4

Standing still, Raihan was also confused by my overly sensitive attitude compared to usual. However, to calm his guests, he smiled.  

“No, no. You all relax. She won't be angry.” My brother then dragged his friends toward the stage. “Come on, let’s enjoy the party! Let’s sing until morning!”  

Just a few steps later, Raihan realized something was missing. He turned around and found Dylan standing silently, watching me leave.

“Dylan! Come on. What are you doing?”  

Called out, Dylan finally turned to Raihan. His expression was calm, and his face unreadable.  

For a moment, Raihan thought he saw a hint of dissatisfaction on Dylan's face, but then his focus shifted as his friend casually replied, “Okay.”  

“Haah….” A long sigh escaped my lips as I flopped down on the bed.  

Exhausted from the brief encounter with my brother's high school friends, I decided to rest for a moment in my room.  

“Don’t you want to be my fiancée anymore? Or… am I no longer on your list of potential husbands?”  

Remembering Dylan's words, I furrowed my brows and covered my eyes with my arm.  

“Does he forget that he cruelly rejected me before? What a shameless guy,” I muttered, feeling like Dylan was toying with my feelings. Then I sighed deeply before saying, “It seems… he also forgot what happened that night…”

A bitter smile formed on my lips as I laughed at my own silliness. 

Thinking back, of course, Dylan had been heavily drunk when he slept with me. If he hadn't been, the man who saw me as just a little girl wouldn’t have touched a single strand of my hair! 

“Isn’t this good?” I told myself. “This way, no one knows what happened, and I can hide it for the rest of my life…”

But deep down, I knew that hiding wouldn’t make the memories disappear. The laughter around me faded into a distant hum, and I felt a wave of loneliness wash over me. I wanted to stay invisible, to slip away unnoticed, but here I was, caught in a moment I wished I could erase.

As the teasing continued, I forced myself to engage, nodding and smiling, but my mind was already racing with plans to escape this uncomfortable reality. How could I get through the night without confronting the past that loomed so closely

Although I said that, why did it feel like my heart was a bit unsettled?  

I quickly shook my head, not wanting to think about useless things anymore. I rolled over to my side and curled up, slowly closing my eyes.  

“The important thing is, the problem is solved…”  

Too physically and mentally exhausted, I unknowingly fell into a deep sleep after saying that.  

Only when the clock struck ten and the party was over did I wake up with a start.  

“I—I overslept!” I quickly sat up and fixed my appearance.“Oh no, Raihan will definitely kill me!” I exclaimed as I rushed out of my room, hoping there was still something I could do to prevent Raihan from being too angry with me.

However, just as I opened the door and stepped into the living room, I heard my father, Andrew, say firmly, “If that’s the case, there’s no other choice; Dylan and I have to get married as soon as possible.”

Hearing that, my eyes widened. “What?”

Hearing my name, the four people sitting on the living room sofa turned to me.

“Carissa?” 

Andrew and Hannah—my father and mother—looked at their daughter in surprise.

“So you’ve been hiding in the guest room this whole time? No wonder it was so hard to find you,” Raihan said, arms crossed and looking relaxed, as if the conversation we just had wasn’t important.

Ignoring my brother’s comment, I stared at my father and asked, “Did I hear you right? Did you just say I’m going to marry Dylan?”

A tense silence filled the room. My heart raced as I processed his words. Was this some kind of joke? The laughter and banter from earlier felt like a world away now. 

Andrew shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Hannah. “Well, we were just discussing your future, and—”

“Discussing my future?” I interrupted, my voice rising. “You can’t be serious! This is about me, not some arrangement!”

Hannah stepped in, trying to calm the situation. “Carissa, we just think—”

“Think what?” I shot back, my frustration boiling over. “That I should marry the guy who—”

“Who what?” Raihan interjected, a smirk on his face. “Who made a mistake? Come on, Carissa.”

I felt a surge of anger. This was not how I envisioned this night going.

My father sighed. It was clear that I had caught the essence of their conversation, and there was no longer a need for secrecy.

He nodded firmly. “Yes, that’s true. You and Dylan will marry,” he confirmed.

My heart raced. “Why?” I felt scared and confused, the weight of his words pressing down on me.

“Because it’s a good match,” he replied, his tone measured but lacking warmth. “Dylan is successful, well-respected. It’s what’s best for our family.”

“Best for our family?” I echoed, incredulity rising in my voice. “What about what’s best for me? You can’t just decide my future like this!”

Hannah reached out, her expression softening. “Carissa, we just want what’s best for you. Dylan has always cared for you, and this could be a good opportunity.”

“Opportunity?” I scoffed, feeling trapped. “You mean an obligation! This isn’t love; it’s a business deal!”

Raihan leaned back, observing the exchange with a bemused expression. “Well, it’s not the worst idea. You two have history.”

“History?” I snapped. “You mean a mistake!”

The room fell silent, the tension palpable. I could feel my world shifting beneath me, and the last thing I wanted was to be pushed into a future I never chose.

Could it be that the events of that night had been revealed?! Is that why my parents decided this without consulting me? 

My hands clenched in front of my chest, bracing for the torrent of anger that would surely follow.