“Ma'am! Wake up! Ma'am!” Someone was shaking me.
“Hmm.”
“Ma'am? Are you okay?” I'm lying on the floor while they are waking me up.
Really? On the floor?
“Who are you? Where am I? Did you just hit me?!”
“N-No, ma'am. Y-You just passed out.”
“Ouch.” They helped me sit on the chair.
“Where am I? Whose house is this? Shouldn't I be in the hospital? Where is that woman who hit me?!” I'm so mad right now. Who the hell does she think she is? How dare she hit me? Oh, oh. What happened to the wedding? Is it cancelled? Why am I here?!
“This will be your soon-to-be house, ma'am.”
“What house? Hey, did they continue the wedding while I was unconscious?! How could they?”
“No, ma'am. I heard that the wedding will be postponed. Yesterday was a chaos, so they decided to move it five days from now, so you could fully recover.”
That's good.
“Whose house? You mean, that Constello man?”
They nodded.
“How did I came here? Shouldn't I be in the hospital? And what's this? What am I wearing?”
They were confused to my questions.
“Ma'am, you came here on your feet.”
“What? I came here? Then, who... who came here with me?”
“President Constello fetched you at the hospital, ma'am. Then, you were brought here. To meet his father.”
I walked on my own?
Wait, so.
Zainea, you're still inside this body, am I right? Why did you bring yourself here?! Then why did we suddenly switch? Come on! You're going to meet the father, but you brought me out again!
“Oh, sorry for the questions. I just forget things easily. You know... my brain is... hmm...” I laughed awkwardly.
“We understand you, ma'am.”
What the hell are you doing in his house, Zainea? I thought you are against this marriage? What's with the ‘meet the father’ stage?
“Ma'am, President Constello is waiting for you downstairs.”
“Wait, one last question. Is he handsome? He's not that old, right?”
They all smiled and giggled.
“Ma'am, he is handsome. He's not that old, he's a year or two ahead of you. Didn't you take a good look at him? You were with him yesterday and a while ago.”
Yesterday? I met him yesterday? Where? How?
“Ahh. Y-Yeah.”
I went downstairs, and saw a man sitting on the couch, not facing me.
Is this him? He has broad shoulders, huh?
I went in front of him and coughed. He is reading a book.
“Mister Constello?” He lifts up his head.
“You—??” He looks familiar. Where did I see him?
“What?”
“Wait, I'm thinking. Ah! You are that man in the elevator! You are the man Zai—I'm going to marry?! For real?!”
The why didn’t he inform me the moment he saw me?! Why is he even wearing those kind of clothes yesterday? Who would have thought that President Constello is wearing such clothes instead of a suit?
“Stop fooling around, will you? What trick are you pulling? You seemed so behave when you are at the hospital, and now you are so noisy. What? You want to do some acting?”
“What acting are you saying? Psh, what now? Why did you bring me here? I heard the wedding will be in five days. Are you that eager to see me again?”
He smirked.
“Father wants to meet you, since he will be out for a business trip tomorrow until next month.”
“Ohh, then, where is he?” I sit on the couch in front of him.
“What kind of dress is that? It's so revealing. Go change that. Wear something thick. Jeans and shirt are fine,” he said instead.
“What do you mean revealing? All dresses are like this, you're just too conservative. Duh, what year is it now? Mister Constello, you're now on the modern era.” I pulled up the dress. It's kinda showing my cleavage.
“See that. It has no straps. What if—”
“It won't, okay? Why? I am now thinking that you are being possessive of me, Mister Constello. Do you like me?” I gave him a mocking smile.
He laughed hard like he heard some joke.
Seeing him laugh is pleasant to the eyes, but knowing the reason why he is laughing is so not acceptable. It's irritating.
“Dream on, Miss Amadeo.”
“Humph! Really? Let's see then.”
“Maybe it's you who have fallen for me. Didn't you say my face is your type? You said you'd marry me when—”
“Stop! Stop! What I said yesterday was just a joke, okay? Why are you even bringing that out? Tss.”
It's not Zainea, but me, Calais! It's Calais who wants to marry you!
“Boss, your father is here.”
“Oh, hey! Hi there, Mister Secretary!” I waved at him.
He shyly smiled at me.
“He's with your brother,” he continued.
“Tell them to come in.”
“Why are you looking at me like that? Looks like you want to strangle me.”
That look again.
“I'm not. I just hate how you smile.”
Ha! I'm not like you who doesn't know the word 'smile'.
“Zayden.”
“Dad.” He stood up and greet the man he called dad. He's, I guess, in his 50s, but he's still good-looking.
I stood up to show my respect to him.
“Is she Leo Amadeo's daughter?”
“A-Ah. Yes. Nice to meet you, pa. My name's Zainea.” Instead of having a shake hand with him, I gave him a hug. The old man laughed.
I'm good at this, Zainea. Don't worry. I'll make a good impression for you. You won't come here if you don't want the marriage to continue, am I right?
“Such a sweet girl. Nice to meet you, too. You look more stunning in person than in television.” He tapped my back.
I laughed shyly. What work do you do, Zainea? Are you, perhaps, an artist?
“Come, take a sit. Are you thirsty? What do you want to drink?” I offered him.
“No, I'm fine. Please, take a sit. Zayden, she's a good catch. Good for you.”
Zayden? Who? This man?
He pulled me beside him.
“Behave and sit.”
Tss. What am I, a dog?
“I'm not a dog, dummy.”
“You look like one,” he whispered back.
Urgh! Please, give me some more patient. I might lose myself and punch his face. Now, I'm taking back what I've said yesterday. I won't chase him! He has a nasty attitude, dude! How can I live with that?!
“I'm quite worried that you might collapse on your wedding, so I decided to do it five days after. Unfortunately, I have an unexpected trip to Italy, so I want to meet you now.”
“Well, pa, we could move the wedding next month until you come home. We could wait for you,” I suggested. Good idea, Calais. A big round of applause for you. Within that month, I could find my body, return to it, and leave this complicated situation.
“The wedding can't wait.” My world collapsed when I heard him say that.
“Zayden is right. Besides, I don't want to delay the wedding.”
I glared at Zayden, but he just smirked at me. Why do you have to say that?? Aren't you against this marriage? Why not postpone it??
“But I want to delay the wedding,” I blurted out.
His dad gave me a confused look.
“I still want to enjoy the life of a single woman before settling. Can't I do that for, how about, two months?”
Zayden mockingly laughed.
“I won't deprive you of your rights. You can do whatever you want while your married to me. Nothing will be changed. The freedom you have right now will be the same until you die.”
I want to give him a big applause. He seems to be so ideal in front of his father.
“Really? Nothing will be changed? Right! You heard that, pa. Please, if you see him doing things against my rights, give me the permission to take 30% of his shares in the company.”
I will make you go bankrupt.
His father laughed.
“You found yourself a wife and a business partner, Zayden. I can see that she has a potential in running a company. Alright, you have my permission, sweetheart.”
“Thank you, pa.”
I looked at Zayden who's intently looking at me. I gave him a victory look.
“Dad.” Another man came in. He somewhat looks like Zayden.
“Come here, Zerro.”
Zerro? He is that Zerro they are talking about? He's gorgeous also! But who really he is in your life, Zainea? Is he the one you've fallen for?
He sat in the other couch facing us. He looked at me with sadness and... longing? Why?
“We are also here, apart from meeting Zainea, to inform you that Zerro will have his wedding one day before your wedding,” their father announced.
Zayden held my hand. “Stop looking at your ex-boyfriend that way,” he whispered.
Oh dear. He is your ex-boyfriend, Zainea?! What is this situation you are into?! How could they marry you off to his brother?!
Is this the man they are saying that will never be yours? Please, come out and voice out your thoughts. The love of your life will be married to someone else.