"Where are you going?"
A voice made her stop in her tracks. Grana looked at the young man beside her who was wearing a black coat with a white rose in his coat pocket.
"To our room." She replied in a low voice.
The guy sneered sarcastically before asking, "Our room? How come it became our room?"
Grana bit her lips nervously. She opened her mouth to speak but the man continued.
"Yeah, I know we are married today and now you're my wife. But it doesn't mean that we have to sleep in the same bed. I don't love you. I will never love you much more to share the same room with you."
Grana raised her eyebrows.
"You don't love me? Then why did you agree to marry me in the first place? Julian, I didn't force you to marry me. I-I thought...you were willing..."
Julian sighed.
"I married you because my grandma asked me to do so. I can't hurt that old woman's feelings."
Grana lowered her gaze. She knew how much Julian's granny loved him. She still remembered the day his grandma asked her to marry him.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
(Flashback)
The old woman with wrinkles all over her face looked at the young girl sitting beside her before taking her hand with her trembling hand.
"Little girl, Can you marry my grandson? He's lonely and doesn't have anyone apart from me. You have to take good care of him." Her hoarse voice carried a hint of plea in it.
Grana squeezed her hand and nodded her head.
With an assuring tone she confirmed, "Okay, grandma. I promise you. I'll be a good wife to him." Her voice filled with determination.
The old woman sighed deeply.
"I wish my son will cherish a treasure like you."
Grana smiled shily, lowering her head. Her face flushed in red when she thought of her soon-to-be husband's handsome appearance.
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
"You don't have to be tied up with me. Let's get a divorce otherwise, you won't be happy with me around you."Grana uttered honestly.
However, her heart felt sore when she said that. Julian nodded.
"Of course, I'm definitely not happy with you around me 24/7. But I'm helpless. The doctor says that my grandma won't make it any longer. So I have to keep this marriage whether I'm willing or not."
Grana shook her head.
"Don't worry, I'll take the blame. I'll just say that I'm the one who wants the divorce not you."
Julian chuckled.
"You want to divorce me that badly?"
Grana's chest tightened.
Who said she wanted to divorce him?
Then why did she bother to marry him?
Was it because of his grandma's request?
Not at all.
The truth was, she loved him! She loved him since she was a kid.
Their two families had a great friendship for years. It started with two grandmas and grandpas. They decided to let their children marry each other but unfortunately, they both were boys.
Nevertheless, the god granted their wish by gifting them a grandson and a granddaughter respectively and they were these two people who got married this day.
Grana and Julian.
Grana had a secret crush on Julian. Whenever she came to their house, she used to sneak a peek at him. He was cold like an ice cube and never took the initiative to talk with her or befriend her.
Thus Grana also didn't try to approach him because she was afraid of disturbing him by being an eyesore. Speaking of her love for him... it grew bigger and bigger as time passed.
"No, I can't give it. At least, not yet. Be patient. Your wish will be granted sooner or later. You don't have to stay with me forever, I promise."
Julian's firm and solemn voice made Grana snap out of her reverie.
'I want to stay with you forever.' She said inside her heart.
"Then why can't we give this relationship a try? We are already married after all." She said. Julian shook his head seriously.
"No way, I won't love you and I know it for sure." "But why?" Grana blurted out.
She tried her best to appear calm and collected. But her voice couldn't help but shudder.
"Because I love someone else.No one can replace Mia's place inside my heart."
Grana's eyes widened in shock. Now everything made sense to her. He wouldn't love her because he loved some other girl. Grana felt extremely guilty to break his love life.
She didn't know that he had a girlfriend. If she knew that earlier, she wouldn't try to snatch him away unlike most of the other girls out there. Yeah, it was true that she loved him. But it didn't mean that she would die without him.
She wasn't the type of a person who does anything and everything just to fulfil their wish whether it's good or bad. In her opinion, 'Love' meant sacrifice.
She could sacrifice her love for him if it was for his happiness. That's the way she cared for the person she loved for years. But wait a minute...Something was wrong here.
"Hey, does it mean that grandma didn't accept your relationship with her and she wanted you to marry me instead of her? I can't believe it. Grandma isn't a petty person who breaks other people's relationships."She said looking surprised and shocked.
Julian waved his hands anxiously.
"No, no. It's not like that. Granny didn't do such a thing. It's just that..."
He paused and scratched behind his ear.
"Mia left me for someone else." He blurted out. Grana's mouth twitched. She tried hard to prevent herself from exploding with laughter. 'What a stupid, love-sick puppy!' It was the first thing that popped up in her mind at that moment.
Julian pursed his lips.
"What's with that look? You look like a little fool!"
This time Grana didn't control herself and she burst into laughter while clutching her stomach. She shook her head and wiped off the tears which were hanging on her eyelashes.
"Stupid boy, she already left you but you are still craving for her. Actually you are the real fool here."
Julian squinted his eyes looking massively displeased.
"I'm not a fool. Plus I'm not stupid. You can't understand my pain because you never fell in love with anyone, right? It's useless to explain these things to you. I'm tired and going upstairs. You must be tired too. Choose whatever room you want and go to sleep early. Then...bye! Good night!"
Julian didn't wait for her reply and started climbing the stairs.
Grana stood there dumbfounded. Her blonde hair wavered from the wind which came through the opened window. She closed that window and looked up at the staircase of this huge mansion. Her blue eyes were bright and filled with spirit.
A few minutes later...
Julian jolted awake when he heard the door to his room open with a slight crack. He could see a tiny figure through the darkness. That figure stepped inside while closing the door behind it.
Julian gulped and clutched his grip on his blanket. The figure didn't notice his odd behaviour and came towards his bed. Julian saw that the figure lifted the blanket to slide into the bed.
His forehead was covered in sweat. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and yelled.
"Aaaaaah! A ghost! Granaaaaa... help me! There's a ghoooost!!!"