequences of their unavoidable wrath, as her grandfather had reminded her.

Without a word, or even acknowledging her father, Liliana stalked past the angered man and headed towards the beach where she could hear loud laughter and faint music playing. Her heart raced faster with every step that brought her closer. She prayed her aunt and cousins had arrived, she needed their support more than anything. She knew her grandfather loved her unconditionally, but he stuck to his values and currently those values meant her loyalty to her fiancé. If she wanted someone to truly be on her side, she needed her Zia Adelina, Marco, Roderigo, Federico and Gavino.

As soon as she stepped out onto the hot, soft sand, she noted the loud chatter quietening considerably, and many eyes dart towards her. She now felt relived that she had spent most of the day preparing herself - even if it had been nothing but an excuse to avoid speaking to anyone for hours. She had to make an impression on Marcello's family after all, as she knew Sebastiano was expecting nothing but her best behaviour. Perhaps if she looked the part, it would be easier to remain silent for the entire evening and quickly escape to her bedroom once again. That was, after all, what all these men expected of a 'good wife'.