Amelia
I storm out of Vinni’s and text the girls who I was going to meet to let them know it’s
canceled: I have an emergency. I hail an Uber to get to my father’s place. I am not letting this shit happen.
I really thought my father and I had turned a corner after our altercation at the hospital. I
thought I could trust him more. But this? This is too low to just gloss over as him being his usual controlling self.
Only my father is archaic enough to arrange a marriage in this day and age, Not to mention it’s with the guy who broke my heart. There have been many guys since Frankie, but none that damaged me quite the way he did.
Only Frankie would consider an order from his family like this acceptable. What game is he trying to play? He’s pretended I haven’t existed for ages, and now, suddenly, I must become his wife. He was so calm about it too, and I didn’t like it. I feel dirty, as though I’ve been sold as a possession my father no longer has any interest in.
As I sit stewing in the Uber, I think back to Dave. He was also controlling, but he was
aggressive and violent, too. I definitely have issues with finding people who like to try and control me.
My father has another thing coming if he thinks I’m going through with this, but I’m too angry
to think of a logical argument to give my father right now.
No.
He’ll get my wrath and fury, and I will rain hell down upon his pitiful little life.
The Uber pulls up to the gate, and a guard comes to my window. I roll it down. “It’s me,
Amelia. Is my father home?”
“He’s in a meeting,” the guard says. I don’t recognize this one, but he clearly knows me. “I’m
sure you can wait for him in the library.”
The gates open, and the Uber driver takes me to the front door. I forget to thank him and only
realized how rude that was after he left. Dammit. I hate being like a typical primadonna. I like things my way, but I don’t have a carrot stuck up my ass. No, that’s Frankie and his entire bullshit family.
My father is enslaving me to freaking mobsters!
The more I think of it, the more I think my father has completely lost his mind. I walk into the
library and toward the drinks cart that is kept stocked there. I pour a neat whiskey and sit by the window, sipping it angrily. I want to down it like I normally do, but I don’t want my father to think this is a drunken rant and that I will change my mind in the morning.
The minutes tick by agonizingly slow before I hear voices outside the room. It’s my father
bidding his guests a good evening. It must be family business if it’s this late. I set my glass down and stand, my hands on my hips.
When Gustavo walks in, I glare at him.
“You’ve heard,” he says calmly. “And you’re unhappy.”
“Who arranges a marriage in this day and age?”
“Frankie is a good son. He will take care of you, provide for you, and most importantly,
protect you,” my father says, pouring himself a drink. He loosens the buttons on his suit jacket and sits behind the heavy oak table that dominates the far corner of the library.
I lean on the table, on the opposite side, so I’m facing him. “Let me explain something. I am not marrying Francesco Sorvino. Not over my dead body will I marry into that family. You have no right selling me like I’m something you own.”
“Don Alessandro has agreed, and his decision is final. There is no fighting this, Amelia. Just
take it in your stride, and you might even come to love him in time.” my father gives a weary sigh.
I glare at my father and stand straight. “You understand that you can’t make me do this. I will
not do this. This is not something you can force to happen. I will never, ever go through with an arranged marriage, no matter who you choose to be, my husband. That is my choice, father, not yours.”
Gustavo’s demeanor changes, and his shoulders straighten. “You will learn to respect my
decision, Amelia. I am warning you to let this go. I am tired of fighting you on every decision when you have done nothing but prove that you cannot make good decisions for yourself.”
“I have free will. If I want to marry a homeless man, I will,” I spit at him. “I won’t do it.”
“Then say goodbye to the family,” he yells at me angrily. “Because let me tell you, Amelia, you will not see one person from this family again unless you marry the Sorvino boy.”
Only he could call Frankie a boy. My heart freezes in my chest. I might not get along with my
father, but I love my family. My cousins and aunts, and uncles. I love them to pieces. They’re such good, loving people.
“You can’t do this,” I plead. “You can’t force me to do something that will make me miserable. You don’t know him, Father. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
Gustavo waves a hand at me. “I know what he is capable of, and that’s protecting you. Also, he was brought up right. He won’t hit you around and abuse you like some of these other men you’ve dated have done. He won’t put you in the hospital. My decision is final, Amelia, marry Francesco Sorvino or leave our family for good. God knows we’re tired of our hearts breaking watching you destroy your life.”
I fall silent. This wasn’t the fight I was expecting. Never in my life has my father ever
threatened to cut me off from my family before. They are all I have. I have some friends here and there, but they’re party friends. Family is so important. I was brought up learning that family is everything. Now, if I want to keep my family, I have to trade my soul.
“I can’t believe you,” I say, softly but angrily.
“Make your decision but make it now,” my father warns me. “Because I am tired of waiting
around for a phone call that one of your boyfriends has killed you.”
“You say you care about me, you say you’re doing this out of worry for me, but they’re mobsters. They’re just as dangerous.”
“They are from the old stock. They have morals and values. They know our ways, and they know how important family is. It’s time for you to settle down. You’re not changing my mind. You’re just confirming to me that I’m making the right decision. You’re a loose cannon, and you need to live in reality now. What do you choose?”
I’m seething. For a moment, I consider telling him to hell with him and the family, but I know
in my heart that’s not what I want. I love my family so much, and I don’t want to be cast out into the world alone with no one.
“Fine,” I snap, “I agree to your terms. I will marry Francesco.”
My heart plummets in my chest. I’m feeling a mixture of anger, hate, and sadness for what my life is about to become. I will have no say in my future or what I do with Frankie as my husband. He will be more controlling than Gustavo Fernando has ever been.
Frankie
No reception.
That was my one condition about the wedding, and it was one that Amelia thankfully agreed
to. I stand in front of the priest as he asks me to recite my vows. I repeat the words he says as I didn’t bother writing my own. Neither has Amelia.
When he says I can kiss my bride, I lift Amelia’s veil and peck her cheek to the applause of
the families attending the affair. It is a family-only affair, aside, of course, from guards. I don’t want anyone getting hurt today, especially with so many of us gathered in one spot. It makes us an easy target for our enemies.
I offer Amelia my arm. She hasn’t smiled once. She looks at me coldly before formally
placing her arm on top of mine, and I escort her down the aisle and out of the church.
Paper confetti rains down on us as we walk out of the church and toward the limousine that is
waiting for us at the end of the small crowd.
I open the door for Amelia and help her inside. Her dress is simple, a figure-hugging ivory gown with sequins and white beads sewn into the hems in plain lines that make the dress sparkle prettily. The veil is simple as well, attached to a basic clip that slides into her up-styled hair. A few loose curls frame her face, and she only wears light makeup. I prefer her without makeup. She has a natural beauty that shouldn’t be hidden.
We drive back to Alessandro’s new house to a ‘not reception,’ which means it’s just our immediate families having dinner together.
Amelia doesn’t speak to me during the drive, and I don’t force her to. I know she feels like
she just signed her life away, and maybe she has. However, she’ll have to live with it because this decision is final. You don’t divorce out of the family once you’re married into it. Death is the only out.
When we pull up, I see some of the Petrenkos are here too. I frown, but Alessandro wouldn’t have just invited them for fun. The Russian mafia would be here for business alongside my wedding celebrations. The family’s business never stops, not for anyone.
Amelia and I walk in, and we’re met by a waiter with a tray of champagne. We each take a
glass, and I look at Amelia.
“People will want to speak to us both. Best we stay together,” I explain, touching her arm to
lead her to a nearby table.
She follows but doesn’t say anything, she still has a rather sour look on her face, and I can’t
help but wonder if she’ll smile in any photos.
“Mia, smile child. It’s your wedding day,” Gustavo says, coming over.
“No, Papa, it’s my sale date,” she says spitefully.
I roll my eyes. “You’re not a slave. This is for your own protection.”
Amelia doesn’t look at me and I realize that’s her game. She’s just going to ignore me for as
long as she can.
Gustavo sighs and moves off as more family members head in our direction. I touch her arm.
“Don’t be rude. I mean it. You could be rude to the wrong person. And smile, dammit.”
She doesn’t say anything, but she puts a small smile on her face as my Nonna comes forward
to greet her, speaking Italian so quickly that I can see Amelia is struggling to keep up. I take Nonna’s hand. “Grazie Nonna, please get something to eat.”
A tall woman steps forward. She has amber eyes like Amelia, but she’s done a bad bleach job on her hair, and her nails are so long my mind instantly demands to know how she doesn’t rip her ass open every time she wipes.
“Amelia,” she says curtly.
“Mother,” Amelia says, trying to broaden her smile, “Thank you for coming today.”
“I had to. It is your wedding day, after all,” she says, turning to me. “Catharina Fernando, I still go by my married name.”
I take her hand gently in mine. “It’s a pleasure to bring you into our family, Mrs. Fernando.”
“Catharina, please, I’m not that old. Amelia,” She turns back to my bride. “You have gained so much weight. I must send you the diet I’m on. It will work wonders for your love handles.”
I can see Amelia starting to feel subconscious as she tries to press her arms against herself. “I
just haven’t had time for the gym.”
“Do you want to look like your father when you’re older or like me?” Catharina says with a smirk. “Good grief, Amelia. Look at the wrinkles you already have, and you’re not even thirty. You need to start using a decent night cream. I’ll send you what I use.”
“Excuse me, but if you’re just going to stand here and belittle her, you can actually leave. Today is her wedding day, and no one has the right to make her feel she’s worthless,” I say, snapping, making several people glance in our direction.
“Well, I never… She is my daughter, and I have her best interests at heart, unlike you, you thug. She needs someone to be honest with her, not someone to mollycoddle her.” Catharina glares at me. “If I want to say she’s fat, she’s fat. If I think she’s ugly, she’s ugly. You can afford this house but couldn’t afford a proper reception or at least decent makeup to cover those dark circles under her eyes. Never mind how hideous her wedding dress is.”
I step toward her, towering over her, my nose inches from hers. As rude as she is, she falls
silent, realizing she has crossed a line with me as I say, “My guards are going to escort you out now, and you are never going to see Amelia ever again, do you understand?”
“But…” she starts to say, “She’s my….”
“You’re not a mother,” I hiss. “You won’t be coming within an inch of my wife ever again.”
I snap my fingers, and Joel comes forward. “Escort her out. She’s never to contact anyone here again.”
The whole room is silent as Joel walks Catharina out of the house. Amelia storms off, and I follow her, concerned she’s going to try to make amends with her mother. She stops in the entrance hall and wheels around. “You had no right.”
“So, you like the way she treats you like shit?” I ask, straightening my jacket and looking at
her.
“You do not interfere with my family, and I don’t interfere with yours. You don’t get to dictate
to me or speak for me. I can take care of myself, Francesco.”
She only ever uses my name when she is angry with me, and from the looks of how today is
turning out, it is going to be that name for a while.
“You are such a stone-cold asshole you don’t think of anyone but yourself,” she says loudly. “You and your family are all you care about.”
Anger bubbles inside me, and I square my shoulders. “You don’t know me, Amelia. You might
think you do, but you don’t. Everything I have ever done has been to protect you and was in your best interest. Look at the decisions you make. Do you really think they are good ones?”
“So, you broke up with me because you wanted to protect me?” she snarls. “Is that what it was?”
I clench my jaw, realizing I’d said too much. “Believe what you want to believe. I don’t care if you hate me, we’re married now, and we have to make that work.”
“Over my dead body,” she spits the words out, and I can see how much she hates me right now.
That’s probably for the best. I can’t let her get too close. I can’t let her know why I broke up
with her in the first place.
I turn and walk back to the room without another word, leaving her there with angry tears in her eyes.