The Beginning

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and smiled, admiring my dress. I tucked my hair behind my ear and leaned in for a closer look at the wedding dress I was wearing. It was stunning, fitting me perfectly as if it had been crafted just for me.

I turned around and tried to catch a glimpse of the back and it’s just beautiful. I smiled and stepped back slightly away from the mirror and looked at myself, I wanted to see myself from different angles and see how beautiful the dress was.

While I was lost in the beauty of my dress, I couldn’t help but groan as the familiar sounds of my mom and dad filled the air, a constant reminder of my not-so-perfect life. When I say my life is the worst, believe me… I have no friends, I live in a family that doesn’t like me, and I’m forced to follow their rules, which feels like an enormous weight on my shoulders and it only gets worse when my parents start acting irrationally, turning our home into a battleground.

The only bright spot in my life is Theo. He’s my fiancée, and honestly, he’s the kindest, most genuine person I’ve ever met. He means everything to me, and I know he loves me just as much. With him, life feels so much better, which is why I can’t wait to marry him. In fact, our wedding is this Saturday, and my family has no idea. I couldn’t invite them; they would freak out, especially since they absolutely hate Theo. It just wouldn’t work.

As I continued to admire my dress, the atmosphere shifted, and just like every other day, my parents erupted into another fight. Their yelling echoed through the house, reverberating off the walls. Even though I was safe in my room, their voices felt as if they were right next to me—loud and piercing. I could hear every word, every accusation, like a soundtrack to my life that I never wanted to be a part of.

Their arguments are as predictable as my morning routine—like eating cereal, it’s something I have come to expect. But I can’t understand why it happens so often. It’s exhausting, and I can’t help but wonder if things will ever change or if I will always be trapped in this cycle of chaos- I really hope not. It’s bad enough I have to listen to them fight, I don’t ever want this to be something I have to endure forever.

My parent's fight began when I was just a child, or should I say began ever since they got together. I will never understand why they are still married to each other if they are not happy together, I mean clearly, they don’t like each other so why still being married? Why still live under the same roof? Why still share the same bed?

I just don’t get it. I once asked my mom about it and she said it’s complicated. I don’t know how it is complicated but to her, it is complicated and she doesn’t want to talk about it. There is no doubt she has no more feelings for Dad but leaving him is the part she cannot do and like she always tells me, “When you get married, you need to do your best to make it forever.” That statement of hers used to scare me because I don’t want a marriage like hers but with Theo in my life now, I actually want it to work for him forever. Theo will never hit me, if anything he hates it when I get injured and he loves me more than he loves himself.

I wish my parents were like that. I wish they showed they love each other and not just say it as if love doesn’t require actions.

As I am lost in my thoughts, the noises of them fighting get a little more louder making me groan in anger. Being an only child really makes it tough for me to handle everything by myself. I feel like I'm carrying the weight of my family's issues alone, and it can be exhausting to listen to my parents fight.

The pressure of keeping it all in, especially when my mom insists that family matters should stay private, only adds to the stress. I used to feel trapped in that mindset until I met Theo. I told Theo about everything and he understands me, he wants me to leave the house as soon as possible and just be with him where I will be safe, happy, and sound. As much as that seems like a great idea, I really can’t bring myself to do that, especially since my parents are so powerful and they will dig through everything to find me and when they do, it will be over for Theo. I can’t risk him in order to save myself from my chaotic life.

When I heard the fight getting more intense, it sent my anxiety through the roof. I quickly put on my headphones and listened to the recording Theo made for me. It’s my little escape, helping me cope with the pain and anxiety that comes from my parents' arguments.

I took deep breaths to relax myself as I listened to his recording. He was saying soft and nice words to me, which just seemed very kind of him. Theo knows how much I love recording and music, and he personally recorded a lot for me just so I could listen to them whenever things get overwhelming or I feel anxious. It’s like having a little piece of comfort with me, reminding me that I’m not alone in this chaos.

As I closed my eyes, I could feel the tension slowly melting away. His soothing voice wrapped around me like a warm blanket, and for a moment, I forgot about the fighting and the stress. I drifted into my own world, imagining happier times and the sound of laughter instead of shouting. And just like that, I felt a lot better than before.