An Arranged Marriage

002: DREAM TURNED TO NIGHTMARE

T.S Eliot said .. ‘This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper’

These lines were just for me… a metaphor actually.

The joy on my perfect day, my wedding, my dream day.. was ending.

Nah, it wasn't ending with a confrontation but a quiet, devastating arrest.

Those poem lines echoed in my head repeatedly as I was forced to move out of the dressing room with the cops and with my tears streaming down my face like it was going to form an ocean.

Trust me, I pinched myself a million times despite being handcuffed and yet, nothing changed.

It was the reality, I wasn't dreaming!..

I wasn't going to be wedded to Alex today!!..

Though, I wasn't really in love with Alexander Doe. I only saw my marriage to him as a way to escape from the cruel maltreatments from my family with the hope that, i'ld develop feelings for him soon. After all, he had been my very good friend since we became close in college.

But, at the same time, today had been a day I'd been looking forward to, all my life.

I saw it as the day happiness will locate me for the first time since I lost my mother and now, I'm being arrested?!.

Could it be that I offended the heavens in my past life?

Why am I always bittered and sorrowful?

“I'm innocent, let me go!” I cried in a voice hoarse from screaming as my legs kept moving on their own, betraying my wish to remain on a spot and prove my innocence till I was being left alone.

We were in an hotel that had an event center where the wedding was to take place and the lodgers who had definitely seen my picture in the wedding invitation card and banner, stared at me in shock as I was being dragged away like a criminal..

Honestly, I didn't kill him but how was I supposed to prove it?..

My greatest wish at that moment was for Alex to show up, after all, he was the only one who seemed to love me even more than my father.

Wait, did I just say father?..

Of course, I'll never term him as my Father, he doesn't even deserve to be called the first letter of the word ‘Father’.

However, my wish had no hope because the wedding was to begin in an hour and of course, the groom and his men wouldn't be around by now.

“I didn't kill him!” I said for the umpteenth time. My shaky voice was now so cracked just because I'd been screaming and still, no one paid attention to me.

No one spared me a glance, all because I was the unlucky Annabelle Finn..

The one who good luck has never paid a visit nor granted a wish...

I was very sure, Bella was the culprit and not any other party the chief might have had a misunderstanding with and that's why she's making me replace her.

A thousand questions ran across my mind..

What's going to happen to my wedding?..

The guests?..

What about Alex?...

What about his promises of taking me to my dream country..

I didn't want to believe it!..

I didn't want to hear what my mind was telling me. How could my happiness be fractured on a day that's meant to be memorable?..

Could the heavens at least grant me this one wish by turning all these to a dream or maybe a product of my imagination…?!!

Just as we took a step downstairs, my eyes landed on my step mother who was actually about climbing the stairs.

“Oh, the criminal...” she blinked repeatedly like she was surprised to see me handcuffed but right in her eyes, I could clearly see satisfaction and happiness.

How could she be this cruel?

I knew I was the most unfortunate fellow on earth.

No argument, I was!..

Even if I was so convinced that Bella is the real culprit, how was I supposed to prove it to the cops or to the world?..

Who's even ready to listen to me?

“Thanks for helping us with the necessary information, citizens like you are what we hope to have even in generations to come” the senior cop said to Gina and just as she was good at faking smiles, she came up with the action.

“It's my pleasure, Detective,” she replied.

“We'll be on our way now”

Those words made me shiver and widen my eyes.

“This is my end, they're taking me away!” I screamed inwardly.

“Mum please, do something. I'm innocent” I cried, referring Gina as ‘Mum’ for the first time in a decade or even two.

Since she became my father's wife with two-year-old Bella, I'd always referred to her as ‘Aunt’.

But just now, I found myself calling her mum, hoping it would melt her heart and save me out of the trouble she caused… Unfortunately, that was actually my biggest mistake, she slapped me before I could say anything else.

“I didn't birth a criminal” she glared and my tears freely poured out while my stinging cheeks made me wish I never existed.

Did she hit me with a metal or what? That was incredibly painful!

Her glare came with a creepy smirk which meant a million things to me.

“I hope you rot in jail” she said finally before moving out of our way.

“Have a good day, officers” she smiled, walking past me and ascending more stairs.

“Gina, they're taking me away!” I cried as my legs resumed their journey with the cops.

She was really the only one that had the power to save me at that moment. Even if my father was present, he was as useless as ‘K’ in the word ‘Knife’ despite his wealth.

A father who doesn't even recognise me was what I had. No thanks to the Ill-fated life of mine.

I cried, struggled, begged and pleaded but all were in vain.

I was dragged out in pain..

With everything joyful lost and nothing else to gain.

March 27th, 2021… a day that will be etched in my memory forever.