Part 98

98

New Story

"Is Mom crazy? Arranging a marriage for me with that village girl?" Bryan shook his head. "I refuse, Mom! Marry Alesya? As you know, she's a truly rural woman. Where can I show my face if she becomes my wife?" He slumped onto the couch.

Bryan massaged his temples, which throbbed with pain due to his mother's request that he marry Alesya, a village girl and the daughter of Mr. Aditama, his father's business associate.

"What can we do? Alesya's parents have done a lot for our family. As you know, Dad's business wouldn't be as big as it is without Mr. Aditama's help. They helped distribute agricultural tools to the villages, allowing us to live comfortably.

I see Alesya as beautiful and kind. There's nothing wrong with her. It's just you who are too obsessed with metropolitan women. Always dressed provocatively with cleavage showing everywhere." Mariana sneered. "Alesya is modestly dressed, even if it's not modern. But a little makeover, and she'll be much prettier than your girlfriend."

"No, I just won't marry a rural woman, no matter what the reason!"

"I don't care. You must marry Alesya, whatever the reason."

"But, Mom—"

"What?!"

"Dad also doesn't care, Yan. You and Alesya must get married. The wedding will take place exactly forty days after Aditama's death. There's no refusal if you still want to be the leader in the company."

The argument between Bryan and Mariana ended. When the leader in their lives came to give an ultimatum and an invitation.

"W-what is this, Dad?" Bryan's hand trembled as he touched a wedding invitation on his father's desk.

"It's your wedding invitation to Alesya. All the wedding preparations have been completed, and next week you will get married. Don't worry about Shabila; I've sent her an invitation to her home!"

"N-no way." Bryan shook his head. "This can't be. I can't believe Dad would hurt his own child like this without approval. Dad heartlessly forces me to marry that village girl!"

"Living in the village doesn't mean she's not suitable for you to marry. So don't act like that. Be good and obedient to us."

"No, Dad!"

"Feel free to leave if you disagree!"

Bryan's mouth hung open. He stared in disbelief at the words that came out of his father's mouth, who was willing to drive him away just for Alesya.

"Why does it have to be me?" Bryan asked in a low, subdued voice. Suppressing all the anger that had enveloped him. He realized that fighting against his father couldn't be done with force like before.

"Don't I have other siblings, Dad? It's not just me who's constantly pressured like this, while you know that Shabila and I have had a relationship for a long time. Why does it have to be me, while Nicholas has never been seen in a relationship with any woman? So why not choose Nicholas?"

"Nicholas is still in college, and he's not interested in the company at all. As you know, your brother prefers to experiment with recipes in the kitchen. He's not fit to be Alesya's companion, who will inherit all of her father's wealth. And one thing you should know, Alesya has everything, even though she lives in the countryside. You can easily turn her into a city girl if that's what's bothering you."

"Still, I can't. What about my feelings and Shabila?"

"It can be arranged. Over time, Dad believes that both of you will come to love each other. And Shabila will find new love."

Bryan shook his head, rubbing his face roughly. A heavy sigh escaped his mouth and nose. The morning debate with his parents kept replaying in his mind. Even though the debate ended with Bryan agreeing to marry Alesya, he still couldn't accept it.

"What's going on, Yan? Your wedding invitations are out, but it's not my name on them!" shouted a woman, dressed provocatively. She threw two wedding invitations onto Bryan's desk.

"I don't know," Bryan muttered. He glanced briefly at the woman who was none other than Shabila. Trying to persuade Shabila felt impossible to Bryan because he had no strength to cancel all of his father's plans.

No matter how much he argued, it was useless because his father's orders had never been violated. No matter what.

"I don't know, but you're willing to marry Alesya. You're not a child, Yan! You understand this already; when there's an invitation, it means almost all of the wedding preparations are already done. Moreover, your father is not just anybody, and I'm sure everything is ready," Shabila began to sob. She felt short of breath now. She couldn't bear to imagine what it would be like to be left behind when Arya got married.

After years of being in a relationship with Arya, it had to end just like that, of course that was impossible. She wouldn't allow their relationship to end just like that because Shabila loved Arya deeply.

"I swear, Sa," Bryan got up and cupped Shabila's cheeks. "I never knew about all of this. Suddenly this morning, Dad came and told me all of this. I can swear on anything; this has nothing to do with me, purely Dad's desire to repay Alesya's father."

"But, Yan..."

"You don't need to worry, Sa. Even if I have to follow Dad's wishes, I can assure you that it won't change anything in our relationship. You and I will stay the same as we are now, even though I'll be married."

Shabila shook her head, pushing away Bryan's hands that were on her cheeks. "Like this? Just like this? Until when do I have to be your lover with no clarity at all? Even after you get married, I'll still be a mistress, and I'll be labeled as a homewrecker!"

"So what do you want?"

"My wish? Are you sure you want to ask what I want?"

Bryan nodded, ready to listen and fulfill Shabila's desires. Anything. Bryan was even willing to give her a piece of his heart if that's what Shabila wanted.

"I want us to get married. Before you and that woman get married, so I won't be the second wife. And after you two get married, I have to live with both of you!!" The corners of Shabila's lips lifted. "Why are you silent? Can't you do it?"

Bryan, pushed into a corner, fell silent. He wasn't sure he could fulfill Shabila's wish. However, seeing Shabila's tears wetting her cheeks, Bryan nodded, albeit faintly, agreeing to Shabila's request. This caused the girl in a short dress above her knees to jump into Bryan's arms.

"I'll take care of all the paperwork for our wedding," Shabila whispered. Before leaving the room, she added, "I'll make it happen."

Forcing a smile, Bryan let Shabila go, hoping for a miracle that would prevent him from having two wives.

While Bryan was overwhelmed by the pressure from both his parents and Shabila's plans, in a corner of the village, there was a girl smiling sadly, gazing at two side-by-side mounds of earth—where her parents rested. 

"Father, Mother, what should I do?" she murmured. Squeezing the two tombstones tightly. Alesya, the girl, came to her parents' graves to find strength. She had to accept an arranged marriage that was supposed to be done so her future in-laws would pay her father's debt. A debt that claimed her father's life. A debt whose origins were unknown but had devoured all of her parents' assets and savings.

"What about us if you accept this arranged marriage?"

A man asked Alesya, who was still sitting among her parents' graves.

Alesya didn't need to lift her face to know who the man was. Just hearing his voice, Alesya knew who he was. The man who had filled her heart for the past two years.

"Don't ask how. Because you already know the answer. Because you know I will never be able to pay off all of Father's debt, even if I have to sell every organ in my body."

"That means you're accepting it, Al?"

Alesya nodded. "Not accepting. But I'm forced to do everything so that this land and house aren't seized by the bank."

"Alright." The man sighed deeply, squeezing Alesya's shoulder. "I hope you'll be happy with him."

"Thank you."

One word as a substitute for a farewell with her lover. It hurt, but Alesya would pretend not to feel anything, for her own sake. Marrying a stranger wasn't an easy matter for a woman unfamiliar with the outside world like her.

It had been forty days since her father had passed away. Leaving Alesya alone with a debt that "supposedly" amounted to a billion rupiahs. Alesya couldn't believe it, but a slightly paunchy, middle-aged man with a slick smile claimed to be their new family lawyer. He showed her some sheets of paper with rows of numbers and words that confirmed that her father had been in debt. So much so that all of their assets had been seized. Except for the house and land.

And if Alesya didn't make the remaining payments, the house and land would be seized as well, just like the rest. She was quite shocked and didn't know what to do because she didn't understand her father's business. Because Aditama had never forced her to continue their business.

Tuan Aditama, her father, had let Alesya work as she pleased. So designing clothes was what she was pursuing right now.

Unfortunately, before Alesya could finish her course in the village, her father had left for good. It also brought a deep sense of regret to Alesya's heart because she had chosen her own path all this time.

If only time could be turned back, Alesya would tell her father that she wanted to learn to be his successor. She would forget her dream of becoming a famous designer and choose to be her father's business heir.