1

This is it. My wedding. If someone had told me I’d be here yesterday, I’d say they were lying. But here I am, no falsehood detected. There is only another twenty minutes left till I become Eliana Vanderbilt. Mrs. Levi Vanderbilt.

“Eliana..” Aunt Livia crones in a sing song voice, clearly excited. “The guests are arriving.”

She glances at me and her face contorts into a vicious sneer. Aunt Livia takes in my caramel tan skin, natural red lips enhanced by the lip stain I hurriedly smeared on and my slanted siren eyes.

“Well, you can put lipstick on a pig..” she eyes me from top to bottom.

I curl my fist, fingernails digging into my palms.

“Whatever, I’m sure your husband wouldn’t mind.” That statement seems to set her off and she began laughing hysterically. “Given the circumstances, widowed even before your marriage.” She straightens back up again.

Her face goes serious as she finally makes eye contact with me. She opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by the wedding planner walking in.

“They are ready for you.”

I take a breath steeling myself, as I walk out. The widowed bride.

Two days earlier

“Eliana,” her voice thunders, sending a chill down my spine.

She’s ere. That wasn’t a good sign and I knew it. Aunt Livia’s presence anywhere was never a good sign.

“Yes, aunt Livia.” I say, walking up to her so she could see me. I hate how meek my voice sounds. It seemed to fuel her, knowing I was weak, I had no choice.

“Come in. I need to talk to you.” She says with that cold sneer that never seemed to leave her face. She reminded me of the queen of heart in Alice in wonderland. Big head covered in red hair, eyes too large for hee face and a permanent grimace that made it impossible for anyone to look at her face for too long.

I walk into the study head bowed. My dirty blonde hair in a low bun, wearing clothes I had bought from a dollar store.

Her face turned to a frown when she took in my appearance standing at the door. “You couldn’t put on something else?”

Aunt Livia does not try to hide her distaste for my outfit. I want to scream, I can’t afford anything else. We barely have enough to live by, every cent I make goes into my dad. Some days I barely have enough to eat.

“Sorry.” Is all I could muster up.

“How’s your father?” She asks.

“He’s… still the same. The doctors said they would try a new round of treatments since the last one doesn’t seem to be working anymore.” I say tears filling up my eyes. I grit my teeth not letting them fall. I have to ask her for more money. “Aunt Livia, the new treatment… it’s expensive. I was wondering if you could spare even a little bit more.”

My voice is cut off by her loud laughter. “More money?!”

It stings, he was her brother. My father was a thriving business man until he got sick. Suddenly his company stopped doing well and everything we had in savings was put into his treatment. The company went bankrupt and we are now drowning in debt.

Aunt Livia has helped, in her own way. She never lets me forget it. Every cent I get from her is through a lot of groveling.

“Aunt Livia… the doctors say this one is going to work. You know I wouldn’t bother you if I didn’t have to..” I say.

She laughs and even louder. “Do you know how much you owe me already? And now you’re asking for even more?”

I flinch at hee harsh statements.

“You couldn’t pay it for seven lifetimes, yet you want more.” She continues. “Pray tell Eliana. How are you going

to pay it all back.”

“When… when father gets better we will find..” I start.

“Blah blah, the story of your mothers fortune again. Your father isn’t getting better, wouldn’t it be easier to just stop. Save me my money.” She says cruelly.

I throw myself down on the floor on my knees. “Please, he will get better. I just know it. Please just help us once again.”

“My brother will get better… I live for the day. Okay.” She agrees. “Get up, your begging annoys me. I’ll help, but you have to do something for me in return.”

“Okay. Anything.” I say getting up.

“Anything…” she smirks.

Aunt Livia gets up, removing a file from her drawer, placing it on the table. “Sit.”

I sit and she gestures to the documents, for me to open it.

What could this be? I open it cautiously, dreading what it could contain. Is it a slave contract? Does she want me to give up all my human rights to her? I wouldn’t put that past her.

To my surprise it’s a picture of a man, blurry so I can barely make out his face, but irregardless a picture. There are many pictures like that I note, flipping through the pages.

After the pictures it’s a document. I see headers like, schools, hobbies, most frequented places along with a shirt bio data. Name: Levi Vanderbilt, Age: 30, Occupation: businessman.

What even is this? I look up to see Aunt Livia staring at me intently.

I flip to the last page and it’s a marriage contract. The more I read the more my face morphs into shock.

I look up once again at Aunt Livia.

“Yes, that’s your husband. The man you’re going to marry, Levi Vanderbilt.”

My ears are ringing as she goes on. Marriage? Its worse than a slave contract. I can hear her distantly say.

“Marry Levi Vanderbilt and I’ll forgive your debt and take care of your fathers hee treatment.”