5. COMMITMENT

I look at the smiling lady in front of me, her image comes to my mind for an instant from when they used to visit my house before I was sent to school.

"I..." I don't know what to say, the words catch in my throat. "I... I..." I stammer. What are they doing here?

"Don't pretend you don't remember Luisito, darling," my mother says in her fake voice. I look at her but say nothing. "You haven't stopped talking about him all these years."

What? Why is my mother telling such a lie? I had never remembered him until today, I hate him!

"Isabella," Dad speaks, "you said a moment ago that you remembered him."

I look at Dad, not understanding what he's saying. Was that what I said yes to? Of course I remember Luis well! He was that hateful boy who always made me cry, forcing me to do things I didn't want to do. I've hated him all my life; he used to follow me everywhere and hit me when no one was watching. Then he'd manage to make me take the blame for everything he did. How could I forget? I think he was the reason my mother took me out of the house and sent me to that convent school.

"Hello, Bella," Luis says with a smile.

He approaches and kisses me on both cheeks. I blush at his audacity and step back as if he had the plague. I hate him! I still do! I had completely forgotten about him, but now that he's in front of me, all the resentment I hold has resurfaced.

"He... hello," I respond in almost a whisper, moving as far away from him as I can.

After the greetings, our parents become absorbed in their business conversations. The food arrives; my mother has ordered salmon, which I hate, so I play with my fork, pretending to eat. I jump when I feel a hand on my thigh; everyone looks at me.

"Did something happen, Isabella?" my mother asks, and by the way she looks at Luis, I sense she knows exactly why I jumped.

"No, no, Mom, nothing happened. Sorry, I dropped something."

I see Luis's sly smile as I lower my hand trying to remove his, which I finally manage to do. I try to move as far away from him as possible, but he moves closer and puts his hand back on my thigh; I feel it moving up, almost to my inner thigh. I stand up abruptly.

"What's wrong, Isabella?" Mother asks, visibly annoyed.

"Nothing, Mom. I think the food isn't sitting well with me. I need to go to the bathroom for a moment. Excuse me," I say as I stand up, aware of Luis's mocking smile and stare.

I get up hastily and practically run away. I take refuge in the bathroom, sitting on the toilet to kill time while waiting for them to finish eating. I wash my hands, trying to calm down while listening to the music playing. I know my mother will be upset about this, but I can't stand that guy's presence. I'm sure he'll do something to humiliate me in front of everyone.

After a while, I decide enough time has passed and leave the bathroom. To my surprise, Luis is waiting outside. He corners me between his arms, preventing my escape.

"Did you think you could escape from me, Bella?" he says with a challenging look.

My eyes fill with tears as Luis grabs my face with his hands and kisses me aggressively, almost making me bleed. I desperately try to break free from his grip, but he's stronger than me. A sob escapes my lips when he finally releases me, looking at me with a mocking smile.

I run back and sit at the table with my head down, feeling defeated. I can't believe this is happening again. Suddenly, I hear my father say:

"Well, it's all settled! Next month we'll celebrate our children's engagement party."

My heart stops and a feeling of horror runs through me. "What?" I manage to say in a trembling voice.

When I hear my father's announcement, I can't contain myself and scream without realizing it, jumping to my feet. My parents look at me angrily, and I sit back down, staring at my father in horror. How can they do this to me? They know how abusive Luis is; it's no secret. The scandals about his behavior are in every magazine and newspaper in the country. Luis's father observes me silently and then smiles, as if satisfied with what he sees. His expression changes when he hears my mother.

"Yes, dear Isabella," my mother laughs. "Why are you surprised? You knew this day would come; you're of age now," she explains in a voice trying to be sweet, but I can feel the displeasure she's containing. "Your engagement to Luis is a fact. He's always been in love with you, since you were children. Don't you remember how he was always following you around? We had arranged this since then. Besides, just a while ago when your father asked if you agreed to this engagement, you happily said yes. Why are you reacting like this now? Is it from happiness? Didn't you think Luis would accept? Well, he did."

"But I..." I try to object, try to say that I didn't hear what they asked and that I don't agree, but I feel unable to say anything more. My voice gets caught in my throat while everyone looks at me inquisitively.

"Congratulations, darling! Your love story will come true. We all know you've missed him too. Since she came back from school, she hasn't stopped asking about him," Mom lies with a smile on her face, as if enjoying watching me suffer. "Just before they arrived, her father asked if it was true that Luis was the love of her life, and she said yes."

"What?" I look at Dad. Was that what he asked me so seriously and I said yes to?

"Excuse her, she's very shy," Mom continues speaking, and I resign myself. That's what happens when you don't listen to what you're being asked, Isabella. "Congratulations, Bella, you're going to be very happy with the love of your life. Not all of us are that lucky, dear."