4. TO MARRY THE PERVERT 

~SCARLETT

I thought of Viktor the moment my eyes flew open the next morning. 

Did he make it safely to the hospital? Did they treat him well enough? Was he going to be fine?

I felt guilty about the way that I left him yesterday. I didn't even get to thank him knowing that he only got hurt because of me in the first place. 

I sighed and sat up on my bed. The moment my eyes fell on the cursed white dress from yesterday, my heart sank. 

It had not being an horrible dream. I was truly going to marry Marco today!

I shivered as I began to relive our encounter from yesterday. He was a sick pervert and misogynist. Marrying him was as well as signing my death warrant. 

Marco did not see a wife in me when he addressed me yesterday, he only saw a toy— a plaything which he could bend in whatever angle he wanted. 

"Surely dying is way better than marrying Marco," I cried as I got out of bed. 

I started pacing my room thinking of what to do. "Maybe run away?" I stopped in the middle of my room. "Where will I run to? Where can I go?" 

My mother had all of my identification documents in her possession. I could not get a job without her authorisation and she never let me work even once. She kept claiming I was too weak for it but I knew it was because she didn't want me to become financially independent. 

She had more power and control over me when I was as helpless as this. 

I sighed in desperation and was about to start pacing again when a knock sounded on my door and it came open. 

Mother walked right in. "What? You're nowhere near ready! It's already 9am!" She exclaimed. 

I was about to protest when she pushed me into the shower and turned it on. 

"We don't have all day. Do you want to anger Marco? Do you have any idea what that man will do to us?" 

I reluctantly washed up and stepped back into the room with a towel wrapped around my chest. Mother started fixing my hair up for the first time in forever and it warmed my heart. 

All I ever wanted was for her to love me too like she loved Maya. All I ever wanted was for her to care. I could sit in this chair forever if it meant that she would keep fixing my hair. 

"Mom?" I dared to call and she stopped immediately. "I— I'm scared. I'm afraid of what Marco will do to me after the wedding." 

I swallowed hard as my voice began to break and for the first time, her voice softened as she stared at me through the mirror. 

"Scarlett, I need you to be strong for this. . ." She trailed. "If you can pull it off, if you can make this marriage a success. . . Then I will be a better mother to you." 

I felt my heart skip a beat as her last sentence began to echo over and over in my mind. 

Was she really going to finally accept me? Was she really going to love me too?

I lifted my head high and locked my gaze with hers in determination. If enduring a crazy marriage was going to earn me my mother's love. . . then I was ready to do it.

"I won't let you down, Mother," I breathed heavily and she gave me a satisfied smile. 

The rest of the activities were a blur. Mother got me all pretty and she even put the veil safely on my red hair. 

When everything was set, she led me to a white jeep while Maya and Father got into another car.

 My heart kept pounding heavily all through the way there and Mother offered to hold my hand and ease my nervousness. 

Eventually, we arrived at the church. A man dressed in a black suit opened the car door and helped me out. There were more men like that positioned in different places at the church. 

Father got out of the car and walked to me. Then for the first time, he held my hand and began to lead me down the aisle. 

I spotted Marco at the altar, waiting with an older man by his side— the man was probably his father. 

I looked at the standing guests who were present. There were not many of them and they were all dressed in black. They looked as suspicious as Marco and it only made me believe that they were members of a Mafia group or a secret society. 

We reached the altar and Marco took my hand this time. Then we turned to the priest and he began the ceremony. 

"Blessed be all who have made up time to witness this beautiful moment. Our children have decided to do what is right before the Lord by getting joined in Holy Matrimony. . ." 

The priest's words faded away in my ears as I got lost in my own head. The pounding of my heart intensified and I felt as if I would collapse even before the wedding ended. 

My hands had become sweaty and I knew that Marco could feel my body's violent tremors but he said nothing. He was probably waiting for the ceremony to end before he could devour me. 

"If anyone present knows of any reason why this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace," the priest announced, jolting me back into focus. 

"Finally. . ." A familiar voice answered and I froze. "I thought we'd never get to this part."  

I recognised that overly calm and confident voice. I turned instantly and was met with him— the warm stranger.

Viktor. 

He was standing in the center of the church, clad in a black suit that made him exude an aura of mystery, danger and safety at the same time. 

"Viktor Marcelli, you have nerves showing up at my wedding," Marco stated and I blinked in surprise. 

The two men knew each other. 

Viktor smiled. "I'm here to stop you from making a mistake." 

"What mistake?" Marco demanded as he tilted his head slightly. 

Viktor chuckled dangerously and slowly pointed a finger at me. "That woman is not Maya Vaughn." Then he moved his finger to Maya who was clinging to my mother on the right side of the church. "She is." 

My heart sank as my eyes went with shock.

"What is the meaning of this nonsense? Who is this man?" Mother roared as she jumped to her feet. 

"Watch the way you talk to my boss, Woman! You can lose your tongue for that!" Another man snapped as he stepped out from Marco's guests. 

It seemed that Viktor had brought backup and they were all disguised as Marco's family. My mouth went dry as I realised that my predicament had only gotten worse. 

Marco narrowed his eyes at me before turning to Mother. "Is what he's saying true? Is that Maya?" 

Mother scoffed. "You can't possibly believe this clown!" 

In a flash, the man who had threatened mother earlier zoomed toward her and was about to hit her when—

 "Luca!" Viktor called, stopping his intentions halfway. "We're in a church. No violence is allowed in the house of God." 

Then he cleared his throat and turned to Marco. "The woman you're marrying is Scarlett, Ramona's first child before she got married to Malcom Vaughn." 

Marco gritted his teeth and I saw him begin to fume with anger. "Ramona! Were you trying to deceive me?" He roared. 

"I told you! He's lying! I don't even know who he is!" Mother lied through her teeth. 

"Viktor Marcelli might be my sworn enemy. . . But he would never lie to me!" Marco roared. "For daring to trick me, I will go ahead and marry Scarlett but I will also take Maya with me!" 

Mother gasped and I staggered back in shock. This was not supposed to happen. It was supposed to be a smooth wedding. How did it get so complicated?

 "Ah," Viktor interrupted again. "That is where I will have a problem with you, Marco Bianchi. I can't let you marry Scarlett. She needs to make her choice since she's a victim in this." 

"I appreciate you pointing out the mistake to me, Viktor but I don't need you here anymore. You may leave!" Marco stated.

My intake of breath became shaky and I hated to be in the middle of this. I wished that the ground would open and swallow me up. 

Viktor chuckled and looked at me instead. "You don't need to feel pressured in any way,  Scarlett." He whispered and his voice seemed to calm my nerves. "I'm offering you a choice. You can either go ahead and marry Marco or you can come with me and I will give you all the protection you could ever need in this world." 

For the millionth time today, my heart sank as my eyes went even wider. 

"Scarlett! You're not going anywhere! You will marry Marco as planned!" Mother suddenly yelled. 

"I can't go with Marco alone! Hell! I don't want to go anywhere with him!" Maya screamed at me.

"You are in no position to make any choices! You became mine the moment I set my eyes on you yesterday! Imposter!" Marco roared and for a moment, all their voices began to echo in my head. . . Slowly becoming distant. 

I could not focus. I could not think. Viktor’s offer presented me with an impossible choice. The devil I knew, Marco or thé stranger who promised protection. 

My mother had never let me make any choices. She always made them for me and today, I was offered the right to make a decision that would shape my future. 

Viktor seemed nice but I had no idea what awaited me in his territory. What if he was much worse? What if he was a serial killer?

I looked up at Viktor and he outstretched his arm to me. Suddenly, the world felt calm again and all of my doubts were gone. It felt right to believe in Viktor. It felt like my best option at the moment. 

Marco was about to reach out and grab me when I ducked and ran forward instead— toward Viktor. 

"Scarlett! You ungrateful child!" Mother roared but I had already made my decision. 

"I'll go with you, Viktor.”