Chapter 3: The Strange Woman

Aria's POV 

***

  It was another morning and I needed to get out of the house. That's all I knew. Ever since that man showed up last night with the stupid note, my head had been a mess. Do not sign anything until you meet me. The more I thought about that, the more annoyed I became.

If he had something to say, why couldn't he say it? Why all the mystery. Why all the secrets? I sighed and grabbed my purse. Dad wasn't home. Good. I wasn't in the mood for another conversation that would end with him avoiding every question I asked.

The supermarket wasn't wasn't far from the house. I walked there, bought a few things, and tried my best not to think about my life falling apart.

Unfortunately, that that didn't work. By the time I was heading back home, I was still thinking about the contract. Still thinking about the man nobody wants to talk about.

I adjusted my grocery bag in my hand. That was when I noticed her. A woman standing near our gate. I didn't pay much attention at first. People stood outside houses all the time. Maybe she was waiting for someone else and that of course is not my business.

But the closer I got, the more strange it felt. She wasn't looking around, she wasn't checking her phone, she wasn't waiting for anyone. She was looking at me. Staring directly at me.

I looked behind me, nothing. Just me. Great. Now I was uncomfortable. I kept on walking anyway. Maybe I was just imagining things. Maybe she wasn't even staring at me. Then she spoke.

“Aria?”. I stopped. My grip became firmer around the grocery bag.

Slowly I turned towards her, “Yes?”

That second, she just stared. Really stared. Like she was looking at something she hadn't seen in years. Then she smiled. A tiny smile. Not happy, not exactly sad either.

My eyes pulled together. “What?”.

The smile disappeared immediately. Almost like she had made a mistake. “Nothing”.

Okay. That was weird. I had never seen this woman before. Not Once or twice. Somehow, she knew my name. And it seems like I reminded her of someone.

“Do I know you?” I asked.

She shooked her head. “No”. Then after a pause she added. “But I know who you are”. My heart skept a beat.

That wasn't creepy at all. “How?”. The woman looked away. That moment I thought she wasn't going to respond to me.

But she asked. “How much has your father told you?”. I froze.

“What?”

“About the marriage”. 

The grocery bag suddenly felt heavier. I stared at her and she stared back. My pulse started picking up.

“Who are you?”. Instead of answering, she laughed softly. The kind of laugh people make when they're tired. Really tired.

Then she shook her head. “Of course he didn't tell you”.

“Tell me what?”

Nothing. The woman just kept looking at me. And honestly? It was starting to annoy me. Everybody in my life suddenly knew things that I didn't. Everybody had clues and answers. Except me.

“Look”, I said. “I don't know what is going on, but if you have something to say, just say it”. The woman swallowed hard. She looked nervous. Then guilty and also sad! 

Finally she spoke. “You're going to hate me”.

My confusion grew. “What are you talking talking about?”. Another silence. Then she asked a question that completely caught me off guard.

“Have you seen your wedding dress yet?”

“What?”.

“Your wedding dress”.

I stared at her. “Why would I have a wedding dress?”

The woman looked surprised. Like actually surprised. Then she muttered something under her breath. Something I couldn't hear. 

“What does a wedding dress have to do with anything?”. She looked around nervously. Like she wanted to leave. And that made me nervous too. 

“Listen carefully”, she said quietly. If you find the dress… she stopped. Then looked straight into my eyes. “Check inside it”. I frowned. 

“What?”

Check inside it”.

“Inside for what”.

The woman opened her mouth, then froze. Her eyes shifted to something behind me. Immediately, her expression changed. Every bit of color left her face. Fear. Pure fear. 

I turned around, a black car stopped across the street. That's all¿ Just a car. But when I looked back at the woman, she looked like she couldn't breathe.

“Oh God”.

My heart started racing. “What?”

“Oh God”. She took a step back. Then another step. The panic in her eyes helped in increasing my own fear. Before I could stop her, she grabbed my arm. Her fingers were cold.

“Don't trust any body”. 

My breath caught. “What?”

“Not your father”. 

I froze. “Excuse me?”

“Not anybody”.

The words came out rushed now. She was running out of time. Then she let go of my arm and stepped back. I had a thousand questions but none of them got answered. Because the next thing she did was to turn around and walk away. 

She walked fast but she wasn't running. The way she was walking shows that she wanted distance. I just stood there. Completely confused. Watching her disappear from the street.

The black car remained parked across the road. Still and quiet. My stomach twisted.

I didn't know who that woman was. I didn't know why she knew my name and I definitely didn't know why she wanted me to check out a wedding dress I hadn't even seen yet.

But this was certain. The next time somebody told me not to ask questions, I wasn't listening. Because this whole thing is so annoying. It gave me reasons to ask. 

What exactly is happening? Is this how a wedding plan should be? Is this how a bride should know about her groom and his family? What is my father actually hiding from me? Is he putting me in trouble? But my dad loves me so much. If someone else were to be in this same situation, would they still approve of the marriage?

Because whatever was happening… it was bigger than a marriage contract. 

And somehow, I had a feeling I was the last person to find out.