Under Ground Read Free Page B

if she’s about to reveal some big secret that
might change the world.
    “What?” I reply with feigned
enthusiasm.
    She doesn’t catch on to my sarcasm
though; she just giggles. “I received my engagement ring on
Saturday.”
    Melissa is lucky enough to have
been promised to a boy she knows well, someone her age. He’s the
son of her parents’ best friends. For some reason, they didn’t try
to match her to a higher position. They simply looked for someone
who was familiar. Melissa is carefree because she knows her match
is assured. She knows her mate will not back down or turn her
away.
    "We also set a date for our
prenuptial night," she continues.
    My stomach flips when she mentions
the dreadful topic. The pre-nuptial night is something I never want
to discuss, but Melissa always forces the subject upon
me.
    "In a month from now," she
continues. "How about you? Will you set the date when you meet
William?"
    I squirm. Can we please stop
talking about this?
    "I don't think we'll be discussing
that yet," I reply.
    At least, I hope not!
    "I really can't wait," she
adds.
    Well, that makes one of us. I
could wait forever and never be ready for it, but I keep my snide
remarks to myself, not wanting to spoil her good mood.

Chapter 3
    No one ever
cared to stop and wonder if William
might be to my taste. Not once! No one gives credit to a
silly girl’s feelings. I know nothing about William. I may end up
never loving him. Love is a taboo, a mere fantasy, a concept too
vague to ever take shape in reality. Only the luckiest girls may
get a glimpse of it—girls like Melissa.
    Today, I am to meet William and
his parents. I'm relieved that the meeting is finally happening,
but the tension inside me has become unbearable. My anxiety has
risen to the point where I’m nothing but a nervous wreck. What
if William turns me down? I’m not that special. He could find
someone better than me quite easily. I’ve heard dreadful stories
about girls who’ve been rejected and what it means for their
families. Most of those girls end up homeless because their parents
disown them and kick them out once they’ve become useless. A chill
runs down my spine. I don't want to end up in the streets. I want
my existence to have a meaning. But the game that is my life has
already begun and the dice are definitely loaded.
    For our meeting, we’ve invited
William’s family to dinner at our house. This is common practice.
It gives the groom's parents a chance to assess our assets and see
if we are a good match for their son or not. Mother has gone all
out with the preparations. All day long, the staff has been
cleaning the place. Each cushion, each sculpture, each painting had
to be dusted and placed in the perfect spot, to create a sense of
harmony and beauty. I’ve rarely seen my mother in such a state.
Every second threatens to bring on a nervous breakdown. Every word
coming out of her mouth is a snap, as harsh and cold as
ice.
    My hair has been washed, dried,
and styled this morning. I now need make-up and my dress. I have to
be the epitome of perfection. I’m shaking from all the stress. I
need to calm down, but Mother keeps pacing around, walking in
circles, trying to catch the smallest details that may have escaped
her scrutiny. She’s driving me crazy. I want to shake her into
standing still, at least for a moment, so I can find my breath. But
this pandemonium lasts all day long.
    Sounds of pans and dishes pour in
from the kitchen—the staff rushing around the house, whispering my
name. They are either trying to obey my mother's orders as
precisely as possible or avoid her as much as possible. No one
wants to be the object of her wrath.
    At six o’clock, everything’s
ready. The table is set with the nicest china, crystal glasses, and
silver candelabras. Each cushion is in its place—or at least in a
spot satisfying enough for my difficult mother. Everything’s
perfect, and we still have a full hour to wait. This is going to be
the