Written in the Stars

“Tighter! Tighter!” my mother screamed as the maids pulled the corset of my white wedding dress to cinch my waist. “Mom! I literally cannot breathe!” I exclaimed. The maid finished tying the corset and stepped back. She rolled her eyes, “Well, I told you to go on that Keto diet for at least 3 weeks didn’t I? I thought your waist would be a bit smaller by now.” “Are you seriously calling me fat on my wedding day?!” I hissed, as I turned away from the mirror to face her, the fussy maids pulling away from me. “I’m not calling you fat, I’m just saying you could be skinnier.” I couldn’t even reply, I was gobsmacked. To make a comment like that was very on brand for my mother, but on my wedding day? Wow. “Get out” I whispered under my breath. “Leila, Come on now dear-” “Get out Mom!” I shouted again. “I'm in this wedding dress for and because of you and our family, the least you could do is be nice to me and be positive for once. But no, it’s too out of character for you.” Her face turned cold as I spoke, and she got up from the green couch she had been sitting on, dusted imaginary dust off her expensive black Schiaparelli dress that she got from Paris a few nights ago just for the wedding. She glared at me with no emotion in her eyes, picked up her half-full glass of champagne, and pursed her lips. “Fine, I’ll leave. This is how it was always supposed to go dear, you know that. It’s for the best." She strutted out in the annoyingly elegant and perfect way she’s always able to do things. "Oh, and Happy Married Life, Leila.” She paused at the door with her back to me. I didn't have to see her face though, I knew she'd have a wry smile plastered on. I took a deep sigh and faced the mirror, and my favourite maid, Eleanor; an elderly woman who had been taking care of me since I was little; gave the back of my hand a little kiss and turned me to face her. “You look perfect, my angel. Absolutely perfect.” “Are you sure?” I asked, as I glanced over at myself in the mirror one last time. My brown hair pinned up into a Chignon bun, my facial features enhanced with light makeup, and my white dress, with delicate lace sleeves, falling over my hips like a waterfall. I looked beautiful, but nothing felt real. I had been prepared for this moment all my life but it still didn’t feel real. “What will i do without you Eleanor?” She had been more of a mother to me than my mother. “Oh my angel, you are strong, you will be fine. Trust in your heart. Do what is right. Do what is good.” She encouraged me as she held my hands and squeezed them gently. She kissed my hands again and gave me a big hug, and I gave her smile, holding myself back from tears. Eleanor signalled the three other maids, and they all left the room, leaving me to myself and my thoughts. A few minutes later, my sister, Rachel, and my best friend, Camilla walked in their purple bridesmaids dresses. “Girllll! You look gorgeous!” Camilla screamed as soon as she sighted me. She ran and nearly tipped me over with a huge hug. “Yeah, you look so beautiful Lilo,'' Rachel chimed in. Lilo was her nickname for me. When she was little, she couldn't really pronounce Leila for some reason, and so would call me Lilo from her favourite show at the time called "Lilo and Stitch". “I could say the same for you my bridesmaids”I said, as Rachel joined in the hug. We pulled apart from the hug. At that moment, as I looked at Rachel, I envied her a lot. She was free, no decisions were made for her, no crazy expectations. “I don't want to marry him,” I said quietly. “I don’t even know him, what if i hate him? What if he’s mean? What if he hates me?” “But what if he is nice? What if you grow to love each other?” Rachel tries to encourage me. “But if we don’t?!” I whine. “I just don't get why your family didn't tell you that it had been arranged for you to marry him your whole life, and then spring it up on you when you're 23, and then expect you to be okay with it?” “They wanted her to live a normal life,” Rachel defended. “But when you think about it, my life hasn't been really normal has it? It’s been so controlled. I've been groomed for him all my life. I was never allowed to go to places, never allowed to have too many friends. Never allowed to wear certain clothes, never allowed to date, never allowed to eat what i want. My life has always been so controlled. I thought our parents were just being protective at first, but it all makes sense now. How could I have been so agreeable and stupid? So- So- Ughhh!” “Leila! Relax! We’ve discussed this already. None of this is your fault, okay?” Rachel scolded me as Camilla held my hand. “We love you Lilo, and we’re always going to be here for you. No matter what, But right now, you have to walk down that aisle with your head held high and with a positive attitude. There’s no fighting this, you know that,” Camilla warned as Rachel gave me pointed a look. I sighed. “Okay girls, thank you and I love you both so much.” “Yeah girl, we got you! He should be the one that’s nervous, you're the best person and he looks like a stuck-up dud anyway.” Camilla added. “No he looks like a wet rat that caught chlamydia,” Rachel countered, making us all laugh. “I think he even has buck teeth because there is no reason why someone should be so undetermined to smile,” Camilla roasted him. “His mother's outfit for this wedding is just abysmal! She styled a Louis Vuitton dress in the worst way I’ve ever seen, in my life. Do you know how hard it is to make LV look ugly?” Rachel said as she scrunched her nose in disgust. Rachel was a fashion guru, and was currently making her way through fashion school. I hadn't seen him face to face, but when my parents told me who I was getting married to, I had to do my research. Louis Ranch, the son to the CEO of my father’s past rival business, is now a major collaborator in the liquor industry. He wasn't ugly, at all, but something was off. In all his interviews, he never smiled. In pictures the paparazzi took of him, he was always flicking them off or saying something rude. There were articles of him and his ex-girlfriend breaking up and getting back together multiple times. I just hoped he wasn’t like that in person. “He’s literally always frowning” “Let’s not leave out the skanky ex-girlfriend.” Camilla added. “Maybe he has no front teeth, and doesn't want us to see” I said, feeling a bit cheery now. “Maybe he’s just a d**k,” Rachel shrugged and all of us burst into laughter.