Vera prayed for herself as she stepped out of the car, she prayed for herself as she stepped up onto the church stairs, she prayed for herself as she pushed the church doors open, she prayed for herself when she noticed a woman standing with her back to the aisle wearing a white dress and a veil covering her face.

Tommy's gun in her hand as she followed the red carpet down the aisle.

Vera couldn't stop her lower lip from trembling as she prepared herself, she tried not to fear the worse.

She noticed Antonio stand up from the front of the pews, she noticed as he stepped next to the bride.

Antonio shoved the woman around to face Vera, Vera stopped in the middle of the aisle as Antonio forced the veil over the woman's head.

Vera breathed out her fear as she noticed Zasha, she couldn't see any physical marks over Zasha's face.

"So, Seeing this whore wear this ring." He forced Zasha's hand to raise as he stretched out Zasha's hand uncomfortably to show off the Melana ring "You're a lesbian?" He laughed "Or is this woman a thief?" He dropped Zasha's hand by her side.

Vera didn't respond.

"We could've had some fun." He ran the back of his fingers down Zasha's face "This one knows when to talk and when to shut up. Isn't she a good little girl?" Antonio toyed with Zasha as his breathed blew onto her face.

Zasha couldn't hide her fear.

"I see you got a new dress. Clearly daddy has the money for his little princess to waste." Vera taunted him.

Antonio reached his free hand behind his back before lifting out his gun from his pants, he pressed it against the temple of Zasha's head.

Tears fall heavily down Zasha's cheeks as she struggled to stay still, she felt Antonio's arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

Vera shrugged "Kill her than. What makes you think I care about someone who bakes cakes?"

Antonio didn't understand what was happening, he thought he knew what Vera would do.

"You're really going to kill the best cater in town?" Vera calmly stated, "The woman whose catering your wedding?" She rubbed it into Antonio's face.

"Our wedding." He spat as Zasha struggled to contain her cries.

"No, not ours. Never ours. I would rather piss on an electric fence than marry you." Vera admitted, she didn't move from her spot.

Antonio adjusted his grip on the gun that was pressed to Zasha's temple.

"That woman that you have by your side, she didn't steal the ring. So, if you shot her." Vera shrugged casually.

Zasha squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the end of the gun press harder into her temple.

"Shoot her, Antonio." Vera encouraged him "Shoot the damn baker." The tone of her voice sounded stern.

Antonio felt conflicted. He had never killed anyone before, it was the one thing that made him nothing like his father. "Tonight..."

Vera didn't get Antonio finish his sentence as she calmly shot him.

Zasha couldn't help but let a scream out as Antonio's body dropped to the floor, she feared it was her that was shot.

"Run" Vera stepped towards Antonio and Zasha.

Zasha opened her eyes as she noticed Antonio's lifeless body laying next to her.

"NOW!" Vera ordered.

Zasha didn't need to be told again as she ran straight out of the church.

Vera towered over Antonio's lifeless body, blood seeping from the back of his head "At least I know you got your mouth from." She raised tommy's gun over Antonio's chest before shooting him in the chest, in the heart. She turned her gaze around the church "I hope your watching this. You shot my father; I shot your son."

Vera calmly walked out of the church; she didn't feel scared. She felt like she was only just starting to see the light of controlling her own life as she calmly stepped down the church stairs.

Vera wasn't mad at the boys for not driving Zasha away, she would've preferred if they drove off, but she knew they wouldn't of left Vera before.

She calmly climbed into the car "Tommy." She leaned forward and reached the gun to Tommy as she used her other hand to close the door.

Tommy twisted slightly to take the gun before using his jacket to wipe over Vera's prints.

"Mr Tonio will be coming, we all know that. For now, we're going to act like nothing happened."

Tony took that as his cue to start driving.

The two males nodded, Tommy reached under his seat and placed the gun underneath.

"You told him to shoot me!?" Zasha struggled to find her words.

"And?" Vera carelessly shrugged as she leaned back in her seat.

Tony looked up in the rear-view mirror, he could see Zasha's expression.

Everyone in the car knew Vera had rules but this time, this time felt different. This time it felt like Vera had knowingly put her family in danger.

"Vera! You told him to shoot me!" Zasha repeated.

"If he wanted to kill you, he would've done it before I got there." Vera finally looked at Zasha, noticing how scared and anger her girlfriend as "Your just lucky Mr Tonio wasn't there. That fucker has no heart."

"Vera, if you hadn't noticed I'm the only black person in this car." Zasha complained.

"It's not because your black." Vera sighed "It's because you're a woman and I'm a lesbian." She didn't flinch when she finally called herself a lesbian even though she had spent years conflicting over her sexual orientation. "This world is a man's world; you have to be white and male to get ahead in this game. I'm only white, I don't give a shit about the males. I've spent more time trying to protect my image and my family than I have trying to conform to fucking rules that just end up being a pissing contest."

"I could've died tonight; Vera and you think this is a fucking joke." Zasha let her tears roll down her face "I don't give a shit about some pissing contest. I give a shit that I was caught in the middle of it, I give a shit that my fiancée just told someone to shot me. How do you think that makes me feel?"

Tony stopped the car at a red light as Vera thought of her answer. Both Tommy and Tony looked up in the rear-view mirror as everyone waited for Vera to speak.

Vera looked out the car window as she failed to find her words. She couldn't look at Zasha's face, she didn't want to look at the pain all over Zasha's face, she didn't want to give a lie to Zasha. Vera just stayed silent.

Zasha lowered her head as she let her tears fall.

"Alright, I see it." Tony heard a car horn as he flicked his eyes up to the now green light, he drove the car along the road back to the Melana house.

The driver home was long and silent except with Zasha's muffles of a cry.