Luna's luck was still on her side. Danish had indulged himself inside the shower room, as evidenced by the splashes of water. Luna crept out of his room, fully alert. She staggered to her own bed room after a brief pause to catch her breath. She finally made it after a long struggle, despite having no idea what she was doing.
She leaned back against the door, trying to calm her pounding heart against her chest. Today's terrible experience almost drove her to despair. She should remember from today's lesson to ask the maid anything about this house in order to avoid the fatal incident.
Enough of her musings, Luna entered the shower room, the towel dangling from her shoulder. What she saw inside surpassed her expectations; even the bathroom was too large and spotless. Her tiny face could be reflected in the transparent floor. Luna soaked in the tub, her thumbs massaging her temples. When she got lost and was locked in Danish's room, she got a headache.
The fragrant foam of the soap soothed her heart after what had happened to her today. The cold water washed away her exhaustion from stumbling around to get to her cabin. Today's bad memories were then dried by the towel. She escaped the bathroom after striking a silent pose in front of the bathroom mirror.
When she opened the wardrobe, it was not her clothes she found, but all the new ones. Beautiful gowns and other types of robes forced her to cover her gaping mouth in stunt.
"Did I go into the wrong room?" her palm flew to her forehead and subconsciously her body dropped to the bed. Luna's gaze was drawn to her suitcase in the corner, confirming that she was in her own cabin. But whose were the outfits she just saw?
She unlocked her luggage, grabbed her ebony pants and a turquoise long-sleeved blouse, and hurriedly put them on. The knocks on the door hurried her forward. A maid summoned her downstairs. The grandmother and other members of the family had been waiting for dinner.
Hearing their names made her nervous and worried. She had a lot of questions on her mind. What if they disliked her? What if they simply ignored her at dinner? What if she made a blunder? What if she can't behave properly? On her way down the stairs, her chest was filled with questions. All of her attention was drawn to the rungs beneath her flat shoes. She didn't notice that everyone downstairs was staring at her with various expressions.
"Luna...please take a seat." Her name was mentioned softly. All eyes sank into hers as she drew her chin up. In shyness, she drew her chin close to her chest.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting." Most of the people there were silent in response to Luna's skepticism. Only the grandmother and a woman with short hair acknowledged her presence.
Grandmother cleared her throat, attempting to get everyone's attention. Her words persuaded them to pay attention to her. Finally, they placed their knife and fork on the table. Their solemn expression was ready for whatever grandmother would say.
"I'd like to introduce you to Luna, the daughter of Mr. Yang To Mu, our former driver. Sandra, you must remember him." Among them, the grandmother mentioned one name. A woman in an expensive peach nightgown was unimpressed when the grandmother mentioned Luna's father's name. Instead, she ignored it by focusing her entire attention on the food on her plate.
"Yes, Mom, that was a long time ago." She was so uninterested in the subject that she continued to eat.
"This is Sandra Li, my eldest daughter and Danish's mother. That's Jangmi, my youngest daughter," she said, referring to the short-haired woman, "and her husband, you can call him uncle Chen." Luna politely bowed her head.
"She has grown up to be a lovely lady. She looks beautiful." Aunt Jangmi, a woman dressed in a yellow nightgown, complimented Luna. That exceeded everyone's expectations.
"You should put on your glasses, dear sister." Sandra's mouth dropped open in humiliation. It was too slow, but it was enough to break Luna's heart. It wasn't that she wanted their approval for her physical appearance, but an educated person like her shouldn't engage in body shaming, even if she unmistakably stated the truth about her appearance. Luna buried her chin and tried hard not to show how she felt on the inside by pretending not to hear anything she said.
"She is absolutely stunning." The grandmother's strong defense helped her. "She will be a part of us and live with us." Sandra reacted angrily to her grandmother's declaration. The other people there were absorbed in their own thoughts and did not bother to interject. "She will marry Danish." The cling sound made by the knife and fork hitting the table surprised them all.
"Why didn't you discuss it with me first, Mom? His mother is me. It is my responsibility to look after my son." Her intonation became louder, possibly the loudest voice or sounds Luna had ever heard. It had no effect on the grandmother. She encouraged that woman to listen to her argument while remaining calm. "I'm not going to let my son marry this ugly woman!" She had made her decision. She jumped to her feet and rushed upstairs, enraged.
"Mom, I believe she is correct. You should consult with her first before making a decision." Jangmi, her youngest daughter, attempted to reconsile.
"I concur with Jangmi. We should take her advice," Uncle Chen added.
"Let's keep eating." She resumed her eating instead of responding to their suggestion. Sandra's decision to leave the room did not bother her in the least.
Luna's heart was filled with repentance. It was her arrival that had ruined the mother-daughter relationship. The source of the tension in this dining room was her. It was her who should take the blame if something bad happened. Luna could no longer lift her fork and knife. Her eyelids were even difficult to open because tears had welled up there.
The others simply returned their attention to their meal, with no chatter filling the room. Only the lull that raced along with the sounds of knives and forks held their attention. The grandmother finally muttered the words amid their silence.
"Where has Danish gone? Has he returned from work yet?"
"Grandma, I'm here." That handsome man in the grey shirt that accentuated his perfect body ambled elegantly like a model, his beautiful small raven eyes filled with a smile. His appearance was flawless.
Luna couldn't take her gaze away from him. And the image of his naked back slid through her mind. His appearance enchanted her. She felt something different thumping her heart, something she had never felt for other men. Danish was the first man who made her heart race faster than it had ever before. Fortunately, her grandmother's words jolted her back into reality. She immediately lowered her gaze and concentrated on the food on her plate.
"I want you to sit next to Luna because you two need to get to know each other." Danish politely refused, claiming that sitting near his grandmother made him feel more at ease. "Danish, you've got to get used to..." Danish's grandmother's sentence was cut short by a beep from his phone. "Who is calling at this hour?"
"I'm sorry, Grandma, but Ana is outside." Hearing her name, the old man yanked the fork and knife from her grasp. She gritted her teeth, holding back the rage that burned her. That was evident from the flush on her face.
"I've told you numerous times to avoid her. She is not the right girl for you. She comes to you for money."
"Please, grandmother... Ana is not the type of person who would do something like that. After all, I adore her." Luna had finished chewing the food in her mouth. Hearing his confession that he had someone he loved ripped a hole in her heart. With her social standing, she should not have developed feelings for him. Danish saw her as nothing more than a stranger in his life. It was his grandmother's wish for them to be together, but Danish was clearly opposed to his mother's initiative. Nonetheless, his grandmother's hope cut the pain deep within her. "I'm sorry, but I can't leave Ana outside any longer." He jogged into the living room after rising.
"Oh, that child..." Grandmother's fist clutched the fork so tightly that Luna thought she was going to hurt herself. That old lady quickly released the object. "I'm stuffed." She walked away. Luna excused herself after noticing that she was only with members of her family with whom she was not particularly close.
Luna chose to relax in the balcony on the top floor to soothe herself after what she had been through tonight. With the gleam of the beautiful stars, the starry sky blanked out the earth. Luna's gaze was drawn to a couple down there, Danish and a girl she assumed was Ana, his girlfriend.
Their public display of affection instilled jealousy in her, which she should not allow to grow. Danish and that girl were in love; it would be cruel to even consider separating them.
"No, I should talk to the grandmother tomorrow and beg her to cancel the arranged marriage. I shouldn't ruin their friendship." Luna swiveled back to her room, sobbing.
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