The girl I used to be—the one who prefers chunky jewelry, flowy dresses, and messy buns—no longer exists. She was traded in for a diamond ring and a monthly allowance.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, Mother, I really should get changed.”
She ignores the not-so-subtle hint, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ears. “You'll make a beautiful bride.”
I stiffen. “One day. You mean I’ll make a beautiful bride–one day.”
I've hoped and prayed that I could put off the wedding for as long as humanly possible. Once a date is set, the nightmare becomes real. It means moving in with Anatoly and eventually having his children. I’ll be trapped, with no way out.
Her eyes flash with irritation. “Darling, you're twenty-five years old and not getting any younger. Do you think a man like Anatoly will wait forever?”
“I’m not rushing into a marriage before I feel ready.”
“Rushing? You’ve been engaged for a year.” She grabs my arm and her fingers dig into my flesh, shattering the illusion of a warm mother-daughter moment. “We need this marriage to happen, Liza. The monthly allowance Anatoly provides is generous, but it’s simply not enough to meet our needs. And don’t forget you're the one who insists on that hideously expensive school for your sister. If we didn’t have to pay those exorbitant fees?—”
"That's not up for debate," I say, my voice tight. Why is she bringing this up now?
Her eyes narrow. “You’re engaged—a wedding is the natural next step. Once you’re married, Anatoly will ensure Papa is given a lucrative position on the Petroviches’ board of directors.” She pauses, her expression hardening. “Think about the future, Liza. It’s not just about you. This affects all of us. Sofiya as well.”
There it is. My mother knows my weakness. Everything I do is for Sofiya. Without Anatoly's money, we'd be out on the street, and my sister’s comfortable life and fine education would be ripped away.
My throat tightens, and anger burns in my gut. I'm tempted to remind her that if she had reined in my father's gambling and wasn't so obsessed with keeping up appearances, we wouldn’t be in this mess. But I’m really not in the mood for a lecture on how ‘family comes first, no matter the personal cost,’ so I keep silent. She twists everything I say anyway.
I take a steadying breath and address her as calmly as I can. “Anatoly is busy running the family business while his father is getting cancer treatment. A wedding is the last thing on his mind.”
My mother strokes my cheek, her expression blank. “You really should get dressed.”
She turns to leave, and I try my best to ignore the uneasy feeling lodged in my chest.
An hour later, I’m slipping into a pair of dangerously tall Louboutins when my bedroom door swings open with a burst of energy. Without a glance, I know exactly who it is.
“Lizka, I’ve missed you.” My sister smiles, wrapping her arms around me. “Honestly, this semester has felt never-ending.”
Sofiya might be eight years my junior, but at seventeen, she’s nearly my height, which always takes me by surprise. In my mind, she’ll forever be the gangly girl with pigtails and a gap-toothed grin. But that’s definitely not the woman in front of me now.
“I’ve missed you too.” I step back to take in her dark waves, so much like mine. “We have an hour before the guests arrive. Tell me everything that's been going on with you.” I rub my hands in anticipation. “Spill all your secrets.”
Sofiya rolls her eyes and flops down onto my bed with a theatrical sigh. “Secrets? As if. The nuns don’t allow you to keep any secrets in that prison of a boarding school.”
I toss a throw pillow at her and carefully perch on the edge of the bed, because that’s all I can manage in this tight dress.“Oh, come on. They’re not that bad.”
I graduated from the same boarding school over seven years ago, back when my parents still had money. Kira and Anatoly also attended, which is where we all first met.
“They are! Alina Solovyova was suspended for a week because the headmistress found letters from a boy under her pillow.” She smirks. “The letters did have some explicit details about the time they’d spent together over the summer, but still. It’s none of their business what we do in our personal lives.”
“Speaking of personal lives… Have you met anyone special?”
She gives a little half-smile. “There’s this one guy, Denis, from the boy’s school. He’s pretty cute, but it’s not like we can see much of each other. The nuns make sure we’re never alone.”
I laugh softly. “Yeah, I remember how good they were at keeping us out of trouble.”
She arches an eyebrow. “Like you ever got into any trouble. I bet you were a perfect student, just like you’re a perfect daughter and a perfect fiancée.”
“I’m far from perfect,” I’m quick to say, but I’m well aware that's the façade I've maintained to the world, including her.
“Well, you’re obviously doing something right.” She scoops up my left hand, admiring the princess cut diamond ring on my finger. A ring that feels more like a ball and chain than a declaration of love.
She props her head in her hands. “I swear, you’re so lucky to have found the man of your dreams.”