Chapter 5 5.

I heard the bell ring at the top of the door as I walked into Kleinfeld's and locked eyes with my mother.

"Good, you're here! I already picked out a couple of dresses so why don't you go ahead and try them on?" I nodded solemnly, grabbing an extravagantly adorned A-Line dress from the rack, and walked towards the dressing rooms. With the help of a woman who entered and helped me put the dress on properly, I stared at myself for a moment, eyeing the way it fit perfectly, suiting my body flawlessly. It was easily the most beautiful dress I'd ever seen. It hugged my waist tightly and puffed out beautifully around my legs. The white was bright and clean, and the top was filled with lace. The neckline was the shape of a v and had beading around it with tiny crystals and pearls that matched the beaded belt around my waist. Despite its beauty, my eyes began to sting at the sight of myself. I am 17; this isn't right; I'm supposed to be graduating soon, going to college, and marrying the perfect man. I love. I took my eyes off the mirror and walked out so my mother could see. She gasped and covered her mouth with tears in her eyes. I couldn't bear the sight, immediately returning to the dressing room and anything else, but carefully taking off the dress as tears pooled on my cheeks. After replacing my uniform and returning the dress to my mother, I walked out of the store without saying a word.

The rest of the week seemed to fly by, and I did everything I could to ignore my near future. 3 days before the wedding After my last day of school, I finally bit the bullet and explained everything to Mark on the steps. He looked at me in loyal anguish, and tears flew down my face. He hugged me tightly in comfort, and everything just felt worse; he was perfect. I would do anything to stay with him, and once he could finally work that up in his mind, he let me go and walked away.

I walked home in solitude, allowing the eating away of my heart to increase. My eyes were burned red, swollen from the consistent irritation of tears, and stung to the touch. When I reached my building, I walked inside to find Kent waiting for me. "Good afternoon, Miss Jack. I have a few documents for you from Mr. Arthur." He handed me an orange envelope filled with documents. "Thank you, Kent," I responded as I stepped into the elevator.

I entered the penthouse to find that I was alone, walked into the kitchen, and sat down on the counter. I pulled out the orange envelope, ignoring the anticipation of what's inside. Fear got the best of me, and I set it aside to start working on my homework. Finishing my homework, I glanced over at the orange envelope that awaited my eyes but quickly looked away and decided to shower. After my shower, I got dressed into a blush spaghetti strap Calvin Klein dress and a pair of nude heels, grabbing my phone and texting Anna to meet me in an hour to go clubbing. She promptly responded, saying she'd be outside my building.

I walked into the kitchen, and once again, my eyes shifted towards the orange envelope. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I slowly walked over, sitting down and preparing to open it. I began reading and soon realized it was some sort of Marriage Contract. I continued reading through them in complete shock. It was like I was being sold by my parents... and Andrew Arthur was purchasing me. Tears rolled down my face as I read the contents and regulations I'm bound by. Clauses prohibiting me from drinking "excessive" amounts of alcohol and wearing "inappropriate" clothing while in public attendance The list just kept going on and on, each Roman numeral binding me closer to him. This list treated me as if I were a piece of property or something that Andrew would own, and I internally decided I would not sign it.

In a hurry, I slammed down the stack of papers, allowing my disdain to sink in as I pressed the elevator buttons forcefully. We went to the same club as last week, Light Fix, and this time, we were let in by the bouncers immediately. I immediately went to the bar, flashing the bouncer my Fake ID and a wink. I needed something to help me escape my new reality, requesting something strong. In a silent response, he placed three shot glasses in front of me and poured vodka in each to the top. Anna let out an excited squeal as I threw them down my throat one at a time and dragged her to the dance floor.

After that, I limited myself to dancing and the occasional cosmos, but not paying attention to how many. Before I knew it, I could barely walk straight. I looked at the clock, and to my surprise, it was only 11. I needed to get home. I glanced around to find Anna and asked her if she would be fine if I headed out. My voice rang in my ears as I practically screamed each word, trying to exceed the volume of the mind-vibrating music. She told me she would call Mark to walk me home. A memory of our breakup flashed through my head, but the warm feeling swelling in my stomach and the overconsumption of alcohol prohibited me from opposing.

"Mark, I've been waiting for you!" I practically shouted in slow motion, attempting to pull the words out of my head. "Whoa there, sophia, had a little too much to drink, I see," I stumbled over and fell into his arms, allowing the vibration of his chuckle to meet my cheek. "Yeah, maybe, just a little," I said, pushing my face off him to meet his eyes and sending him a cheeky smile. "Let's get you home before you're on the front cover of TMZ," he said, guiding me down the sidewalk.

When we arrived back at the apartment, I practically begged Mark to come up with me and help me get ready for bed. But the second we stepped foot in the elevator, a craziness grew inside me, and I jumped up into his arms. The dinging of the elevator was drawn into the background as our lips devoured each other, but the clearing of a man's throat eventually pulled us apart. Both Mark's and my eyes widened at the sight. My father, mother, and Andrew Arthur were standing, staring at us from outside the elevator. My eyes met Andrew's, and his deep blue eyes held nothing but scorn and contempt.

I ignored their glares and stepped out of the elevator with confidence. Turning around to meet eyes with Mark again, I spoke softly before placing a kiss on his cheek, "Goodnight." I knew this would anger my parents and Andrew, and a bubbling hope arose, wishing they would call the entire engagement off. I pressed the button and watched as the door closed, housing an awkward Mark, and swiftly turned back around to face the storm.

"Oops, I think I may have broken one of your -" I paused momentarily, searching my fogged mind for the correct word. " .. rules."

The next morning, I woke up with a throbbing headache and struggled to sit up. My eyes followed my determined mother as she walked into my room holding a glass of water and a bottle of Motrin. "You reek of alcohol," she said with an irritated tone. I simply nodded, lacking the willpower to come up with a snarky rebuttal. "Here, take these and change out of those dirty clothes." I looked down to find that I had never even changed. Geez, how much did I drink last night?

Attempting to slowly relay the night, it began to come back to me in horrifying pieces. Andrew was here last night. Mark was here last night. Oh god.

My mother saw my eyes widen at the realization of what I had done last night. "Your wedding is tomorrow," she said with a sad tone in her voice. "You will be leaving immediately after your wedding with Andrew for your honeymoon." The sadness in her voice was clear, and she let out a heavy breath before she spoke again. "After that, you will be living with him. Pack up your clothes and anything you want to bring." She sighed and left the room.