Jailer

(RIA'S POV)

Mum pinched me at my back, her hand hidden by hideous layers of the heavy wedding gown, “Smile!”

Her voice came out sharply as she walked me down the aisle to my impending doom.

She and Dad, they are my jailers. Jailers transporting me to life imprisonment.

The wedding gown surprisingly fit me snugly in my upper body while the lower part ballons out in a fairytale like rapunzel dress.

I hated Rapunzel as a kid.

As an adult, now? I hate all Disney princesses.

Except Elsa though. Her parents are dead, so that must be freeing.

Pink petals thrown on the floor by the flower girls start to look like rotten corpses looking like a glimpse into my future.

My ears tune out whatever the little orchestra is playing off to the side, and my eyes water at the vision of hell standing few steps away from me.

He is very tall, standing at six foot, five inches, warm sandy blonde hair that looks like Rachel Green from friends reaching up to the nape of his neck in loose waves and broad shoulders that spread across the handmade Italian suit he wore.

Edmond Cozen.

Same man everyone fears in the business world for managing to climb with such alacrity. There’s even information he’s got the government eating out of his palm. Others say he’s got dealings in the mafia.

My parents believed the latter.

Edmond’s got dealings with the mafia.

My soon-to-be husband.

He is wearing a double breasted blazer with a diamond stud in the place a wedding lapel should have been.

We reach the altar sooner than I wanted and Dad just leaves me there nodding at Edmond once.

I know it’s useless but still I send a pleading look to mum through the veil over my eyes, instead she pinches me one more time.

“Ouch.” I curl my arm away from her fingers.

“Behave.” she whispers and walks to her seat with dad.

Well, here goes nothing.

--- ---- ----

I’ve never seen a wedding ceremony go by as fast as this one.

I’m really serious.

We should get like a Guinness book of record award or something for having the fastest wedding in a church.

The officiant started to talk about love and I swear I saw Edmond give him a long stare, and the poor man stammered the entire time just to ask for the rings.

He didn’t even ask the usual, ‘Is there anyone who does not want these two to get married? Speak now or forever hold your peace.’

Even though, it’s not like anyone would have talked.

Your peace would be worth everything to you than five minutes of fame at Edmond Cozen’s wedding.

It’d be best you just go ahead to purchase a coffin, the size of your body, plus my parents walked me down after arguing amongst themselves but had the guts to look like happy parents.

My eyes move from my parents giggling with their friends at the wine fountain, to my husband standing afar off with his friends nodding at something someone said.

My husband .

That word was so weird seeing it with another person.

It was reserved for Tom.

Oh my God! Tom??

My body turns to the hired maid of honour who was another bodyguard in disguise.

I don’t know what my parents were thinking.

What? They couldn’t keep their precious daughter from running from her wedding so now I have to bear the brunt of it?

Oh, is it a once bitten, twice shy kind of thing?

“Gia,” I call out and hide a small smile at the lady struggling to survive in a tulle gown.

I’m not sure how much bodyguarding she could do in this floral heavy tulle dress, but after getting married to Edmond Cozen, if I tried to run, heads will definitely roll with mine being the first.

“Yes, Miss Whittaker? Sorry, Mrs. Cozen.”

I bristle visibly, my palms in my laps start shaking again.

“Call me Ria, please.” I say.

Gia shook her head, “I am under strict commands from your parents to address you appropriately, Mrs. Cozen.”

“Stop, just stop.” I raise my hand, tears prickling at the back of my throat.

Gia shrugs and goes back to watching the room with a tight expression.

I swallow, and stand, tilting on my feet.

“What would you like to get, Mrs. Cozen? I’ll get it for you.” Gia’s actions mirrors my own, the tulle dress making her look funny.

“Don’t call me anything if you can’t use my name!” I snap.

Aww. That felt good to let out.

“Got it. Regardless, you should sit here and let me take care of you like an actual maid-of-honor.”

I throw her a dirty glance.

“I’m glad you know that you are not an actual maid of honor.” I say, grabbing my dress up by the hip.

“I am still your maid of honor. Whatever this party might be, I might as well earn my keep.”

My eyes bulge out.

Now, the hired help was insulting me?

“You’re just a hired help with a fate not better than a housekeeper’s.” I fire.

“Still better than what you’ve walked into.” she replies with an infuriating smile.

“Would you like me to get you something to eat?”

My eyes blink at how fast she changed.

One minute she insulting me, the next, she’s asking me if she should get me something to eat?

“What? Trying to give me diarrhoea?” I snap.

She laughs, “Of course not. I know your preferences, of course. There’s no need to be nervous.”

I shake my head and watch her leave, her walk bouncy with a tilt to it.

What is she up to?

“Are you hungry?” A low voice comes behind me.

The voice sounds like I’ve heard it before.

My head whips around sharply and I’m staring face to face with the man I said ‘yes, I do’ to fifteen minutes ago.