The Hating Game

Chapter One

CLEO POV

I stare out the window with my head resting against the pane, my breath coming in quick, loud gasps and my lips pursed tightly trying their damnedest to stop the tears trying to escape. I'm so immersed in my thoughts, I don't even turn when the door opens and I hear footsteps advancing toward me.

"Oh, my darling Cleo." my grandma, Olena says and wraps me in the comfort of her arms, hugging me tightly for a while before letting me go. "You look so beautiful my dear and everyone is so proud of you for how far you've come. What's the matter though darling? You look so glum."

I just smile, squeeze her hands and shake my head

"Nothing Nana, I'm fine."

"Of course you are," she says and winks causing me to laugh

"Everything is fine. It's s just some pre-wedding jitters that's all."

She hugs me and whispers a blessing in my ear then turns to leave.

"Nana..."

"What is it, my child?"

" I love you."

She smiles and slips out

As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, I stared at my reflection with a mix of frustration and sadness. My heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, and the tears were threatening to spill over any moment. But I couldn't let them. Not now, not when I was so close to getting out of this place. I had to be strong, even if it meant holding back my emotions.

I took a deep breath and reached for the faucet, turning on the cold water. The sound of rushing water filled the silence, and I splashed my face with it, hoping the coolness would help me snap out of it. But it only made me feel more exposed, vulnerable.

As I was drying my face with a paper towel, I heard the door creak open. My heart skipped a beat, and I froze. I had already vowed to myself that if it was my grandma again, I would spill everything. But what if it was someone else? Someone who couldn't help me?

I turned around, and there she was. My aunt, looking at me with a mixture of concern and confusion. She knew something was wrong, I could tell. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Not yet.

"Hey, sweetie," she said softly. "You okay?"

I forced a smile and nodded, hoping she wouldn't push it further. I couldn't handle any more questions, any more pity. I just wanted to get out of this house, away from the toxic environment that was slowly suffocating me.

"I'm fine," I lied. "Just tired, I guess."

My aunt nodded, but I could see the doubt in her eyes. She knew I was lying, but she didn't push it.

"I was starting to get worried. I thought you had run off or something."

"I had no idea there was such an option for me."

"You look beautiful my darling"

"Thank you."

"Listen, Cleo, I'm so glad you agreed to do this."

" 'Agreed' is a strong word, I had no choice."

"There are worse fates in the world Cleo, I hope you know that."

"Easy for you to say since you married your childhood sweetheart."

"We've had our share of bad moments Cleo."

"Your problems fade in comparison to what I'm facing now," I say and instinctively regret it.

"I'm sorry, this is just so hard for me."

"I know my child, believe me, I know."

Why do I have to be the one to clean up your mess and fix your problem? I'm just a child, and this should not be a part of my responsibilities is what I want to say but I can't seem to bring myself to hurt her feelings like that.

"Cleo, you're going to go through with it right? Else, our family would be completely humiliated in the public space, engrossed in a scandal and your uncle would be thrown in jail."

I am not happy about it but I am not about to let my family down. If this is the way to salvage us then.

"I want you to remember Cleo before you make any drastic decisions that we never had children of our own and we raised you as ours. We've loved you throughout the years and we've been nothing but good to you."

She didn't say it out loud but I can tell that the underlying statement is "This is the least you can do to pay us back."

I really want to say no, in fact, I want to scream it out loud but I owe my Uncle Greg and Aunt Liz a lot and I know that no matter how dysfunctional our family seems to outsiders, they have and will always love me and adore me.

When I look back at the trajectory of my life, I wonder what it would be like today if these people had not been kind enough to take me in and raise me. I had spent a short stint in the system after my parents were involved in a very ghastly car crash that not only claimed their lives but burnt them to chat and beyond recognition before the EMTs arrived. My Grandma was depressed for a while and couldn't take me in. In the space of a year, she had lost her husband of 45 years, my Grandpa, and her only daughter and son-in-law. She fought really hard but the courts refused to grant her custody and I was placed in rotational foster care in terrible homes where I was treated like trash. My uncle Greg who was abroad serving in the Doctors Without Borders program solicited a transfer back to the States, got married to his long-term fiancee, and found a way through one of his contacts at Social Services to locate me and pull me out. They've been my legal guardians from then till date.

They did their best to raise me to be God-fearing and instill morals in me. I love them all my life but no amount of care and support can fill the void that's been left by losing a parent and they understood that. I was never a difficult child and didn't give them problems or headaches but there has always been a gap between us that even love cannot bridge and nobody could heal the emotional wounds I had sustained from my short stint in the system. They loved me anyway and they were unapologetic about it. They raised me to the best of their abilities and oftentimes still talk about it as the bane of their existence, the root of their life's purpose. So who was I to complain about doing something like this to bail them out of a problem?

Any onlooker would wonder why I am so not in support of doing this. I mean I understand why it has to happen but that does not mean that I have to stand for it. There are a bunch of reasons if that's your question

Firstly, it's because I'm too young. I'm 22 and a struggling artist. I have nothing against the concept of marriage. Believe me when I tell you that I have always dreamt of starting my life together with someone special in the nearest future. Just not now. I mean, what's the rush? I'm still a kid in my mind and I have not the slightest idea what my life has amounted to. I have always said I would save up, travel and see the world or at least even start going out more but I have not even been able to start doing that.

Secondly and the most offensive reason is the fact that I barely know this man I'm intended to marry. My betrothed is a mystery to me and though his family is one of New York's Elites, their lives are shrouded in mystery and all. Whenever I have planned to get married, it never did occur to me that my marriage would be negotiated in some back office over a deal going wrong. I feel like a pawn in this game and it's not a good place to be at all.

Finally and the scariest reason is what Luca would say when he finds out what's happened. Luca is my adorable and kind boyfriend. We've been together 3 years and just recently, before the chain of events leading up to today, we have been talking about moving in together my God, this sucks.

I'm not one to dabble but I enjoy the occasional gossip and credible sources have called my betrothed all manner of names, each pointing to the fact that he's a ruthless billionaire libertine. He has done a lot to earn that reputation and that scares me. What if he is unfaithful to me, would I be able to leave him because of all the things I can indulge in this world, infidelity is not one of them. The thought of that alone scares me so much.

I know it seems like I'm lucky that his family is bailing mine out and welcoming me with open arms into theirs, it doesn't help but bother me why he has agreed to this since he has always insisted that he had no intentions of settling down soon with any of the women he moved around town with much less me.

It might seem a bit off to anyone why I can't just walk away from this. It's my obligation, my duty. Family doesn't let each other down and they sacrifice a lot to see to the welfare and well-being of everyone concerned which is exactly why I'm willing to do anything for them even if it's something that would jeopardize my peace of mind and happiness in the long run. Happiness is overrated anyway, I can make my own.

"It's almost time Cleo." my aunt says, drawing me out of my trance-like state and disrupting my thoughts.

I get up from the bed, straighten my dress, throw my shoulder's back, and hold my head high. I am not about to go in there, letting the world see just how miserable I am on the inside. My aunt kisses my cheek and my forehead

"You'll do great Cleo, just take the first step," I say to myself to make myself feel a little bit in control.

"I can do this" I continue to repeat loudly as she leads me to the wedding hall.