STELLA

It's a marriage contract. Waoh…hold up

A marriage contract?

I look up and meet Papa's eyes with a questioning gaze, and he doesn't seem forthcoming with the answer.

“What the h…” I pause to breathe in and out. “What is this?”

“What does it look like?” Papa asks in a nonchalant tone that makes my insides crawl.

“It's a marriage contract”, Uncle Dan supplies, and it does nothing to soothe the boiling rage in me.

I look around the table and no one is as surprised as I am, not even Viktor. Wait… he knew?

“I can't get married, I just turned eighteen”. I whisper yell the last part and nobody even looks at me.

“Papa”, I beckon to my father.

“Is this like a joke or something?”. No reply

“Papa!”

“Go through the papers and sign them, the engagement party will be in the next four months and the wedding will be held a year from now, immediately after you are done with high school”.

This can't be happening. Of course, I knew I didn't really have a choice when it came to who I would marry. I already knew I did not have the liberty to fall in love because my marriage would end up being an arranged one. But I didn't expect it now. I literally just turned eighteen last week. Why would Papa do this to me?.

“No” I say not bothering to look at my father

“What did you just say?”

“I said no, I will not agree to this”, I say, raising my voice a little higher.

The guy that came with Viktor scoffs, and I glare at him. he flashes me one of those stupid smirks he has been giving me all evening, and it takes everything in me to restrain myself from not smacking it off his face.

Papa stands up and flashes the Morozovs a smile.

“Stella come with me”

He says while facing me.

He turns to them and says,” Gentlemen, we'll be right back”, he says and makes a beeline for the entrance.

I joined my father a little distance away from the office door.

“What were you doing Stella?”

He says with a tone I have heard many times but has never been directed at me. He only uses this tone when he's barking out orders to his men.

“I should be asking you that, what was that about, how come everyone in there knows about this and I'm only learning about this today?”

He glares at me.

“Do you know who those people are?”

“How would I know who they are?, I know Viktor from school but I don't know the other guy”

“Those are the Morozovs, Viktor is the heir of the Russian bratva and Nikolai?, the guy he came with?, That's his cousin and future second in command, We both know the Russian bratva is the most powerful, I need their connection”

Oh! So Viktor is the Russian bratva's heir that I have never met.

“But that doesn't mean you can decide my future behind my back and expect me to just accept it” I say in a lower tone.

“You always knew that your marriage would be an arranged one. Why are you making a fuss now?”

Really? A fuss?

“Am not making a fuss, am saying that this decision will change my life because I will no longer have the privilege to attend college and study literature as I have planned, the least you could do is not make me a fool in front of those people and inform me of the decision you have made beforehand”

“Listen Stella, I need this, you also need this, so get in there and sign the goddamn papers so the preparations of the engagement will start”

“No Dad, I will not be signing any papers, not now, not even three years from now”

“You don't get a say on the matter, read the papers and sign on each page and make sure you sign on the part that says you have agreed to all their conditions”, he says more impatiently. Wait conditions?

“What conditions, Papa?”

“You'll have to read it to find out”

“I don't care, I am not signing them”.

“Stella!” my father says in a very high tone that startles me.

“You will sign those papers and be useful for once in your life, either you sign those papers or I cut you off”

“You would never do that, I'm your only child”

He scoffs

“You would be surprised how many women would be more than happy to get pregnant for me”

My eyes widen in shock. Is he being serious?. Who is this man?. Where is the man I grew up with? Where is the man who said he would never abandon me like my mom did?.

“So, you've been waiting my whole life to just sell me off? Papa I just turned eighteen”

I say, the taste of salt hits my tongue and I realise I am crying. I don't cry, crying is for the weak.

“Your age doesn't matter, the family business and the connection with the Russians do”

I stand there, dumbfounded. This man is not my father. It's all about business for him; all along, he was just grooming me to sell me off.

“Now, you can either do this the easy way and go sign those papers now, or do it the hard way and risk being cut off from the family” he says with absolutely no remorse, this is so fucked up.

I brush past him and head inside, wiping my tears and plastering on my fake smile that I have perfected so well over the years. Only weak people cry.

I barge into the office and walk to my seat without looking anyone in the face. I sit and open the papers that will no doubt change my life.

The first page talks about the two families involved. On the second page, the date of the engagement is given.

On the third page, their conditions and demands are listed. It says I will be moving to Russia immediately after the wedding and will cut all ties with my family, the Russians will be my new family.

It also says that I will not be permitted to ask for any form of protection or help from my father, or the entire New York mafia, to be precise.

Their last demand is that I will not be permitted to be on the shot after the wedding and I will produce as many babies as their son wants. What?

My eyes shoot up and I look each and every person in the eyes.

“I'm not a baby factory”

“Stella” my father warns. Is he being serious?

I stand up from my seat and glare at my supposed future husband.

“Listen here you piece of shit, I am not a baby factory, if this marriage is to work, you will as well agree to my own conditions and I will not be used as a baby making machine” am out of breath by the time I finish talking and the asshole all but smirks.

“Get back to me when you're ready to remake the documents and include my conditions”

I walk out of the office and march to my room, more infuriated than I have ever been in my whole life. I get to my room and lock the door behind me not wanting any more disturbance. I sit on my bed and all the events of the night start barging in.

…You will sign those papers and be useful for once in your life….

…You don't get a say on the matter….

….surprised how many women would be more than happy to get pregnant….

…age does not matter ….you don't matter…risk getting cut off from the family…you don't matter…you don't matter…

I drift off to sleep with one thought in mind.

This marriage will not work