Forced to Marry my Sister’s Fiancé

Six.

And just like that Georgia found herself cruising through the familiar streets of Moore. No matter how much a lot seemed to have changed in the ten years since she’s left, the overall landscape didn’t change much. Only got a bit more modern.

She was never allowed out much as a kid, and seeing as she was homeschooled, she didn’t think much of it. But she always used to beg her cousins to sneak her out with them when they go out, and sometimes they do. Other times she snuck out on her own.

She never used to bother why she was homeschooled while her sister was not. They said she was sick and retarded, when she was far healthier than her sister, and she had great fun in even helping her with her homework sometimes which she had found quite easy. But no matter what she had said, her parents had never looked at her with more than a disapproving frown. And when it finally all came down on her 16th birthday, she knew there was no way she could continue to stay there again.

Shaking her head of the thoughts, she concentrated on the sleek road ahead. It was quite a bit into the afternoon, and they were plenty of cars on the road. And as she observed the expensive sport cars that wheezed by, with their sleek designs and polished exteriors, and the echoes of the laughs of whatever rich second generations were inside, she felt her hand tighten on the wheel. She really was back.

She took the time to observe the pedestrians who were crossing the road, and felt her eyes widen a little, wondering if she perhaps stumbled upon a fashion runway and not a zebra crossing. From the men and the women, to the aged and the young, were all stylishly dressed, showcasing trends that hadn’t quite made it in Roman city yet, their outfits displaying all sorts of designer labels as they moved with purpose. Most of them with their noses down on their phones tapping away.

Billboards dominated the cityscape, reaching up into the sky with advertisements for luxury brands, entertainment, and lifestyle. She couldn’t help but feel like an outsider. And taking a look at the clothes she wore, which she had gotten at a gas station in hopes to remain anonymous, she couldn’t help but cringe. There was no way she was meeting her judgmental family after ten years of absence in such an outfit. She was just begging to be laughed and mocked at.

She took her phone and called Anthony, just as the cars started moving again. His car was about two vehicles in front of hers. He picked up at the second ring, and immediately his inquisitive voice boomed, “what’s up cuz?! How are you liking Moore! Everything’s changed hasn’t it??”

“Yeah yeah. Mind taking a detour?” She asks with a smirk, knowing exactly what she had in mind.

•••••••••••••••••••••

“The mall..” Anthony deadpanned, jumping out of his car to come racing after her when she strutted ahead confidently without waiting for him.

“The mall..” He repeated when he caught up to her, a little bit out of breath.

“Well you don’t expect me to go home to mommy and daddy dearest in these do you?” She angled her head back at him with a sarcastic grin, making him wince at her words. This wasn’t going to be easy, he thought,

“But I don’t think you look bad,” He conceded, giving her a once over again. Same cargo shorts and big tee, she had removed the beanie to reveal long wavy voluptuous mass of brown hair that fell down to her lower black. She looked fine as hell, he concluded again.

“Of course you don’t,” She chortled, glacing at his outfit of choice. Though it was no doubt all designers, it was randomly put together, making it come off as tacky. But she wouldn’t tell him that. Men and their fragile egos.

Georgia could feel the eyes of many as they entered the mall, she got a bit apprehensive thinking she might’ve been recognized, only to sigh irritatedly when she found out they had been laughing at her, at what she was wearing more like. Thank god she thought of changing before she went to that nightmare house.

“Well? You’re the local, where to now?” She asks Anthony, after minutes of walking and not seeing the relevant shops in sight.

“Oh we should’ve used the east gate, it’s a bit farther from here,” He says apologetically when she glared at him. Did he not realize how tired she was? How long she’s been on the road? And exactly how hungry??

“Woah!..isn’t that young master Valentino? Jesus he’s so hot..” A voice called to the side, and they turned to see a group of giggling young women, giving eyes at Anthony and shooting glares at Georgia.

Really? Him? She thought, looking at anthony again. She really didn’t see it. Well she supposed she shouldn’t even be trying to see it.

“Sorry Georgie, one minute I promise,” Anthony says to her, his mouth in a smirk as he smoothed his hair, before he bounces off towards the girls, practically preening at their attention.

“Oh my god.” Georgia cringes, wincing at the image of that and hoping she could wipe it completely from her head forever. But with her photographic memory, not a chance.

‘Oh well, I guess I can find the the stores myself’ She thought, Anthony certainly didn’t seem like he’d be done any moment and he didn’t think she’d even wait for him did he?

With that, she looked towards east, and steadily moved forward. Uncaring of the looks she got. It even took a mildly interesting turn. Where people had been condescending before, some had even approached her now asking if she was making some sort of fashion statement, as she was far too ‘beautiful’ to be out dressing like that in this day and age.

She hadn’t even known how to take that, because it simply sounded like a nicely veiled insult, so she gave a stiff smile, and sidestepped them all together. God, she thought. She hadn’t been here more than 20 mins tops and she was already sick of Moore.

It took her about fifteen minutes of walk before she found the stores she had been looking for, and by then she was almost dead on her feet. Damn Anthony, making them follow through the hard way.

She looked around the stores, and with a disbelieving scoff, she realized the stores seemed to be separated. The designer stores were all segregated to the right while the non designer ones to the left. Even the customers that visited each shop, looked the part.

Well.. she thought as she cruised through the window displays at the designer shops. She certainly had to wear something named and expensive if she wanted not to be taken lightly. She dug her hands in her pockets reassured that the bundle of 100 dollar bills was still in my pockets. Should be enough right? Well, if not she could go get more in the car.

With that in mind, she came across a beautiful dress that she knew would perfectly fit her like it was made for her. She had found her dress, she thought as she bee-lined towards the entrance, not given the muscled security a second glance though he kept looking at her as if he was going to ask her something.

The moment she entered, a cool blast of ac breezed through her, making her shiver a bit in her light attire. The interior was very nice. The store was bathed in soft golden light that accentuated the lavish displays of clothing. The polished marble floors felt cool beneath her feet as she moved deeper into the store.

Approaching the dress that had caught her eye, she admired it up close. The fabric was a rich shade of sapphire blue, with intricate lace detailing that seemed to shimmer under the soft store lighting. Was it a bit much to wear just to see her family? Nope absolutely not. She wanted to intimidate. And she goddamn will. She might need their help but she would in no way grovel for it.

Just as she was lost in her thoughts, the heard the soft clicking of heels on the marble floors, and inclined her head to see what seemed to be a saleswoman approaching. She was young, and couldn’t have been more than 20 years old. Wearing tight fitting uniformed skirt and blouse and her hair in a painful looking ponytail. Her dolled up face was set subtly in a disapproving manner and her strides turned almost condescending as she approached.

At closer distance now, Georgia’s was immediately hit by the woman’s strong perfume and couldn’t help but cough a few times. The saleswoman seeing that halted, giving her a disgusted sneer, her judgmental gaze sweeping over Georgia, from her casual clothes to her expressive hair, as if assessing her worth. With a smug tone, the saleswoman remarked, "You might be in the wrong shop, dear. And you might want to carry around a nose mask sweetie, it’s very rude to be spraying germs in our atmosphere."

Georgia reeled back in shock, giving the small little thing another once over, before she scoffed, finally remembering what might’ve warranted the behavior. She had forgotten what she was even wearing, but still, dressed in rags or riches, Georgia wouldn’t allowed anyone to walk all over her. Not anymore.

"Oh, how thoughtful of you to worry about my germs contaminating your precious air," Georgia retorted with a sardonic smile, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But honey, this perfume thing you’ve got going there would knock a grown man off his feet. And not in a good way, trust me. But don't worry, I'll try to hold my breath and avoid coughing again in this perfume paradise you've got going on."

The onlookers in the store couldn't help but overhear the exchange, and a few suppressed giggles as Georgia's sharp wit left the saleswoman momentarily at a loss for words.

“How I wear my perfume in none of your business Ma’am.” The saleswoman finally found her voice as she glared hatefully at Georgia. She hated these lowly bumpkins who enter their stores and pretend to be some bigwigs, and this foolish one especially, who didn’t even bother to dress the part.

“Ma’am? Hm, so you do remember I am a customer?” Georgia winked at her, before turning back to the dress.

“No offense, but we don’t have anything of your..budget, in our shop, but you could try the shops across there. Am sure you can find something more befitting of you there.” The saleswoman said, not even bothering to soften her harsh words with a smile anymore.

Georgia paused, taking a look at the dress a final time, already resigned not to buy even a hairpin’s worth of good in the shop, and turned to the girl, her half lidded eye’s glaring into the eyes of the girl. “Oh, sweetie, no offense taken. I'm sure those budget shops you mentioned are just fine, but I'm here for something that screams luxury, not just a whisper of it. And it seems, your shop doesn’t quite make the cut either. I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.”

“It’s not as if you could afford it anyway lady, you’re just embarrassing yourself here,” The saleswoman with all sense of decorum gone, sneered.

Georgia simply rose a brow, then burrowed her hand into her pockets and dug out the thick wad of cash in them. “This is a bit crude, but you were yapping so much in my face I ought to shut you up, hadn’t I?” With that she pat the cheek of the salesman with the cash before sidestepping her without a second glance, her strides leisurely and confident, enticing a soft allure even in the dull clothes she wore.

Unbeknownst to both of them, a man stood silently at the back, having witnessed the whole thing, and he watched with his brows furrowed at the receding figure of Georgia, unable to shake the feeling of familiarity she induced.