A Broken Proposal

Ayesha's POV

I bought the ring I would use to propose to my husband today. Wait. Did I just say husband?

He wasn't my husband. Not yet. For now, we were just boyfriend and girlfriend, and I loved him so much. Normally, no one in my family would ever approve of a woman proposing to a man. It would mean she sold herself short and was very desperate.

I didn't tell my mother what I was about to do. The only person who knew was my best friend, Gemma. In fact, she was the one who suggested it. Right now, she lay sprawled across my messy bed.

"Wow, I'm so happy for you. You know what I'm going to do on that day?" She sat up quickly. "I'll sing your favourite song as karaoke and organise the couple games both of you will play."

"Aww, Gemma, you're making me shy. You know that will be my big day." My cheeks bloomed pink.

"And wait, I forgot. I'll make sure I invite all our friends."

My smile slipped. OUR friends. I knew she meant her friends because I didn't really have any. Gemma was the only friend I'd ever managed to keep. Growing up, people always found something to laugh at when it came to me, especially my body.

Puberty didn't have mercy on me the way it did on other girls. At sixteen, I had no breasts. My chest was flat, my butt was flat, and some people genuinely thought it was funny to call me bro.

One afternoon in high school, someone compared a classroom wall to my chest and everybody laughed. I ran into the girls' bathroom crying.

"Do I really look like a boy?" I asked nobody in particular.

"No," a voice answered from one of the stalls. "You're beautiful. They're just jealous."

That was Gemma. We became inseparable after that.

"What do you think I should wear, Gem?" I asked.

"We'll go shopping and I'll pick something sexy." She grinned. "But first, let me see the ring again."

I opened my dresser drawer and handed her the small box. She admired it for several seconds.

"Do you think he'll like it?" I asked nervously.

"This isn't just any ring. Do you remember how much we spent?"

I smiled weakly. Not we. Me. The ring had cost almost all my savings. Chris wasn't just any man. He was the CEO of Azul Corporation. And he was mine. At least, I thought he was.

We had been classmates in high school. He never bullied me like everyone else did. Years later, when we met again after university, he didn't even recognise me at first. It hurt more than I wanted to admit. But eventually, we became close. Then closer.

I remembered one evening when I'd stayed late at work trying to finish a report. Everyone else had gone home. Chris came out of his office, looked at my desk and frowned.

"You haven't gone home yet?"

"I want to finish this first."

An hour later, he returned with a paper bag containing my favourite chicken pie and a bottle of juice.

I hadn't told him those were my favourites. Somehow, he'd remembered. Later that night he called to make sure I got home safely. Maybe those things sounded small. But they mattered to me. For four years, I held onto moments like that. There was only one thing that bothered me.

Chris liked keeping our relationship private. We never attended events together. We never appeared together in public. Whenever I asked about it, he would tell me not to overthink things. I always listened. Gemma said successful men were usually more cautious about relationships. So I tried not to worry.

Today, I would finally take a bold step. I would propose.

"Give me the ring, Gemma. I want to keep it safe."

She handed it back and stood up.

"I'm going to shower. Yesha, make your bed. It's gross."

"I'll do it. What time is the staff get-together again?"

"Five-thirty. That's where you're proposing."

I hesitated. "Can't I do it in private? He might feel embarrassed."

Gemma groaned loudly. "Why are you acting scared now?"

"I'm not scared."

"Then stop overthinking. You've been together for four years. If he loves you, he'll be happy."

That made me feel better. Gemma always seemed to know what she was talking about. After she showered, we went shopping. Out of dozens of dresses, she picked a tiny green one.

The moment I tried it on, I hated it. My hip bones showed. My legs looked too thin and even breathing felt difficult.

"I don't like it, Gem."

"I do. And trust me, you'll look amazing."

I wasn't convinced. Still, I bought it. By 4:45 p.m., I was struggling with the zipper alone in my apartment. After finally managing it, I took a taxi to Azul. I arrived ten minutes late. The venue was already crowded. I searched for Gemma but couldn't find her.

Then I saw Chris. I saw those green eyes and his perfectly styled blond hair. Also he had the same smile that always made me forget every insecurity I had. As if he felt me staring, he looked over. Our eyes met, he smiled and my heart immediately calmed.

See? Everything was going to be fine. I just needed courage. While I waited for the right moment, my supervisor Daya pulled me aside to help fill wine glasses. While I worked, I noticed her staring.

"I should keep this to myself, but... do you feel comfortable in what you're wearing?"

"I feel comfortable, Mrs Daya."

She nodded slowly.

When I finished, Gemma finally arrived. Compared to her elegant white layered dress, I felt ridiculous. She squeezed my hand.

"It's time, Yesha. Go for it. I'll record everything."

I nodded. This was it. I walked toward Chris. The room suddenly felt too hot.

"Ayesha, you made it. Good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Mr Chris."

He frowned slightly. "Is there something you need?"

"Actually... yes."

"Let's talk in my office."

"No. Let's do it here."

He sat back down. I pulled out the ring box. Then I got down on one knee. The room went silent. More and more people turned to look and my hands shook.

"Will you marry me, Mr Chris?"

There was silence. My smile began to falter.

"Mr Chris, will you…"

"Stop it."

I froze. His voice was cold.

"Get up from your knees. What drama are you trying to pull here? Are you creating a social media post?"

Confusion flooded me. "But... I thought we liked each other. I'm being serious."

"If you're really serious, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. I won't marry you. Now get up and leave. You've embarrassed me enough already."

The words hit harder than any slap. Tears filled my eyes. I struggled to stand. More than a hundred people stared at me but nobody said a word. Gemma still had her phone raised.

"Gemma, stop it." My voice came out broken.

I turned away, desperate to find somewhere private to cry. Then I heard a loud ripping sound. The room gasped and my stomach dropped. I looked behind me.

The dress had split completely between my buttocks. My white underwear was visible to everyone. For a moment, I couldn't move.

Someone laughed. My face burned. But the worst part wasn't the ripped dress. It wasn't the humiliation. It wasn't even the laughter. It was Chris.

Chris had seen all of it.