Zandy's POV
AFTER I texted Ton to meet me at a bar, I faced the bartender and asked for a bottle of whiskey. I want to relax and calm down from what is happening and what my parents want me to do. The music inside the bar is so de-stressing that it seems to melt me away. There were only a few people there.
They control me so much that even my own happiness, they want to take away. What were they thinking about marrying me to a woman I don't even know? What do I care about the curse that girl has?
I can't get married. No matter what happens, I wait for her to come back. I will wait for Beverly to come back into my life. I still love her, even though she left me for her career. I don't believe there is another man in her life so she chose to leave me. She told me before she left me that she still loved me and I would hold on to that.
"Hey, dude, your face doesn't look good today, huh?" I turned to Ton who had just arrived. He sat next to me and patted my shoulder lightly. He was smiling as if teasing me. "Guess what, did you and Uncle Andrew fight?"
I sighed and then took the glass in front of me and drank it. I still winced when I felt the bitterness of the wine in my throat and the heat of it in my stomach.
"There's nothing new there, Ton, but this time, they're too much to the point that including my marriage, they want to plan it with a girl I don't even know. Damn! I don't get them to force me to get married and worse to a woman I don't even know. Can't they wait for me to marry the woman I love?" I was full of resentment. My jaw is still black.
"What! They want you to get married? Arranged Marriage? Is that still a trend these days?" Ton's reaction was surprising. He turned to the bartender. "Sir, one glass for me and one bottle of whiskey," he said.
I nodded. I put whiskey in my glass again and drank it. "At first, they forced me to manage the company and now, they want me to get married! F*cking no, Ton! I will not marry a woman I do not know and even more so do not love," I continued.
I heard Ton laugh. "Why not, right, Zandy? You're at the right age to get your own family. Maybe they can't wait to have grandchildren for you since Auntie and Uncle are getting older." He stopped speaking for a while. "Or maybe, you're still hoping that one day, Beverly will be back," added Ton.
I was immediately speechless. I've only been drinking a little but I can already feel the effects of alcohol on my body. "I do, Ton I will not give up because I know Beverly still loves me. She will come back and I will wait for that," I insisted.
I saw Ton grin. "Come on, Zandy, you're not blind to not see the truth. Beverly is gone and she's happy, so you could do the same. You need to move on and if you don't, those eyes will turn white you're waiting for the girl who left you. It's been two years, Zandy she's successful now and if she comes back, are you sure that she'll be right here by your side?" Ton said directly with a serious face.
I bit my lower lip. I can't believe that Beverly doesn't love me anymore. She told me that she still loves me but she wants to prioritize her career as a model in Paris and I need to understand that.
"No! She will come back, Ton, and I can feel it. And even if she can't come back, I won't marry a stranger," I insisted. Again if I filled my glass with wine and clinked it. "F*ck! I hate this!"
"I'm sorry to tell you this, Zandy, but it's like you're hoping that the crow will turn white. Alright, like this, if you don't want to get married to a stranger woman, then find someone you can love. Don't waste your time waiting for someone that you're not sure if she'll come back and if she did, you're not sure she still loves you. Come on, Zandy wake up and do something to make you happy," Ton said back to me full of concern.
I didn't say a word. I will not give up on Beverly. I know she will come back because she promised me that. She will return once she becomes successful in her modeling career. I'll hold on to that. I continued to drink. I want to get drunk and lose my ability to think about things that stress me out.
—
I quickly got out of my car and entered the house. I don't intend to stay here for long because I feel like I'm too suffocated by what my parents want for me. Also, I'm busy planning for the restaurant I want to build with Ton.
I was about to go up the stairs when Mom called my name. I turned to her and saw her alone on the sofa holding a cup of tea.
"Come here, son," said Mom gently.
I didn't move immediately and kept looking at Mom with no emotion but when I did, I approached her and reluctantly sat on the sofa next to her. I didn't say a word and just waited for her to speak.
I saw Mom take her Cellphone and put it on the center table. I saw the picture on the screen. I frowned. "What's this, Mom?"
"She's the girl we want you to marry," said Mom seriously.
My eyes narrowed as my jaw clenched. I grinned. "What's with her?" I asked sarcastically. "I'm not interested in who she is, Mom, I won't marry her,'" I said directly.
"We won't force you to marry her right away but we want you to get to know her and get along with her. She's a nice and lovely girl, Zandy. Get to know her first," she insisted. "Don't expect Beverly to come back. She cheated on you and she just made her career as a reason to leave you," she added.
I grinned and tried not to speak. No matter what I say, they won't listen to it. I turned on the cell phone that was on the table and took it. My face became serious when I saw the girl in the picture up close. It's familiar to me. I don't know but I feel something strange.
"She's Miles Virgilio, a daughter of your father's childhood friend," Mom introduced.
I was even more surprised to hear that name. Did I hear right? I was mesmerized by the picture and that scene came back to my mind again, a year ago. I could see the pain and frustration on her face when she saw Roven and I kiss in his office and thought it was true.
I swallowed. Conscience came back to me because I agreed to that plan to hurt Miles and make her leave Roven. After I agreed to that plan, I wanted to bring back the past. I'm not that brat to hurt an innocent girl like her. Her face was too innocent to hurt like that. I regretted it and I couldn't get rid of the pained look on my face. I know the feeling of being hurt and I don't want to make others feel it. I wanted to find her and talk to her before explaining everything to her but because of Roven, I just didn't do that.
She's the one they want me to marry? The girl Roven hurt through me?