No matter how hard she kicked it, the way Danish treated his girl, caressing his hair and drawing her head to rest on his chest, lingered in Luna's mind. The harder she pushed, the more painful her chest became. She might go insane if she fell in love with someone who had no idea she existed.
She suppressed her sadness by burying her face in the pillow. Only the failure that engulfed her in even more grief occurred at the end. She couldn't get Danish's face out of her head or mind. If she could go back in time, she would choose not to fall in love with that cold-hearted man. It would be preferable to be paralyzed in that remote village with societal prejudice than to live in this magnificent palace with the guilt of stealing someone's love.
Why did it take so long for the night to give way to the morning? She felt compelled to visit her grandmother and beg her to cancel her marriage. She only wished Danish's grandmother had recognized Ana as the best future wife for his grandson sooner.
***
Danish kissed her girlfriend good night as she drove away from his house area in her car. Annoyance had seized him; he was sick of his grandmother's hatred for his girl. How could she not accept the one he adored? Ana was the sweetest and nicest girl he'd ever met in his life. Why was it so difficult for his grandmother to like her?
Danish's stare filled the void left by the hole in his heart. The worst forfeit he feared was losing Ana after his father died. His grandmother now wanted him to end their relationship. That was something he would never do, even if it meant being kicked out of their family and the company into which he had poured all of his energy. As the CEO of a large leading company, he was preoccupied with his work, clients, and business, and it was only Ana who understood his predicament; she was always there for him. Danish wished to marry her, but his grandmother always found a way to derail his plans.
He entered the house with reluctance. The commotion from the exit room drew him in, and he rushed over to her mother, who was arguing with his grandmother. Danish had no idea what sparked the argument between his mother and grandmother. But when they mentioned the name of that village girl, he realized what they were arguing about. It was about that girl entering their lives.
"I will never let that girl get close to Danish! Mom, Luna is not on our level. What do you think our coworkers will think of our family for allowing Danish to marry that girl? You're jeopardizing our family's reputation." His mother's words came across as impolite. Her statement about marriage, on the other hand, made him laugh.
"Mom...wait...what are you two discussing? Who is getting married?" His head cocked, requesting clarification from his mother.
"That ugly woman will be married to you by your grandmother." His mother shook her head.
"Do you mean Miss Luna Yang, that ugly woman? How could you make this decision without even consulting with me, Grandma?" His intonation became more emphatic, masking his inner rage.
"First and foremost, do not refer to her as an "ugly woman. Second, I had planned to tell you about it tonight, but you decided to meet that girl."
Danish sat down next to his grandmother and squeezed the back of her hands. "You know that it is Ana, the only girl I love," he said softly. I'm not interested in marrying other women. I hope you get it."
"This is my final decision." She rose, pulling her hands away from Danish's. Grandmother Li had left them behind before Danish's protest words exploded.
"Grandma..." Danish was about to run after her, wanting to persuade her grandmother to reconsider her decision, but his mother's hand stopped him.
"It's pointless; she won't listen to us." His mother's tired expression told him to give up on her.
"How can I marry that stranger, Mom? Are you with Grandma?" He squinted, trying to confirm what she was thinking.
"Of course not. However, do not confront your grandmother. We must be able to solve this problem. Let me handle it. Take a break now." Danish turned away with reluctance. "How do you feel about Miss Ana Wang? When are you going to bring her to see me?" His paces were slowed by her mother's inquiry.
"We had planned to marry next month, but that village woman's arrival throws everything off."
"Don't worry, I'll find a way to permanently remove that woman from our lives." That woman's face revealed an evil grin.
***
The large door in front of her eyes looked at Luna, who straightened up in hesitation. One of her heart's desires was to see Grandmother Li and beg her to annul her marriage plan to her grandson. On the other hand, she was concerned that her actions would offend the elderly lady. Every time she remembered Danish and his girl, she was filled with guilt, and she couldn't help but initiate a conversation with Grandmother Li.
A few minutes had passed, but her feet had not moved an inch. Her heart was still debating whether or not to knock and enter. When the door abruptly swung open, and that old woman was standing at the door, her chin lifted.
"G-grandma, I need to talk to you about something." Grandma Li let her in with a smile on her face.
They had sat across from each other. Luna lowered her gaze to the floor and let the silence consume them for a moment. She was speechless, as if her mouth couldn't produce a single word, defeated by either her own skepticism or Grandmother Lee's intimidating eyes.
"You must have something important to tell me if you're in my office late at night." Grandma Li finally struck up a conversation. Luna muttered her intention while weakly nodding her head.
"I beg you to call off our wedding." As she had predicted, her sentence successfully changed Grandma Li's tensed expression of disappointment. Luna's nervous silence was broken when she cleared her throat in response to her request.
"The decision regarding your marriage to Danish has been made. Nobody has the authority to cancel it. It is my final choice. This is something I don't want to hear from you anymore. Whatever happens, you will marry Danish." Luna nearly choked up as she listened to her strict words. Luna was willing to hear her objection. But no one in this family dared to disagree with her. Her argument was swallowed.
Luna closed the door behind her, hoping to get to her room after seeing Grandma Li and being disappointed. Due ot her wandering mind, her body tumbled on her way, hitting someone's strapping torso.Her feeble physic would have landed on the harsh floor if his hand hadn't pulled it up and into someone's warm arms. Their gazes met when her eyes jerked up. Luna was trapped in Danish's embrace for a few seconds before his strong arms let her go.
"I-I apologize..." Luna flinched backward in an instant, feeling guilty and embarrassed, and bowing her head a few times. When she lifted her head, the cold man had moved past her and disappeared behind his room's door.
Luna's pounding heart continued until she arrived at her cabin. She had no idea why, but instead of regretting the incident, she was overjoyed. It was her first time being so close to a man. She had never dated a man in her entire life. Who would date such an unattractive woman?
***
Danish stormed into his room, slamming the door shut. Recalling his conversation with his grandmother only aggravated him. How could his grandmother force him to marry that unethical village girl? Her carelessness almost put him in danger, or she may have feigned tripping over on purpose to get his attention. That's what a girl like her would do; she'd do anything to be with the man who would provide for her. Her poverty may have been what drove her to go so far. Regardless of the reason, what she did was revolting.
Danish sat down on the bed after checking his phone to ensure Ana was safe at home. As he read Ana's text, a smile spread across his lips. He slanted his body to the right, placing his phone on the vanity table, and one side of his cheek touched the pillow. His nose was pricked by the smell of the bed. He was curious as to where it came from. Only when he rolled out of bed did he notice a trace of drool in the shape of a round shape. He screamed angrily.
"Who on earth slept in my bed?"