SOME THINGS ARE MEANT TO BE

A birthday party took place at an extremely extravagant mansion. It was for the honor of Diana’s birthday—the second daughter of the Roberto Family. She was dressed in a beautiful gown fit for a princess, and her lovely face beamed out a bright smile as she basked in all the well-wishes she received. Not far away, a little girl stood and watched. Her view was that of a beautiful, gentle mother standing next to a well-composed, mature father. A young, adorable daughter was in between them, too. Together, they looked as if they were a still picture of a perfect family painted with warmth and happiness. The little girl curled her lips into a pout. With hands tightly clasped together, she asked her mother in question, “Mum, have you forgotten? Today is my birthday, too.” Juju, as her mother fondly called her, sniffled and walked away. Before tears could even roll down her cheeks, she reached up and wiped them away. It had been a long time since she last had a birthday celebration. She hugged her old, worn-out doll against her chest as she stood outside. Her father gave her that doll, but then again, he was not her real father. It had been ages ago since she last saw her real father; she could no longer even recall what he looked like. She could only remember him as someone handsome and full of life. It’s not that her father did not want her anymore, but people said that he was dead and wasn't be coming back. After that, she suddenly had a new father and a new sister. And her mother no longer loved her. Mummy only had eyes for her sister. “Who let you in?” said a muffled voice. She turned around and hugged her worn out doll even tighter. From the shadows, a boy wearing a black tuxedo stepped out. He was the same height as her. With lips pursed together, he hinted a slight aloofness in him. He was definitely young, but he exuded an air of arrogance far greater for his age. “Why are you crying?” the boy—all of a sudden—walked closer to her, placing his hands on her cheeks. It felt cold. She could only blink her eyes. “Today is also my birthday.” She pouted and suddenly felt wrong as bad memories sank in again. She suddenly felt something hanging around her neck. She lowered her head and saw that it was a beautiful jade amulet. “This is for you,” the boy said as he placed his hand back on her face again. “Little brother...” Her soft voice sounded exceptionally pleased. With the corners of his lips curled up, the boy said, “I will come back. Remember, you only belong to me.” Even though he was still young, his words were already domineering. Juju vehemently nodded her head, and a smile finally appeared on her tear-streaked face. It was a pact they made when they were young. He never forgot about it and neither did she. But it was still a mistake. —- Rows and rows of purple roses decorated the hotel and guests gathered together on the sides. The Hanson and Roberto families, two of the biggest leading businesses in the country, would soon join their families together in marriage at that hotel. However, no one was really optimistic about the wedding. If one was to look closer, only the parents of the bride and groom were present. Mr. and Mrs. Hanson had been forcing themselves to smile, while Mr. and Mrs. Roberto maintained a passive facial appearance. There seemed to be some invisible hostility among them. In the main hall, all the decorations were in white. It looked far from a wedding, and instead, it felt more like a funeral was taking place—white roses, see-through crystal glasses, and a white crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It might have been a sign to give the newlyweds some well-wishes, yet it would baffle anyone at the lack of joy for such a festive occasion. A lady was reapplying her makeup in the powder room. She had a satisfied smile on her face. Out of curiosity, the woman next to her asked, “Don’t you find it strange that Diego is marrying Diana’s elder sister? It’s only been three months since she passed away. He was so in love with her.” “Ha—” The lady finished reapplying her makeup and gave a short burst of laughter. “That’s the nature of men. They marry the elder sister if the younger one passes away. His motives may not be pure, either.” The woman inquired again, “But don’t you think that he may have fallen for Julianna as well?” “Do you seriously think that a cold-blooded man like Diego would fall in love with another woman?” This answer seemed to render the other woman silent this time. After Diego took over the family business three years ago, he dominated the import and export industry with his swift, relentless and ruthless methods. Aside from having a distinguished background, he also had a well-built body and a charming face. He was the most sought after bachelor that everyone had been vying for. Nevertheless, it was common knowledge that he only had eyes for his betrothed—Julianna, the beloved daughter of the Roberto family. It was a pity that Diana did not have good fortune. Before she could even marry into the Hanson family, she passed away in a car accident. And after her death, every woman in town thought that they still had a chance with the bachelor. But to their utter disappointment, he ultimately chose to marry the eldest daughter of the Roberto family. After the door to the powder room closed, a pale woman silently entered unnoticed. She was dressed in a white bridal gown. It barely covered her shoulders, and it exposed her protruding collar bone. She should have been smiling, but she was bawling her eyes out on her wedding day — a day on which she would supposedly marry the one she loves. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and carefully wiped her tears away, but while doing so her make-up started wearing off. She lifted her gown and walked out of the powder room. The women’s voices echoed in her ears. Their conversation had torn her heart apart. “Do you seriously think that a cold-blooded man like Diego would fall in love with another woman?” Will he fall in love? Will he? Back in the bridal room, Julianna sat quietly without care and let others fix her makeup for her—layer after layer, until the final touch of blush-on masked her pale complexion. Though she would appear to be the perfect bride in front of a crowd, the sorrow-stricken look imbued in her eyes would prove otherwise. She was not exactly a happy bride. “Julianna, are you really going to marry him? You understand that he...” The woman seated beside her tugged at her long brown hair. Even if she was Julianna ’s best friend, she could not comprehend what was going through her mind. Was she not even worried that after she marries Diego, it would leave her with skin and bones if she even miraculously emerged out of it? “I’m sorry to have made you worry about me, Abigail .” Julianna flashed a faint smile that could provoke pity from others. “Abigail , I know he hates me but I have loved him for the past fifteen years.” It was Julianna ’s greatest happiness to be able to marry Diego, even if that happiness was built upon hatred. He hated her because she killed her own sister—the very one that he was so in love with. The room of the bridal opened, and a woman made her way inside. Abigail  was about to say something, but she kept her mouth shut as soon as she saw who it was that had entered. “Abigail , could you give us a moment? I want to talk to my mother alone for a while.” Julianna nodded her head at Abigail,  reassuring her that she would be fine. Abigail  hesitated for a while before walking out of the room. She was worried even as she was closing the door. Will Julianna really be fine? Evelyn walked in. As the head of the Roberto family, there was an air of upper-class aristocracy about her. She looked at Julianna in her bridal gown from the mirror. The corner of her lips curled into an icy smile.