“Let’s go outside, my love,” Ismael invited me when he woke me up. That’s when I realized it was already afternoon because of the low light I could see through the glass door opposite us. I had slept too long.
Wait… “Did you sleep?” I asked Ismael.
“Yup. I just woke up earlier. Then I saw that the sun was about to set. I woke you up so we could watch it together.”
I nodded and got up while rubbing my eyes. He kissed me on the cheek.
“Let’s just wash up first,” I said. He just nods before lifting me to the bathroom.
After we finished bathing, we walked out of the hotel. I was amazed by the sea I saw. It was so clean.
I took off my slippers to walk on the sand.
“Ismael, it’s beautiful here,” I commented while smiling. He walked towards me. The place is exquisite because just looking at the surroundings makes me tear up. Add to that, the person I love is with me. He is with me again. The happiness I feel is beyond words.
“It is,” he replied. He held my hand. We walked along the beach while observing the beautiful sky. Since it was almost afternoon, the color of the sky was very beautiful. It was very peaceful, especially since there was no one else except the two of us.
I looked back at him. He was staring at the sea. I noticed the twinkle in his eye. Was he crying?
He wiped the corner of his eye. He probably didn’t know I saw it. “Why are you crying, Ismael?”
He met my eyes before shaking his head. “I just love you so much, and the more I think of it, the more I tear up.” He smiled.
I smiled too. “Me too; I’m just holding it back, but my tears still want to fall,” I said before I put my arm around his waist to hug him. I turned to face him. “Just seeing you like this, I’m getting emotional, and I want to cry. I never thought I would love this much and receive so much love from you.”
He kissed my forehead, and because of that, my hot tears completely fell. I remembered what Isa had told me last time about Ismael losing his position because I asked to break up with him.
Ismael didn’t want to be clan president, but I insisted and took away his rights.
He has done a lot for me, and he has also lost a lot just to love me. Even I did leave him, even though he was very willing to leave everything just for me.
I looked up again to meet his eyes. “I love you so much, Ismael. If you want to escape everything, I will come with you. I will no longer force you into something you don’t want. I don’t need Ismael the president; I don’t need Ismael the rich; I am ready to love and take care of you even if the day comes when you can’t give me anything anymore. I will give everything to you. I will fight for both of us.”
He wiped my tears from his cheeks. “Just now, you made me fall for you deeper.”
I could see in his eyes the overwhelming love and admiration for me. I felt the same way for him. No writer could describe how much I loved him.
“I want to repay all your kindness to me, Ismael. I want to return the love you always give me.”
He smiled even more, but at the same time, he was unable to hide the tears from me. “My love for you doesn’t expect something in return, Jothea. You, by just existing here with me, are enough. I am able to live because you’re on my side.” He tucked my hair behind my ears before pinching my chin lightly.
“Then…” I touched his clothes. “Can I get the rings back? Can we push through our marriage? I don’t want to live without you anymore. I fear that I won’t be able to endure the days if I don’t wake up without you. Please, Ismael, please marry me so I can stay forever on your side.”
“You tiny little thing…” He took off the necklace he was wearing around his neck. It was hidden inside his clothes, so I didn’t notice he was wearing a necklace. That’s when I realized that the rings he once gave me were there.
Wait a minute, he wasn’t wearing them earlier or yesterday. What does this mean? Did he prepare for this moment?
I bit my lip.
“I won’t let you wear it on your fingers again. Wear it like this so you won’t be able to take it off without anyone’s help.”
He placed the promise ring and engagement ring, which I had previously removed and replaced, on my necklace. He really knew me. And here he was, finding another way to adjust to me.
A smile escaped his lips while he was staring at me. “Does it suit me?” “Does it suit me?” I asked, holding the two rings on my necklace.
“Of course,” he replied.
“How about us? Do we look wonderful together?” I joked.
“Of course.”
“Wrong, we’re best together.” I smiled teasingly while fighting back the tears that wanted to fall. I didn’t want my eyes to swell from crying in front of him.
“But best on bed?”
My forehead wrinkled, but because of his smirk, I knew what he meant.
“Ismael! You’re really nasty-!”
He cut me off with a kiss. “Am I?”
I leaned over to kiss him. “We’re the same.” I giggled. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Jothea.” He kissed my cheek again. We watched the sunset together on the beach as we sat on the sand, watching the darkness take over the light. Ismael and I held hands and hugged each other.
I didn’t want this day to end.
“Let’s get married when you’re ready, Jothea,” he whispered to me. His voice shivered through my spine. Especially since he said it like that, my whole being was thrilled.
“I am ready now, you know?”
He laughed. “Really?”
I glanced at him. “Yes, I am. Why do you always treat me like a child who will change her mind? If we were getting married, then I wish we wouldn’t have to break up.”
He laughed too. “Because you always asked for it. What if we got married, and then one day, because of some issue, you chose to ask for separation again? What about me?”
I turned to face him. “Then impregnate me so I have no reason to break up with you. Lock me up with you. That’s all you can do for a stubborn person like me.”
He laughed at what I said. He even let go of me because he was already holding his stomach. I pinched him in annoyance. “Why are you laughing? I’m already teaching you!”
He forced himself to stop laughing loudly before staring at me with a smile. “You’re adorable,” he commented. “Your intrusive thoughts always win. How cute.” He kissed my cheek.
“I’m serious!”
“Alright. Calm down. If you really are ready, then do you want to set a date for our wedding? Honestly, it’s all prepared now; you’re the only one I’m waiting for.”
I was the one who was speechless. “Seriously?”
He nods. “Yeah, didn’t I tell you before? I was gone because I was also preparing for our wedding, just like I promised.”
I was amused by that news. After all, what’s not impossible for a rich guy like him? Maybe even if I decided to marry him tomorrow, he would immediately find a way to make it happen.
“So, should we tie the knot on our first anniversary?”
He gasped, and because of his reaction, it seemed like he didn’t know when our first anniversary would be.
“Don’t say you don’t know when?” I asked.
His eyes widened as if he was thinking, but he just smiled at me in response.
“That’s it. I’m not going to tell you when. That’s the catch of our wedding.”
He didn’t force me to tell him the answer. He seemed to like my idea. We’d just surprise each other on the day itself.
We went back to the hotel room to eat dinner, but our phones were ringing loudly. Ismael and I looked at each other before looking for our phones that were ringing at the same time.
I was shocked when I saw the name calling Ismael.
Mrs. Javierre
“Is that my mom?” I asked him, but he didn’t answer because he was also looking at the unknown number calling my phone.
“Guess, my mom is calling you too,” he said. Hearing that from him immediately made my jaw drop.
“What’s going on?” I asked nervously. My hand is trembling while hesitating to pick up my phone. Why would his mother call me, and why would my mother call him?
I just saw myself in front of the Mondalla mansion. Ismael and I just arrived at their residence, and guess what? My parents are here too.
We will be having a family dinner together, and I don’t fucking know what’s really going on. Just now, Ismael’s mother called me to inquire about my well-being, having heard about the events at the house where I was staying. She said she wanted to see me; that’s why I went to their residence. Meanwhile, I’ve been asking why Mom called Ismael, but her answer to me was that I’ll find out when we come here.
“Shall we?” he asked me, while offering his arm. I grabbed it. The first and second times I came here, I was nervous, but now I feel like I’m going to faint from nervousness. It feels like my heart is about to run away from me.
We went straight to the dining room where Sir Mikael, Ma’am Elisse, Mom, and Dad were waiting. I just gulped nervously because I saw my parents there, both waiting for Ismael and me to arrive. Never in my life had my imagination captured this. This is fucking unbelievable.
“Jothea! You’re back!” Ismael’s mom immediately stood up from her seat to greet me with a hug. I could see the joy in her eyes. She stroked my hand, and I noticed that her smile disappeared for a moment.
“Ismael, son,” she greeted the man next to me before kissing both of his cheeks. “The food is waiting.”
I just looked at Ismael. He pulled the chair for me. I am sitting beside him, while her mother is on her right side. Mom is right next to me, still staring at me. She never does that, and it feels uncomfortable to see her like this.
“Eat, darling. The last time you visited here, you were so slim, but now you look slimmer. What happened? Didn’t my son Ismael take care of you?” Ismael’s mother asked me.
I also just looked at my body. In the past few months, I’ve been gaining weight, but since Ismael and I broke up again, my body has returned to the way it was before, which I always didn’t realize or notice.
Ismael, who until now has not spoken, spooned me food.
I was about to eat when I heard Ismael’s father’s speech. “I heard the two of them broke up, but seeing them together again means-”
I noticed Ma’am Elisse rejecting Sir Mikael’s elbow. “But there’s no ring on her finger anymore,” she whispered, which we heard. I also noticed the maids’ sideways gaze, as if they were communicating with their eyes.
“What’s your plan with my daughter?”
I was especially quiet when Dad spoke. I wasn’t expecting him to throw a direct, to-the-point question at the man beside me. It reminded me of a time when we had a family dinner and I explained to them that Ismael was simply my professor. It was as if yesterday when they kicked me out and told me Ismael would take care of my financial needs. They are the ones who abandoned me; what the hell are they doing here?
“Dad-” I was about to speak when he cut me off.
“I am not talking to you.”
My teeth clenched. When will I have time to speak?
“You have been pestering my daughter’s life ever since you entered the university. I heard you also took my daughter to live with you in your penthouse. Have you been inning out your dick to my daughter yet you don’t have the balls to marry her?”
I gasped. I was about to fight when Ismael held my hand. I looked at him, and because of that, I also saw the reactions of Ismael’s parents.
“Excuse me, Mr. Alvandra, your language,” Sir Mikael replied. “You are in my house.”
“Absolutely, we have invited you here to talk about this matter,” Ma’am Elisse said. “So please be gentle with your words.”
“But we’re talking about our daughter. If you were in our place, you would understand why we would talk like this,” Mom insisted.
I heaved a sigh. As if they really care about me? Based on Mom’s tone of voice, I also know why they agreed to come here. And I want to be annoyed because this is exactly why I’m saying why I don’t want them to meet Ismael. They will take advantage of him and, worst of all, their wealth.
“I have already proposed to her, so you don’t have to worry, Mr. Alvandra. Just like what you told me before, I will take care of all her financial needs.”
My irritation disappeared when Ismael spoke. With those kinds of words, who wouldn’t be touched? He was really calming me down.
“W-wait, did you propose to her already?!” Ismael’s mom’s voice was full of excitement. She even held her ex-husband’s hand. “Did he propose to you?” she asked me. She actually stood up from the chair again to come over and look at my hand again.
I smiled and couldn’t help but smile when I saw Ma’am Elisse’s beaming face.
“He did, m-mom.” I remember what she requested of me last time-to call her like that.
I showed her my necklace, where the two rings were-the promise ring as well as the diamond ring Ismael gave me.
“Oh, God!” Ismael’s mom just hugged me. “I thought this day would never come!” And she burst into tears. She broke away from me before wiping her cheek.
“I see…” My smile disappeared when I heard my father’s voice. I remembered again that they were here, and I had no right to be happy while they were both around me. “So, how much will we earn from this?”
I gasped upon hearing that from him. “Dad? What are you talking about?!” I asked in annoyance. Face to face? Am I really that worthless to them? It’s like they’re selling me to other families, even though they haven’t even given me a single value.
“You have been worthless since you were born. Now that we can benefit from you, why would we waste this chance? We can oppose your marriage, but since this professor of yours has been in love with you, I know he won’t let that happen. So, tell me…” Dad glanced at Ismael very intently. The gaze I never thought he would have. “… what can you give to us in exchange for our daughter?”
I closed my eyes in anger. Why is it that even in front of Ismael’s family they can humiliate me? Does he really have no shame left in his blood?
“Name your price.”
Ismael’s statement stunned me. There is no way that he would agree on this. What’s going on in his mind?
“One million dollars.”