I stared at a pole, lost in thought. "Shay," Sab called out, surprising me.
"What is it, Sab? Do you need something?" I asked.
"No, but I noticed that you've been staring into space since earlier. Are you sure you're okay?" she asked with concern.
"I'm fine. I think I'll head home now because I'm tired," I said as I bid her goodbye.
As I was about to cross the street, a black van pulled up in front of me. I was startled when some men grabbed me and forced me into the van.
"Help!!!" I screamed and struggled against them.
"Hey, we don't have any money! I'm not rich! My family can't pay any ransom!" they let go of me and pushed me out into the middle of the street.
"We were just told to take you to your house. Our boss is waiting for you there," one of them said.
They were so dumb, especially their boss. Why would they take me to my house?
But why?
"Why are you taking me to my house?" I asked in confusion.
"That's what we were told to do," was the only reply I got.
After a few minutes, I felt the van stop, and they opened the door. I was the first to step out.
"Why are there so many cars parked outside our house?" I asked myself, concerned that something might have happened.
I quickly ran inside and was surprised by what I saw in the living room.
"Oh, Shay's here," Ate Sha smiled, and I looked to where she was smiling.
It was the man from earlier, the one who called me a slut, and the President...
"Good morning, Mr. President," I said softly.
Why was he with him??
"It's evening," I pursed my lips at his correction, irritating him, ugh, hmp.
He really likes to show off when he's beside him.
"I mean, Good evening, Mr. President," I corrected myself, trying to fake a laugh, but it felt forced because of what happened earlier, tsk.
"You look beautiful. Are you willing to marry my son to take responsibility for what happened?" Mr. President smiled.
I closed my eyes tightly, maybe hoping Ate Sha, who was also looking at me, would intervene, but her reaction was different.
"I have to, Mr. President, because your son was the one who took advantage of my cousin," Ate Sha bluntly said, shamelessly, I don't want to get married.
"No!!!" he suddenly exclaimed, annoyed.
"Yes!!!" I mimicked his tone, still laughing, but his expression turned serious, so I stopped.
"Okay, everything seems fine. I just need to talk to your sister," Mr. President said before heading to the kitchen, leaving the two of us behind.
I covered my mouth in shock at what I had said. There was no turning back now! What was I doing?!
"What is your name?" he asked gruffly.
"Shay Fatimah Claveria," I replied gruffly too, hmp.
"Tsk, I'm Shuan Arwein Villamor, 8 years older than you," as if... he's 28, already old.
"You're old." I laughed, and he gave me a sharp look, which made me laugh even more, but I stopped when he adjusted his tie and ran his fingers through his hair.
"He's hot," I muttered.
I swallowed hard as my throat felt dry.
"Your saliva is dripping," he pointed out, and I grinned.
"I know you like me, hmp," he confidently said, acting all grand.
"What? Where would I like you, old man?" I laughed.
"Earlier, you were practically drooling over me," he smirked.
"No way, I'd spit on you instead," I snapped.
"Do it, baby," he said in a deep voice, making me slightly dazed.
"Even if I die, I'll never like you," I suddenly said to him.
"Maybe you like me," he smiled, raising his eyebrows, as he fixed his hair before leaving.
He's so full of himself, thinking I'd like him. Well, I won't, tsk.
"Even if I die, I won't like you," I heard him laugh.
It felt like I was a child who had just been denied an ice cream. I looked at his bodyguard, who was also laughing, and I went upstairs.
"Ah!" I screamed as I closed my bedroom door.
"I'm drooling over him, but he should be the one drooling over us," I said before lying down on my bed.
I felt lazy; they might still be downstairs, and I didn't want to see them.
"I don't want to marry him," I said sadly.
I closed my eyes because I wanted to sleep.
"Shay, you're not coming down?" I heard someone shout.
"Yes, I am, wait!" I shouted back and quickly got up to go to the bathroom to take a shower.
After I went downstairs, I immediately went to the kitchen because no one was in the living room. I sat down at the table and noticed him, the guy who called me "Fatty."
"What did you say?" I asked angrily.
"I said you're Fatty," I pursed my lips at what he said.
"I'm not fat, just chubby-cheeked," I boasted.
"Enough, we're in front of the dining table, and you're teasing each other," Ate Sha scolded, looking around.
"Ate Sha, where's Mr. President?" I asked.
"He left. Why is he still here?" I widened my eyes at him.
"He's too much; you're all so horny, but when you're about to get married, you leave. Are you stupid? You're a man, damn it! You got his child, and then what!" I almost regretted what I said because of my cousin's words, so I just closed my eyes.
"Tsk, I'll leave first. I lost my appetite," he left, and we sat down.
I scooped some rice and viand. "What's 'bataan,' isn't that a place?" he asked, so I looked at him.
"It's on your left," I said irritably.
"What? I mean, what is Bataan? It seems to have a different meaning," I didn't let him finish as I fed myself some rice and viand.
"Bataan is a place with beautiful scenery," I didn't say anything else and started eating because I was hungry.
I was hesitant to explain what it meant, ghod.
"By the way, I want to say something. Our forced marriage is tomorrow," he suddenly said.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Get ready because your life will be miserable once we're married," he said coldly.
Ah, so he's trying to scare me.
"You're scaring me!" I shouted at him. He stood up and straightened his clothes.
"No, I'm just warning you," he said before leaving.
"Whatever, you should be the one preparing. You'll see the consequences of bullying someone!" I shouted, and I heard him laugh again.
I angrily placed the spoons back on the plate. He's annoying, damn it, tsk, hmp. I'll get back at him for teasing me, and I laughed.
"Hey, girl, you seem crazy there. Wash and dry those plates," Ate Sha shouted.
She really likes to interfere with the fun, tsk.
Shuan, Swan hahaha.