The Mafioso’s Forced Bride

Eighteen Years LaterSomewhere in Basilicata I take a deep breath through my nose. There's nothing like spring. The scent of flowers is in the air and I can't get enough of it. Mother loves flowers, so I grew up knowing how to care for them and loving them with all my heart."Chiara, get in here!" I hear her say. "It's time for the soap opera."I drop the watering can and I wipe my hands on my apron. Amalia is already seated on the couch popping olives in her mouth and Mother takes a seat next to her. She turns to me. "Tonight's the grand finale. We'll find out if Carlo and Flora will marry.""Of course they will," I roll my eyes. "The protagonists always end up together." Lia throws an olive at me. Lia. I’ve always called her that. "Don't ruin it for us. Just because you don't believe in love, it doesn't mean we don't.""Amalia, don't talk that way to your sister,” Mother warns. Lia and I always bicker. It's inevitable. We just have different views on everything. She rolls her eyes

I wake up with a head splitting migraine. I wish I could say that I don't remember a thing that happened. That I didn't see my family, my sister and my mother, killed right before my eyes. The image is so vivid, so suffocating that I could scratch my own eyes out. Sobs wrack my body and the pain on my side worsens. It won't stop. The memory keeps replaying over and over in my head. I can't believe they're gone. I can't believe they're dead. Killed by mongrels. There's a hole in my chest so big I'm surprised I'm not dead yet. How can I live with this? How can I live with the fact that they died and I lived? That my life was spared by some criminal. Lia was supposed to have lived, not me. I can't live with this. I'm not strong enough to take this.I should be dead.I think I'm in the trunk of a car, because I'm in a moving vehicle and it's very dark. Some light is seeping through, so I know it's daytime. My hands and feet are bound, so I can't move. At this point, I don't care what they

I wake up with a start. The room is much lighter than before, so it's safe to assume it's daytime. I note that the door is still closed and that is a small comfort. But anyone could have walked in while I was sleeping. I didn't wake up once. I couldn't sense anything, I was out like a light. This thought haunts my peace of mind, so I brush it aside for now. I don't know what to do, so I start by washing my face. The t-shirt I wore yesterday is crumpled, so I change it to a darker one. I sit back down on the bed and stare at the closed door. Now that I got the chance to rest, I can think more clearly. I don't want to go back out there, but what choice do I have? I can't stay in here forever. Eventually, this haven I've created for myself will crumble to pieces, and I'll have to face whatever awaits me behind that door. I think of that Enzo and how I'm supposed to marry him. It makes me sick. How can I marry that man? He's a criminal, a killer. My first task will be to prevent that f

As soon as I get to the hospital, I regret my careless decision. Everyone is staring at me as if I were a madwoman, and maybe I am. I haven't seen Fabrizio yet, not since I kicked him and started yelling that I was kidnapped for everyone to hear. He looked around desperately, naively wondering why someone who fainted suddenly sprang up and started shouting for help. He was still trying to help me, even after all I did. No one moved a finger to help me. I kept spewing out names like Giotto Puglia and Giaccobbe and everyone turned away from me. When a couple of nurses grabbed me and shoved me into a room and locked the door behind me, I knew I was in deep shit. I'm not stupid enough to assume they'll help me. Fabrizio has probably already notified them and they're on their way here. This is a standard hospital room, with a bed but no equipment. I try the door countless times, but there's no chance. It's locked and I have no way to escape. I sit on the bed and take deep breaths. I mus

I couldn't do it.I couldn't end my life.There was something bigger that stopped me. The plan melted off my brain and I went through the trouble of undoing all the knots. Now I'm agonizing over the damned engagement. I haven't gone through the trouble of checking the wardrobe. When the time comes, I'll grab whatever I lay my hands on. I'm not dressing up to impress him. I don't know if I should be anxious about it. He has a girlfriend, so I'll deduce that it will only be me, him, and Aurelio. He'll hand me a ring (if there is one) and I'll be brought back here to rot and fester. I don't rule Giotto out from the possible list of guests. I have to prepare myself mentally to see him and not act out. That's the priority right now.There's a knock on the door. Aurelio clears his throat, "You have an hour. Are you ready?" I don't reply. I feel a tiny prickle of panic, but I immediately push it aside. Getting ready won't take me five minutes. There's no hairdo or makeup or anything simila