Anna had never been the type to worry about her relationship status. Approaching thirty, she had built a comfortable life in the city—an independent woman with a stable job, a cozy apartment, and a small but cherished circle of friends. But if there was one thing she hated, it was the constant pressure from family, friends, and society about being single. Especially her mother. Her mother always reminded her about marriage, even though Elena never felt the urgency.
"When are you getting married?" her mother would ask at every family gathering.
"Don't wait too long, or all the good ones will be taken," her aunts would chime in.
Anna always laughed it off. She wasn't against love. It just never seemed to happen for her.
Some relationships had started but fizzled out quickly. Others never made it past a few dates. Her friends were all either engaged or married by now, leaving her as the last single one in the group.
She always think she didn't need a man to complete her. If love happened, it happened. If not, she was fine on her own.
That was until Ryan reappeared in her life.
It was a regular Friday night when her phone buzzed with an unknown number. She hesitated but picked up.
"Anna?" The voice was familiar but unexpected.
"Who's this?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.
"It's me, Ryan."
Her breath hitched. Ryan Carter. He had been her childhood friend. They used to be together since middle school untill college. They had been very close once—always bickering, laughing, and challenging each other. Many people thought they were dating since they were always stick together like glue.
But after college graduation, life pulled them apart. He moved abroad for accompanied his mother (who's been sick for years) to have better and full treatment, and they lost touch. The last she heard, he also had been busy took master's degree in business and working in his father's company as vice president.
"Ryan?" she echoed, surprised. "Wow, it's been years. What's up?"
A long silence followed before he finally spoke. "I know this sounds weird, but... Anna, marry me."
Anna choked as she heard something unexpected from someone she never heard about for 10 years. "Excuse me?"
"Do you have a boyfriend right now?" He asked carefully.
"..N-no, but..."
"Then marry me!"
"WHYYYY???! WHY ME?? You suddenly call me after 10 years and propose me out of the blue. Are you insane?"
"Because i can't think another woman, except you." His voice was calm but firm.
She can't lie. Her heart fluttered for one second when she heard it.
"My family has been pressuring me like crazy. My parents, my relatives, even my work colleagues—they all keep asking when I'm getting married. And to make things worse, my father pressured me to get married If I want to have president position to replace my father in the company. If don't get married in 1 month, it'll hurt my chance"
Anna let out a disbelieving laugh. "And you think I'm the solution to this?"
"Yes. As i said before, it should be you. I told them I have someone… and I kind of used your name."
Anna was speechless. "You what?"
"I didn't mean to! It just slipped out. I'm sorry. I can't think another woman's name at that moment. And now everyone thinks we're engaged, and my parents are flying in next week to meet your family."
"WHAATT?? That's insane, Ryan!" she snapped.
Anna was speechless. Of all the things she expected that night, a marriage proposal from an old friend wasn't one of them.
"I know, I know! But please, just pretend for a little while. We can even break up later if you want. Just help me get through this!"
"I'm not saying we have to be a real couple or anything. Just a… contract marriage?It'll help both of us."
"Help both of us?"
"Of course." He answered eagerly. "Someone single in 30's like us are usually confront same problem. Pressure to get married from family and society. Right?"
In silence, Anna aggreed with his statement. If she was being honest, she was actually tired of the constant judgment about being single.
"I'll make it worth your while," he added. "I'll pay for everything—the wedding, the honeymoon, even a fancy apartment if you want. And after a year or so, if we want to part ways, we can."
Anna rubbed her temples. This was ridiculous. Absolutely insane. And yet, as crazy as it sounded… a small part of her was intrigued.
To Be Continued..