Let's Get Married
769 Words
Ethan studied Amelia closely as she settled into the passenger seat, her posture slumped, eyes heavy with exhaustion. She looked fragile—like someone who had carried the weight of heartbreak and betrayal for far too long. The light in her eyes had dimmed, replaced by a weary resignation.
Today hadn’t been easy for Andrew either, Ethan knew. Andrew’s life was tangled in expectations and pressure. The arranged marriage Andrew was supposed to enter into was the condition for his mother’s critical surgery. Yet, the fiancée had abruptly abandoned him, refusing to continue with the engagement and marriage at the last moment. It was a blow Ethan understood all too well.
A silence stretched between them as the car hummed steadily through the streets. Finally, Ethan broke the quiet with a gentle question.
“Who are they? And why are they treating you like this?” His voice was soft, carefully chosen not to startle her.
Amelia looked up at him, hesitation flickering across her face before she spoke, her tone edged with sadness. “That man is my husband—the one who abandoned me. The woman beside him is his new wife, the one he plans to marry. And the older lady? That’s his mother. It’s shocking… after five years, he left me for some random woman. He’ll regret it, I’m sure.”
Ethan nodded thoughtfully. “You don’t have to worry about them too much. Holding onto that pain won’t help you. The best thing is to pick yourself up and move forward.”
Amelia’s brows furrowed. “What about you? You said today was difficult for you, too?”
He glanced out the window briefly. “I was supposed to get engaged and married today as well. My mother agreed to have surgery—but my arranged fiancée left me at the last minute. She refuses to continue with the plan.”
“An arranged marriage?” Amelia’s curiosity broke through her melancholy.
“Yes,” Ethan admitted with a weary smile. “It’s complicated. Now, without the engagement, my mother might not agree to the surgery. Her condition is serious, and without it, she could get worse.”
Amelia hesitated, then her voice softened with determination. “What if I stand in for you? We get married. You’ve helped me—I want to help you too.”
Ethan’s face brightened with surprise and hope. “Are you serious? If you do this, I promise I’ll make you the happiest woman alive. And those who tried to bully you? I’ll make them regret ever crossing your path.”
Amelia smiled faintly, a spark of strength returning. “Alright then. Let’s get married.”
The car glided to a stop in front of a large, yet modest mansion nestled away from the city’s bustle.
“We’re home,” Ethan said, unlocking the door. “You can come inside now.”
Amelia took in the home quietly. It was simple, away from the glare of family expectations and the suffocating pressures of wealth—a refuge.
“You really look nice,” she said, catching Ethan off guard with her compliment.
He smiled warmly. “Thank you. Let’s go inside.”
Once inside, Ethan gave her a brief tour—rooms filled with warm light, modest furnishings, a sense of quiet peace. Yet beneath it all was the looming challenge of the next day.
“We’ll have a video call with my mom,” Ethan said, his tone serious. “Just be on your best behavior—make it look real, like we truly care for each other.”
He pulled out his phone and dialed. After a few rings, his mother answered.
Ethan turned the camera toward himself, then slowly shifted it to Amelia. “Hello, Mom. Meet the woman I want to marry.”
Amelia smiled warmly, her eyes steady on the screen.
His mother’s expression was cautious but not unkind. “I’ll only consent to the surgery if I see your marriage certificate. So get married, then show me the certificate,” she said firmly before ending the call.
Ethan lowered the phone with a sigh. “See what I mean? We need to be married by tomorrow morning.”
Amelia nodded, resolve shining through her tiredness.
“I’ll take you to the guest room,” Ethan said gently, “so you can freshen up and get some rest. Tomorrow will be a big day.”
As he led her down the hall, the flicker of hope in Amelia’s heart grew stronger, a fragile light breaking through the shadows of her recent past.
- Writer
