To Marry A Monster

The first time I got married, my husband got shot at the altar.

And the first time was now, and he had pushed me behind the altar, then disappeared from my view.

It all began at 10:15 am, and it would've started by 10 am on the dot had I not decided to piss off my soon to be husband and maids by deciding I wanted to go use the toilet immediately after I had been helped into my wedding gown. But I still made it on time, and I stood at the back of the cathedral, wearing a white off-shoulder custom-made Hany el Behairy dress bejeweled with precious jewels like pearls and diamonds. A dress that most definitely cost more than my future, an expensive luxurious dress that I wore to just show off how wealthy and powerful my husband was, not to actually beautify me.

The aisle stretched out, and I limped slowly across, alone, because I knew no one and had no family here to accompany me. Guests turned to look at me, but most of them weren't even smiling. They were just watching. Wondering why I was walking like I had a peg leg on my wedding day.

I wouldn't blame them. A mafia marriage wasn't really about love, it was more about power. Territory. Maintaining an image.

My future husband stood at the altar-Dante Valenti, the most powerful and most ruthless Don in all of Vegas- wearing a black suit. With his face straight as if set in stone and with eyes that looked like they hadn't known warmth since birth. He didn't even blink or acknowledge me as I reached the altar. Lucrezia, the maid of honor was standing at the altar, and she supported me as I tried to climb the steps up, so I wouldn't trip over. Dante didn't even care, he just had the same expression he'd always had, the one of bored superiority.

Immediately I stood facing Dante, the priest started quickly as if he had foreshadowed what was to come. He skipped the vows and all the romantic stuff, because it was obvious none of us would mean anything we said.

"Do you, Dante Valenti, take her to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

He didn't hesitate.

"I do."

Liar.

The priest turned to me and asked me the same question. I waited a bit too long to answer because I hated this man. With all my soul. All my heart. I wanted to say no, I wanted to scream get me out of here and take of my heels and run out of the cathedral.

But I didn't.

"I do," I said, bitterness lacing my words.

The Priest then declared us husband and wife and Dante leaned in to kiss me.

That was when the glass shattered.

The stained glass windows behind us exploded, sending glass shards flying everywhere into the air. Before I could even process what was going on, men in black were dropping from the ceiling, people were screaming, with some of them running or ducking for cover. But the noise that somewhat jerked me back to reality was a gunshot which rang out loud and clear, and next thing I knew, the white of Dante's shirt began turning red. Dante's shoulder jerked back under the impact of the bullet, but he immediately pushed me behind the pew.

"Stay low." He hissed at me, raising up my legs and tucking them sideways, so as to hide them from sticking out from the side. I was still in shock and couldn't even properly process what was going on, or understand why some patches of my dress turned red after Dante touched me. Dante turned away and pulled out a gun, then ran away, disappearing from my sight. Behind the altar, all I could think about was how I was going to die before my twenty-second birthday, all because I was going to marry a man whom I didn't even want to. Who I hated.

Seconds passed, and I began to grow uneasy. Where was Dante? What was even going on? No, I must look and see what's going on. I mustered up the courage to peek out through the side, so in case I was next, I would say the Lord's Prayer before I died. Immediately I did that, a bullet whizzed in my direction, but it wasn't for me. A man was trying to run to the altar too, so he could hide with me but the shooters caught him. He slumped in front of me, his eyes still open, staring at me, and blood seeping from his mouth.

I screamed.

And that was how they found me.