NADIA
I felt like I was trapped in a surreal nightmare, where everyone around me was a pawn in a twisted game. The words hung in the air like a challenge, and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "This can't be," I said, my eyes locked on my mom, searching for a glimmer of hope.
But it seemed the decision had already been made. "I'm going to marry her," I heard a voice say. My heart sank, and I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. I wanted to scream, to slap the words out of his mouth and shake some sense into him.
"Are you crazy?" I snapped at Zeke, my voice rising in desperation. "I have to do it, sis. Otherwise, this will never end," he said, his expression resolute. I felt like I was living in a never-ending cycle of pain and suffering.
I wanted to wake up, to escape this twisted reality, but it seemed like a distant dream. "You don't have to sacrifice your happiness for me, I promise," I said, trying to reason with him. Zeke cupped my cheeks, his touch gentle, but his words cut deep. "It's okay," he said, but it wasn't okay. This wasn't fair.
In a moment of desperation, I blurted out, "I'll marry him." The words left my lips before I could process them, but I stood by them, driven by a mix of desperation and determination. Zeke's expression turned fierce, "I will never let you marry this scumbag, okay?"
Vicky's voice cut through the tension, "I won't marry you, are you insane?" she glared at Zeke, her anger palpable. Zeke's response was cold, "I couldn't care less what you have to say. You made it your mission to hunt down my father, and he died because of you. A life for a life, right?"
Her mom's voice was like a snake's hiss, "Sweetie, please. Besides, the sooner the better." Vicky shrugged her off, her eyes blazing with anger. "I hate you," she spat, her gaze shifting to her mom. "And you? I hope you die on the night we get married," she said, turning her back on us and walking away.
Vicky's figure receded into the distance, her black hair swinging like a pendulum. I caught Elijah's arm, my hand landing on his chest, and felt an unexpected jolt of warmth spread through my body. I pushed the sensation aside and focused on the task at hand. "I'll go get her," I said, my voice firm.
Elijah's eyes dropped to where my hand rested on his chest, and I slowly withdrew it, feeling a hint of self-consciousness. I took off after Vicky, my feet pounding the ground as I chased after her and boy was she fast.
As I ran, the trees blurred together, and I called out Vicky's name, but she didn't respond. I kept moving forward, my senses on high alert, until I finally lost sight of her. I slowed down, scanning my surroundings, and called out again, "Vicky, it's me, Nadia." The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the rustling of leaves.
I continued walking, my ears straining to pick up any sound that might lead me to Vicky. Suddenly, I heard a faint sniffle from my left. My head turned instinctively, and I spotted a figure with black hair, hunched over and shaking with sobs.
I approached her cautiously, not wanting to startle her. As I drew closer, her sniffles grew louder, and I could see the tremors running through her body. I reached out and gently placed my hand on her shoulder. She tensed, her muscles rigid beneath my touch.
"Don't worry, it's me," I said softly, crouching down to her level. My words seemed to calm her slightly, but her voice was still cold and detached when she replied, "I know." I withdrew my hand, sensing that she needed space.
I sat down next to Vicky, my eyes fixed on her profile as she gazed out into the distance. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and wariness.
I took a deep breath, choosing my words carefully. "I wanted to check if you're okay. I just wanted to make sure you're all good." Vicky's gaze remained fixed ahead, her expression unreadable.
"Why do you care?" she asked, her tone tinged with skepticism. I hesitated, searching for the right words. "I know we're not on the best of terms, but at the end of the day, I can imagine how you feel. In a sense, I kind of understand you. I would have felt flipped if my brother hadn't decided to marry you."
Vicky's eyes flickered towards me, a hint of surprise in her expression. "I know how much this upsets you," I continued, "and I just wish there was something I could do. But this is just for the sake of us being at peace. I hate that we're at odds, it's just a result of a lot of bloodshed."
Vicky's gaze drifted back to the distance, her voice taking on a detached tone. "The funny thing is, I'm not even that upset about marrying your brother." My eyes widened in surprise, and I turned to her, "What?"
She glanced at me, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, I mean, we don't get along, and I don't really like him, but I think I prefer it to some other weirdo, in a sense. Obviously, don't ever let your brother know I said that."
"This isn't fair," I whispered and she said, "Life isn't fair,"
"You know I thought that without my so called, things would get easier because he was the one who put us in this situation and path. It's almost as if his absence makes no difference,"
"Did you know?" I questioned, my voice soft. "I couldn't tell from your reaction." I shook my head, and she continued, "I never knew, but there was always a part of me that felt like the odd one out. Like I wasn't loved or accepted by him."
Vicky's words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. "It gave me all the confirmation I needed," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There's a sense of me feeling like I shouldn't be as relieved as I am that he's no longer here. But at the same time, I am relieved. He was just my source of unhappiness, and he always demotivated me. He tried to belittle me in every sense, because I guess that's the way he felt about himself."
"I wish I could have felt just a bit of fatherly love," Vicky said, her voice cracking. "Just a bit of paternal love. My mother isn't the biggest person at showing that they care. She loves in her own way, but growing up in that unstable home... it's not something Eli and I deserved." Her words trailed off, and I could sense the depth of her emotions. "I just despise Vincent for that. He brought nothing but chaos into our lives."
"If he never existed in the first place, they would have just been at peace," she said, her voice laced with a mix of frustration and resignation.
Vicky stood up slowly, her eyes locked on mine. "You know, you don't have to pretend that you care about everything I have to say right now. You don't have to pretend. You could have just left me. I just needed a moment to myself."
"Believe it or not, it does matter to me Vicky. And I know we're not on the same page, and I don't think we'll ever be the same but it's important for us to unite. So truce?" I asked, getting up. She looked up at me and got up as well. Her lips stretched into a tight smile. "Truce,"