Elena

One thing I'm afraid of is a commitment...

Especially if it wasn't the brightest decision

A decision your memories are forever stuck with...

There was an eerie silence, shadiness, and murkiness, just like his soul...

The darkness was listening to my perplexed breathing. I flutter my eyes open, my eyes bloodshot red, I fold myself making sure there's no space between my stomach and my thighs because the only thing I have is myself but now I have a new responsibility...

Submissively, I broke down - reality hit me like a bullet, how did I expect him to change? And for me? I sometimes imagine how life would be if Ididn't meet zane...

I place my hand on my stomach and assure myself and my baby safety, mistakes are made, However, now I must face this ignorant world on my own and accept that I can do this by myself

Because the bottom line is that this is the real world.

Welcome to "captivate me"

This is my pessimistic story...

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6 months ago...

(3rd person)

The glorious sun gazed as the summery heat, pleasantly filled the crowd with exhilaration. Remarkably, the daylight illuminated the residence of Elena's family. Adequately, possibly giving some sort of sign as if god will bless their family with prosperity.

Elena's mother - Victoria - was beaming of elation, her son Ricardo who was recently married, was sent on honeymoon to one of the finest holiday suits, her oldest daughter Maria, who had her first child was crying out of contentment. and as for Elena, who got a hand in marriage, induced Victoria with euphoria

Elena's mother held on to the hope that God has enchanted her family with wellbeing, success and accomplishment.

She looked back and forth at the window and the guests before her.

She thought to herself :

Now god can take me, everything is finally in place

Just then Elena came through the door with her phone in her hand

Victoria

Spectating my soon to be daughters-in-law I smiled in satisfaction, now my children will have their own family, I won't have any objection if god comes to take me.

I spot Elena come out of her Range Rover and announce her coming,

Zane's mother -Sarah- looked more elated than me.

She practically jumped up, it was so quick I almost dislocated my eyes.

She brushed out creases from her dress and nudged her son to stand up too.

But, surprisingly he said "I'm sorry mom. Victoria, where's the toilet?"

He looked uncomfortable so I understood and told him before his mom could say something

"Families toilet is on the second floor 2nd room at the far end"

And just like that, he ushered himself out.

I looked at Sarah and she looked back at me. She looked nervous so I reassured her Elena's like a little angel so there's nothing to worry about.

With that being said she straightened herself and cleared her throat, just then Elena comes into the living room,

She had her phone in her hand and she looked up at us, Elena turned her gaze to me giving me a questioning look and said a few mumbling words then she cut the call.

She took a few hesitant steps towards us and greeted us both.

I scurried towards her, I know I couldn't stop smiling today. It will be a memorable and illustrious day.

Sarah followed behind, I introduced them to each other

"How wonderful you finally join us, Elena," I say

"Sorry mom, I got caught up with another crucial murder case. Mom who is this"

"Oh! I forgot Elena meet your soon to be mother in law Sarah, Sarah meets you're soon to be daughter in law Elena"

Elena's face looked pale, she a-gaped her mouth a little making an o shape.

I don't think she knew she was getting married. Lost in her own fantasy, Sarah snapped her out of her thoughts by hugging her and saying :

"Nice to meet you, Elena! It's delightful to know there will be two prosecutors in the house!"  While hugging her, Elena looked at me giving me a cautious look.

I tilted my head towards Sarah's direction as just like that she smiled and hugged her back.

Elena replies "nice to meet you too"

They broke away from each other and I ordered Elena to make snacks and beverages for the guests. She nodded and escorted herself to the kitchen

Micheal - Elena's dad - was still at work but he sent his best regards and I mentioned that to Sarah which she also replied "Zane's dad - Shawn -is in Italy for some business, he knows about this marriage and he's happy to welcome her to our family"

"è magnifico!" I reply.

Elena

I walked myself out finally able to breathe, how could my mom do this without even informing me!

I can't get married! I have my life under control! I have a boyfriend, a job and I'm not even ready for commitment...

Wait, Mom doesn't know I have a boyfriend! That's why she's getting me married!

Maybe if I tell her I do then she'll cancel the marriage, maybe just maybe she'll accept my marriage with Samuel... at least it's better than committing to someone I don't even know... right?

He might be hideous, and what if he smokes, I wouldn't want to ever go near that mouth of his! What if his teeth are half crooked and yellow!

I realised I was going overboard and calmed myself down.

I inhaled a sharp breath and got to work.

After making the beverages I took them to the living room, plastering my face with a smile.

I wonder to myself, but where is the one I'm going to marry?

No! I don't care! For the love of God, I hope he's not here!

I hurried to the living room wanting to get over this night and waking up next morning realising this was a dream, but the reality?

It isn't.

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Hey, guys, it's the writer of this story!

You already knew that-

Anyways I hoped you enjoy the first chapter!

A little note, I'm only 15 so keep in mind if I have any spelling mistakes, grammar or if my story just doesn't make sense I'm sorry-

Stay tuned for the next chapter

Zane

I wanted to get away from there, I couldn't stand being there.

I can't believe that I'm getting married...

especially to someone, I don't know

Putting the toilet lid down I seated myself and thought about the conversation with my parents:

*flashback*

"... no zane you listen to me, you will marry her whether you like it or not!"

"Mom I'm old enough to make my decision and I sure as hell don't want to marry that damn girl - hell I don't even know her! I don't even love her so why ruin her love life marrying her when she could marry whoever she wants!"

"Zane your mothers right, if you marry her we join businesses with her fathers business too"

"**** you and your dumb business! Why me! I swear to god if I marry her I'll make sure I make her life living hell!"

"Zane don't you dare hurt her! She will accept this marriage and I've already assured her parents that you will take good care of her"

"I've has enough, you need anything mom, call me unless it's something to do with that damn girl"

"Where are you going!"

"Spending my remaining free time with my soon to be ex-girlfriend, seriously I would rather marry Camilla than Layla!"

"Camilla! Seriously Zane! She doesn't even work! She's always out partying and drinking! Talk about Camilla with such audacity and her name isn't Layla it's Elena "

"I'm not taking this anymore"

*door slams*

"This is harder than we expected, Shawn"

*end of flashback*

I could try to escape this situation and tell mum I have an important case going on...

Yes, that sounds like a good scheme!

3rd person

So that's exactly what zane did, he quickly ushered himself out the front door without being noticed and took his phone out to call his mom and explain he had to go to work immediately for an emergency.

Elena

I was on my way to give the beverages to the guests when I saw a silhouette making their way towards the main entrance, as I wonder to myself, could that be the guy I'm supposed to marry?

Well alas, he made the right choice to leave the house.

I walk the room where the guest was and placed the snacks and drink for the visitor. Then she looked at me with empathy and I don't know why I actually felt sorry for her. Now that I think of it I would love to I've her as my mother in law but I still don't want to marry him

After a few hours of talking and getting to know my ”mother in law,” I surely feel comfortable talking to her as if she's my own mother. We were too busy talking about my job and his job are so alike that we may meet anyways on a lawsuit.

It was time to go as the sundown was now in sight, my mother requested to drop Sarah off but she insisted she didn't live that far and wouldn't want to trouble us, and escorted herself out the mansion.

Now is the right time to talk to my ma about all this. I need to tell her how I can't get married because I want to focus on my job, and how I already have a boyfriend and getting married to a complete stranger is a big error and how-

”Elena, you okay there?”

”uh yeah... Mom, I want to talk to you about this, I'm not sure if I want to marry him I, I mean... I... Have a boyfriend-”

Mom just looks at me blankly and expects me to laugh out and cry out it was a prank but It wasn't and I had to get my point through by making my face a serious as possible but that only ended up as a big fail as I ended up with a slap across my face.

The look on my mom's face was full of terror and I dare not look at her

”How could you say that! Since when have you had a boyfriend and why didn't you tell me this before! I'm sorry Elena but it's too late you are gonna have to break up with your boyfriend because I cannot halt the marriage anymore because it will break the contract and the peace between us two companies will be at risk! Hope could you say something so foolish! You stupid girl!”

I felt absurd myself, I couldn't pol at her in the eye so I forced myself to focus on the door handle, I actually regret even telling my mom this and I don't know why I bit my lips to hold back from crying,

”Elena how could you be so ridiculous! I'll pretend I didn't hear you say that and go upstairs and think about what you just said!”

Yep, years exactly what I will do, not think about the stuff I did because I indeed said the right thing I just have to think of a way to flee from this problem- I mean I can just run away, I have enough money to go Dubai and find myself an apartment there, but that means I can never see my family again and if I come back they wouldn't want me back... And the peace between the two companies will be tarnished!

Too much stuff to think about

I'll just sleep on it for now

...right tomorrow I need to get up a few minutes earlier so I avoid my mom before she gets up and makes breakfast. First I need to have a cold shower to cool myself down then I'll just eat on the way to the headquarters

Sounds like a decent plan

Elena

Give me a moment to shed the sleep from my brain, to allow the visions of the night to give way to the day, to move from that which I create on a whim to things more fixed and real. In a few minutes, I will be able to greet the sunlight, to see the colours as bright as the backlit images of cinema screens; I will adjust. For now, let it come with the subtleness of gentle dawn and let me doze underwing.

I am in a good mood today, I’m not letting myself get troubled or tensed

So I'm going to have a quick shower before eating breakfast, maybe even avoid seeing my mom today as well

I'll just eat a banana and crackers while driving to work

A little bit about myself, I'm Elena Santiago, and I work in a law firm for almost a year. I'm 26 years old and according to my mum I'm too old now and I have to tie the knot.

I know, I grew up with strict parents and they want me to marry someone who has a superior background, perhaps that's why I haven't told them about Sam before, but now I'm too late as they already found a guy!

Ugh. I'm going to give him an ugly impression of me so he runs away

Sams not a bad boyfriend but he does have a slightly different culture... Ok, maybe there's a massive difference between our cultures lol.

He’s also kinda simple and easy and in this big deceiving world, I think having an easy and straightforward boyfriend is precisely what I needed... Right?

I came out of the house a little early, I might as well go visit Sam to complain and sob on his shoulder while eating ice cream?

I guess it's time for me to move out and make my own decisions! I love Sam and he is my boyfriend so it makes sense for me to marry Sam but even though I tried explaining to my mum about this and my situation she just says I'm too late!

But why would she even set me up with someone and get me married to a completely different stranger just for her business deal!

Tea is nice, but when you are the topic for the tea, you just want to hide away from human contact

So, I was on my way up to Samuels apartment and what I'm going to say next is something I didn't expect would've happened ever in my whole life

I knocked on his apartment door and I never expected in a million years to see a woman open the door.

She was wearing only a robe and her lipstick was smudged. I didn't need to think, I knew that this man was cheating on me.

”babe, I told you not to open the door, what if its -”

”I-”

I couldn't process what I was looking at, he stood there only in his boxers staring back at me with a busted look on his face

” I think I should exclude myself from this situation, it was nice seeing you again Sammy,” the girl said with a sly smirk.

There, she turned herself away from us into his house and left the house within a few seconds fully dressed.

I couldn't bring myself to speak, as Samuel stepped forward I stepped back.

”look, Ellie, I can explain... I-”

A tear rolls down my cheek as I still can't utter a single word.

”Elena, I'm sorry I was drunk, I didn't know what happened and she bought me home and took advantage of me! Look at my neck, she bruised me! I was crying out your name thinking it was you I- I-”

that provoked a hidden fire inside me that I didn't know about. I won't act recklessly, I came here to ask for help from my boyfriend, I can't believe me actually wanted to leave my family to get married to this guy I no longer recognize.

I swivelled away and picked the leftover dignity I had and left the establishment

As soon as I couldn't see Samuels building insight, I immediately started crying, years of a relationship gone down the trench.

Why must he step over my pride, if he wasn't satisfied with me, why couldn't he just tell me he doesn't love me anymore! I mean now that I think of it, did he even love me in the first place?