Aster~
The sunlight glistened on my face. I heaved a sigh as today was my wedding. Who would have thought I would be getting married at the age of 20? Definitely not me. I wanted to proceed with my higher studies but it all came crashing down on the day I was informed of my marriage.
They basically signed me off to a wealthy man, Adagio Amato. I have known him since I was eleven years old. I would only see him occasionally. I hardly speak to him because he is too intimidating for someone like me.
His brothers, on the other hand, are just pure gold.
Adagio has a very quiet character; his cold, intimidating gaze could make anyone piss their pants. He gives the driest replies to whatever question it may be. People would give up trying to speak to him.
Adagio and his family are engaged in a huge business, which makes them filthy rich. Whatever they owned screamed money and power. The amount of respect and power that family alone holds is ridiculous.
It made me wonder why they would marry me to him. With his charm, he could make girls beg for his pleasures. I know for a fact that there are richer families than mine. They could benefit the Amatos more than us.
There is no relation between him and me. The least we've interacted with each other is no more than a wave or eye contact. I wonder how he agreed to this marriage.
My brothers opposed this marriage more than I ever did. Carlos, Zaden, and Jason were furious when they found out about this arrangement. My papa stood his ground. I never disobeyed my parents and that turned into a habit of mostly accepting my fate.
If I don't go their way, they'll make me. So I stopped fighting, even if it cost me my life. I accepted that this marriage was nothing and it wouldn't be a problem to be with him for a year or two. I almost gave up but I am still fighting for what I need.
I certainly don't need this marriage but it's going to happen sooner or later and I don't have anyone in mind to spend the rest of my life with nor do I wish to find one.
I came to know about this last week and today was my wedding, the 14th of May.
I wore this elegant wedding dress that was covered with heavy stones and glitter. It was designed with a beautiful sleeve until my forearm. My hair was put up in a bun decorated with flowers and pearls.
"My baby, you are looking beautiful." My mother looked at me through the mirror.
Her eyes clogged with tears and her lips curled up into a smile. I smiled at her."I'm sorry, dear." My mother's smile disappeared into a light frown. "If anything happens, you can always come back to us." She gently placed a kiss on my head.
This was enough for me to know they still cared and loved me. I certainly know there is something that forced them to push me into this.I heard the door squeak. My head turned to see my father walk in. As soon as he saw me, he gaped and mouthed, 'My princess'. My vision got blurry as random thoughts clouded my mind giving my eyes the urge to rain.
I will miss my brothers very much. Any sibling would find it difficult to be apart from them. All those arguments and the tantrums once seemed annoying to me but now it's quite the opposite. I never expected a day I'd miss all of it so much.
"It's time," My Father quietly spoke.
He wiped away his tears before he stretched out his hand for me. I smiled and I tried my best to force all the tears back in because of this expensive makeup on my face.He smiled and helped me stand up.
"Know that I will always love you." My father's voice creaked and it melted my heart. I felt a pang when I sensed guilt in his eyes. It conveyed everything his mouth couldn't. The apologetic look tore me.The words I wanted to say were pushed back inside by my suppressed tears. If I talk now, my eyes will rain.
"I know that, papa. I will always love you too, no matter what," I told him as I held his hand in mine.
My heart urged me to say that. After I saw the guilt in his eyes, I knew he thought I hated him for what he had done to me, and I wanted to assure him that I didn't."I am just so proud of you," he uttered as he sadly smiled.
Again, he fought himself from spilling the truth and at the state he is in, I am in no mood to force it out of him. He concealed it, and he knows that I figured it out.He and I walked down the aisle. Thousands of eyes gazed upon us, making me anxious. I lifted my head to see the church filled with flowers and expensive decorations. The church looked beautiful and couldn't look more luxurious. I saw Adagio and he was already looking at me.
Suddenly I forgot how to breathe. Awkward. I looked away quickly and roamed my eyes everywhere but at him. He indeed looks breathtaking. It is not surprising because he looks like that 24/7 throughout.
My papa handed my hand to him, which he gladly accepted. His warm hands circled mine, sending a vibration through my body. I looked at him again to see him observing my face.
I don't know what he is feeling. It seems impossible to figure out what's going through this man's head.
"I Adagio Amato, take you, Aster Di Fazio, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part." He repeated after the priest without breaking eye contact and I had no other choice but to look right in his eyes.
For a minute, It all seemed real. But why?
Why does it feel real when reality itself is a lie? My emotions are playing with me. This is not right. Everyone here except for our family believes that this marriage is real and in love. It may look like we are in love but really this is no more than a mere contract and right now I am beyond uncomfortable.
I can see my brothers with a sad smile. At least they smiled on my wedding day. I can see the sympathy in their eyes. It somehow begged me to scream and run away. But Mr. Amato's gaze said otherwise.
Now it's my turn to lie. Lie inside the church, in front of the altar. Way to go, Aster!
Genuinely speaking, I have always feared God, and this trial is putting me to the test.
I should either run away and get my family killed or get punished by god. I think I chose the second option.
I had a heavy sigh before I spoke. I gathered my courage and faced him. I gave a little smile because, contract or not, still my husband. He just looked at me and didn't return my smile. I felt stupid but I smiled because I wanted to and he would do it if he was willing to.
But funny how we are getting married even though neither of us wanted to.
"I, Aster Di Fazio, take you, Adagio Amato, to be my husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part," I repeated and I could feel my eyes get wet.
My papa was tearing up just like others. He smiled at me once our eyes connected. I smiled and a tear slipped out of my eye. It's hard to see my family like this.
With fake smiles and unhappiness on my big day, which was supposed to be filled with joy and bliss.
I looked at Adagio, he kept his gaze lifted and listened to what the priest had to say. I could see his jawline and his manly neck. I quickly turned away when he suddenly turned to me with the ring in his hands.
He slid it onto my finger and gave a light squeeze, making my heart rate go a bit higher than usual. I internally gasped. I lifted my gaze to him. I could say he saw the shock on my face by the smirk that grew on his face.
We exchanged our rings. Our hand were clasped together. My breathing became unstable when I realized what the next part was.
"By the power vested in me by God and man, I pronounce you wife and husband. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder. You may now kiss the bride." The priest announced.
My palms started to sweat and I knew he could also feel it. My eyes roamed around the room, prying for help. My first kiss. Is this how I am going to lose my first kiss?
This is bad. My heart started beating fast and I could feel it against my chest. His hands left mine and snaked my waist. He leaned in and pulled me closer to him. He guided my other hand to his shoulder and placed my hand there.
He didn't take his eyes off me. His eyes didn't have any feeling. Just emptiness and void. I involuntarily moved back, only to be stopped going further by his strong grip on my back. I am fighting, struggling not to give in.
He probably thought I was being stupid and wondered why I was struggling. Fear was visible in my eyes. I tried to push back with my hand but it didn't work. But rather was drawn closer to him. He took the opportunity and pressed his lips to mine.
My eyes widened in shock, disbelief, and disgust. The second I felt his lips on mine, the first thought that came into my mind was 'Crap'.
He moved his lips so passionately, almost making me wonder if he liked me at some point. But we all know that isn't possible. He is a man with experience. As he kissed me, my tummy knotted and my heart rate rose rapidly, reflecting on my breathing.
He broke the kiss and looked at me. He just deleted my brain. I am blank, just void in my head. I gazed at him cluelessly. I am trying to process it. My head turned to the crowd when the church filled with applause and cheers.
I felt his hand grab onto mine and caress it. If he thinks this act of his is making me feel calm and relaxed, he is so wrong. It's only making this even worse. We together walked back to the door.
We took pictures with our family and left for our reception. I had to change into another dress. It was one hell of a reception. The place was packed with people. People congratulated us.I pretty much stood in the same place that night. Adagio was busy with the guests and so was my family. My college friends came in and gave me company until they had to leave. I did tell them about the contract, though I shouldn't. I trust them. They consoled me and told me it would be fine. Of course, it will be... When we get a divorce. I can't get my head around the fact that this has something to do with more than just money. Or maybe just money but it seems to have a bigger story behind it. How do I know it? My guts tell me so.Just the look in my parents' eyes tells me there is something deeper than just this contract marriage. "Hello, Aster!" A voice chirped joyfully, breaking me out of my thoughts. It was an unfamiliar face that awfully looked just like mine. A silent gasp left my mouth in
As soon as we got to his mansion, I immediately went to bed. It is rather large. The mansion, with its ornate chandeliers and antique pieces. The flooring made of marble exuded opulence. It included a television and large couches.And he had a dog!Micha was his name, and he is a sweetheart. He's actually lying next to me at the moment. I could sleep for three more hours, but it was eight in the morning.Adagio hasn't spoken anything since we arrived. Although we were meant to share a room, I was too afraid that something might go wrong. What if he made me lie down with him?I'm craving food. I'd best head over to eat. I just pulled my hair back into a bun, gave myself a facial wash, and brushed my teeth before going downstairs. Micha came up on my heels.A few maids greeted me, and I politely answered. It appears that breakfast has been prepared. They made pancakes.I ate silently until I heard a blonde girl come down the stairs. I was slightly perplexed until I realized it was one of
The following day, Micha was curled up next to me in my room as I read a romance novel. Adagio and I have not seen each other since this morning.I was content and at ease even though I had to do something I did not want to. I never had depression or obsessive worry about things. I let it go and accept it, whether I like it or not. What else can we do? Waste our happy lives? That's a no.A knock on the door startled me. Micha was also startled by the sudden noise and let out a bark. "Come in," I said, closing my book. One of the maids entered the room, holding a box.My curiosity piqued, and I asked her, "What's that, Mary?" Mary let out a soft laugh. I approached her, and she handed me the box, saying, "Master asked me to give it to you."Unknowingly, a smile appeared on my face. "Thank you, Mary," I said with a smile. "Master said he'll be home at 1 p.m. to pick you up," she said, as my head snapped back into place. I had completely forgotten about it.My gaze was drawn to t
I dashed down the stairs, tying my hair into a bun. I rushed over to greet my in-laws. I was not made aware of their visits. I walked into the living room to hear laughter.I wore a red top and a knee-length skirt. It's decent enough to make me seem like I've showered. "Hello everyone," I smiled as I waved to everyone. Adagio's brothers, as well as Adagio and his parents, were all present."Oh, Aster, come here," Mrs. Amato said, patting the empty seat beside her.I awkwardly approached her. I have known them since I could remember but they all suddenly appear to be strangers. They all seem to be different. Everything appeared to be new to me. I looked around at everyone and considered why I was feeling this way.Is it because they have something to do with my family that they had to force me into this marriage and not feel bad about it? What is the true reason for our marriage? It's because of the contract, but what exactly is in it?One thought led to another, filling my mind with
Aster~I'm currently on a private jet and have no idea what to do. I've already finished watching two or three movies. We are apparently going on a honeymoon to Bora Bora, which is miles away and takes about 28 hours to get there from Paris.This is tiring, man. Adagio is sitting beside me, but this wall separates us for privacy reasons. This is already exhausting; who wants to deal with that man?He has been focused on his work for hours and does not appear to be taking a break. So how do I know? I could hear the clicking of his laptop, and it went on for hours. I'm done worrying about the contract, the heir, the lies, and everything. As I said before, I cannot worry about things excessively or for an extended period of time. Maybe I will later when I have to face it again, but for now, I am as bubbly as ever before.I'm bored and feeling talkative, so I might as well gather my courage and talk to this guy. To be honest, I get nervous every time I stand in front of a man, with the ex
Aster~The sun shone on my face, and I groaned because it disturbed my sleep. I want to sleep some more; this bed is so comfortable that I don't want to get up. I opened my eyes to see a blurry image of... Adagio?I snapped my head up to see my hands and legs on him, as well as his hands around my waist. Adagio had his eyes on me, watching as I became panicked and confused."What are you doing in my bed?" I inquired as I got away from his grip."The question is, what are you doing in my bed?" he asked in his morning voice.My eyes widened as I looked around to find myself on his bed. I gasped and stood up.Then I realized I had walked into his bed last night because I couldn't sleep on that rock-hard bed."Sorry," I mumbled, turning red, and ran into the bathroom before he could respond.So that's how my day began. We had breakfast together, and nothing happened except that we stuffed ourselves with delicious food. We went shopping more because I wanted to. He didn't like the plan and
Adagio~I have not been in my right mind since the marriage. I've been out of control, unstable, and insane. However, I can't let my weaknesses spread all over the place.I get ahold of it and deal with shit like I have for years, and now there's Aster. Her problematic a** never shuts down, and dealing with her is becoming increasingly annoying.Although I do not like her, there is something about her that strangely rules me, which I despise.Getting the work done isn't easy. Mother and father have been urging me to do it with Aster, but overcoming her stubborn nature is too difficult. Not that I can't control or handle her, but given her lack of experience, I'm taking it slowly.There is no way out for either her or me; we are stuck. All of this is totally ridiculous to me; Father and his desires are out of reach. It's unfortunate that I have no choice but to give in.These days, all I think about is my father, Aster, and the contract; I live to work, and having barriers over which I
Aster~I was preparing to head downstairs, tying my hair in a ponytail. I became pretty hungry. I've been camping in my room since the morning, and I've only had coffee and chips.Suddenly, my gaze was pulled to the shattered glass outside Adagio's room. My curiosity began to grow, but I was hesitant to investigate because I was never permitted into his office or room.After pondering whether or not to enter, I decided to have a quick peek at it. As I got closer to his room, my heart rate changed. I was eager, but there was also some anxiety. I was hit with a strong alcohol smell, making my nose scrunch bitterly. I pushed the slightly opened door, letting the lights pass through into the dark room. My eyes widened, and I clasped my mouth to cover my gasp. I pushed the door wide open to see everything wrecked and shattered on the floor. The room was messy, which was very unlike him. I carefully stepped in, moved around, and turned on the lights. I let out a quiet gasp when I saw Adagi