As we approached the front door, it swung open, revealing a warm, golden light that spilled out onto the driveway. Zuerien's mother, Mrs. Zukor, stood in the doorway, a warm smile on her face. "Welcome, Ava! We're so glad you could join us tonight. Come on in, Hello Kate."
She greeted us with a warm smile doing very little to ease my weariness, but I smiled anyways. We walked into the lavishly furnished living room, our heels clicking against the tiled marble floor that reflected every damn corner of the house.
"Thank you Margaret, Your home is absolutely stunning. I'm so glad our families are finally uniting."
Mrs. Zukor laughed, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Yes, it's a match made in heaven! Our children will make a beautiful couple, don't you think?"
I doubt that.
My mother nodded vigorously, her voice equally sugary. "Absolutely! They're perfect for each other. And think of the business opportunities, our companies will thrive together."
I felt a surge of annoyance at their overly nice conversation, the way they spoke about me and Zuerien like we were mere pawns in their game of wealth and power. I forced a smile, trying to play along, but inside, I seethed with resentment. I don't want this, but I didn't have a choice.
Just as the two mothers were about to exchange another round of fake unnecessary conversation, the sound of the door opening cut through the air, followed by sharp and precise footsteps. Few seconds later, A man appeared at the entrance of the living room, dressed in a black attire. My heart rate spiked up, it was him, Zurien Zukor, the Man I was going to marry. I've seen pictures of him online but he looked different in person, he looked taller, and more than I'd like to admit, better looking.
I immediately sighed in relief, he just unknowingly saved me from this torture. I felt like I was going to puke if they didn't stop talking as if they've been best friends forever.
I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his coat slung over one arm and a bouquet of flowers in his hand. His eyes met mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other. I felt a flutter in my chest, which I quickly suppressed by looking away.
Zuerien's mother beamed at him, her eyes shining with pride. "Zuerien, darling! You're just in time. We were just talking about you and your wife to be."
At the mention of me, his eyes met mine again before looking back at our mothers. Then he started walking towards us, the clicks of his shoes against the floor resonating around the quiet space. "These are for you." He held out the flowers, a mix of roses and lilies, and I felt a surge of surprise but I didn't let it show, I stared blanky at the flowers in his hands.
My mother nudged me forward, her voice whispering in my ear. "Take them, Ava. Be gracious."
I took the flowers, trying to hide my discomfort. "Thank you. They're lovely." I hate flowers.
Zuerien didn't smile one bit, and I wondered if he saw through my forced politeness. But then, he didn't look like he wanted to be here. He turned to our mothers. "Shall we go in? Dinner is waiting."
As we walked into the dining room, everything felt like a nightmare. The flowers in my hand felt like a symbol of the fake smile plastered on my face, and the suffocating expectations that surrounded me.
Our mothers continued their overly sweet conversation as they walked ahead of us. I could feel Zuerien's dominating presence beside me but I chose to ignore it.
Soon we reached the dinning room and the aroma of roasted meats and steaming vegetables enveloped me, making my mouth salivate. I was famished, I hadn't eaten anything after the pasta I had in the morning, my mother had made me occupied with looking perfect for this prestigious dinner that she forgot that I had to eat too, not that I could due to all the nervousness swimming through me. The table was set with fine china and crystal glasses, and the soft glow of candlelight cast a warm glow over the room. I wished we could have meals like this at home, but all my mom would ever allow on the table was grass.
Zuerien took out my seat for me like a gentleman. I gave him a little smile and thanked him before taking my seat, he then took his seat across table right across me and I tried my best to ignore his presence but time to time, I could feel his eyes on me, sense his gaze lingering on my skin. I shivered, despite the warmth of the room, and focused on the array of dishes before me.
Mrs. Zukor, Zuerien's mother, took her seat at the head of the table, a regal smile on her face. "What about your husband Kate?." Mrs Zukor asked.
"He's out of the state for business at the moment, we didn't know this moment would come so soon, our deepest apologies." Was I dreaming?, cause I could sense the nervousness in my mother's voice.
"That's fine, just make sure it doesn't happen again." Zurien stated firmly.
"Of course." my mother replied with a nervous smile. I didn't say anything, no one asked me anything anyways, and mother preferred to answer things her own way. I learned through my mother that Zurien had lost his father at a young age, so it was basically just him and his mother. This beautiful house was the house he built for his mother.
"So let's begin, shall we? Ava, dear, would you like to try some of the roasted duck?" Mrs Zukor asked me.
I nodded, my mouth watering at the prospect. But before I could respond, my mother interrupted.
"Oh, Ava's on a diet, Margaret. She can't eat rich foods like that." she lied through her teeth, I could feel her hand on my thigh, her manicured fingers digging into my skin. It simply meant one thing. Behave.
I felt a surge of annoyance at my mother's words. Why did she always have to speak for me? And why did she have to bring up my diet in front of Zuerien and his family?. And I'm not on a diet, she's making me go on a diet so I would look 'less fat' as she calls it.
I forced a smile, trying to play along. "Yes, Mother's right. I'll be having something healthy if it won't be a bother."
Zuerien's eyes met mine, a hint of scrutiny in their depths. I immediately looked away, simply because his eyes were deep and scary, it felt like he was seeing through the facade I had on.