"Honey, I'm so sorry," her mother uttered, desperation clinging to her voice. "I tried to talk your dad out of it, but the deal is already made, and we can't back out now."
Amelia's tears fell uncontrollably as she couldn't contain her emotions any longer. Anguish mixed with anger swirled within her, making her outburst fierce. "You must be kidding, you must fucking be kidding!" she yelled, her voice choked with pain.
Her father remained stoic, his expression cold and distant. "Amelia, you just have to get used to it. This is how life is," he said, his words devoid of empathy.
"Of course, you say that. It's not you that's getting married to a stranger," she retorted, her voice trembling with frustration.
"You're an adult now. You must learn to face the hardships in life without acting up," her father responded coolly, sipping his cup of coffee as if nothing had happened.
Amelia felt as if she was speaking to a brick wall, her words bouncing off without making an impact. Turning to her mother, she pleaded, "Mom, please don't let this happen. You're my mother, and you're my father. Don't you want me to choose my own future? Don't you want me to be happy?" Her mother's tearful reaction only deepened Amelia's despair.
"Nonsense. Happiness is earned. You have done nothing in your life to deserve happiness. This is the one thing you can do to make your mother and me proud. And who knows, maybe you'll even find happiness in this," her father stated, his tone cold and distant.
Amelia stared at her father in disbelief, her heart sinking further with every word he spoke. He didn't seem to care about her at all as if she were merely a pawn in his grand plan.
Just when Amelia thought the weight of the situation couldn't bear down on her any harder, her father dropped the bombshell. "You will be married in one week, and tomorrow the family of your future husband is coming over to our place for dinner. Wear something nice and be here by 5 p.m. sharp," he declared before leaving the room, leaving Amelia in shock.
"I'm so sorry," her mother repeated, her voice filled with sorrow. She continued to apologize repeatedly, but Amelia knew it wasn't her fault. She couldn't bear to see her mother in pain.
Amelia gathered her composure and approached her mother, sitting down beside her and enveloping her in a comforting embrace. "Mom, it's not your fault," she whispered, holding her tightly.
They sat in silence, finding solace in each other's presence. After discussing their feelings and fears, Amelia left to return to her own apartment.
The incident at her boyfriend's house had momentarily slipped from her mind, overshadowed by the impending wedding that now consumed her thoughts.
As she entered her apartment, she was taken aback to find Jonas waiting for her on the couch. The memories of their earlier encounter flooded back into her mind.
"Jonas, I don't have the time or energy to hear an explanation from you. Just leave me alone and go on with your life," she declared, her voice filled with a mixture of anger and exhaustion. She wanted to leave behind all the unnecessary drama, including Jonas, as she had far too much going on in her life.
She had reached her limit with him, and she had no intention of entertaining any further conversations or excuses. "Amelia, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I love you so much, and I don't want to lose you. Please give me a chance to explain. I didn't mean to do what I did," Jonas pleaded, his words filled with apparent sincerity. He appeared on the verge of tears, desperate for forgiveness.
Cutting him off sharply, Amelia retorted, "Jonas, cut the crap. If you didn't want to hurt me, you wouldn't have cheated on me in the first place. I'm sick and tired of you and all your excuses. Obviously, you didn't feel the same unconditional love for me as I felt for you. So do me a favor and leave. And don't contact me again." Her patience with him had run out.
Jonas finally understood that she was in pain and needed space. He complied with her request, handing over the key and exiting her apartment.
Amelia sank to the floor, her body overcome by exhaustion and sorrow. The tears flowed freely as she grieved the loss of her relationship.
The following morning, she awoke on the floor, her body still drained from the emotional turmoil of the previous day. Determined to find solace, she dressed in her gym clothes and running shoes, embarking on a long run. With each step, she felt a sense of liberation, as if running away from her troubles.
Returning home, she took a long, cold shower, washing away the remnants of her tears. Seeking a temporary escape, she settled down to watch her favorite show on N*****x, accompanied by a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. The hours passed as she indulged in the familiar comfort.
As the time for the life-changing dinner approached, Amelia readied herself. She applied her makeup with care, choosing a beautiful dress for the occasion. By 5 p.m., she was on her way to her parent's house.
Entering the house, she noticed both her parents dressed elegantly, their smiles forced and artificial. "Honey, you're here, and right on time," her father remarked, his smile masking the tension underneath.
Amelia brushed past him, seeking solace in her mother's embrace. "For you only," she whispered, the love between mother and daughter a respite from the storm brewing.
But her father interrupted, calling out her name just as they were about to sit down for dinner. Reluctantly, Amelia joined them, her cheeks burning with a mix of anger and frustration. She despised her father for what he had done and how little he seemed to care about her feelings.
The doorbell rang, momentarily breaking the tension. "It's them," her mother exclaimed, excitement radiating from her. Amelia felt a surge of resentment but suppressed it, not wanting to upset her mother any further.
Amelia glanced at the guy who stood at the door, immediately captivated by his attractive appearance. He exuded confidence, his well-fitted suit accentuating his figure.
"Hello, you must be Amelia. It's a pleasure to meet you," the woman, whom Amelia assumed was his mother, greeted her with a smile. Amelia mustered a polite response, struggling to maintain the veneer of formality.
"Well, let's let these two get to know each other," his father interjected, guiding the adults away from the room.
An awkward silence hung in the air as Amelia and Sean faced each other. Neither seemed eager to break the ice, but Sean's gaze lingered on her, causing irritation to bubble within Amelia. Unable to contain herself, she lashed out, "What are you staring at?"
Sean simply smirked, walking away casually as he retorted, "Looks like it's that time of the month." Amelia was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend how someone could say such a thing and then walk away without explanation.
Feeling a surge of anger, she stormed into the kitchen and took a seat beside her mother. As they sat around the table, Amelia felt a sense of unease, aware of the gravity of the situation. "So, Amelia, your mother tells me you're a sophomore at Valvet University," Sean's mother started, attempting to break the ice. "It's remarkable that you were admitted into one of Singapore's most prominent colleges. What are you studying?"
"I'm a business student," Amelia replied curtly, not interested in delving into further details. She glanced at her mother, silently pleading for help, and her mother quickly stepped in.
"Sean, you haven't said much. Can you tell me a little about yourself?" her mother asked, trying to fill the void with conversation.
"I'd rather not," Sean replied, taking a sip of water. Amelia couldn't help but chuckle at his response, which caught his attention. He gave her a small grin, gazing at her as if he truly saw the beauty within her.
His mother apologized for his behavior, and the rest of the dinner proceeded without major incidents. The relief washed over Amelia and Sean as they navigated the awkwardness, finding common ground.
After the dinner came to a close, her father made a suggestion that Amelia vehemently disagreed with. "If it's okay with you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I'd like Amelia to take Sean back to her apartment. They can spend some quality time together and get to know each other better." Amelia's anger flared, her father's disregard for her feelings evident.
"No way, Dad. I don't think that's a good idea," Amelia responded quickly, determined to assert herself. Her father looked puzzled by her defiance. "Why not?" he questioned.
"I'm exhausted," she lied, attempting to escape the situation. But her father didn't accept her excuse. "No, young lady, that's not an excuse. Do as I say right now," he demanded, leaving Amelia with no choice.
Resigned, she retrieved her keys from her purse, kissed her mother goodbye, and walked out the door, Sean trailing behind her.
The car ride was filled with silence, tension hanging heavy in the air. After a few minutes, Sean broke the silence, surprising Amelia with his honesty. "You know, I don't want this marriage either. I'm only doing it to help my father with his company," he confessed.
"Well, I didn't have a choice," Amelia replied, her voice laced with resignation. "I had a future and a happy life with my boyfriend until yesterday when my world was turned upside down. Isn't that fucking terrific?"
Sean seemed taken aback by her choice of words, but he continued the conversation. "Wait, you had a boyfriend?" he asked, genuine surprise in his voice.
"No, not anymore. We ended things yesterday," Amelia stated with a cold smirk, her heartache still fresh.
"So, you're practically cheating on your fiancé," Sean remarked, an amused expression crossing his face.
"Technically, I never cheated because until yesterday, I didn't even know I had a fiancé," Amelia shot back, hoping to establish some boundaries.
Feeling a connection forming, Sean pressed for more information. "Wow, that's rough. Guess he wasn't satisfied with what you gave him if he had the balls to cheat on you."
"Yeah, I mean, I know intimacy is important in a relationship, but I wanted my first time to be special. I didn't want anything rushed," Amelia explained, hoping Sean would understand her perspective.
He didn't quite catch her hint, continuing to stare at her sympathetically. "You know, our wedding is in a week, and on our wedding night, intimacy is expected," Sean began, but Amelia quickly cut him off.
"I know that, but I'm never going to let you touch me. I don't want any sexual contact with you" she declared firmly, unwilling to compromise her boundaries.
"Cool," Sean replied boldly. "Although I never planned on touching you."
"Then we're on the same page," Amelia responded cheerfully. "Interesting, though, because I thought all men wanted was a woman's body. But you're different."
"Well, I'm not like any other man," Sean confessed. "I value compassion, empathy, and patience. And love should come before intimacy."
Amelia couldn't help but think, ‘This guy is one in a million.’
When they got to Amelia's apartment, Amelia went to take a shower, meanwhile, Sean looked around and noticed some intriguing pictures. When Amelia emerged from the shower, she noticed that Sean had taken a box containing her treasured pictures."Wow, these photos are incredible; did you take them?" Sean said pleasantly.Amelia approached Sean, sat next to him, and said. "I took these quite some time ago. My father shattered my dream of being a photographer""What did he do," Sean said."He told me I had two options: I could keep pursuing my goal, but if I did, he'd marry me off to a man of his choosing." Amelia paused for a moment before continuing. "The second option was to stop spouting gibberish and focus on putting together a steady career, and if I did that, he told
They'd decided to meet at Amelia's place for what seemed to be their first date. Amelia hurried back home to get ready after hanging up the phone. Sean arrived 30 minutes later. He rang the doorbell and waited for Amelia to answer, but she didn’t open the door so he rang the doorbell once more, still no answer. Sean decided to call her on her cell phone and she picked up. “Hello” Amelia answered “Hey, I’m waiting outside your apartment are you ready?” “Oh shit im so sorry im in the shower I must have lost track of time, there’s a key under the mat just let yourself in” “Okay” Sean replied
Sean got up early the next morning to get to class; Amelia, on the other hand, didn't have any classes today, so she went to see her mother; however, when she arrived at their house, the only person she could find was her father, whom Amelia did not want to interact with."Amelia, Have you bought a wedding dress yet""No dad, I haven't," Amelia replied, annoyed, which infuriated her father, but he suppressed his rage. Amelia could sense her father’s anger so to piss him off even more she said.“No one can force me to wear a wedding dress, so I'll simply go down the aisle in jeans because this isn't even a wedding.”As soon as Amelia spoke those remarks, her father screamed at her, labeling her a rude daughter who had no respect for her par
Sean's father replied from the other side of the door, "I'm not letting you go until you learn to show your mother and me some goddam respect, you and Amelia can spend the night, and actually show me that you're going to be a functional husband and wife." He departed after saying that."Bastard" Sean mumbled beneath his breath."I'm so sorry Amelia, I never anticipated this to happen," Sean said, with a disconcerting look."Hey, don't be sorry this isn't your fault at all, it's okay, there's a bed there's a mini freezer, we'll survive the night," Amelia said while smiling. And that made Sean feel comfortable.They sat on the bed across from each other and began talking."All right, let's play a game so we can learn more
They reached their destination after approximately 15 minutes. They exited the vehicle, and Amelia seemed perplexed; they were in the middle of nowhere.“Where are we,” she asked bewildered.Sean just grabbed her hand and whispered, "Just follow me."Amelia nodded her head and followed him quietly.They walked for what seemed to be 30 minutes before arriving at an abandoned place; it was difficult to tell what kind of place it was, but it appeared to be some kind of abandoned playground or something like that; the place was creepy and made Amelia shiver; Sean noticed Amelia's unease and squeezed her hand, saying. “It’s just a little further ahead, don’t worry I got you ”They came to a clif
Back in Amelia’s apartment. “We should get cleaned up” Sean pointed out.“Yeah, we should” Amelia agreed.“You go first,” Sean said while unpackingAmelia went to the bathroom to get cleaned, and when she was finished, she realized she had forgotten to bring any clothes with her to the bathroom, so she had to embarrass herself yet again by walking out with only a towel. As she slowly opened the door, she peeked out to see if Sean was nearby, but she couldn't see him anywhere, so she assumed he was in the kitchen. She then rushed to her room as quickly as possible. When she got there, she discreetly closed the door and exhaled deeply, thinking she was alone.&l
Amelia returned back to the apartment around 6:20 pm, to find Sean nowhere to be seen, so she quickly rushed to take a quick shower and got ready. The clock was now 6:55 pm and Sean had still not returned Amelia wondered why he still didn't return so she called him."Hello" a voice sounded from the other end of the phone, it wasn't the usual deep charming voice that Amelia had gotten used to, no this was a feminine voice. Unsure if she had dialed the wrong number she quickly looked at her phone to make sure, but sure enough it was the right number."Eh hi," Amelia said unsure."Who am I speaking with? '' the girl said as if she didn't have the time to speak to Amelia.Amelia paused for a second, not knowing what to say. She then quickly replied."Sorry, I must have dialed the wrong number" She then hung up.This weird feeling started bubbling up, who was that girl? she wondered with unease. She looked at the phone and saw that it was almost 7 pm. Since Sean clearly was busy she decide
Amelia was curious, she wanted to know what he meant by history, but out of respect she didn't ask, rather she nodded and turned her attention back to her fingers. What felt like 30 minutes went by and Amelia was starting to get pissed. So without giving a damn she interrupted the conversation Sean and his friend were having and said “Sean, you called me because you needed a ride, if that’s not the case anymore, I will be leaving” and just as she stood up about to leave, a voice shouted “Hey don’t leave yet the fun is about to begin” Darryl's voice sounded from the chair next to her. “Yeah, let's play truth or dare” Another guy's voice sounded. Sean just looked at Amelia with a look that said, ‘if you want to leave, we can go right now’. Amelia suddenly felt a hand grabbing her wrist lightly. “Just stay a little longer,” Darryl said with a soft, friendly voice. Amelia felt like Sean was staring daggers into her soul seeing how she and Darryl were interacting. But at the moment she