Chapter 1

Mia’s pov.

My forkful of sticky rice got frozen mid air as soon as father’s next words echoed around the dining table.

“One of you is getting married to Mr. Romero the Third of the Romero family, an underboss of the mafia in a few days.” His voice was void of any kind of emotions as usual, but the authority behind those words wasn’t absent. I glanced up at my identical twin, Maeve, who was sitting directly before me at the table, she had her knife frozen in the air while her mouth was parted in nothing but shock.

I slowly placed my fork on my plate, feeling my hands tremble a little as I dragged in a deep breath and glanced at the head of the table where father was seated at. He has carried on eating like what he had just said wasn’t something heart shattering in the slightest way.

My heart was thudding hard against my ribs as I glanced at mother whose lips were quivering as she made to speak. I beat her to it, knowing that I was automatically crossing a line this way.

“Which one of us?” I questioned in a small whisper. He glanced up from the chicken he was about to cut and pointed his knife at Maeve.

“Your twin sister of course, she’s the one who’s getting married off to the underboss.” He spoke, then regarded me with a scoff. “She’s fit for that role and position, unlike you.”

The breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding in, eased out of my chest slowly on a long, relived sigh. For once in my life, immense relief rushed over me for being the least favorite twin.

That relief was cut short when I blinked my eyes open and noticed the look on my twin’s face, she looked so much like she was about to faint, and I instantly felt bad for feeling relived that I wasn’t the one getting married off.

I watched as Maeve pushed her chair backwards and rose up abruptly, slamming her hands down on the table so loudly, that the sound made me flinch– not because it was too loud, but because I knew that it was going to make father angry, and getting rather angry was a dreadful thing one could ever do.

Father halted his cutleries movement to pin Maeve with a hardened gaze, and I felt my heartbeat quicken instantly.

“Why do I have to get married?” She cried out and I found myself wincing, noticing mother doing the same thing as well. No one ever questions father, except they wanted to get ‘disciplined’ by him, because it’s a sign of disrespect.

With my heart in my throat and my hands starting to tremble again, I watched as father slowly dropped his cutleries. He shook his head a little before speaking.

“Are you questioning me, Maeve?”

And that’s it, I already know this wasn’t going to end well.

Maeve didn’t seem like she cared about respect anymore before she shoved her plate of food till it crashed on the floor, as she cried out louder this time.

“Why do I have to get married? Why do you have to decide that for me? I don’t wanna get married to that ugly, old disgusting creep!” Maeve voice was loud as she spoke and I flinched as I pushed myself out of my seat, while silently wondering why Maeve was doing this, knowing quite well that father’s mind was literally impossible to move.

“Maeve, that’s enough.” Mother chastened as she got to her feet as well, but father shook his head. “No, let the child be, let her run her mouth, since that’s what she want.”

I gulped in fright, while silently wondering how Maeve wasn’t quivering in terror right now. Father’s voice held so much promise for discipline, that even mother was clearly frightened on Maeve’s behalf.

I knew this was going to one day happen, after we had both clocked eighteen. Arranged marriage was very common and it’s automatically expected of every girl child who comes from a noble family, to get given to a man from another noble family in marriage, regardless of the man’s age. I had been in fright since I had clocked eighteen, dreading this coming day, and now that it was here, in as much as I was glad that it wasn’t my turn yet, I felt so much pity for Maeve right now.

Maeve continued to question father in a loud, pain filled voice. It was as if she was blinded by her pain. I whispered her name at a point to try getting her to stop, and even walked around to attempt dragging her away, but father’s voice made me drop her hand instantly.

“Let her go.”

I watched as father finally pushed himself to his feet, towering above Maeve and I and then my mouth fell open in horror when he began to loosen his belt, which made me take some steps backwards in fright.

The fact that father was taking out his belt, meant that he was very furious. Maeve was still screaming questions at him until the first whip of the belt landed on her, which made me jolt and clutch my chest instantly.

Maeve finally stopped talking just as the second whip of the belt landed on her hard, making a ragged sob break out. She attempted speaking but a loud slap on her face made her stumble into the dining table, making more plates fall off and crash.

Father was furious and it was obvious. He beat Maeve until she was a sobbing mess, curled up on the floor, while horrified tears slide down my cheeks. Mother attempted to intervene at a point, but as expected, he hit her with the belt as well.

When he finally stopped, he was breathing hard while the rest of us were crying.

“You’re getting married to Mr. Romero in a week, and that’s final. He’s definitely going to train you into curbing this stupid rebellious attitude of questioning your elders stupidly that’s inside of you, just like I did to your mother.” He spat out angrily and then he stormed out of the dining room angrily, but not before hitting mother and myself with the belt all because he could, like we had also done something wrong.

I was at Maeve’s side in an instant, cradling her body in my arms as she sobbed into my chest while clutching my hand.

“I don’t wanna get married, Mia.” She sobbed shakily into my chest and I sobbed along with her, because there was nothing else I could do.

“Mother, can you try talking to him later tonight? Maybe try to change his mind?” Even as I asked that question, I already knew what the answer was going to be.

Mother was sobbing as she crouched down beside us, with a painful regretful expression crossing her face as she responded. “I can’t. I’m sorry but you know I can’t, I can’t change his mind and you both know that. He’s just going to hit me instead.”

Mother’s voice broke at her last answer and I found myself sobbing harder, not just for my twin, but also for my mother, who had to get married off to someone as cruel as my father.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t prevent this from happening, I’m so sorry for being unable to protect you.” Mother finally whispered in a croaked voice as she took Maeve into her arms. Maeve knew mother was being honest, we both knew that. Maeve didn’t respond, and only chose to bury her face in mother’s bosom as she cried on and on, the dinner long forgotten.