Chapter 5: Be My Prince

Brandon was quite surprised to hear that Belinda's answer was unexpected. Especially considering that the last scene they had in the car was them having a huge fight over the impromptu proposal. However, seeing that Belinda's facial expression was so confident, he began to wonder what had changed her mind so suddenly. 

The killer lecturer revealed a sweet curl of her lips while folding her arms across her chest. “Aren't you also dealing with hell right now?”

Belinda looked away. “Hell too, but I'm sure you can take care of me.”

“Why should I be your prince?” Brandon chuckled. “You're still thinking like a child.”

Unable to hold her temper, Belinda kicked the other's leg with a glare. “You can't be trusted. It's still good that I accepted your proposal. Should I change my mind and reject your proposal?”

Brandon had wanted to be sweet at first, but now he returned with a cold stare like a two-door refrigerator. “Ho, just because you want to be my wife, you're getting cheeky!”

“That's why, actually I want to test you too. Can you really handle a student whose ethics are not elite every day or not?” Belinda laughed as she held her stomach. 

“You really are!” Brandon groaned in annoyance as he pulled out a small box from his pants, then took a diamond ring from inside the box. “Since I'm proposing to you, I should give you a proposal ring.” Brandon placed the ring on Belinda's ring finger. 

Unlike other women who would be happy to be given a ring by their fiancé, Belinda was still wearing a nosy smile because this proposal seemed so forced. She quickly let go of his hand. “Don't get excited yet.”

Brandon raised his right eyebrow. “Happy where? I'm not actually interested in you, how can I be happy?” In his heart of hearts, Brandon felt his heart shatter into a million pieces listening to those words come from his fiancée's lips.

“I'm not happy to marry you either. That's why I don't want everyone on campus to know about our relationship, sir.”

Brandon folded his arms across his chest. “Including Yena who sits next to you all the time?”

“Except Yena, maybe she should know because she's the only friend I can count on.”

It was impossible to go against his student's wishes. However, of course her quite selfish mindset also didn't want to lose to a selfish fiancé. “Okay, I don't mind if we don't have a special relationship on campus. But, I expect you to look like my wife outside of campus!”

Belinda knitted her eyebrows. “So what?”

“I'll tell you later. After class, you have to meet me. No delay!”

*****

After proposing to Belinda, Brandon called his father to ask to meet him at a five-star hotel restaurant. His face looked angry as he sat across from his father with his arms folded across his chest. 

“My son-”

“You'd better give up, there's no need to organize another blind date for me!”

“So what, aren't you already three heads? You should be married by now,” his father replied as he poured a glass of tea. 

Brandon chuckled in annoyance. “The problem is that none of the women I've tried to set up with have done anything right. Especially that last woman, yesterday she acted very disgusting in front of me.”

“Aren't you the one who's fussy about choosing women? No wonder you're still single at 30.”

Brandon flashed a sardonic smile as he sipped his glass of tea. “I'll introduce you to my father, a very sweet woman. I'm sure you'll really like her.”

“Are you already dating?” 

“Do you have the right to ask me that, when you're not my biological father? There's no need to pay attention to me!”

*****

During break time, Belinda invited Yena to have lunch with her at a restaurant near campus so that they could talk more freely. She told Yena everything that had happened to her until she was so shocked that she kept her mouth wide open, staring at the shining diamond ring on her best friend's ring finger. 

“So, do you really want to marry Mr. Brandon?”

Belinda nodded weakly while stroking her ring slowly. “The only way for me to be free from that family is to marry Mr. Brandon. Besides, Mr. Brandon needs me too.”

“But are you sure you can get along with Mr. Brandon? You fight with him every time you see him.”

“Instead of being tortured like Cinderella. I'd rather be tortured by that killer lecturer, he still has a conscience.”

Yena pursed her lips while stirring her strawberry milk shake with a straw. “I agree that you should marry Mr. Brandon. But what about Daniel?”

“What about Daniel?”

Yena rolled her eyes, hitting her best friend on the head with a spoon. “This is what I've always wanted to tell you. Daniel clearly likes you.”

Belinda chuckled. “Really?”

“If he didn't like you, why would he help you all this time and support you every time you worked as a volunteer at the Charity Hospital?”

“But still, I don't feel anything different about her.” Belinda smiled as she ate her chicken noodles. “You must keep this a secret from Daniel.”

“Anyway, if Daniel really likes you, I'm not sure what the ending will be. I'll run away first.”

*****

Break time was over. As Belinda and Yena were about to enter their next class, their footsteps stopped for a moment as they passed a student with a casual look and a face no less handsome than Brandon. It was the young man they had been talking about at lunch.

“Daniel,” greeted Belinda with a wave. It was actually quite awkward to meet her closest friend again after so long. 

Daniel waved as he ran up to his best friend with a smile on his face. “It's been a long time since we met. Even though it's only been two weeks we haven't seen each other.”

Belinda smiled embarrassedly. “How was the vacation?”

“It was quite fun too. Wow, I haven't had a vacation in a long time. I'm usually busy at the shop all the time.” For a moment, the trio walked into the classroom. 

Belinda sat between Daniel and Yena. Seeing Daniel's handsome face was quite charming, making Belinda remember Yena's words. Did her handsome friend have special feelings for her? If so, what should she say to announce her marriage to Brandon? 

Meanwhile, Daniel did not know what had happened during his vacation, still acting innocently. One by one, he took out the souvenirs he bought while on vacation, then gave them all to his two best friends. 

Yena's eyes lit up looking at all the snacks and key chains, not expecting to get a lot of gifts from Daniel, even though Belinda had always gotten a lot of special gifts. 

“You gave me so many presents.”

“Well, there's no way I'm giving you just one gift. You'll cry.” Daniel's gaze briefly fell on Belinda. “Right, Bel?”

Belinda flinched at Daniel's sudden question, as her mind was filled with how to break the news to a man who might like her, having heard Yena's opinion. If Daniel found out about her marriage, what would his reaction be? Would he be so disappointed that he would break off their friendship?

“Yes, it's true that you have to give Yena a lot of gifts. If she really cries, I don't want to be responsible!”

Daniel moved his head closer to his best friend's face. “By the way, don't you usually daydream all the time? What happened while I was traveling?”

Many female students gossiped that Belinda and Daniel's relationship was getting closer, because they saw Daniel aggressively sticking to Belinda every chance he got. The gossip spread outside the classroom because the class had not yet started. 

On the other hand, Brandon happened to walk through the corridor hearing the gossip about Belinda's relationship with an unknown man. His footsteps stopped, then turned around to walk towards a classroom door, where his fiancée wanted to attend another class. 

Seeing his fiancé with a man so close, his face turned to anger as he gripped his laptop bag tightly. It was definitely anger, having just agreed to the proposal already intending to have an affair with another man.

“Get ready, Belinda. I won't spare you.”