006

ROSE

“Oh, Rose… I’m so sorry, my little girl.”

My mom’s voice cracked as she stepped into the room, closing the door gently behind her. She came to sit beside me on the bed, and I didn’t move. I couldn’t.

My eyes were already wet, my cheeks streaked with tears I didn’t even remember shedding.

“Please, don’t cry… is it because of the money? Everything will get better, I promise.”

She reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my forehead, her fingers trembling slightly. I bit the inside of my cheek, hard, to stop the sob that was already pushing its way up. But it came anyway.

I broke.

The tears fell harder, one after another, and my chest shook as I tried to hold it all in. I turned my face into the pillow, hoping to muffle the sound, but my mom pulled me close and wrapped her arms around me. Her hug was warm. Familiar. Safe. But it didn’t make anything better.

“Shhh… don’t cry, sweetheart. Please stop crying,” she whispered, her voice barely holding itself together.

If only she knew.

If only she knew why I was crying.

If only she knew the truth that the money she thought would save my dad came with a price. A heavy one. One that I had to carry alone. I wished I could lie.

I wished I could say I was just overwhelmed. That things were hard but manageable. But lying felt like another weight on my chest.

I wiped my eyes and forced myself to sit up, even though my body felt like lead. My throat ached from holding back everything I wanted to scream. I took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out.

“I’m getting married tomorrow.” The words dropped between us like bricks.

My mom blinked at me, her lips parting, her body tensing. Then she stood so suddenly, the mattress bounced beneath me.

“What do you mean?” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was sharp. “Rose, what do you mean you’re getting married?”

I couldn’t meet her eyes, so I stared down at my hands. My nails were short, uneven. I had chewed them all day. My fingers were cold.

I swallowed and tried to keep my voice steady, but it wavered. “It’s the only way, Mom. The only way to fix this. The gang members that Steve owes… they’re dangerous. They were going to hurt him. You know that. You saw what they did.”

She walked closer, her feet moving slowly across the carpet like she was afraid of what else I would say. Her face was pale, her eyes wide. “What are you talking about? What do you mean this is the only way?”

I looked up at her, the fear in her eyes. The fear that mirrored mine.

“I’m in a contract marriage,” I said, each word feeling heavier than the last. “With Derek Rivera.”

Her hands flew to her mouth. She stared at me as if I’d spoken a foreign language.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered, shaking her head.

I nodded slowly, my voice barely audible. “He’s the one who paid off Steve’s debt. Six hundred thousand dollars. It’s done. It’s paid. But in return…” I hesitated, then forced the rest out, “I have to marry him. For one year. No strings. Just business.”

My mom took a step back, like she needed space just to process what she was hearing. Her shoulders dropped, and she sank into the chair near the window.

“This is scary,” she whispered. “This isn’t right. This isn’t good, Rose. You, we don’t fit his standards. This isn’t the life you deserve.”

Tears filled my eyes again, and this time I didn’t try to hide them. They spilled freely down my face, hot and fast.

“I know,” I cried. “I know this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. I always imagined my wedding would be filled with love. With someone who actually wanted to be with me… not someone who sees me as a solution to a problem.”

I clutched my chest, the ache almost unbearable.

“But what choice do I have? I can’t let them hurt Steve. I can’t let you suffer anymore. I’m doing this for us, Mom. For you. For everything we’ve been through.”

She covered her mouth again, but this time it was to stifle a sob.

The room felt small. Heavy. Like the walls themselves were pressing in on us.

I didn’t speak again. I couldn’t. The silence wrapped around us like a thick fog, and all I could hear was the sound of my mother crying softly into her hands while I sat beside her, drowning in the mess I had agreed to.

Tomorrow, I’d become Mrs. Rivera.

And nothing would ever be the same.

***

The church was quiet. Too quiet.

Sunlight poured through the stained glass windows, casting soft colors on the floor as the organ played low in the background. My hands trembled slightly around the bouquet, and I could feel the tightness in my chest growing.

But I smiled. I had to.

Everything looked perfect…too perfect. The aisle was lined with white roses, and the benches were filled with people I didn’t know, all dressed like they came from a world I had never stepped into.

My mother sat in the front row, holding my stepfather’s hand. She looked beautiful. Radiant, even.

Her hair was curled softly. Her dress was elegant, something she would never buy on her own.

And she looked happy and it bothered me a little.

If only she knew this might destroy me.

If only she understood that this wasn’t a dream come true it was survival wrapped in lace.

When I reached the altar, I looked ahead and tried to stay calm. Derek was already standing there, in a black suit, jaw tight, expression unreadable. He didn’t smile. He didn’t blink. He just stood, waiting, like everything was perfectly in control.

“Breathe,” I whispered to myself.

The priest started speaking. I barely heard the words. Something about love and union, about the bond of marriage. But this wasn’t love. This wasn’t a bond.

This was a contract.

My fingers curled around the bouquet as the moment came.

“Do you, Rose Evelyn Harper, take Derek Adrian Rivera—”

“I do,” I said quickly, my voice steady even though I felt anything but.

There was a beat of silence before the priest turned to him.

“Do you, Derek Adrian Rivera, take Rose Evelyn Harper—”

“I do,” Derek said, his voice calm.

And just like that… it was done.

But nothing about it felt right.