Later that night, as soon as the suffocating family dinner was over. Luna headed to her mansion. It had been two years now since she separated and started living alone from her parents to gain more independence. But to think that they would pull something like this.
She was looking right at her phone where her mother sent her the details of their plan. She would have to marry Charlie's son, and that was already decided by the two families. Even at the wedding, they are already planning to have it by the beginning month of next year. It was like everything had been planned out without hearing her own opinion on the matter.
She remembered before she parted with her parents.
"Luna, this is not only for the good of our family but also for the well-being of your own future." Her father said after the family dinner.
She had been a filial daughter since she was a child to her parents. And it was hard to completely free herself from these reigns. She tried to explain to her father and mother that she had something she already loved. But like they always had been, they didn't give her a chance to even speak what was in her mind.
And since it passed that point, she was now even telling me that it came to this.
"I am sorry, Mom and Dad. I have always been a filial daughter, but right now there is someone I love already. I can't let you even control that part of my life," Luna finished packaging all her stuff into her bag.
She checked her phone to see if there was the earliest flight she could book to Korea. Right now only one thing came to her mind. It was to go see Robert in Korea and get away from this country as soon as possible while pretending to remain as filial as she could be.
Though they had two private family jets, she didn't want to use those since for sure, her parents would be able to track her down. Since all the family members who used those were being reported to her father. Using public flight transportation was the safest method for her to proceed with her plan.
She looked at her phone, to see that there was an available flight tomorrow. At exactly 6:00 am. She immediately booked right away so she could leave as fast as she could.
With all the preparation done, she slumped herself into the bed. She had never been so tired like this in her entire life. Much tiring when they went on a family hike during her childhood days.
She turned around and buried her face into the pillow.
She always looked perfect on the outside but she had a fragile heart. She sobbed softly. The night was getting late, Luna was planning something her parents never thought of. The plan she thought was very neat and perfect.
Then all of the sudden, she heard three knocks on her door.
"Ms. Luna, sorry for disturbing you this late night. But you still haven't drunk your tea right now." It was Linda, her nanny since she was a child.
In her mansion, she was living with her nanny since this was one of the conditions her parents imposed on her. Or else they would not let her live separately from them. But it was a bad deal since Nanny Linda always took care of her needs from breakfast and even maintaining her clothes.
Luna wiped the tears from her eyes and composed herself. She opened the door and saw Nanny Linda was holding a tray that contained the chamomile tea she always drinks before going to bed.
"Thank you, Nanny." Luna said and immediately drank the tea. While she was doing those, from the small opening of the door, Nanny Linda saw the trolley bags that were packed beside Luna's bed.
"Are you going somewhere, Miss?"
"Ah, that." Luna panicked inside her mind for a bit thinking of a quick reason. "We have a company meeting in the countryside tomorrow so I will be leaving a bit early at 5:00 am."
"Hmm … If that is the case, you should rest now." Nanny Linda said.
"Yes. Thank you, Nanny Linda. While I'm gone please look out for a while here."
As soon as Nanny Linda walked away, Luna immediately closed the door. Her heart was throbbing fast. 'She didn't suspect anything, right?'
Luna laid down on her bed once again. After setting her alarm clock to 4:00 am, her eyes closed down. The calming effect of the tea was finally taking its effect on her. Before her consciousness went to the dreamland, she had one hope that her plans would be successful without fail.
'Mom, Dad. I am sorry, but this is my decision.'
***
Meanwhile at the mansion of the Wijaya Family.
In the room, her parents were happy that Luna had finally accepted an arranged marriage with Charlie's son. Actually, they forced it on her. But they didn't care too much about that, since Luna would always follow whatever they would tell her to do.
They were happily drinking the tea that was served to them.
"I can't wait for Luna to marry Andy," Mrs. Wijaya said.
"But Andy didn't even show up at the family dinner today," Mr. Wijaya said. There was a slight form of dissatisfaction on his face.
"He is in a business meeting after all," Jessica said.
"Hmph. Just make sure that business meetings are really important to ignore our family," Mr. Wijaya said, "If Charlie is not my sworn brother, I will not even consider his reasons."
"It's alright. Once Charlie's son and our Luna are married, everything will be settled. And I heard that Andy is really a capable young man. He is not only a billionaire with his own company but also very influential in many business sectors around the globe. He is really a perfect match for our perfect Luna," Jessica said, "Let's make sure that their wedding will be the wedding that the country will be envied the most."
"Of course," Arthur said, "Everything should be perfect."
In the middle of their conversation, Mrs. Wijaya's phone vibrated.
"Hmm… Who will message me later this night." Her eyes narrowed when she saw the sender. It was no other than Nanny Linda. The one they tasked to take care of Luna while she was staying in her mansion. Or more like Nanny Luna was the spy they planted to keep track of Luna's movement so that everything she does would always be good and perfect.
[Linda: Ma'am, Ms. Luna is going on a business trip tomorrow. She packed her things and she said she had a flight earlier before the crack of dawn.]
That was the only message that was texted on her. 'A business trip? Alice didn't mention anything to me like this.'
Alice, Luna's personal secretary in her company, was also one of the people planted by Mrs. Wijaya. A bad feeling rose inside Mrs. Wijaya's chest.
"Dear, did Luna ask you to use our family jet for one of her business trips tomorrow?" Jessica asked her husband.
"No, dear," Mr. Wijaya looked at her with confusion.
"Then it seems, as parents we need to take action soon before our child will go astray." A cold chilling glint passed through Mrs. Wijaya's eyes.
***
The next day, Luna woke up early to prepare all her belongings to be brought to Korea. Actually, a long time ago she had thought that Arthur and Jessica, her parents, would arrange to marry her to a man she did not know. Since that was what they had done to her older siblings.
Plus there was also one thing that she feared. Robert's identity. He was the man that her father hated the most. She thought many times that if she could talk this out to her parents, that was why she was slowly trying to be more
independent from them. But to think that she would arrange a marriage for some stranger even if that stranger is the most perfect man in the world. That was the line that was already crossed by her parents in her life.
"Anyway, today I will go to Seoul to meet Robert and arrange our wedding there," Luna muttered as she walked out of her mansion. She called an taxi instead of using her car. She didn't wake up Nanny Linda anymore.
She picked her phone and texted Robert.
[Luna to Robert: I'll meet you soon, Honey.]
However, when she reached the airport, The plan that she thought was perfect immediately crashed to shambles without her even able to make her first move.
At the entrance of the airport, her parents were already there waiting for her. Beside them was her nanny who had taken care of her and Alice her personal secretary. Both people were the people she trusted in her life. Nanny Linda as her second mother, and Alice, her secretary who was very reliable with managing the company with her.
"Luna," Jessica said. With her expression she was completely angry. She walked towards Luna and…
Smack!
Jessic slapped Luna on her left cheek. Luna touched her swollen cheek.
'I think that my life is being controlled to the point that people on my side are not actually my people to begin with.' Luna thought as she looked with pained expression to her mother.
*****