ManyWriters

I proposed to Aria eighteen times.
She agreed every time, but after I gave her eighteen dowries, she still used all sorts of reasons to delay the wedding date.
"Caelan is taking his driver's test soon, I don't want to distract him."
"Caelan's cat at home is sick, wouldn't getting married now just add to his troubles?"
"Caelan's been in a good mood lately, let's wait a bit. It's rare for him to be happy!"
Caelan was her childhood sweetheart, and the man who had secretly loved her for eighteen years.
Later, Primrose tearfully begged me, "Honey, what about your nineteenth proposal? As long as you propose to me, we'll have the wedding right away."
I held my new bride's hand and boasted to her, "Who's your husband? I'm already married."
"Oh, and if you don't pay back the dowry from the first eighteen proposals soon, you might be facing a lawsuit."

Eighteen Marriage Proposals Later, I Give Up on Marriage

"Brent, I can't believe you didn't come to comfort me for five whole hours! I've deleted you from my contacts! This is your second punishment! You better spend tonight reflecting on your actions. When I wake up tomorrow, I want to see a 10,000-word apology essay! Send it to Caelan's phone! Don't even think about trying to fool me. I have Caelan, and he's a man too. He can tell at a glance whether your apology is sincere or not!"


"Oh, and didn't you have an appointment to try on wedding dresses in three days? Well, I'm still angry, so Caelan and I will go pick them out ourselves. You don't need to come. Besides, you don't have as good taste as Caelan anyway, so even if you came, you wouldn't be much help!"


I forgot to connect my Bluetooth earphones, so this voice message accidentally played out loud, and my old man heard every word crystal clear.


His breathing suddenly became rapid, and he looked at me in disbelief.


"Brent, did you and Aria really have a fight? Will my body even last long enough to see my own son get married? Good Lord, this was your mother's only wish before she passed. You've been dating for ten years and still can't tie the knot. How am I supposed to face your mother when I join her in the afterlife?"


He looked like he was about to launch into another one of his heart-wrenching speeches, so I had no choice but to change my tune and agree with him.


"I'll get married, don't worry. I promise I will.""But this matter can't be rushed. I can only guarantee marriage, not necessarily having children with her. After all, if I'm in such a hurry just to have her continue our family line, that would be too inhumane."


Previously, I had proposed to Aria time and time again tirelessly. Part of it was because I truly loved her and thought I wouldn't marry anyone else but her. Another part was because I felt guilty.


I always felt that rushing to marry a girl into the family due to my parents' dying wish was irresponsible towards the girl.


But I forgot that some people don't deserve your sense of responsibility.


No longer conflicted, I raised my hand and deleted Aria's contact information.


Since Dad wants to see a wedding, I'm prepared to find someone to act it out. I'm not willing to go back and beg Aria one more time.


The phone rang, and I thought it was Aria coming to demand an explanation. I opened my mouth and cursed back.


"Aria, I'm already engaged to someone else. Go live your life with your Caelan and stop making me sick!"


A light chuckle came from the other end of the phone. "Who are you engaged to, young Mr. Langdon?"


"Hello, young Mr. Langdon. This is Cora. I just finished up with company business, and now I can discuss compensation with you."I was momentarily stunned, pulling the phone away from my ear. The caller ID displayed an unfamiliar number.


It was the number from the business card I was unconsciously holding in my hand, belonging to none other than Cora.


Realizing I had just inadvertently used Cora as a shield and even danced right in front of her, my face flushed red to the ears.


On the other end of the line, Cora spoke calmly.


"Mr.Langdon, your car was severely damaged. My company is just starting up and we're drowning in debt. We really can't afford to pay for it. But if I marry you, could you waive the interest?"


My dad's hearing isn't great, and he didn't catch most of it. He only heard the word 'marry' clearly and snatched the phone away excitedly. "Marry! Marry right away! Young lady, you've made our dreams come true. We'll bless you for life!"


Gritting my teeth, I signed a marriage contract with this stranger I'd only known for a day.


Chapter 4