Chapter 2

My lips parted slightly, but moments later, a bitter laugh slipped out before I could stop it.

Is this real? Am I seeing things? Or is fate just messing with me again?

Because if what I’m seeing right now is true, then life just pulled off the cruelest joke it could play.

“Why her?” I muttered, my gaze trailing from her unmistakable pink hair down to her towering stilettos.

And just like that, the memories I buried so deeply… the ones I swore I’d never dig up again—started clawing their way back.

“Purple tie?”

The words came out slowly and heavily from her mouth, as if she still couldn’t believe it either. Her finger remained frozen, pointed directly at my necktie.

If I had known she’d be the woman standing at the end of this stupid marriage arrangement, I never would’ve worn this tie. I should’ve listened to Jac. I should’ve backed out when I had the chance.

But I didn’t. And now here I am, stuck, face-to-face with a ghost from my past.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and let out a shaky sigh. “Pink hair…”

I chuckled softly, but the sound felt empty. It tasted bitter on my tongue.

Her shoulders slumped almost instantly. Whatever denial she had been clinging to was gone now. The shock on her face from earlier shifted into something that looked a lot like disappointment.

I guess reality hit her too.

Like me, she realized this wasn’t some twisted hallucination. This was happening.

“Why you?” she finally asked. Her eyes didn’t blink. Her stare dug straight into me.

And just like I had done earlier, she scanned me from head to toe. Her gaze was sharp, almost judging. Then she slapped her forehead repeatedly, still pointing at me like I was some kind of nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

“Of all the men in the world… why you?” Her voice cracked on the last word.

I laughed out loud and shook my head. That was the same question I had been asking myself since the second I saw her.

I could tell she was just as rattled as I was. But the truth? My shock ran deeper.

Because out of all people, the one person I had hoped never to see again… the one woman I thought I had erased from my system—was standing here.

And she’s the woman I’m about to marry.

If I had known this was how things would end up, I wouldn’t have come back.

“Oh God… why you?” she whispered again, this time dragging her hands through her hair like she was ready to pull every strand out.

I couldn’t tell if her pink hair was real or dyed, but honestly, I didn’t care.

I kept shaking my head, trying to clear the haze clouding my brain. Of all the women in the world… why Dorry?

I wasn’t even picky. It didn’t matter to me who I’d end up with today… whether she was tall, short, pretty, plain, rich, or poor… none of that mattered.

I came back only for Grandpa’s last wish.

I was ready to marry whoever they chose for me. Anyone.

Just not her.

Not the same woman who shattered me over and over again.

Not the person who taught me how it felt to be destroyed from the inside out.

Not the reason why I stopped believing in love.

And yet here she is.

The woman I’m bound to marry.

“Nelson De Vedra and Dorothy Castillo.”

We both turned at the sound of the staff calling our names from the office door.

“Dorothy Castillo…” I echoed quietly, tasting the irony in my mouth.

So that’s her real name.

Funny. We spent years on that island. Years of being friends, years of me loving her in silence, yet I never even knew her full name.

“Nelson… why you?” she asked again, her voice soft but strained, like she was running out of air.

She ruffled her pink hair in frustration, her whole face screaming disappointment.

Every inch of her seemed to reject this as much as I did.

I gave a faint smile, unable to hide my amusement despite the tension twisting my gut. “We’re asking the same question, Dorry. Why you? Why you, of all people?”

Her expression faltered. For a second, I thought she was about to cry.

There was anger in her eyes, but something else too.

Something that made my chest tighten.

“Do we really have to go through with this?” I asked, my voice dropping lower.

She let out a long, frustrated sigh but didn’t answer. Instead, she turned toward the woman still waiting at the office door.

“Miss, please… can you give us a minute? We need to talk,” she said, her tone polite but urgent.

The staff nodded and disappeared inside.

“To be honest… I don’t know. I’m not sure anymore, Nelson.” Her voice trembled at the edges.

A bitter laugh escaped me. “You don’t know? You’re not sure anymore? Why, Dorry? Is it because it’s me standing here? If it were someone else, would you be certain by now?”

She didn’t answer. She just stared at me, her brow knitting tighter.

“If it were another man, this wedding would already be over, wouldn’t it? You’d already be Mrs. Somebody by now. Right?”

Her lips parted, but she closed them again. Her gaze darkened before she looked away.

Moments later, a faint, humorless smile stretched across her lips.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, Nelson. But from what I understand, we’re both being pushed into this arranged marriage.”

Her voice dropped low, each word steady and sharp.

“Whatever your reasons are, I honestly don’t care. As for me, I know why I’m here. I know why I said yes to marrying a man I don’t even know.”

Her words hit harder than I expected.

“Don’t know…” I repeated softly the phrase, slicing into me like a dull knife.

But she was right.

We didn’t know each other.

Not really.

Yes, we lived together on that island for years.

But back then, we were both broken… carrying our own baggage, hiding behind smiles and jokes and petty arguments.

The Nelson she knew was different.

A simple, directionless man just trying to survive. A nobody with no money, no connections, and no future.

Just a boatman.

Maybe that’s why she turned me down all those times. Maybe that’s why she never took me seriously.

She was wealthy. Respected. People like me weren’t supposed to dream about women like her.

“All I’m asking, Dorry… do we really have to do this? Do you honestly want to go through with this wedding?” I asked again, forcing my voice to stay calm.

She let out a bitter laugh and crossed her arms. “You may look like a different person now, but your brain’s still the same—weak! Always questioning everything! If I didn’t want to go through with this, I would’ve left long ago!”

I smiled faintly. “And now I’m the weak one? Your mind is all over the place. You said it yourself… you’re not sure anymore.”

“Yes! I’m not sure! But that doesn’t mean I’ll run away from this. I have to do this, Nelson! I need to! Even if every fiber of my being screams at me not to… I’ll still go through with this.”

Her voice cracked at the end, but her eyes didn’t waver.

I didn’t know if she meant every word or if she was just bluffing her way through this like I was.

“Are you really sure?” I asked again, this time softer.

“Yes! Stop asking!” she snapped, rolling her eyes like she was done with this conversation.

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You won’t back out once we’re inside, will you?”

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she took a slow step toward me.

“I already said I have to do this. I have my reasons for agreeing to this stupid marriage. So stop talking and let’s just get inside. Let’s end this already.”

I exhaled sharply, fighting the smile creeping at the corner of my lips. “Alright then. Let’s do this.”

I reached for the door, opening it wide for her. She walked in first, her chin lifted, her stare fierce.

I followed close behind, letting my fingers drift lazily to her waist just as we entered.

Her whole body stiffened at my touch.

Her lips parted in shock.

I leaned in, just enough for her to hear. “Make sure you won’t regret tying yourself to me.”

Her eyes widened. Her breath hitched.

And before she could fire back, I turned to the mayor.

“Sir, we’re ready…”