CHAPTER 3

The wedding was happening one week earlier than Nicole had expected.

Apparently perverted old men didn't take too kindly to being kicked in the balls even though preying on innocent young girls was one of their favourite pastimes. Don Matteo wasn't any different and after Nicole had so painfully "assaulted" him as he elaborately worded it, he went straight to her father to voice his concerns. Like the manipulated bastard that he was, he told Nicole's father that he was no longer sure if he wanted the marriage as his safety and wellbeing was now in question.

Obviously her father was quick to beg for his forgiveness on her behalf and also urge him not to give up on his daughter. He even added that Nicole was only acting childish and marriage was the very thing she needed if she was going to grow up and start acting mature and who better to teach his daughter the ways of the world than his long time friend now turned brother.

Don Matteo made it seem like he was the one doing Christopher a favour by marrying his 'hellhound' of a daughter.

"With that kind of aggressive attitude, she'd be lucky to ever have a suitor." Nicole overheard him say to her father and her blood began to boil in anger.

He then proceeded to suggest that the wedding be held forward because by his logic, the sooner Nicole got married, the sooner she would cease her madness and get back on track.

It was all a part of his devious plan but again, her father remained ignorant.

Finally, Don Matteo suggested that guards be sitated at the entrance of her room at all times, blocking any chance of her escape. He figured that with the wedding coming up sooner than expected, there would be hardly any time for her to come up with a solid escape plan. Again her father fell right into Matteo's trap and there was nothing she could do about it.

Guards followed her wherever she went and up until the day of the wedding, she hadn't yet gotten a moment of freedom. She wasn't allowed to leave the house either and although her father said it was all in a bid to protect her, she knew that they were only preventing her escape.

But unknown to them, Nicole had come up with a different plan. She had stopped fighting, stopped struggling and had even give up on her hunger strike. None of those had the desired effect anyway.

Don Matteo and her father probably thought that they had finally broken her and that was exactly what she wanted them to think.

It was best if they were caught off guard for her plan to work perfectly.

Soon Enough, the wedding day rolled around and a sense of unease in Nicole's part came with it. She pretended to be excited about her big day and even participated in the outfit and jewellery selection process. She offered her brightest smile to everyone who congratulated her and she accepted every present with warm thanks.

Her father was pleased that she had finally come around but DON Matteo was not fooled. He sensed that something was amiss and he tried his hardest to uncover it but Nicole was a closed book.

"Whatever you are planning, it's not going to work." He whispered in her ear as they prepared to leave the mansion to the venue of the ceremony you.

"What pray tell are you talking about dearest husband?" She asked, her smile not faltering for even one second.

"I'm glad you know it. I'm your husband, and in a few moments it'll be official. So do well to behave yourself." He replied before proceeding to his own vehicle.

The moment He walked away, her smile fell off so fast, an onlooker might have gotten whiplash. She hated him with an immeasurable passion and that hatred only grew with each passing day.

As soon as they arrived at the designated wedding venue, the first thing Nicole noticed was how much money had been thrown around to get the place looking the way it did. The place screamed nothing but lavish glamour and Nicole almost felt bad that it was all going to go to waste. Because despite the fact that she was present at the wedding, holding a flower whose fragrance tickled her nose in a funny way, she had still not changed her mind about Marrying Don Matteo. To her, death was a better choice than spending an eternity with the man.

Don Matteo was already standing at the podium with his robust pot belly and the moment her eyes landed on him, a cynical smile consumed her face as she began her bridal possession. She even let her father walk her down the aisle with a proud smile on his face.

The poor man.

He was so excited she almost felt bad for disappointing him, but she had worried about his feelings, his thoughts, his wishes all her life, but now was the time for her to choose herself and the very first step in achieving that was getting the he'll out of what one might call a sham of a wedding.

The entire crowd comprised of complete strangers and she didn't even know her maid of honour.

That was how empty and meaningless her life felt. Even on her "special" day, there wasn't one single face around that could make her smile.

still, as she marched down the aisle in her white dress which she hated by the way and was only pretending to like, her steps didn't falter because she knew that very soon she would escape that life.

That was her only consolation.