I haven't been as happy as I am today; even my parents could notice the faint smile on my face. I had always known that my marriage would be influenced by my parents, but if matchmaking me with Brian means they're influencing my marriage, I don't care.
We started on a good note. His voice was so warm and nice, and who could have believed we had so many things in common? With this thought in mind, Melissa grabbed her phone and texted Estabel.
"Guess what? Am getting married soon and can you guess who the groom might be? I was matchmade today," she typed with a smile on her face.
Estabel replied instantly, as though she had been waiting for her text.
"You remember to text me today because you are getting married right?" she replied with an angry emoji
"Am sorry, I was caught up with some stuff" Melissa replied back
"You are getting married? I can't remember you having a boyfriend or getting engaged. But if you are this Happy, I can only imagine who the groom would be to make you this happy! Please tell me it's not Brian," Estabel responded with a laughing emoji.
She couldn't wait for Melissa to reply to her, so she called instead of text, so she could hear the details of her engagement in full.
"So tell me! Who is it that you're getting married to? Do I know him? Do you like him? Does he look handsome? I would have asked if he is from our social status, but I know your parents enough to know that they would never let you marry someone from a lesser family. So which family is he from?" Estabel asked without giving Melissa a chance to answer.
"How can I answer all this question, if you keep asking without letting me answer any?" Melissa said laughing.
"Okay, okay, forget the questions. But who is he?" Estabel asked eagerly.
"Guess who's going to get engaged to the most eligible, handsome bachelor in the country," Melissa teased, blushing.
Estabel paused, trying to figure it out while Melissa play with her fingers.
"I'll give you a hint: He's always been my crush," Melissa said, giving her a sidelong glance.
"Wait a minute… I hope it's not Brian. No, it can't be him! If it is, just know we'll be sharing the same man. We're best friends, right? You can't say no to me on this. I don't mind becoming the second party as long as we're both happy," Estabel joked, and they both burst out laughing.
"I don't mind either. If you break up with your boyfriend, you can always find solace in me and Brian's home!" Melissa laughed.
"I see someone has already started making plans to start a family with Brian," Estabel teased.
"But does Melinda agree with this? Hope she doesn't find fault or see a problem with this,you know how she behaves most times. I hope we won't wake up one morning and find out the bride has been switched!, it won't be funny"
"No, she's not a fan of arranged marriages, so she won't care. Or rather, she doesn't care about it" Melissa replied, not giving it a second thought.
"Does she even know who the groom is? You know she believes she only deserves the best," Estabel asked.
"I don't know if she knows, and even if she does, it won't make much difference. She doesn't like others having a say in her love life," Melissa said.
"But have you thought about it? What if she finds out who the groom is? How sure are you that she won't change her mind and become interested? You know she always wants the best, no matter who it belongs to," Estabel warned.
"Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's just wait and see, but believe me, if it happens, I won't give up without a fight," Melissa declared.
Their call ended when Kate called out for Melissa.
News of the engagement spread quickly throughout the city, becoming the talk of the town, with every blogger covering it. It was set to be a grand wedding, as two prominent families were about to ally.
Brian and Melissa continued to keep in touch, going on dates and late-night hangouts. Brian introduced Melissa as his fiancée to his friends, and all the wedding arrangements were made. Invitations were sent out, and the engagement dress was picked by Mrs. Priscilla and Mrs. Kate. All that was left was for Melissa to approve the dress, though everyone noticed the joy in her glow and cheerful demeanor.
While Mrs. Priscilla and Hilda smiled on the surface, they both secretly believed it should have been Melinda marrying Brian. If they had their way, they would have switched the bride, but they didn't want to tarnish their reputation.
Good things come to those who wait, they thought.
The engagement party was held at the Daniel mansion, and it lived up to the hype. It was the talk of the country for days, with social media and journalists covering every detail. It was indeed a happy occasion, though not everyone was as content as they appeared to be.
Ever since Melinda found out who the groom was, she hadn't been herself. From birth until now, most parties held at the Daniel mansion had always been for her, and she had always been the center of attention. Even when attending events outside the house, the spotlight was always on her. But today was different.
Only a few people came to acknowledge her, and all the attention she was used to had been shifted to Melissa. Ever since the two families allied through marriage, her parents had barely paid attention to her, with Melissa now being the focus. This didn't anger her, though—she knew Melissa was just a tool to ally. Her parents' attention would shift back eventually.
But why did it have to be Brian? Was there no other eligible suitor for Melissa?