It was the middle of the night when the rain started pouring heavily. The sky was cloudy, and the shining crescent moon was hidden behind the dark clouds. Inside a fancy restaurant was Ivy, the daughter of a rich businessman in the city. Today was going to be Ivy's last night as a single woman; she was set to marry her father's best friend's son. The restaurant was filled with laughter. They had just gotten engaged and invited close friends and family to celebrate.
Everyone was happy except Ivy. This was not what she wanted.
She never planned to be married at the age of 23. She wanted to live her life as she saw fit, but her father had other plans. Ivy had just returned from abroad, and instead of receiving a warm welcome, her father told her she was getting married in three days. No warning. If she had known, she would never have returned to this city. She would have made up an excuse, maybe an expired passport that needed renewal or a sudden lockdown in the country, just something her father could easily believe.
The music was loud. Glasses clinked. Someone laughed too hard near the buffet table.
Ivy lifted her champagne and took a small sip. It burned down her throat. She swallowed slowly, forcing the liquid down, forcing the smile to stay on her lips. People congratulated her. A few women touched her arm and said she was lucky.
Lucky.
She had no choice, her father's words were always final, and no one ever objected to them. Sometimes Ivy wondered if her father really loved her. Ever since her mother died and he remarried, he had become distant and estranged from her. She could still remember the day of the funeral. Her father did not cry. He only took calls outside the church.
Ivy forced a smile at the strangers she called guests as she held her champagne. Her fingers were tight around the glass. From behind, her fiance kissed her neck.
Her shoulders stiffened. Ivy quickly moved away from him.
"What are you doing?"
Her voice was low but sharp.
"What? You're going to be my wife, so get used to it… tsk, tsk. I can't wait for our wedding night, Ivy Queen."
He gave a wide smirk as his hand moved from her face down toward her chest.
The room suddenly felt smaller. Ivy slapped his hand away. The sound was louder than she expected.
"Don't touch me," Ivy said, irritated by his behavior.
Her breath was uneven. She placed the champagne back on the table before she crushed the glass in her hand.
He leaned closer, his smile fading for a second, eyes dark.
He was about to react when Ivy's father approached with his wife, Ivy's stepmother.
"Is everything alright here?" Mr. Gavin asked.
Immediately, Gary smiled, grabbing Ivy's waist and kissing her cheek. Ivy froze.
"Yes, Mr. Gavin. Your daughter and I are getting to know each other."
His fingers pressed into her waist. She tried to shift away but his grip tightened.
Mr. Gavin smiled at the sight of his daughter and future son in law together.
"I'm glad. I'm so happy that my daughter is going to marry my best friend's son, a good boy like you. Your father would be so proud if he were alive," Mr. Gavin said.
Gary smiled while Ivy tried to break free from his grip. Her nails dug into her own palm instead.
"Don't worry, Mr. Gavin. Your daughter is in safe hands… my hands," Gary said, smiling greedily at Ivy.
His thumb rubbed against her waist slowly.
Mr. Gavin smiled and left them to enjoy themselves while he went to greet other guests.
The moment he turned his back, Gary leaned closer.
"See… you and your little daddy's company are mine. Once we're married, I'll inherit all your wealth and lock you in a basement to die. But first, you will bear my son."
His breath brushed her ear. Ivy felt cold and threatened.
Gary released her and walked over to his friends as if nothing had happened. They laughed. Someone poured him a drink.
Knowing his true reason for wanting to marry her, Ivy felt helpless. Her own father trusted him more than he trusted her.
She looked at the exit. The rain was still falling outside, heavy against the glass doors. Ivy wished there was a way to break free from the hellish life she was about to enter. If only there was a way… a way to escape this fate.
Her chest tightened.
After a while, still wishing for a way to escape, multiple cars parked outside the restaurant, some blocking the road and causing a disturbance.
Headlights flashed through the glass.
The music inside continued for a few seconds before people started murmuring.
Everybody in the restaurant noticed but said nothing.
The car doors opened, and heavily armed men stepped out. One by one. Boots hitting wet ground. They surrounded the restaurant. Conversations stopped.
From one of the most outstanding cars, a woman dressed entirely in black stepped out. Her coat was long, almost reaching the ground, and her tie was slightly loose.
The moment she stepped out, the men bowed to her.
Ivy frowned. She did not understand why the air suddenly felt heavy. She held two guns as she walked toward the restaurant.
The doors opened. The sound of rain grew louder for a second before the doors closed again. Everyone panicked because they knew who she was. Everyone, well except Ivy.
"What is Beam doing here?" a trembling voice whispered behind Ivy.
"The devil is here… everyone run," another muttered.
The moment she entered, the atmosphere changed. No one laughed anymore, the music stop. Only breathing.
She stood in front of everyone like a ruler surveying her subjects.
Only two of her men followed her, one female and one male, both wearing black shades and holding short guns in their hands.
"Which one of you motherfuckers is Antonio?" Beam asked, standing like a boss about to fire an employee.
Her voice was calm. That was worse. No one spoke. Someone dropped a spoon. The room was dead silent.
"Are your tongues cut off? That better be the reason for this silence. If not, I will personally rip out every single one of your tongues and feed them to my dogs."
A woman near the bar covered her mouth.
Everyone looked at one another, wondering who Antonio was.
"You have 5 seconds to produce a Antonio, or everyone is dying here tonight."
Before Beam could continue, Gary pushed a man beside him forward.
"That's Antonio," he said.
Antonio stumbled. He looked at Gary in shock. His best friend had just sold him out. Sweat rolled down his temple.
"So you are Antonio?" Beam studied him as he trembled.
The man had wet his pants.
"Ohhhh… Tonio wet himself," she mocked, pointing one of her guns at him. "Where is my money, Antonio?"
Antonio's hands trembled as he glanced in Gary's direction.
"Oi. Look at me, not him. I'll ask again, where the hell is my money?"
"I… I don't have it, Beam."
"You don't have it, Beam?" she mimicked playfully.
Her finger rested on the trigger.
"Please, Beam. I promise I'll find your money and give it to you. I promise. Please don't kill me."
"Okay," Beam said, removing the gun from his head.
Antonio's body relaxed slightly. A few guests exhaled quietly. Beam looked toward Gary and walked up to him.
"Do you know that Antonio?"
"No. I've never met him before."
"Really? But you were the one who pushed him forward and called his name."
"Hahaha… I only just met him tonight. He told me his name was Antonio and that he was just a guest. You see, tonight is my engagement. I'm getting married tomorrow," Gary said, his voice shook slightly.
"Oh? An engagement without an invitation?"
"I was going to send one tonight for my wedding tomorrow, but I thought you would be busy. You're always a busy person."
"I am never too busy for a wedding. Who is the lucky girl?"
Gary searched for Ivy with his eyes. When he spotted her, he walked over, pulled her forward, and presented her to Beam. Ivy's heart pounded. Beam stared at Ivy from head to toe and whistled.
"You have good taste in women."
She grabbed the champagne glass from Ivy.
Their fingers brushed for a second.
"Cheers to a very happy engagement."
She drank the champagne in one gulp and handed the empty glass back to Ivy.
Ivy's hand shook slightly as she held it.
Beam placed one gun on Gary's shoulder and smiled at him. The smile did not reach her eyes.
"Everyone, you may continue your party."
She raised her guns to both sides of her shoulder, and her guards followed her toward the exit. The doors closed.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then Antonio smirked slightly and turned away. Multiple gunshots echoed outside.
The sound tore through the room.
Everyone screamed and dropped to the ground. Glasses shattered. Someone cried.
When they slowly looked up, Antonio's body lay covered in blood near the entrance.
Red spread across the white floor.
"No one steals from me and gets to live another day," Beam said before leaving.