Who Is He?

I woke up to Rira's loud voice breaking through my dreams.

"Wake up! It's already late in the morning, and today is your wedding!"

Wedding. The word jolted me for a moment, but Rira wasn't done. She was now muttering to herself as if I weren't even there.

"I thought you'd never agree to marry, but wow, Mom told me you didn't even say anything. What a shocker! Or…" She leaned closer, a devilish grin spreading across her face. "...maybe you agreed because you saw him? Huh? Your to-be husband?"

She grimaced at the word, making me roll my eyes. Ignoring her, I dragged myself out of bed and into the washroom, her voice still going on like background noise.

Splashing water on my face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. "Today is my wedding. Seriously?" The girl staring back at me didn't look like a bride, just a tired, confused woman trying to figure out how life had come to this.

It's not like I'm against marriage. I just… don't care anymore. Love? Dating? They were never my thing. I've spent years studying, working, and dodging the whole lovey-dovey nonsense. Now? I don't even have the energy to resist. If Max, the only supportive person in my life, thinks this is a good idea, I'll go along with it.

What's the worst that could happen? I might as well try something new—dying single isn't on my bucket list, after all.

When I came out, Rira was still there, looking impatient.

"Finally! Let's go. Everyone's waiting for you downstairs," she said, grabbing my arm and dragging me toward the living room.

The house was alive with chatter and laughter, something I hadn't experienced in years. My mom, aunts, uncles—everyone was here, sitting around like it was a festival. Even the air smelled different—like freshly brewed tea and excitement.

For a moment, I felt...warm. It was strange. After Dad passed away when I was twelve, life had been a constant struggle. Mom worked tirelessly, Max took on responsibilities far beyond his age, and I… well, I tried to survive. This house hadn't felt lively in a long time.

"Ayin, have you seen your groom?" Sayera Aunt's voice broke my thoughts. Her eyes sparkled as she leaned closer. "Oh, he's so handsome and tall! I'm sure that's why you agreed, hmm?"

The other aunts immediately joined in, nodding and laughing.

"He's so polite too! The way he greeted everyone—what a gentleman!"

"And that face!" someone added. "He's like one of those actors you see in movies."

At first, I didn't think much of it. Their excitement felt over the top. But as they kept talking, it became harder to ignore.

For the first time, I felt curious. Who was this man? What did he look like? Why was everyone so smitten?

It hit me then—I had no idea who he was. I hadn't asked. Not his name, not his face, not anything. I'd been so indifferent that I'd missed all the details.

Now, I wanted to know.

But for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to ask. Maybe it was the way they gushed about him, like he was too good to be true. Maybe it was the fluttery feeling in my chest—something I didn't quite know how to name or deal with. Either way, I stayed silent, pretending to be disinterested while my ears soaked up every word they said about him. Eventually, I excused myself, needing a moment to think—or maybe just to breathe. As I wandered into the kitchen, I grabbed a slice of bread with mayo on my way back to my room. Jam was finished, and honestly, I hated this cheap mayo. Rira's homemade version was much better, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Once I was in my room, I flopped onto the bed, phone in hand. Staring at the ceiling, I debated whether I should even make this call. But I knew there was no escaping it—if I didn't tell her now, she'd probably show up at my house demanding answers.

I sighed and dialed Misile's number.

She picked up on the second ring, and her voice was sharp, like she'd been waiting to scold me. "Ayin, do you have any idea how disappointed I am in you right now? You've given me nothing—no updates, no progress, and now you're late. Killian's been waiting for your response for hours!"

Yikes. Straight to the point, as always.

"Misile, hold on," I said, cutting her off. "You might want to sit down for this."

"What is it now?" she snapped, clearly running out of patience.

I hesitated for a moment, savoring the anticipation. Then, with a grin, I dropped the bomb. "It's my wedding today."

Silence.

I could practically hear her brain short-circuiting on the other end of the line.

"WHAT?!" she finally screamed, so loud I had to pull the phone away from my ear. "Your wedding? Are you joking, Ayin? Because if you're joking, I swear—"

"I'm not joking," I said, barely holding back a laugh. "It's real. I'm getting married today. It's a sudden arrangement, and everything's happening so fast, so I couldn't tell you earlier. But... yeah. It's happening. At my house this evening. You're invited, by the way."

The silence this time was heavier, like she was genuinely struggling to process what I'd just said. Then came the dramatic sigh.

"Well..." she started, her voice softer but still carrying a hint of disbelief. "I guess I can't stay mad at you for this. Ayin, getting married—finally! I can't believe it. Honestly, I'm relieved. Someone's finally going to keep you in check."

That broke me. I laughed. "Thanks, Boss. I appreciate the vote of confidence."

"You'd better appreciate it," she shot back, but I could hear the smile in her voice now. "And you'd better believe I'm coming. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Good," I said, grinning ear to ear. "See you tonight."

As I hung up, I felt a strange mix of emotions swirling inside me. A strange mix of curiosity and blankness washed over me. I didn't know what to feel anymore. There were so many emotions swirling inside me, all tangled up, pulling me in different directions. It got me thinking—what's going to happen? How is this all going to turn out? For the first time in years, I felt like I was standing at the edge of something completely unpredictable. Something I couldn't control, plan, or prepare for. And that thought... It made my heart race, just a little.

By now, it was past noon. Rira barged into my room with a wedding dress draped over her arms, her face glowing with excitement. But she wasn't alone—behind her stood Syrus, holding another box that looked heavy enough to be hiding treasure.

"Here!" Rira exclaimed, holding up the dress like it was the Holy Grail. "Just look at this!"

I blinked, unable to process what I was seeing. The dress was breathtaking—sleek, elegant, and shimmering under the light. The fabric looked so luxurious it could've been made from clouds and moonlight.

Before I could even react, Syrus stepped forward and placed the box on my bed with a thud. Rira wasted no time flipping it open, revealing an array of jewelry that looked straight out of a royal vault. Cartier bracelets, Bulgari necklaces, diamond earrings that sparkled like they held tiny galaxies, and, perched casually on the side, a Birkin bag. A Birkin bag.

I stared at the collection, my brain struggling to catch up. "What... What is all this?"

"It's from your to-be husband," Rira said, her smirk widening as she leaned closer, clearly enjoying my shock. "Can you imagine? He sent all this for you. Oh, and guess what? He somehow managed to guess your measurements perfectly. Look at this dress—it's like it was made for you!"

I turned to the mirror, hesitant but curious, and held the dress against myself. It was too tempting not to try it on. Slowly, I slipped into it, and the moment the fabric settled against my skin, I froze.

Rira was right—it fit like a dream. The dress hugged my figure so perfectly it felt almost surreal, like it wasn't just tailored for me but crafted with me in mind.

"See?" Rira said, her voice triumphant. "I told you! It's perfect."

Syrus, who had been quiet until now, let out a low whistle. "If the dress wasn't enough, just wait until you see the guy. He's got taste, I'll give him that."

I turned sharply to look at her. "You've met him?"

Syrus raised an eyebrow, a grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Of course, I've met him. You know him too."

My stomach did a weird little flip. "I know him?"

Rira shot Syrus a sharp look. "Shh! Don't tell her!" she hissed, elbowing her.

"What?" I said, looking between them.

Rira turned to me, crossing her arms. "Why do you care now, Ayin? You didn't even bother to ask about him before. You didn't care who was going to be your husband. So why are you suddenly interested?"

"I'm not interested," I shot back instinctively, though the words felt hollow even as I said them.

"Really?" Rira smirked. "Because you look curious to me."

I frowned, glancing back at the mirror. "No I'm not and don't tell me," I said, turning away from them. "I don't care who he is anyway."

"Good," Rira said playfully. "Because we weren't going to tell you."

Syrus laughed, shaking her head. "This is going to be interesting."

I wanted to brush it all off, to pretend like it didn't matter, but the truth was, it did. Somewhere deep down, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Who was this man I was about to marry? If I knew him, why couldn't I figure it out? I turned back to the mirror, smoothing my hands over the dress. The curiosity was eating away at me, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.

Whoever this man was, he had sent me a dress that fit like a second skin, jewelry that screamed wealth and sophistication, and a storm of questions I didn't know how to answer.

For someone who claimed not to care, I was doing a terrible job convincing myself.