Unholy matrimony

YENISSE

The words that change my life forever tumble from my father’s lips, “your sister is gone. You will have to take her place…at the altar.” His voice is firm and commanding.

“Dad?” I gasp in disbelief. “Is this some kind of joke?” Because there is no way I am going out there to marry that asshole of a sister's fiance.

“No, sweetheart. It's not a joke. It's the only way to salvage our family's honor.”

I feel like I've been punched in the gut. “What? No, Dad, I can't!” I protest, my voice is shaking.

My mother's eyes plead with me to reconsider. “Honey, please understand—”

It's no surprise how nice her tone is as she is about speaking to me and that's because she needs something from me. And I even feel more anger towards her for doing that.

But I cut her off, my mind racing. “How can you even ask me this? It's wrong on so many levels!” I think of my boyfriend, Oliver, who is seated already in the congregation. How will he feel seeing me walk down the aisle with another man?

My father's face hardens. "Your sister's actions have left us no choice. She humiliated our family by running away on her wedding day. You're the only one who can redeem our honor now.”

I shake my head, trying to understand why my parents have failed to see reasons with me. "But that's not fair! And what about Oliver? I can't just abandon him like this."

“Worry about your family first. Think about how this would affect your life, our lives. Now is the time to show you're truly a Billing.”

What does that even mean? Was being born into the Billing’s family not enough to make me a Billing? This is exhausting.

I walk towards the door but my father's words stop me in my tracks. “Your efforts will be futile. There is no running away from this.”

“I wasn't running away but there is no way I’m marrying Jude.” That is impossible. I don't even love him.

“What's so wrong with marrying Jude?” My mother asks.

“Everything mom. Diana is my sister. Are you forgetting that fact? And he's Diana's fiance. Not just fiance. They have been dating for two years now.”

“There is no big deal about that. After all, in the past, if a man’s wife is dead, the late wife’s sister can marry the husband," says my father.

“Dad!” I yell. “Really? Diana isn't even dead. That is totally not relatable to what's happening here. Besides, that was in the past, not now.” I can't believe he is bringing something like sororate marriage up when it's not connected or linked to us, our time or our tradition in any way.

“The past makes way for the present,” he voices. “I would love for you to see it like that because she is gone. She is nowhere to be found and you will do as you're told.”

I frown, my stomach churning. What exactly is going on? Diana runs away on her wedding day and now I'm being informed that I'm marrying Jude in her stead? This is ridiculous, and there is no way either Jude or Diana would accept this.

I run a hand through my hair, confused. “Have you spoken to Jude yet? Does he even know?”

“Yes. I think he has been informed by his parents.”

“And he is okay with this?” Jude hates me, his actions say it, and the way he looks at me says it, so there is no way he would agree to this. In that case, I'm sure of escaping this cruel fate.