The inherited vow

“Alina, Irina, are you girls ready?” “Yes, Mama,” my sister and I said together. “Alright, let's go meet Papa, okay?” Mama gently fixed a few strands of my hair before stepping back. I smiled at her, but I couldn't help noticing how tense she looked. “Okay, Mama.” We followed her down the hallway toward Papa's office. Mama was unusually quiet. Normally, she would be talking to us about something—school, our plans for the day, or whatever had caught her attention. But today, she barely said a word. When we finally reached Papa's office, she stopped. For a moment, she simply stared at the door. Then she slowly raised her hand. She hesitated before knocking. A few seconds passed. “Come in.” Mama opened the door and stepped inside. There were two people in the office. An older man I didn't recognize and a boy. I couldn't make out his face properly at first, but he looked around Alex's age, my older brother. He had raven-black hair and was surprisingly tall for someone who looked so young. If he was the same age as Alex, he was definitely tall. “Mrs. Kareva, beautiful as always,” the older man said. “You don't look bad yourself,” Mama replied with a smile. But I knew that smile. It was fake. I knew my mother's fake smile. It meant she didn't like the person she was talking to. “Let's get to the point. I'm a very busy man. Semyon, if you may.” For the first time, the boy turned around. And he was beautiful. Once again, I was convinced that God had favorites. My gaze briefly travelled over him before landing on his eyes. Blue. Perfectly blue, like the sky. Maybe we could be friends. I could even show him off to my friends. He slowly walked toward my sister and me until he stopped in front of me. Then he smiled. But there was nothing sweet or polite about it. There was something unsettling about that smile. I returned it with an uneasy one of my own. He stared at me for another second before walking away. Well, that was weird. And rude. No introduction. No nothing. Who would even want to be friends with someone like him? Present Day........... “Alina! Alina!” “What?” I turned to look at Irina. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even realized she was talking to me. “I said I'm going clubbing for my eighteenth birthday. Will you be coming?” she asked mockingly. “Hahaha. Very funny. You know I'm not allowed to go clubbing. Only important gatherings. Or are you making fun of me?” I rolled my eyes. “My poor baby sister,” Lucian, my older brother, teased. “Don't piss me off. I'm already annoyed about how miserable my life is.” “Table manners. And Alina, stop saying your life is miserable,” Mama said without looking up from her plate. “Well, news flash—it is. Thanks to both of you.” I knew better than to talk back, but I was too frustrated to care. I kept quiet. Alina, keep quiet. Alina, keep quiet. Alina, keep quiet. I kept chanting it in my head. “It's not,” Mama said before taking a deep breath. Well, f**k it. “Alina, you shouldn't do this. Alina, you shouldn't do that. Alina, you should look presentable.” My frustration finally boiled over. “Well, my life was over before it even began. All because of a man I've only met once. He's probably out there living his life, f*****g as many girls as he wants—” “ALINA KAREVA!” My father's voice echoed through the room. I flinched. “You will not speak to your mother like that, and you will not talk about your future husband like that.” “Maybe you should marry him,” I snapped, tears filling my eyes. I pushed my chair back. “I'm done with this breakfast. I'm going to Bella's.” I stood up, wiping at my teary eyes. I caught a glimpse of Mama reaching toward Papa, probably trying to calm him down. If anything, I should be the one angry here. My life had been hell ever since I found out I was supposed to marry someone who was practically a stranger to me. I didn't wait to see what happened next. I walked out. It was summer break. No college. No classes. What better way to enjoy the summer than spending it with my best friend? Bella and I had been best friends for practically our entire lives, and if I needed someone who would understand me, she would. We'd even planned to study in the USA together. Well… I had planned to. My father wouldn't let me go. He wanted to keep an eye on me. Bella's house was only a ten-minute drive away, so I started the car, turned up my music, and hit the road. For the first time that morning, I could finally breathe. But before I got to Bella's, I made a quick stop at the mall. I needed to get her a present. That was our friendship tradition. Whenever we were separated for a while, our coming-back-together gift had to be bought. So, I was getting her shoes. Not too feminine, because Bella wasn't exactly girly. She was somewhere in between, and honestly, I loved that for her. After choosing a pair I knew she'd like, I walked out of the mall with her present in my hands. And immediately spotted my father's men waiting outside. Of course. Papa always said he needed to keep me and my sisters safe, but sometimes I wished he'd let us live a little. He wanted us protected without making us feel like we were being watched every second. At least my family was modern. I loved that about them. Unfortunately, my future husband's family was the complete opposite. They were traditional. Extremely traditional. God, kill me right now. I climbed into my car, placed Bella's present on the passenger seat, and started the engine. As I drove away from the mall, I couldn't help thinking about how unfair everything was. My siblings could live their lives. They could go out, have fun, make their own choices. But me? I had been promised to a man I'd only met once. A man I couldn't even remember properly. And somehow, I was expected to spend the rest of my life with him. I sighed and turned up the music. I didn't want to think about Semyon Arsenyev anymore. At least not today.