uninvited guests
1006 Words
Alessia clasped her hands together as she stared into the mirror.
Black. She was putting on a black dress. Her face was caked with makeup but if anyone looked closer, they could see the puffiness under those layers.
"I don't want to celebrate my birthday." Alessia breathed out.
Luciano, her uncle scoffed. "Nobody cares about what you want. You must do as I say."
Despite Alessia's desire to keep her cool, she turned around and met her uncle's gaze. "You expect me to celebrate my birthday barely ten hours after I saw my father's lifeless body?!"
Luciano hardened his gaze. "watch your mouth, young woman!"
Alessia was stunned. She could not comprehend the events of the past few hours.
Andrea walked into the room with a box in her hands. "You still haven't put on your shoes?" She asked Alessia.
Alessia met her sister's gaze. "you too? You are in support of this?"
Andrea rolled her eyes. "oh, please. In support of what? You celebrating your birthday?"
Alessia lost her cool. "There is nothing to celebrate! I do not want a party! Papa died, Andrea! Papa was killed!"
Andrea leaned on one foot. "You do not have to spell it out for me. You are not the only one with eyes."
"Then why am I being made to wear a birthday dress..."
"You should be wearing a wedding dress too!" Victoria snapped.
Alessia was stunned to see her. She must have walked in at some point.
Victoria did not waste anymore time in reprimanding Alessia. "You must dump your sh*tty attitude and learn to respect our decisions!"
Alessia shook her head solemnly. Her heart was heavy and she was boiling from anger within. Yet, she could not forget her mannerisms. "If I hadn't stood my ground, you insisted the wedding still happened!"
Victoria nodded unapologetically. "Why should we delay it any further?"
Alessia felt like her heart was being pierced. "your husband died." She cried out.
Victoria glared at her. "oh, shut up! You act like a saint! If you ruin that makeup with your tears, you will have to answer to me."
Alessia clutched her chest. She could feel the sudden need to throw up. Her whole life was crumbling into pieces and she was not even allowed to cry.
Luciano glanced at his wrist watch, a look of boredom on his face. "When you are done with the melodrama, come downstairs. You have five minutes." That was all he said before storming put of the room.
One by one, Alessia watched every other person leave.
She was now alone. Alone without her papa.
~~
Walking down the enormous stairs, Alessia could feel the heavy weight that resided in her heart.
She could hear the chattering of the guests and faint music that resounded in the air.
Everyone was living their lives like her papa was not just murdered. None of it made sense.
"Finally, you have graced us with your presence." Alessia looked up and met a pair of mysterious grey eyes. She did not recognize the face.
Not forgetting her manners, she smiled. "Good evening."
The man tilted the corner of his lips up. "Even in this sh*tty circumstances, you are celebrating your birthday with a smile on your face."
Alessia was stunned by the rude remark. This was the first time she had any form of interaction with a person her father did not introduce her to.
"If you would prefer a frown, then by all means." Alessia remarked as the smile disappeared from her face.
She did not want to be here, in this room filled with people who acted like all was well.
"How ironic." The man simply said as he walked away.
Alessia clutched her chest and tried to calm her nerves. Nothing made sense. She was in so much pain yet here she was in a birthday dress.
Scanning the room, Alessia noticed that everyone seemed to wear black. It was almost like they knew she would be grieving. It was suspicious.
Before she could let her imaginations get to her, she concluded that it must have been a last minute information.
Alessia spotted Emiliano walking towards her. She tried to walk away but he caught up with her. "Good evening." He greeted her.
Alessia did not meet his gaze as she curtsied. "Good evening, Mr Russo."
"I am deeply sorry for your loss. Accept my condolences." Emiliano said to her.
Alessia wanted to laugh at her predicament. His condolence message sounded almost stiff. Her fiance could not even comfort her.
"I appreciate your concern, Mr Russo."
Emiliano hissed. "Enough with the formalities already. If not for the circumstances, we would have been driving to my house after our marriage."
His words felt like a slap to Alessia's face. "Circumstances?" She found herself asking.
Her father's death was just circumstances?
Emiliano nodded nonchalantly. "Of course. I was not totally happy with your decision to postpone the wedding but after much thought, I felt it was only right to grant you this request."
For the first time since Emiliano was introduced to her as her fiance, Alessia looked into his eyes. "Request?"
Emiliano frowned. "Did you not ask that of me?" He ran his hands through his hair. "Oh, sh*t! Was your uncle lying?"
Alessia was dumbfounded. This was the man her father wanted her to marry? She thought to herself. A man that felt her decision to grieve was a request?
"I have every right to postpone this wedding and mourn my father. I was not asking for your permission, I was merely informing you." Alessia snapped.
That was the first time she talked back at him.
Emiliano looked angry. He took a step forward but before he could speak, there was a sudden commotion.
Alessia noticed that the people in the hall were slowly making way for a group of people to pass through.
She squinted her eyes to see clearly and that was when her world crumbled again.
Who invited the Tommasos to her birthday party?
- Writer
