Page 19 of Pretty Plaything
But then again, he’s the last Bellini.
I don’t have to be a genius to figure out what he needs from me. The thought makes me shudder.
But I’ll survive, right?
Like my mom did, and her mother before her, and so on.
The women in our family have been doing this for ages, so why can’t I do the same?
I’ll smile and try to look pretty.
It’s what everyone expects of me, anyway.
I’ll play my role.
But why does my chest feel so empty then? Why does my existence feel pointless?
Why can’t I be happy about any of this?
Maybe because I shouldn’t.
My happiness doesn’t matter.
It never will.
Chapter 9
MY WEDDING DAY COMESall the soon.
As I stand in front of a mirror in one of the rooms of the Lionetti Castle, I chew on the inside of my cheek. My palms are all clammy, and my stomach is so tight as if an invisible hand is squeezing it.
I glance through the window.
It’s a wonderful day. The sun is shining as brightly as possible, and the sky is so amazingly blue it almost doesn’t seem real.
The castle is beautiful too. It’s been in my family for a very long time, and it’s like an actual castle from a fairytale, with four high towers.
