Chapter 3 - Honeymoon

DAPHNE looked at BK after he greeted her. As if he was the only one who got married.  

“Our deal, huh? ” She was referring to her planned trip to Scandinavia. She was so excited to process her papers.  

“Don’t worry. No matter which country you want to go to, you’ll get there. Just don’t forget our agreement.”  

She smiled at what he said. As if she would? No matter what he did, she didn’t care—as long as she got to Scandinavia. Annulments were fast when you had money.  

“Congratulations, little brother and Daphne!” Andy greeted them cheerfully. She was with her husband and kids. She returned her hug when she hugged her.  

“Thank you,” she said shyly.  

“Congratulations on getting married,” she heard Andy’s husband say to her husband. Then, he turned to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek before greeting her.  

Moments later, BK’s oldest sibling, Astin, approached them. He looked like their father too, but BK inherited all their father’s features.  

She felt like BK’s relatives’ cheeks were already sticking to her face. There were so many of them. She figured it wasn’t just relatives present but also close friends. Still, they didn’t seem chaotic. And they all came from wealthy families. She felt like she was the only pauper there. She couldn’t help but feel out of place.  

She smiled to herself. She left single earlier, and now she was going home married. Her friend would surely sulk for not being invited.  

Getting married was exhausting. She had just changed, and she was now wearing BK’s clothes since she didn’t bring any.  

She glanced at the mansion’s living room. The guests had all left. There were so many gifts. She hadn’t expected the guests to be so prepared with presents. That meant they had been informed in advance.  

She looked at BK when he approached her. He led her into his room.  

“Do you have the envelope from Mama?” her husband asked when they got inside.  

She took out the envelope she had tucked into her chest earlier.  

“What the fuck, Daph?! That’s where you put it?” BK asked in disbelief.  

“It smells good, okay?” She handed him the now slightly crumpled envelope.  

“Damn! It’s all creased now.” He examined it and shook his head.  

“What is it, anyway?”  

She moved closer to take a look. Her eyes widened in amazement when she saw what it was—a ticket to Hawaii.  

“Oh my God! Hawaii?!” she exclaimed.  

“Yeah. They want us to have our honeymoon there. And they expect something to be in there when we return.” He gestured to her stomach.  

“Aww! Really? What now?” she said, feeling a bit sad.  

“Of course, we’ll just say yes. How would they even know if we actually did it or not, right?” Her husband smirked and pinched her cheek.  

“Ow! That hurts!” She glared at him. “My trip, huh?!” she reminded him.  

He just formed a heart shape with his hands and fell onto the bed. She shook her head as she watched him. He must be tired. It was really late. She was exhausted too and wanted to lie down. But then she remembered the gifts and woke him up.  

“What about the gifts in the living room?”  

“Hmm… We’ll deal with them tomorrow. Let’s sleep,” he said, pulling her down beside him.  

He didn’t let her go. He hugged her tightly, draping his leg over hers. It looked awkward, but she just let him be.  

They woke up the next morning to persistent knocking. Since BK was still fast asleep, she got up to open the door.  

“What time is it, child? Why aren’t you ready yet?” BK’s mother asked when she opened the door.  

“What?!” she asked, confused.  

“Didn’t BK mention it to you? You’re leaving for Hawaii tomorrow. You should start packing. You have a passport, right?”  

Her mouth fell open. Tomorrow already? That was so fast. But then again, honeymooners really left the next day—or even right after the ceremony, if it was a local wedding.  

“Yes, I do,” she said.  

Of course, she had a passport. She had already prepared one for her planned trip to Scandinavia. She had a strong feeling back then that she’d find a way to go, so she prioritised getting a passport since its expiration took a while.  

“Good. Wake BK up so you two can start choosing what to bring. Breakfast is ready too, okay?”  

“Yes, Ma’am.” She smiled, but it faded when she noticed Bk’s mother didn’t smile back.  

“I told you, hija. Call me Mama. That’s what you should call me now that you’re married to my son.”  

“Mama,” she finally said.  

The older woman smiled at her. “See? Sounds nice, right, hija? Alright, hurry up, okay? Your Papa is coming down soon too.”  

Her smile returned. She had nothing bad to say about BK’s mother. She was so kind. She even spoke so gently.  

She immediately woke BK up and told him everything his mother had said. He claimed he didn’t remember that their flight was scheduled for the next day.  

They just went along with his mother’s plans. She even accompanied them while shopping for things they’d need in Hawaii—especially beachwear, which she had never worn before. Whenever they swam in the sea, shorts and T-shirts were enough. But the ones BK’s mother picked? Swimsuits! Her whole existence would be exposed. It was embarrassing to wear those.  

“What now? I don’t wear things like these,” she told her husband as she spread them out in front of BK. He just laughed.  

“Seriously?” he asked.  

“Yes. As in, BK!”  

“Why?”  

“Because we were poor. And in the province, those weren’t a thing.”  

He nodded in understanding. “Why don’t you try them on? See if they suit you,” he suggested.  

She raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You might find it weird.”  

“Tsk. Come on, Daph. I’m used to seeing people naked. Remember, it’s our honeymoon. And they expect you to wear those—especially Mama since she bought them. If you don’t, she might get upset. And she’s really soft-hearted.”

She suddenly thought about it. His mother did buy it, so she should wear it.  

“Fine. I’ll just try it on.” She walked into the bathroom to change.  

She winced as she looked at herself in the mirror. It suited her, but it was embarrassing since this was her first time wearing something this daring. A two-piece suit, meaning almost her entire soul was exposed. Even though her backside was covered, it still felt uncomfortable.  

“Are you done, Daph?”  

She looked at the door when BK called out, knocking at the same time.  

She swallowed. She didn’t want to leave the bathroom. What if BK found her outfit weird?  

“I’m good! I think I’ll just try it on out—” She didn’t finish her sentence because the bathroom door suddenly swung open, revealing BK. She hadn’t locked it.  

“Can I see—”  

She swallowed hard when BK froze. His eyes scanned her from head to toe. He must have found her unpleasant-looking based on his reaction.  

It took him a while to recover. She even saw him shake his head.  

“Nice,” was all he said before turning away.  

“That’s it?” she muttered to herself.  

She must have looked terrible, so she hurriedly changed and stepped out. She found her husband drinking alcohol.  

Feeling down, she put the items his mother bought back into the paper bag. BK must not have liked them since he wasn’t paying her any attention.  

She laid out an extra mat on the floor and started sorting out the clothes she and BK would bring. Earlier, they stopped by her friend’s house to pick up some of her stuff. Their flight to Hawaii was tomorrow.  

It would be her first time leaving the country, so it was exciting. But this was their honeymoon. Would it be fun? What would they do there? And two weeks? That was such a long time!  

She fell asleep before BK, as he had gone out with his friend. She had no idea what time he got back. All she knew was that when she woke up, it was already morning.  

Their journey from Moore Airport to Honolulu took over 12 hours. Then, it was another half-hour to reach their hotel.  

A chauffeur picked them up—someone who, apparently, worked for BK. She hadn’t expected that his family owned the hotel they were staying in. Meaning, there were plenty of eyes watching them.  

“We need two rooms,” BK whispered to her, leaving her stunned.  

“Why?”  

“I have a lot of things to do. I might disturb you. If we stay in separate rooms, you can do whatever you want,” he said, almost tempting her.  

She pondered over what BK said.  

He had a point. What if he brought acquaintances or even other women, and she was there? That would be so awkward. And embarrassing.  

As they had agreed, they booked separate rooms at the hotel—though they were right next to each other. BK had also spoken with some of the staff, asking them not to let his parents know about their setup.