Married to a monster

THE ESCAPE

“I will never marry him!” Kristen screamed, tears streaming down her face. She sprang to her feet and rushed to the door. “Let me out of here! I’m not a prisoner!” she shouted, banging her fists against the door that had been locked from the outside. “Please… please,” her voice faltered as she slid down to the cold floor, sobbing in despair, realizing that no one was coming to her rescue. Exhausted, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

Awakened by the sound of the door creaking open, Kristen saw Josephine, the maid, standing there. “Please, help me! I need to get out of this house!” Kristen pleaded desperation in her voice. The maid looked at her with deep sympathy, fully aware that she had no power to assist.

“Madam asked you to wear this,” Josephine said, placing a long white dress on the bed while glancing at Kristen, who sat on the floor in disbelief. “I’ll come back for you in thirty minutes,” she added, turning to leave and locking the door behind her.

“No!… No!!” Kristen screamed, panic overwhelming her as she darted to the bed, tearing at the gown with her bare hands. Her world was crumbling, and she felt utterly powerless. After what seemed like an eternity of sobbing, she made her way to the mirror. Staring at her reflection, she could hardly recognize herself—her eyes were puffy, her fingers raw, her hair a tangled mess, and her mind tipping on the edge of madness. She had to find a way out; escape was her only hope in this nightmare.

After thirty minutes, the maid returned as promised. Kristen was lurking in the dark corner, clutching a bottle, waiting for the moment to spring into action. This was her only shot at freedom. She struck the maid with the bottle, knocking her out, and dashed out of the room. Exhaustion threatened to take over, and it felt like her legs were betraying her, but she couldn't afford to stop—not yet.

Finally, she reached the gate, only to find it locked. “No… no,” Kristen cried out, feeling a wave of despair wash over her. What could she do now? With no options left, she had to head to the back and climb the fence. She refused to give up.

“Madam, we have a problem. Kristen has escaped. She knocked out the maid!” Clinton said, panting heavily as he rushed to inform the madam.

“That little brat!” the madam roared, shooting up from her chair. "How dare she think she can get away from me? Find her and bring her back!" she ordered Clinton, her bodyguard, with fury burning in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Kristen found herself trapped; the fence was too high to scale. Panic surged through her as she realized there was no way to escape. Tears streamed down her face as she clawed at the wall, desperate to climb over. “They can’t find me; I can’t go back!” she thought.

Suddenly, one of the guards shouted, “She’s here! I found her!” Another guard joined him, and together they grabbed Kristen, dragging her back to the house. The only thing she could do was scream, “No!”

“You little brat!” Madam Carolina stormed into the room and slapped Kristen hard. “How dare you try to escape, you ungrateful child?”

“Mom, please! I can't marry him!” Kristen cried, tears streaming down her face.

“I’m not your mother, you brat!” Madam Carolina shouted, and her words cut deep. If only her mother were still alive, she wouldn’t be forced into a marriage with a man she didn't love, a man whose name stroked fear in the hearts of many. Her father stood powerless, unable to defend his daughter against the iron grip of Madam Carolina and her conniving daughter.

“You want us to be killed? you wicked child!” Madam Carolina snapped. “After everything we've done for you, we’re only asking for this small favor, and you throw a tantrum like the spoiled brat you are!”

“But the agreement was for him to marry Sophie, not me!” Kristen protested.

“My daughter will not marry that dangerous man!” Madam Carolina retorted, jabbing her finger at Kristen. “You will marry Don Carlo whether you like it or not, and that’s final!” She stormed out of the room, locking Kristen in once again.

Kristen wrapped herself tightly in her blanket and cried through the long, night. Her life felt shattered; she was about to be sold off to a dangerous mafia boss.

Punished for her attempts to escape the mansion, she had been starved and locked away for days. In response to Kristen's defiance, Madam Carolina decided to speed up the wedding plans, scheduling the ceremony in just three days. The news devastated Kristen; it pushed her to the brink of contemplating taking her own life. But ultimately, she could not follow through. Instead, she resolved to confront her situation head-on—no more tears, no more despair.

The days passed, and the time had come for Kristen to fulfill her obligation. She picked up the wedding dress neatly laid out on the bed, applied her makeup, spritzed on her favorite perfume, and perched herself in front of the mirror.

“I’ve faced worse than this; they won’t break me down again. Never!,” she reassured herself as she added a touch more blush to her cheeks, admiring her beautiful reflection.

It wasn’t a grand celebration—just a farewell for Kristen. The only attendees were her family, patiently waiting for Don Carlo to arrive, sign the papers, and take his bride. Resolute and determined, Kristen decided to confront the occasion head-on. As she descended the stairs, she spotted her father, once a great man but now a mere puppet of Carolina’s ambitions. He lifted his gaze, hoping for a few reassuring words, but she had nothing to offer him, only a tumult of anger and resentment.

Her eyes shifted toward Madam Carolina and her daughter, who wore cunning smiles, clearly thrilled to see her finally out of the way. But Kristen was undeterred—head held high, she was ready for whatever awaited her.

“Don Carlo is here, madam,” Clinton announced before stepping aside. Kristen noticed the gleam of excitement on Carolina’s face; it was evident she was eager to see Kristen disposed of.

Then, Don Carlo entered the room, and a wave of shock washed over everyone…