Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

BELLA MARINO

I glance at my reflection in mirror and delicately brush the invisible dirt from the white dress. I look so different… a grown-up.

My mother would've looked the same in this dress. She would've hugged me seeing me in a white dress all dolled up for the wedding. 

“ You look deadly gorgeous!! Oh my God!!”, the shop owner exclaims on seeing me in the dress. She's an old, short lady with frizzy blonde hair with blue eyes. 

“ I knew this would look good on you!”, she gushes.

My eyes were blurry as I glanced towards the empty room. Ohh!! How different today would be if my mother had been here. 

She made me laugh, she made me happy, and she was the only one to know that I someday wished to marry this little grey-eyed Enzo. 

But I was naive to think so. My eyes betrayed me and shed the tears I had been trying to hold for a long.

“ Oh sweetie, Don't cry!! Weddings are happy occasions!! Let me find a veil for you to complete the look!” she says, rushing out to find the veil to complete my look. 

Soon, she entered with a variety of veils, and I just went with the first veil she gave me to try. “Are you sure, sweetie? Let's try another one!?”, she tries to convince me.

“ No, I'm fine with this.”, I huffed. 

She insisted on getting some more to try. As soon as she disappears from the scene, Fabio enters.

Fabio, the boy who was a chubby kid like a pig and smelled like one, this was not Fabio. A large man with a sharp jawline and masculine body in a tailored black suit. His bangs make him more handsome. He is no longer the same Fabio.

His eyes are busy admiring my dress. A simple V-necked dress with lace and veil. He's the first one to see me in this dress.

“How do I look?”, I raise my one brow and question him.

“Goddess!!”, he exclaims with a thumbs up and a wink. 

Fabio has been a rock to me since my mother passed away. We connected through letters when I was away in an all-girls boarding school, and the same goes when I was with my great aunt in the countryside. 

He was always there when I needed him. It was Fabio's shoulder I cried on starry nights when I had no one. Gone is the scrawny kid whom I used to protect and cheer up. Now he is the one to protect me and cheer me up. I used to tell him that one day I'd marry him when I grew up. And here I am once again preferring Enzo over him. 

Glancing at my dress again, wishing I could wear a black wedding dress to suit my situation and mood If my Papa wouldn't kill me. But he's the only family left, and I guess I'm ready to fight and take my last chance at choosing to love him. 

And then here we go, the lady comes back with a beautiful veil and a pair of gloves. She makes me try them and exclaims;

“Smile, dear; Your husband is lucky to have you!”

“Just think how happy you'll be on your wedding day!” is another remark which makes me think, WILL I EVER BE HAPPY AFTER BEING MRS BARONE? 

And that scares the hell out of me.