ISABELLE.
Squinting, I hummed in response to the sound of the birds calling out to each other, wincing as my stretched-out arm hit the headboard above my head yet my toes wriggled and I couldn't help but roll to and fro beneath my warm duvet. A flood of light rushed into my eyes as I sat up in my bed instinctively rubbing them to ease the sting.
"Marianne has been in here" I groan as I look forward to my drawn-back drapes, my groan quickly turns to a large yawn, and I threw my hands up in another stretch as laughter bubbles out of my throat. I fall back on my bed in a loud thump, squealing and thrashing.
Today is just going to be a wonderful day.
"Ugh! what is up with the weather today?" My aunt groans as she stares out the window, "and to think it was sunny just a few moments ago."
Turning to look out the window I sigh "Isn't it just a beautiful day?"
"A beautiful day?"Marianne echos, and I nod.
"Listen, to the sound of the rain hitting against the glass windows, the harmony it creates with the raging thunder isn't it just lovely?" I reply but she frowns and so does my aunt. "Okay, what about the soft caress of the moist and whistling wind?" I glance between them "tough crowd."
"Are you by any chance drunk?" My aunt asks, "… or are you on drugs? Is that why you acted like that yesterday?!" She gasps.
Yesterday? Oh, that was a beautiful day as well, such a wonderful day. But I dare not say that out loud.
I feel the Marianne gaze but I keep my bright eyes and soft smile focused on the darker brown on my toast. "What made her act the way she did?" My uncle's distant voice pulls our attention to where he sits in another room, but no one gives a response to his question. Distracted by his approaching footsteps my Marianne replies when we all sit together.
"Isabelle is acting weird this morning is all uncle, she doesn't do drugs," Marianne says softly.
"Or maybe I do" I whisper.
"Isa!"Marianne exclaims
"Would that be easier to believe?" I look up at both of them with a raised brow and amusement playing on my features.
"Honestly yes, with the way you behaved last night yes it would be easier to believe." My uncle replies.
Sitting back, without breaking eye contact "well I'm sorry to break it to you uncle, aunt but I am not on anything if you don't count pure joy that is. You both were there with me yesterday night, Asher was the one who refused to marry me, I was only saving face by doing what I did. You should be praising me, at least I didn't disgrace the family- no my parents' reputation."
They both sat there with nothing to say as expected, of course, they couldn't blame me for anything when Asher said that himself. "I have an early class I need to go to school now" placing a soft kiss on Marianne's forehead and whispering quiet words I squeezed her shoulder and walked out of the dining room.
The roads were near flooded and the car found it difficult to break effectively causing abrupt jerks on the ride to school so it took longer than intended besides the due to the speed at which cars moved the road was overpopulated. The first two periods had gone by when I arrived in school yet the tension on the muscles in face wouldn't ease up and despite the wet floors, I found an easy skip to my steps as I headed to the library. I had almost two and a half hours for my next classes so I hummed to the song and rhythm that played through the AirPods in my ears.
"Hey, Jessie!" I throw my hands in the air waving at her the moment I see her. She turns to look at me and smiles softly, looking around me I notice she clutches her books tighter to her bosom and takes hesitant steps forward.
I look around me for the first time and just like before, only more intense people eyes and attention on me have turned sour.
What now?
"I'm sorry, I was wearing headphones I didn't realize I was shouting" I apologize to the girl closest to me but she scoffs, gathers her books, and walks away.
"You know I preferred you when you were a beautiful idiot at least then we didn't have to deal with you all the time. We get that you are rich and famous but can you please keep your business to yourself?" A random girl says, standing up with her books in hand as well.
My hair whipped around my face softly as I shook my head, looking around it seems she anchored the common thought of the populace and my muscles eased up and tensed up again, only this time the tension didn't widen or brighten my features. My heart beat in random and unsettled pumps.
"Can you please explain what you mean? I don't think I have done anything to warrant such open hostility" I spoke up, not to anyone in particular.
The girl sighed and nodded "I guess I shouldn't outright blame you but can't you have more tactic? You know how hard it is for the whole class because you are in it and the professors have done nothing but kiss you ass after news of your miraculous action on that rich chairman's life. Now you go and flaunt the news of your happy engagement all over social media and expect us to be okay with it?"
I blink too many times at that moment it's unreal. My middle fingers push free strands of my hair behind my ears and I am unable to gaze elsewhere but the ground.
She scoffed and stepped forwards but the guy beside her grabbed her arm and shook her head, "it's not worth it, she wasn't even in class today." He said and just like that I was left standing in the middle of the road wondering what just happened.
"Jess?" I turn to my best friend.
"You wouldn't understand if you weren't in class, their anger is justified. I know you probably didn't have a say but going forward you should really try to keep your news quiet, at least for the sake of the class." I reach forward and grab her upper arm, pulling her closer to myself.
"I guess congratulations should be in order, congratulations. I'm happy if you are" she says without looking at me.
"What the hell are you talking about?" I ask, my grip on her arms tightening, I lower my head and narrow my eyes as I wordlessly implore her to speak, the tension in my chest getting even more uncomfortable.
"Why are you asking me that? Your engagement of course" she retorts.
I look up, my lips pulled forward in a pout… "ahhh, is this because of the dinner yesterday? You guys are making a bid deal out of this, nothing happened. It was just a dinner."
"What now?! Why are you looking at me like that?" I whine, jumping from one foot to the other.
"Do you really not understand what I am saying? Fine I'll show you" she pulls her phone out of her back pocket, "seems you are really as dumb as they say" she mutters but I catch it. I don't get the time to reply appropriately because bigger problems arise as my eyes meet with the words revealed on the screen of her phone. Portrayed in the tiny screen is my picture right beside Asher, with the headline on the article announcing our engagement.
I notice that the distance between Jessie and me begins to widen and my hair bounces around my shoulders and cheeks as I shake my head repeating the words "that not true" over and over. "I swear that is not true."
Jessie rolls her eyes and pulls me back to her, "look at this then, are you going to keep acting dumb?"
"What is that?"
"Come see for yourself" she gestured.
I walked back to her, rubbing my arms against the jeans I wore, I swallowed hard. My eyes widened when I saw what it was she was showing me, it was a video of Asher standing behind a wooden stand, with flashes of white lights constantly illuminating his handsome features. The sound of the clicking camera is loud but not loud enough to drown out the sound of his voice or the words he is speaking.
"I wish to announce more joyous news from the Quing family, after the wonderful and proper recovery of my grandfather the Chairman of Quing enterprises, I Asher Quing, heir to the Quing empire is engaged to Isabelle Byun of Byun health plus and we intend on marriage to form an alliance between both families and businesses."
"So you are only getting married to her for money and business?"
"Is there a better reason to get married? But no, not only for marriage you see I have fallen for her as well."
"oh my that-"
The rest of the interview trails off and suddenly the world dulls around me, and my stomach churns as bile rises up my throat, that bitterness seeping into my flesh, escaping into my bloodstream, circulating all over my body. I am engaged? He has fallen for who?