HER

CUT TO THE CHASE

TED'S POV

I froze, my breath caught in my throat, as I gazed into Mun's eyes. Her expression was masked with shock as her eyes widened with a series of unspoken questions. "I-I think you should go now... You've been here all day," she stammered, avoiding my gaze.

I exhaled a silent sigh, relief washing over me. She hadn't overheard my conversation. That would have been a disaster-something I'm not ready to deal with now, not even anytime soon.

As I stepped closer to her, my hands instinctively went to her shoulders. They felt thinner than usual. A result of the past 24 hours of not eating or sleeping, she was beside Alex all through the night at the hospital. I couldn't even be jealous of that, it'd be petty, and I couldn't even nag her either. She had always adored Alex's mom.

"You need to come with me too... Your mom texted me, she's worried about you," I said, trying to persuade her, and I desperately hoped she'd listen to me and not try to be stubborn again.

But, as I thought, she disagreed. "No, Ted, I-I can't leave Lex like that. He needs me now more than ever. He needs us." Her voice was laced with determination, and I knew it would take every excuse to convince her, but I bit back my frustration, shoving my hands into my pockets.

I couldn't afford to let my jealousy get the better of me, not now. Mun would never forgive me if she knew what I was really thinking.

I forced a smile plastered on my face as I intensely tried to hold back my anger. "Okay, do what you think is best. But, know that Alex is my friend too, and his mom was also nice to me. I do care about him, and I want to be there for him. So, I'd appreciate it if you'd stop making me feel like I'm the bad one here."

Mun's gaze was distant, her eyes were fixed on something invisible. "You know I didn't mean to make you feel like the bad guy, right? I just want to be there for him."

I nodded, trying to appear understanding to her, but, I deeply did not find it coming down well with me.

"I know, but we can't take care of him if we're not strong ourselves. Look at you, Mun – you're exhausted. We need to take care of ourselves too."

Her expression turned to a mixture of sadness and resignation. "It's fine, let's go and come back early tomorrow."

I nodded, gesturing to her toward the car. As we sped away, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was walking a tightrope, balancing my own emotions with the need to be there for the woman I love who's all about my friend, but I couldn't be angry because I had to be there for him, who had just lost his mum. It's driving me crazy!

As Mun swung open the door, we were met with a surprise gathering. My mom and hers, sat poised like they were in the middle of a serious discussion. My mom's eyes locked onto mine, and for a fleeting moment, I knew she was up to something – before she swiftly looked away.

Mun was obviously uncomfortable, her eyes darted between my mum's and hers. She had been dodging my mom since their last encounter when she had rejected her request. The tension was thick, and I could sense her uneasiness.

"Hello, Mun," my mom chimed, her voice dripping with sweetness as she cradled a glass of wine in her fingers.

"Hello, Mrs. Parker," Mun replied, her head bowed slightly, while I stood beside her, trying to maintain proper conduct.

Mrs. Davis, Mun's mom, gestured to me with a warm smile. "Come, Ted, have a seat." But I was growing increasingly uneasy. Something was off.

My mom's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I see you're becoming formal with me, Mun." Mun's response was hesitant. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

My mom waved her hand dismissively. "It's fine, but I'm here to report you to your mom." She exchanged a knowing glance with Mrs. Davis. "I believe we're more like family, so I'm permitted to do that, right?"

Mrs. Davis interjected, her cheeks flushing with excitement. "Yes, Mrs. Parker." I knew she admired my mom, she treated her more like a senior sister than a boss, but I was growing impatient.

I just hated she was beating around the bush, cut to the chase, Mum! I growled within.

Just before I spoke, she cut in "Before you came, your parents just agreed to sign you and Ted's wedding contract," my mom announced, her voice dripping with triumph. "Since Ted is leaving for the States in two days, you'll have to get married before then, which is a day after tomorrow."

Mun's eyes widened in horror. "What?!" she blurted, her gaze shifting to mine, blazing with anger and accusation, but I was caught off guard too.