CHAPTER4
1392 Words
Another Monday morning. I started my day with a team meeting—because nothing screams “exciting life” like discussing tax systems at 9 a.m.
I work as a tax analyst. And since the company is growing, they've decided it’s time to upgrade. Enter: the new automated system.
“As of today,” our boss announced, clicking through a PowerPoint that could cure insomnia, the entire finance department will begin training on the new system. It’s designed to reduce workload and increase accuracy in calculations.”
In short, learn it, or get left behind.
The meeting ended, and I ate my lunch alone. I don’t really have any work friends here. Sometimes solitude is peaceful. Other times, it feels like the silence is too loud.
But enough drama—I opened i********: while eating.
Then I saw a photo that stopped me mid-bite.
Wait a second… is that my ex? With my cousin?
It was a group photo, but the two of them were a little too cozy in the back. I tapped the account. I didn’t recognize the user, but I was tempted to message them. I needed answers.
I needed my money back.
That bastard scammed me out of my savings—money I’d been putting aside for my future dream house. He borrowed it, swearing he’d pay me back as soon as his business took off.
A week later, I walked in on him having s*x with my cousin.
Then they both vanished.
No calls. No messages. No trace.
They disappeared like ghosts—and took my trust with them.
I started typing a message to the account, but before I could hit send, my phone rang.
Damian.
Crazy, unpredictable Damian.
I sighed and answered.
“What?”
“Let’s meet later,” he said, his voice calm but cryptic.
“Why?” I asked, confused.
“You’ll see. And I know you’re going to say yes to my proposal,” he said confidently.
“What proposal?” I frowned.
“You’ll find out. I’m picking you up at 7. Be ready—I know where your apartment is.”
And just like that, he hung up.
—
I waited for him in the lounge. It was already 7 p.m., so I passed the time by watching a series on my phone—something to distract myself while waiting for that man.
Out of nowhere, Damian slid beside me and swiped my phone from my hands like a pro thief.
“Hey! What are you doing?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
My heart started pounding when I saw the screen—a steamy, intimate scene playing. He looked at me with a smirk, clearly amused.
“Well, well, didn’t expect this,” he teased, eyes sparkling.
“Damian, give me my phone,” I said, reaching for it, cheeks burning hotter than the scene.
He held it just out of reach. “Not so fast. I’m enjoying the show.”
“I said please, give me that damn phone!” I stood up quickly, but suddenly lost my balance. Just as I was about to fall, Damian caught me effortlessly.
“I caught you, Estella,” he whispered.
Ugh, so annoying—but somehow, something inside me sparked.
I glanced at him, reached for my phone, and slowly eased away from the warmth of his embrace.
“You are the annoying man I met”- I said to him but he just smiled, the smile that you will fall for him. What the fall?.
He smirked, teasing. “But the hot man you met? I’m way more convincing on screen.” He was clearly referring to that intimate scene.
I hissed, “Pervert.”
He chuckled low, the sound vibrating through the quiet room. “Careful, Estella. You might be turning into a tease.”
I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my mouth twitched. “Keep dreaming.”
His gaze lingered, playful but serious beneath it all. “One day, you’ll admit I’m impossible to resist.”
I shook my head, but my heart skipped anyway. Yeah, right. Like that was ever going to happen.
“Where are we going?” I asked, quickly changing the subject. This man was definitely full of hot air today.
He raised an eyebrow. “What do you want?”
I sighed, feeling the stress bubble up. The one thing that always helped—food. Lots of it.
“I’m craving Japanese food,” I admitted.
His grin grew wider. “Japanese it is. You just keep surprising me, Estella.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help smiling. Maybe this annoying man wasn’t all bad after all.
Fast-forward, we arrived at the nearby Japanese restaurant—and we were the only ones there. Damian had rented out the private room, making it feel straight out of a movie scene where a mafia boss meets his spy for some undercover deal.
Except, instead of secrets and danger, it was just me and Damian, about to dig into some sushi.
The quiet hum of the place, the soft clinking of chopsticks—it was oddly intimate, even with all the tension between us.
I glanced at him, half-expecting him to break the silence with one of his teasing remarks.
“So,” I said, picking up a piece of fresh salmon sushi, “what makes me say yes to that marriage you want?”
He leaned in slightly, a confident glint in his eyes. “Because I’ve found something in you—something valuable enough to make my offer worth your while.”
His words hung in the air, charged with meaning.
“What is that?” I asked, my voice low with suspicion.
He slid an envelope across the table.
“Open it,” he said simply.
I slowly peeled it open, my fingers trembling slightly.
Inside was a document—thick, official paper with bold letters at the top. Last Will and Testament.
My parents’ names. My name.
I scanned the contents, eyes widening. It was proof. Proof that I had rights—rights to the inheritance that had been stolen from me. My uncle had taken everything that should’ve been mine. And this… this document was my key to getting it back.
“How did you get this?” I asked, my voice cracking as my eyes began to water.
These weren’t just papers. This was everything I had told myself I’d fight for once I had the means. But I didn’t have the money for a lawyer. I barely had anything.
Damian leaned back, watching me closely. “Connections,” he said, then added, “And I found another document. Turns out, your charming ex scammed you out of more than just your peace of mind.”
My heart sank. I looked up at him.
“Don’t worry,” he said calmly, “I’ve already tracked him down.”
And just like that, the weight I’d been carrying for years cracked open. I started crying—really crying. The kind of cry that makes your chest hurt and your nose run and, worse, makes you forget someone else is watching.
Damian stood, startled, and quickly came over to my side. He handed me a tissue, awkwardly patting my shoulder like he wasn’t used to comforting people.
“Why… why are you doing this?” I choked out between sobs, hiding my face behind the tissue.
He paused, then said plainly, “To marry you.”
I stared at him for half a second—then cried even louder.
“Hey, hey, stop crying!” he panicked, hovering like he didn’t know whether to hug me or run for help. “You’re gonna make people think I broke up with you or something!”
I laughed through my tears, a messy, ugly kind of laugh. “You’re so stupid.”
“And yet,” he smirked, “you’re still crying over me.”
I smacked his arm with the tissue. “I’m crying for me, not for you.”
“Sure,” he said, sitting beside me again.
When I calmed down.
Once I finally calmed down, I let out a long sigh, glaring at him sideways.
“Okay, fine,” I muttered, crossing my arms.
“I’ll agree to that f*****g marriage.”
- Writer
