Written by: Yeritza Mejia
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She was in front of the mirror, rocking from side to side, like she’s going to fall but in fact she doesn’t, they won’t let her. Moving around her like bees around honey, preparing her for the wedding, her wedding. The white dress gives her an elegant and sophisticated look, and the corset that she’s wearing make her skinnier, with more curves, and pushes up the breasts.
Everyone is dancing to the sound of the music, all of the women wearing corsets so tight that they look like a hourglass, literally! Rapidly the music changed and the just married couple makes their entrance in the dance floor. Turning around a mark point they are smiling at each other, their enraptured look causing envy in the bachelors. The women who always wanted to marry Dante Dior; a man with penetrating black eyes and black straight hair like onyx, have lost their opportunity. By their side the men are looking at Isabelle Castellan now Isabelle Dior, blond with color emerald eyes and delicate curves, heir to a big fortune, just like Dante.
At the now unified family table everyone is happy about this event, the plan went like silk. Being together since they teenagers waiting for the future to fall in love, get married, and join both families. Or at least that’s what they think.
“Dante, do you love me”
“Of course I do Isabelle, why are you’re asking that?”
“Because I think that our love is like the one between siblings, but not like a couple”
“Isabelle, my lovely and innocent Isabelle, don’t you think that it is too late to think of that already? We’re married, and from now on you just have to think of our future”
“Yes, you’re right” (she responds, softly)
“That’s my wife, and this night, my woman” (Dante says, kissing his wife)
“Dante…” (Isabelle starts again)
“What?” (Dante claimed between kisses)
“Wait until tonight! It isn’t proper…”
She can’t even finish because Dante kisses her again. When he finished everyone is quiet and then starts to laugh, “they are just in love” the people say, trying to ignore the awkward moment that just happened. After the party is over the couple finally leaves. Their honeymoon will be in Isabelle’s favorite place, Italy. But there’s something waiting for her which isn’t the nicest surprise.
Almost two weeks after they arrived in Italy…
“Isabelle we’re going to the theater tonight where we will meet some of my old friends”
“Okay” (anticipating a wonderful evening)
After the play, she tells her husband how much she liked the presentation.
“It was acceptable” (Dante suggest, in a dismissive tone)
“Who are you looking for?” (Isabelle ask, seeing Dante peering at the crowd)
“Oh, just… Wait he’s there” (answer Dante)
“Who…”
Isabelle looks in front of her, to see an impressive man walking in their direction. It is Christopher Austen, tall with widths shoulders, and the sexier and sweetest lips that her eyes have ever seen. His red hair like fire and gray eyes could make a person need extra oxygen even though surrounded by air.
“Dante” (Christopher exclaimed)
“Christopher” (Dante)
“What bring you here?”
“First I want to present you my wife Isabelle”
(Christopher bows and kisses Isabelle’s hand. Isabelle tries to control her face not to reveal that she knows exactly who Christopher is. In fact they met each other as children.)
“Beautiful Isabelle, you have a lovely wife Dante, You’re a lucky man”
Immediately Isabelle’s cheeks become pink and Christopher gives her a small but ironic smile. But neither one realizes that Dante is observe more than they thought and that the night is not going to end well for Isabelle. Once back in the house the problems begin:
“Isabelle!”
“Yes?”
(Dante hits her on the face)
“Ah! What was that for!?” (She yells at him)
“For acting slippery with Christopher! You are my wife, not a tramp.”
(Hurt and shocked Isabelle can barely speak)
“What are you talking about? I didn’t do that!”
“Now you deny it, after you act like a hooker!”
(Dante hits her again and again)
Isabelle pulls away from Dante and walks to the door.
“Where are you going?, You’re my wife”
“That doesn’t make me your slave” (she is crying as she goes out)
She’s walking in the garden, which has a maze shape. Remembering when she was little running through the same paths that she wonders now, with Christopher on her back, reaching the center. There’s a bench made of rock in the middle surrounded by red roses, eight years ago Christopher kissed her by first time in the same place. Then a lonely tear comes out of her eye…
“I knew you were here”
(Isabelle turns and finds Christopher before her)
“Christopher, what are you doing here?”
He kisses her, Isabelle knows that is wrong but a dark cloud envelops her mind preventing her from thinking clearly, and she lets it carry her away…
“I love you”
“I love you too”
“Isabelle”
(Isabelle looks at him helplessly)
“I’m leaving tomorrow”
All the love that Isabelle was feeling changes to fear, surprise, desperation and sadness.
“What? Why? Where…”
“Shh… I’m in the military, and we’re going to war. On my return we two can run away together”
(Christopher kisses her again but does not stop… they push their love into a act that will lead to a secret consequence)
It’s been three weeks since Christopher went to fight. Isabelle persuaded Dante to stay in Italy and to not take them back to England for a while. The night before Christopher return, while Isabelle is sleeping something tightens her heart filling her with fear.
“Tell me that is not true! Tell me that he’s alright! Lie to me but tell me that he’s coming back!”
The employer that was giving her information for the past eight months looks at her with shame and sadness. Although he sees how she’s braking apart with pain, she knows that he won’t lie to her.
“No!”
She runs out of the house to the backyard, because there’s just one place in the whole universe where she wants to be. Sitting on the bench, surrounded now by dead roses, Isabelle has being crying for more than half an hour, when she finally hears a sound. The rose’s petals move as if by magic and spell out a message, in the same place where Isabelle and Christopher consummated their love.
“I’ll wait for you”
She stands on the same place when she feels a pair ghostly of arms around her and one last kiss on her lips before everything becomes normal again and the roses aren’t more than dry leaves.
Sixty-five years later Isabelle and Christopher are observing their son, Christian become a military and has his first daughter Mirabelle. They watch from the sky, where they can be together and love each other forever and ever.