William stood before his mother, his heart pounding. He had made countless decisions in his life, but none had felt quite like this.
"I'll do it. I'll get engaged to Sarah."
His mother didn't react with surprise or joy—just a small, approving nod.
"Good. You've made the right choice."
That was it. No warmth, no affection. Just another decision made for the sake of the family.
William swallowed, his fingers tightening into fists. Would this finally be enough? Would she finally be proud of him?
He wanted to believe it, but deep down, something told him that no matter what he did, his mother would never love him the way he wanted.
For the first time, a small voice inside him whispered: Do you really want this?
But before he could entertain the thought, he shoved it aside. It didn't matter what he wanted. He had a role to play, and he would play it perfectly.
With a cold exhale, he turned and left.
The next morning, Sarah was sitting in the living room when her mother handed her a thick folder.
"These are William's details. You should know about the man you're going to be engaged to."
Sarah blinked at the file in her hands. It felt heavier than it should.
"Do I really have to?" she asked, half-joking.
Her mother gave her a firm look. "It will help you understand him."
With a sigh, Sarah took it and went to meet her friends.
Sarah dropped the file onto the table, and her friends immediately pounced.
Olivia smirked. "What's that? A business contract?"
Sophia peeked at the title. "William? Oh my God, you're actually going to get engaged to jan iceberg?"
Lucas, who was sitting quietly, glanced at the folder but said nothing.
Sarah rolled her eyes. "He's not that bad."
Sophia scoffed. "Are you sure? Because last I checked, he has the emotional range of a corporate email."
Olivia laughed. "He probably texts 'Happy Birthday. Regards, William.'"
Sarah chuckled, but as she flipped through the pages, the laughter faded.
The folder contained photographs, documents, and details about William's life.
She skimmed through the formal pictures first—he was always perfectly dressed, always composed. But then, she found older photos, childhood pictures.
Unlike her own wide, carefree smiles, his expressions were always controlled. But in rare candid shots, his eyes… they weren't empty. They weren't cold. They were guarded.
Her fingers paused on a picture of him as a child, standing beside his mother at an event. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't frowning either. Just… there. Like he had already learned that emotions were a weakness.
Her heart clenched.
"Maybe he's not cold. Maybe he's just been forced to be this way."
Her friends were still joking, but she wasn't listening anymore. For the first time, she saw William differently.
Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't the iceberg they all thought he was.
Maybe… she wanted to find out who he really was.
She quietly closed the file.
Later that evening, Sarah found Lucas sitting alone on a bench in the garden. The soft glow of the setting sun cast long shadows over the ground. She hesitated for a moment before sitting beside him.
"Lucas, I've decided."
He turned to her, waiting.
"I'm going to get engaged to William."
Lucas was silent for a moment, then he nodded. "Then do it. If this is what you truly want, go for it."
Sarah frowned, tilting her head. "That's it? I decided and told you, and without even doubting my choice, you just said I should go for it?"
Lucas gave her a small, knowing smile.
"You're the first one to believe in me that much," she said softly.
Lucas looked away for a second before speaking again. "Sometimes, we don't doubt the people we care about… even when it hurts."
Sarah stared at him, confused. "What's that?"
Lucas let out a soft chuckle. "Just a quote from a book I'm reading."
Sarah didn't push further, but something about his words lingered in the air between them, heavy with unspoken meaning.
She smiled. "Thank you, Lucas. I needed someone to tell me that."
She left feeling lighter, unaware that Lucas sat frozen, staring after her.
That night, Lucas sat with Ava, his hands resting on his knees, his mind lost in thoughts.
Ava nudged him. "You're too quiet. What's wrong?"
Lucas let out a soft, bitter laugh. "She chose William. And I… I couldn't do anything."
Ava's playful expression faded. "Lucas…"
He looked down, his voice quieter now.
"In her story, I was just a side actor, but in my story, she'll always be the main actor."
Ava stayed silent, watching as Lucas clenched his fists, forcing a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"She said no one loves her, but will she believe me if I said that I had always loved her?"
His voice cracked slightly, but he quickly covered it with another chuckle—the kind that masked pain instead of joy.
Ava placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Lucas… why didn't you ever tell her?"
Lucas exhaled, looking up at the stars.
"Because she never would have chosen me anyway."
As Ava watched Lucas walk away, his silhouette fading into the night, her heart ached for him.
He had loved in silence, and now, he was learning how to lose in silence, too.
"I was just another page in her story, but for me, she was the whole story."