Almost Yours

Alive

MILENA

“Milena, stop slouching,” my mother whisper-shouts beside me while she sips expensive wine at the large reception hall of the Silveria’s.

“I’m not slouching,” I retort through gritted teeth, tired of all the grandiosity that she was putting on, none of which she possessed any longer.

“Then look alive, you don’t know what I went through just to secure an invitation.” Mother bit back, never allowing me the last word.

I glance at her, the glass of wine still in her hold as she sips like an aristocrat which only makes my blood boil the more.

Having had enough of the obnoxious display, I stand, excusing myself from the large table and leaving all of it behind me as I head for the powder room, wherever that is.

Reaching the end of the room wasn’t that much of a stretch seeing as our reservation was placed near the exit. Meaning, we’re low on the food chain, not that it meant a thing to me.

Though the same couldn’t be said about mother who was born old money like the Silveria’s and had to forfeit her place in her prestigious Torres family. All because she had me out of wedlock and got disinherited for it.

“Good evening,” I mumble to a lot of guests on my way out with a fake smile plastered on my face, the one I’ve perfected for these type of occasions. Even after the well mannered greetings, I unfailingly hear their condescending words about my parentage, which has over the years developed into a sort of second skin.

After following directions keenly, I arrive at a door labeled restroom and enter the space, immediately making my way to the marble sink to find it empty thank goodness.

Aside the fact that my red lips is partly smudged from a lot of wine glasses, nothing seems amiss on the physical note. The scarlet dress mother went out of her way to acquire has undoubtedly done its wonders on my body, accentuating my petite curves and boobs.

The brunette hair on my head had been straightened to make a statement and my minimalist makeup still remains in place. Unfortunately when I stare at my olive eyes in the mirror, I can see the immense sadness swimming in its depth, with no means of escape yet.

I take another five minutes to practice my breathing exercise before exiting the room, ignoring the red lips I’ve refused to fix.

On the way back to the reception room, I hear hushed voices—more like a single voice, a female to be exact. Curiosity killed the cat, society says. You shouldn’t be snooping around in someone else’s mansion, mother will say. Especially if it’s the Silveria’s family mansion. Yet here I am, following the voice, unyielding to plain common sense.

“I didn’t have any say in this arrangement, please let me go.” The voice sobbed, only making my steps quicken, thinking of the worst possible scenario.

Arriving the scene, I didn’t expect to see a lady in a wedding dress and a man blocking her path, and it wasn’t just any man, it was Rafael Silveria.

If anything, the looks on their faces told me exactly what I needed to know, they didn’t need an audience.

I coughed awkwardly under the gazes of their scrutiny. “Er…I lost my way,” I try to explain but Rafael’s raised brow told me he didn’t believe me one bit.

So I turned the other way, intending on leaving when the female voice quirks up. “I’ll go with you.” Somewhat stunned, I stopped in my tracks to watch her use the opportunity of a distraction to sidestep Rafael where he has her caged.

One look at the towering man tells me he didn’t like the idea but contemplated any further to stop her. At that moment, his eyes came to land on my face and I sure as hell doubt he found our chanced meeting pleasing. Great!

The bride walked away, abandoning the part where she said she’ll go with me. From the corner of my eye, I see another man approaching and take my cue to leave, walking side by side with the lady who’s now wiping her tear streaked face.

“Are you okay?” I ask, not from curiosity but because I care.

She speared me a glance before chuckling, a lighthearted laugh. “These?” she indicated to her face which is still wet, “they mean nothing, I’m fine.” Her laughter seems convincing but her expression didn’t, if anything, I’d say she’s sad.

I mean a bride tearing up on her wedding day was a normal thing, but not when she’s trapped in a corner with The Rafael Silveria.

When mother announced that she had secured an invitation for us to attend a once in a lifetime event, a Silveria wedding, I groaned. Doing little to express excitement at her every endeavor to use me as a steppingstone to her lost glory.

She had made sure we attend every social event among hotshots in the city in order to marry me off, specifically to a family so powerful hers will come begging to take us back.

But I didn’t want any of it, and put little effort into knowing basic information like who’s who in order to spite my mother.

Now here I am side by side with a bride at her wedding and I didn’t even know her name only that it was a Silveria wedding.

We rounded up a familiar corner with lots and lots of people in the hallway leading to the reception hall. By this time there was no sign of sadness in her features as the guests greeted and wished her a happy married life. And that realization stuck with me on the way back home.

“You should have seen the eldest son of the Romano family, he was dashing and I think he’ll make a perfect son in law, my goodness…” mother rambles on beside me at the passenger seat of my car, obviously unaware of my predicament as I drive us home.

No matter how much I tried to fall asleep that night, I couldn’t help but think about Rafael Silveria and the bride whose name I later found out to be Avyia Romano.

Apparently, the only time I could appreciate my mother’s knack for gossiping was when she filled me up on the couple and the little yet crucial detail surrounding them.

Rafael heir-to-everything-Silveria and Avyia only daughter of the great Romano clan, have been childhood lovers for the longest time, and he had committed an unspeakable sin so great, his late father ensured Avyia get married to his other son, Rafael’s twin brother, Gabriel.

Igniting a feud within the family.