Fake Marriage, True Love

Chapter 4

I headed back home totally dejected after what happened with Nikolai. Plopping on my bed, it felt like all my energy was drained.

“He did not have to be so mean about it,” I mumbled to myself while remembering those last words of his. “And what’s wrong with being a spoiled brat? It’s not like I am bullying anyone.”

What was even depressing was the fact that he was the very first guy who rejected me. I was used to being the one turning down men so it never occurred to me how it would feel like if I was the one who got rejected. But anyway, since Nikolai did not want to be in this so I guess… I would have to deal with my father's choice of man. Just thinking about the blind dates he would set-up already makes me feel tired and exhausted.

The very next day, I told my father about my failed proposal to Nikolai and just as I expected, he already prepared some lists of bachelors I would like to meet.

“It was a good thing that that lowly police officer did not accept your proposal,” father said after handing me the list.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because I would not approve of him. He was that police officer who almost brought serious troubles to the group’s dons.”

I simply nodded my head and decided to go to my favorite coffee shop that was just 20 minutes away from the mansion. While taking a sip of my iced coffee, I browsed on the list with a bored look on my face. Yes, they were all accomplished men and all, but I just have this feeling that I won’t feel happy with them.

This would be an arranged marriage so even if that was the case, I should at least get committed to a man who could make me happy. Though… That was close to being impossible, especially that I witnessed first hand how arranged marriages turn out.

“Miss Calypso…”

I looked up to my bodyguard who was once again wearing the same color of suit he used the other day.

“We should head now to the Oceania Hotel to meet with your first blind date today,” he added.

I did not bother making up an excuse to run away from it. We just headed back to the car and the few hours long trip started. On our way, I opened my phone and checked my mother’s social media profile. My shoulders slumped forward as my eyes gazed at the latest several pictures she posted. She seemed more than happy with her new family… And she just gave birth to her first child with the man she married after divorcing my father.

As much as I wanted to get mad, I could not bring myself to do it because I admit to myself… I admit that when she was staying with us, she never smiled so brightly like this. She would just force herself to smile whenever I was around but at night… I would hear her cry.

Not wanting to dwell in my negative emotions too much, I turned off my phone and simply took a quick nap until we reached the Oceania Hotel. As I stood in front of the fancy building, it was still hard to process that Nikolai’s father was one of its founders. But anyway, I got rejected by him already so I should just forget about him.

Heading inside of the underwater restaurant area, I was guided by a waitress and led me to the table where my first blind date was. Before I sat across from him, we both exchanged greetings first as usual and the next several minutes were barely tolerable. The guy, whose name was Luke, may look like he was decent from the outside, especially with the way he carried and dressed himself. However, it was obvious from the way he spoke that he was full of himself. I do understand that he wanted to impress me, but all he had been talking about was his accomplishments and how women were running after him and how picky he was in choosing a partner.

The last one was the only thing we had in common, which was also the reason why we had to settle on blind dates to find someone we could marry… That sucks.

“I am a spoiled brat,” I told him frankly. “Can you handle someone like me? I mean… I throw tantrums at the most random time. I will be calling you whenever I want and I do not care if you are in an important meeting. You should prioritize me–”

“Wait.” He held his hand up with disbelief plastered all over his face. “Did you not hear me a while ago? My work is my first priority. You are the third.”

“Then, we’re not compatible.”

I stood and was about to walk out, however, someone grabbed me by the hand and forced me to sit back down. Of course, it was my date. He looked at me with angry eyes as he hovered over me, his hands on both my sides to probably keep me from running away.

“Look here, spoiled brat. You do not get to reject me when it is you father who begged to make this date possible–”

“Then, date my father. Not me.”

Rolling my eyes to the sides, I caught a glimpse of someone familiar who was just coming in the restaurant. I immediately waved my hand.

“Nikolai!” I called and luckily, he looked my way. I mouthed, “Help me.”

I was hopeful that he would come and give me a hand to get rid of this guy, but much to my disappointment, he just ignored me. Watching him sit on the table just a few feet away from us, a woman with almost all-gray hair came and sat with him. She had the aura of strictness and authority… If I was not mistaken, she was–

“Don’t ignore me…” Luke hissed at me as he tightly held my chin. “And you really had the audacity to call another man when I am right in front of you. For you to know, if you want to become my wife, then you should never utter another man’s name. You will never look at another man and only serve me–”

His arrogance and audacity were overflowing so without hesitation, I slapped him across the face. Even though I was directly looking at him, I could feel the gazes of other customers at us. I paid them no heed and just pushed Luke away. As I expected, this date was not worth it. It was even disastrous. When I turned my back on him, a yelp escaped from my mouth when he grabbed a handful of my hair and forced me to face him.

“Let go of me, you–”

Before I could even finish what I had to say, a loud and sharp slap seemed to have rung in the restaurant. Things escalated so fast that the only thing I knew was that my cheek stung in pain and even though I did not want to, tears started flooding my eyes because of it. With a shaky hand, I held my cheek and the moment I stared back at Luke, he was already at the floor with a busted lip. When he glared at me, I could not seem to move any part of my body even though my brain was shouting that I must look away.

Only then, I felt someone pull me back and let me lean on his chest. The tangy scent of citrus on him was the first thing that caught my attention.

“I will give you a minute to leave the hotel or else, I’ll have you arrested.”

T-That voice… It definitely belonged to Nikolai. Instinctively, I raised my gaze at him and I was right… It was him that I inadvertently smiled when he met my eyes.

“T-Thank you.”

When Luke fled the hotel, Nikolai’s expression changed back into being stoic and stepped back from me.

“If you are going to hook up with some random man, you should at least learn how to protect yourself,” he said before returning to their table.

The old woman with him looked at me from head to toe, as if she was measuring my entire worth. After several seconds, she gave me a disappointed look and even shook her head slightly. If I remember correctly, she was the mother of CEO Leander, father of Nikolai. Either way, I gathered myself and headed to the restroom. Entering one of the cubicles, I just sat there in a daze while holding my cheek that still had the stinging pain. That was the first time someone hit me so… I kind of have no idea on how to react. If I fought back, definitely I’d be beaten up since I did not learn any type of self-defense.

“And I was not hooking up…” I mumbled, remembering the words that Nikolai said.

Looking at my phone, I browsed the list of my next blind date. He looked like a nerd, but after what happened a while ago, my willingness to go and see these other men dissipated. What if they would do what Luke did just now? That question lingered in my mind.

Leaving the cubicle, I washed my hand and before I knew it, Nikolai’s grandmother was next to me with her piercing gaze fixed right on me. I wished I was imagining it, but she definitely had her eyes on me.

“How did you know my grandson?” she asked with a stern voice.

“W-We just happened to stumble upon each other when he was at work,” I replied.

“Are you interested in dating him?”

My eyes lit up because somehow, it felt like she would become a bridge for me and Nikolai. Who knows? Behind her scary face, she might actually be a nice person, right?

I immediately nodded my head.

“Y-Yes, I am very much interested–”

“Is that why you had to hire another guy to make him feel jealous?” She cut me off.

I blinked a few times, trying to process what she just said. However, even before I could answer her question, she spoke again.

“Girls like you are always the immature ones who only know to party and waste money.” She once again looked at me up and down. “I do not approve of you for my grandson so stay away from him or I will have to drag you out of his life myself.”

After saying all of that, she left. Was it really in their blood to hurt people with sharp words? And why would I hire someone to slap me just for Nikolai to step in and save me?

Shaking my head to keep those thoughts away, I just left the restroom. As I walked towards the exit, I saw Nikolai. He seemed to be waiting for someone so I did not bother saying anything. Who knows? He might add more hurtful words on top of what his grandmother said.

But then, he came up to me himself and said, “Do you still want to marry me?”