Eva's heart sank. Months ago, she had been blissfully dreaming of her dreams and destiny carved by her own hands. Now, with the weight of familial obligations shackled around her, her destiny felt as distant as the glow of a dying star.
"No!" Eva cried, "I will not become a pawn in this twisted game! My heart is not an object to be bartered! Am not his gift, your daughter is!"
"You have no choice! Unless if you want your mother dead." Mark shot back, crossing his arms and radiating a sense of inevitability.
He then released her hand but not a word escaped her lips except tears.
Holding the white weddings gown she looked at herself in the mirror pitifully, her face sullen and unattractive, yet she did not bother to put a very slightest of makeup.
Afterall who was she wearing makeup for? A man from the beast family? It would be a waste of time.
He was not her dream man. She hurriedly wore the dressed , causally brushed her hair straight. Pausing, she glanced at her self in the mirror and said.
"If only mirror could fulfill wishes, l would wish to be replaced by someone else strong and tough." She let out her breath, then tilted her head.
" Unfortunately, it's just an imagination. Eva, better carry your cross alone."
A hard bang at the door brought her back to reality. As she opened, her gaze fell on Bianca Garcia who mischievously smiled as she looked at the wedding dress. Leaned n closer she whispered.
" Sorry sis, you have the marry that masked beast in my place, afterall what are step kids for? And if you feel your tied or afraid, you may just end life and accompany your dead father in the graves ."
Bianca held a glistening double edged knife in her hands and gave it to Eva.
Eva, her emerald eyes welling with tears, took a deep breath, summoning strength from a place hidden within.
"Little stepsister," she replied–her tone surprisingly calm, "I hope one day we shall not meet in hell, for if we do, you'll come to despise having known me on this earth."
She turned on her heel, brushing against Bianca's shoulder as she walked away, a subtle act of defiance woven into the fabric of their bitter rivalry.
Bianca's heart pounded as she watched Eva's retreating figure. A tempest of emotions churned within her, a desire to chase after Eva, to scream for their father to intervene, to unleash his wrath upon her stepsister's insolence.
But she paused. This time and day, marked a point of no return, today, Eva would leave their lives foreverso, so it wasn't necessary.
Reaching out she didn't bother looking behind nor waving goodbye to anyone. She took a deep breath before entering a black SUV car.
The driver drove the car, Eva turned to look behind, her family car followed from behind.
" I hope they are satisfied now!". She muttered.
The driver adjusted the front mirror, glancing at her glum facial expressions in the mirror, he tilted his head startled.
"Miss, are you sure you want to do this? He will kill you just like the others." He said.
Closing her eyes for a moment and thought about her life in the Garcia.
" What difference will it make?"
For years, eva had lived in the Garcia family as a slave and a maid, doing chores everyday, even at night when everyone is sleep as long as she didn't complete the task, she would work till late.
Bianca never saw her as an elder step sis, rather a maid and a toy she would order around.
Soon, they car stoped at the entrance of a well decorated cathedral, the driver hurriedly come down and opened the door for the bride.
Unfortunately, not even a bride maid nor a flower girl were present, only her by herself.
Anyway, who would bother organizing for bridesmaids, when she's considered as a jo
Jinx at home.
Infact her departure called for a celebration in the Garcia family.
Slowly she walked on the red carpet till inside the church, the choir sang a wonderful wedding songs.
Eva's slightly raised her eyebrows forward. A slender man dressed in elegant black limited edition suits with a black mask on his face stood a waiting on the altar.
She lightly chuckled and thought
" I wonder what's behind those masks, a beast or human? "
The waste part was not even her mother was present to hand her over to the masked man. The car that followed them was just to ensure that they reach at the wedding venue. But they weren't going to attend her so called marriage.
Reaching the altar, the man extended his slim soft hands forward to Eva who placed her hand gently to his as they stepped forward to the priest.
Eva's glum face was covered by the Vail on her face. Taking a deep breath she thought.
"God, why did you write my destiny with a black ink?"
The priest started,
"Eva do you take Mr Marcello Garcia as your wedded husband, in love and in pain, in health and in sickness, wealth and in poor, till death do you apart."
She kept quiet, rotating her gaze around the church, all eyes were fixed on her, everyone present was waiting to hear from her.
The priest looked buffled, as he glanced at a lady in the alter with a miserable face and repeated for a second time.
"Ms Eva, do you take Mr Marcello Garcia as your wedded husband, in love and in pain, in health and in sickness, wealth and in poor, till death do you apart."
She took a deep breath, her threats dried, her chest felt congested. As she glanced around the hall was so quiet, eyes were all fixed in her , as whispers began to escalate in the church.
The she glanced at the man Infront if her wearing a mask.
Although his body structures, were perfectly fine, but what was behind the mask , worried her mind.
" How can l married someone l don't love? I don't even know him? He's just a monster hiding behind the mask." She said inwardly.
The priest's words broke the tense and brought her back from her ponder.
" For the last time." He said.
" Ms Eva do you take Mr Marcello Garcia as your wedded husband, in love and in pain, in health and in sickness, wealth and in poor, till death do you apart."