As I sat in the living room with my family, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. My father, ever the curious patriarch, leaned forward and looked at Amory. “You are the second son of your family?” he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.Amory nodded. “I'm sorry for the late introduction. I'm Amory.”My father chuckled, a mix of surprise and amusement evident on his face. “This was quite unexpected. So, what brings you all the way here?” His eyes were full of concern.“Please, speak to me casually. That's better for me too,” Amory replied with a warm smile.Father nodded as we heard the familiar sound of Mother's shoes echoing in the sitting room. She entered, carrying a tray with cups and coffee. The room grew quieter as she set the tray down and began serving us.“I came to ask for your blessing to marry your daughter,” Amory said suddenly, his words sending a wave of anxiety washing over me. My carefully constructed plans seemed to crumble in an instant. Maybe his presence h
We settled in the garden after leaving my mother’s house, the awful event of Amory confessing his desire to marry me still fresh in my mind. My mother’s insistence on Amory marrying Elena instead echoed painfully. I watched as Amory approached, carrying a plastic bag filled with items from the convenience store. He began placing everything on the table between us. I sat on one of the benches, feeling a mix of relief and uncertainty.Amory picked up the last item from the bag. "I heated it up," he said as he uncovered it, then paused and looked at me. "Or, do it yourself." He set it down on the table and sat across from me, wrapping the bag and picking up a can of drink.After a long, uncomfortable silence, I finally gathered the courage to speak. My voice was weak. "About what you wanted to hear..." Amory raised his gaze, and I quickly looked away, unable to meet his cold, piercing eyes. "The war in Ukraine might go on longer than expected. Then, there will be issues with the supply o
It was early in the morning, and I was sitting alone on my bed, holding the flower placeholder Amory had given me. I felt the weight of everything crashing down on me and broke out, resting my head against the headboard. I slapped my cheeks with both hands, trying to come back to reality. The events of last night felt like a nightmare.Just then, my phone began to vibrate on the pillow on my lap. I quickly picked it up and saw it was Mia calling. "Hello?" I answered, my voice weak."What happened between you and Amory?" Mia asked, her tone rushed and filled with disbelief."What are you talking about all of a sudden?" I asked, my voice trembling."There's an article about the two of you dating," she whispered, as if she didn't want someone beside her to hear."What?" I asked, anxiety creeping into my voice. I quickly reached out for my tablet on the desk near my bed. I opened Facebook, knowing I would likely find it there. I waited impatiently for it to load, and then I began to scro
Getting out of the house, I saw Amory's car parked in front. I couldn't see anyone inside. Just then, my phone began to ring. "Hello?""What are you doing? Get in," Amory said, his voice sharp with anticipation.I chuckled, moving towards the car. "You are so impatient."Reaching the car, I grabbed the door handle and opened it. "Why would you call me inside the car—" I shouted in shock as the person inside wasn't Amory. "Who are you?" I demanded, my voice trembling."I'm sorry!" the man inside shouted, equally startled.I quickly placed the phone to my ear, my hand shaking. "Amory, someone is in your car.""It's my secretary. He'll drive you," Amory said, his voice sharp and cold before hanging up."What?" I asked, side-eyeing the man beside me."My name is Noah. I'll drive you safely," he said, adjusting his seat belt and tie.Noah drove for almost forty minutes. Inside the car, his face was as cold as a bouncer's, built with muscle. When we arrived, he quickly exited and unlocked
Hearing this sent a shiver down my spine, and I adjusted my sitting position, feeling a wave of confusion wash over me. Just then, he looked to his left, then turned his gaze back to me. "Speaking of… what do you think of this place?"I glanced around the surrounding area, mumbling as I spoke. "This is your place."He leaned closer. "How about you move in here?"I blinked in surprise. "You want…," the words caught in my throat, but I forced myself to continue. "The two of us to live together?" I chuckled nervously. "Are you crazy?""I'll… go to my parents' place today," he sighed. "If we want their permission, shouldn't we at least do that?" His tone grew serious."But…," I blinked rapidly, looking around the room again. "How can I be in someone else's place…"Just then, Amory stood up. He walked over to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me to my feet. He led me to the kitchen, heading straight for the upper cabinet at the top of the room. Placing a steadying hand on my shoulder, he sai
I walked briskly, my heels echoing against the floor with each step. My mind raced, contemplating how things would unfold. Just as I reached the large flower garden, I heard a familiar voice."Emma, let's talk," Zayn’s mother called out from a corner.Her voice distracted me, but I kept moving forward, ignoring her. "I have nothing to say to you."She intercepted me, spreading her arms in front of me to block my path. "If you change your mind and break it off all of a sudden, what about Zayn? What is he supposed to do?" she pleaded.I turned my head away, trying to avoid her gaze. "Do you even know how he's feeling right now?" she continued, grabbing my hand to get my attention.I yanked my hand away, giving her a sarcastic look. "He must be relieved. He won't have to be sold for money," I spat, watching her face twist in shock."What?" she exclaimed, her mouth hanging open.I shifted my bag to my left hand. "The store my family is giving you," I said, stepping closer to her. "You alr
I sat alone in my room, the events from earlier tormenting my thoughts. My stomach churned with frustration, and I wondered how I could ever make changes while still enduring so much. I raised my hand, looking at the date marked on my wrist. "When that moment comes again, what will happen to me?" I whispered to myself, the weight of uncertainty heavy on my heart. "Emma, please… we're family," my mother's pleading voice echoed in my mind. I remembered gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white, trying to blink away the tears. My lip throbbed where I had bitten down hard, stifling my sobs. The taste of blood was sharp on my tongue, mingling with the salt of my tears. Without realizing it, I approached an intersection. The traffic light had turned red, but my distracted mind didn’t register the change. It wasn't until I was almost in the middle of the intersection that panic surged through me, and I instinctively turned the wheel to the left, desperate to avoid
Sitting in a cozy restaurant with Mia, I watched as the staff brought a platter of fried chicken and placed it on the table between us. The aroma was mouthwatering, but my mind was elsewhere. I picked up the drink placed beside me, used the opener to uncover the cap, and started pouring it into the little glass cup provided.Mia reached out for the plate, taking one lap of the chicken and holding it delicately with her left hand as she took a bite. “So good,” she exaggerated, savoring the flavor.I watched her for a moment before picking up my glass and taking a couple of sips, the cool liquid soothing my throat.Mia glanced at the plate, then back at me. “You’re not eating?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.I smiled and nodded. “Have as much as you want,” I said, placing the glass back to my lips for another sip.She frowned, pausing mid-bite. Her mouth curved slightly upwards in a mixture of amusement and reproach as she fixed her gaze on me. “You need to stop being such a p