Chapter 51 – The Price of Choosing Herself

Jeslyn was enjoying her warm morning coffee when her phone rang, breaking the quiet. She picked it up and answered the call.

"Yes, Mom?" she said.

"Jes, are you busy tomorrow night, sweetheart?" her mother asked.

"I don’t think so, Mom. Why?" Jeslyn replied.

“The day after tomorrow, we’re having dinner with Jefran’s family. As we agreed, we’ll discuss the date for your wedding,” her mother said calmly—but the words made Jeslyn freeze.

Her hand holding the coffee cup slowly lowered back onto the table. Her breath caught in her throat, and time seemed to slow.

“Jeslyn? Are you still there?” her mother’s voice came again, gentle but full of expectation.

Jeslyn inhaled deeply, trying to steady her voice. “Mom… I thought we weren’t discussing that anymore.”

“Of course we are, sweetheart,” her mother answered firmly but lovingly. “You’re engaged to Jefran. Everything is already in motion. The invitations are designed—we’re only waiting for the final date. His family has also been asking.”

Jeslyn closed her eyes, as if rewinding all the recent chaos—days full of emotional outbursts, arguments, heartbreak, betrayal... and honesty she’d hidden for too long.

“Mom,” she said quietly, “Jefran and I… we’re not okay anymore.”

“But you haven’t broken up, right? There’s no official cancellation,” her mother pressed. “You haven’t spoken to your father, and we haven’t told Jefran’s family. Don’t make this more complicated than it already is.”

“It’s complicated because I stayed silent for so long, Mom...” Jeslyn’s voice began to tremble. “I can’t pretend anymore. I can’t go through with a marriage like this.”

“But you do love Jefran, don’t you? Or…” her mother paused, her voice sharpening, “…is this about another man?”

Jeslyn said nothing. She stared out the window, watching the morning light stream gently through the curtains—yet her mind and heart were in chaos.

“Jeslyn?”

“Yes, Mom. I’ve fallen in love with someone else,” Jeslyn answered honestly.

Silence. Only the ticking of the clock and her mother’s long sigh filled the line.

“Do you realize that what you’ve just said will change everything?”

“I know, Mom,” Jeslyn replied firmly. “But I’m more afraid of losing myself than I am of losing a marriage I don’t believe in.”

Her mother’s voice turned heavier, laced with disappointment, though she didn’t argue. “Jeslyn, your marriage to Jefran was arranged by our elders. It’s been our tradition to pair our children with partners from trusted business families—to strengthen alliances and uphold our family’s legacy.”

“Jeslyn, I hope you’ll be more mature about this. Your marriage to Jefran has been planned for years. You can’t just cancel it because you’ve fallen for someone else. Don’t bring shame to your father and me. You’re our only daughter.”

Jeslyn bit her lower lip, holding back the emotions swelling in her chest. Her mother’s words hit deep—not just as pressure, but as a cage she’d lived in her whole life.

“Jeslyn?” Her mother’s voice came again, now colder. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Tears welled in Jeslyn’s eyes. She looked at the mirror across the living room and saw herself—the face of a daughter who had always tried to be obedient, dutiful, the perfect child who lived up to expectations.

But this time, the reflection wasn’t just a girl from a respectable family. It was a woman finally brave enough to say: enough.

“I’m sorry, Mom…” Jeslyn replied, her voice calmer but resolute. “I know this will disappoint you. But I’m not a family asset to be exchanged for business gains. I want to live my life on my terms.”

“Jeslyn!” her mother snapped, her tone rising. “Don’t talk like that!”

“But it’s the truth, Mom!” Jeslyn rose from her chair—even though her mother couldn’t see her. “I’ve lived too long under rules and plans that were never mine. Now I want to live for myself. To marry for love—not for family tradition.”

There was a long pause on the other end. Then, her mother spoke in a low but piercing voice.

“You’ve really changed, Jeslyn. This is all because of that man, isn’t it? He made you brave enough to go against your own mother. You should never have been allowed to live alone!”

Jeslyn wiped away the tears trickling down her cheek. “I haven’t changed, Mom. I’ve just started being myself.”

Silence again.

“I’ll talk to your father about this,” her mother finally said, voice tight. “And you know how he is. I won’t be able to help you this time.”

Click.

The call ended.

Jeslyn stood frozen in her living room, her hand trembling slightly, heart racing. All she wanted was to live her life freely.

She stayed still for a moment, phone still gripped tightly in her hand. The room felt quieter than usual—not because there was no sound, but because the silence pressed against her. Every wall seemed to judge her decision, reminding her of who she was, and where she came from.

She took a deep breath and sank onto the sofa. The tears she had held back finally streamed down her cheeks—not from regret, but from exhaustion. Exhausted from always being the version of Jeslyn molded by her parents’ expectations.

“Why… is it so hard to choose myself?” she whispered.

Her coffee cup still sat on the table. The steam had long disappeared, the drink now cold. But she stared at it like it was the only thing still normal about this morning. She reached for the cup and took a sip. It was bitter and bland—but oddly comforting.

Her thoughts drifted—to the wedding plans already drawn, the engagement that was little more than formality, and to Jefran… the man she had tried to love, who only betrayed and deceived her.

Then Leonel… the man who saw a side of her no one else ever did. The man who made her believe love could grow naturally, not be forced.

A message notification popped up on her screen. It was from Leonel.

Leonel:

“Are you okay? I heard this morning that our families are planning another meeting about you and Jefran. But I know you’re not on board with that. So… if you need me, say the word. I’ll be there.”

Jeslyn stared at the screen for a while. A warm feeling bloomed slowly in her chest. In the midst of all the pressure and expectations, there was one person who didn’t demand anything from her—who just waited, ready to stand by her side.

She began typing a reply, slowly.

Jeslyn:

“I’m fine. You have work today, right? Just focus on that for now.”

Jeslyn couldn’t tell him everything yet. She was afraid Leonel might act impulsively—and that would only make things worse.

Then another message came in—this time from Jefran.

Jefran:

“Jeslyn, we need to talk. Now. Just the two of us.”

Jeslyn sighed, then typed a response.

Jeslyn:

“Yes. I agree. We need to talk. I’ll choose the place. Let’s meet in an hour.”

She sent the message and set her phone down, eyes closing slowly.

“I have to finish this,” she whispered.

***