Chapter 2

Ethan was lost in a deep slumber when a burst of sunlight streaming through the window hit his eyes, forcing him to groggily open them. As he squinted, he made out his mother's figure standing by the window, her expression stern. It was clear she had pulled back the curtains, flooding the room with light. Ethan let out a disgruntled groan. "Mom, seriously? Close the window. I've got a killer headache." He rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate the throbbing in his head.

His mother didn't budge, her arms crossed over her chest. "Have you gone crazy, Ethan!?" She yelled. "Did you forget what today is? It's your engagement party, yet you went ahead and got yourself wasted last night. You need to get up and get ready."

Ethan let out a frustrated sigh and pulled the blanket over his head. "Five more minutes, Mom. My head is banging.'' Ethan replied, but his mother wasn't having it. She strode over to the bed and yanked the blankets off him, then she grabbed the glass of water on his bedside table and threw it on his face.

"Mom!" Ethan yelled, instantly getting up. "What was that for?" He questioned, annoyed.

"To sober you up. You're lucky your father knows nothing about what you did last night, or he would be even more furious than I am. Get out of bed and get ready, the guests will be arriving soon, and I'm not going to let you ruin the plans we've made for today. Don't make me come back here." His mother warned, her voice firm. She shook her head in disappointment and walked out of the room.

Ethan let out a frustrated sigh, his hand unconsciously went to the stranger's necklace which he now wore. He had no idea why he took it. He shouldn't have kept it but a part felt so drawn to it that he was compelled to take it. He knew he was never going to forget about the stranger or that night, and this necklace would serve as another reminder of everything.

Although he didn't want this wedding, there's nothing he could do about it, his fate was sealed. He slowly got out of bed and headed straight to the bathroom. It was time to get ready.

****

The Engagement Party....

"Congratulations on your engagement, Mr. Ethan, and Happy birthday. Greetings to you too Mr. Fabian, this is a lovely party." A business associate greeted as he approached Ethan and his father.

"Thank you, Mr. Lucas." Ethan replied, forcing a smile. 

The man nodded, then he spoke again. "I don't see the bride anywhere, I would love to give my greetings to her as well.''

"The bride will be joining us soon, they're just running a bit late." Mr. Fabian, Ethan's father, replied.

"I understand."

"Please, do enjoy the party, and thank you for coming." Mr. Fabian said. 

He gave a nod and a smile before leaving them to rejoin the party.

Mr. Fabian leaned closer to Ethan and whispered. "I'll leave you to welcome your guests. Fix your smile and do not give people the impression that you're unhappy with this engagement."

Ethan clenched his jaw. "But I'm not happy with this engagement, and I'm only doing this because you're forcing me to." 

"It's your duty to see that the company progresses in every aspect, and this marriage is a step in that direction. If you want to keep your position as the heir to all I own, then you'll make sure everything goes well with this engagement. Your marriage with Lily will happen and nothing will stop it." His father stated and walked away with a smile on his face ready to mingle with the guests. Not giving Ethan the chance to argue further.

Ethan balled his fists in rage, he felt like punching something so hard, but managed to control himself. 

His best friend soon came to join him. "Hey, man. What's with the angry look on your face? It's your engagement. You need to put a smile on that face or your father will murder you." His friend teased, and laughed.

"Get lost, Marcel. I'm not in the mood for this. Besides, I think it's high time you start acting more mature, don't you?" Ethan looked at him, his expression cold.

Marcel raised his hand in surrender. "No need to take your anger out on me, man, I was only trying to lighten up the mood, I'm sorry." He apologized.

Ethan heaved a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I thought I could do this, but I don't think I can put up with this any longer. I wanna leave this place, man. It's suffocating. I don't even love this woman!"

"Bro, you don't love any woman except your mother." Marcel replied, hinting on Ethan's affection for the same gender.

Ethan glared dangerously at him. Marcel nervously cleared his throat and apologized. He knows how Ethan was when it came to that subject. It was his biggest secret known only to him. He's also warned him never to bring it up in public. 

"Anyways, you can't leave even if you want to, it's your engagement and birthday party." Marcel said. "And why is Lily not here yet? I really can't believe she's late. Have you tried calling her?"

"Why would I want to do that? You know at this point I'm wishing she's had a change of heart and won't even be showing up, at least I can easily get out of this mess." He groaned in frustration.

"Well, that's too bad because here she comes." Marcel said, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips.

Ethan's head jerked toward the direction Marcel was staring, and his world came crashing down. Standing beside Lily was the stranger he'd shared a passionate night with — the same eyes, the same smile. 

Ethan's mind reeled with shock. "What the....?" He muttered, his legs turning to jelly.

Marcel chuckled knowingly. "Looks like you didn't get your wish." Before Ethan could react, Marcel pulled him toward the entrance, where Lily and the stranger stood.  

As they approached, Lily's face lit up with a radiant smile. "Hi, Ethan," She said, her voice bubbling with warmth. But Ethan's attention was hijacked by the man standing beside her. Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, Ethan could swear he saw a flash of recognition, a hint of amusement. The man's gaze lingered, and Ethan felt his heart skip a beat as he realized the stranger remembered him — remembered their night together. Ethan's face went numb, his mind reeling with the impossible coincidence. The man's eyes seemed to bore into his soul, and Ethan's instincts screamed for him to look away, but he was frozen, trapped in the intensity of their shared gaze.

Lily chuckled, noticing Ethan's stunned gaze at the man beside her. "I guess introductions are in order. Ethan, this is my older brother Alex. Alex, meet Ethan, my fiance." 

The words hit Ethan like a ton of bricks, leaving him reeling. His world seemed to be unraveling before his eyes.

Alex's smile grew, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Nice to meet you," he said, extending his hand. "For the first time." The smirk that followed spoke volumes and Ethan's face burned with the secrets they shared. Frozen in shock, Ethan struggled to process the unexpected twist. How could fate play such a cruel joke?

The events of last night began flashing through his mind, and his own moans from their love making echoed loudly in his ears.

"I'm fucked!!"