Katriel dropped the bottled water on the fridge and reached up to wipe the droplets from around her mouth. She lifted her now heavy feet and walked toward the door. Her hand stretched out but hesitated on the handle,her heart racing with anticipation.
Who could that be at this hour?
She didn't remember inviting anyone.
The knock persisted, startling her again.
Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to open the door,slowly, like a scared mouse, her fingers turning the knob as if her hand were injured. She felt a dull pain ,not from any fall, but from the long, exhausting day of work.
She opened the door.
A figure stood in the hallway, dimly lit by the pale light of the moon above.
Katriel's eyes widened as she took in the stranger's features.
He was tall and masculine, his face carved with sharp angles and eyes so piercing it felt like he could see straight through her.
He wore dark pants and a coat.
A coat...
Unmistakably, he was a delivery man.
"Good evening, ma'am. I'm so sorry for the delay. My motorcycle broke down on the way here," he said politely.
Those words snapped her back to reality,she had forgotten she'd ordered takeout after work. She was too drained to cook anything.
With a tired, forced smile, she nodded. "Please wait just a moment," she said and went inside to fetch the money. Of course, she left him a tip. She didn't have much, but she always left something. She knew too well what it meant to work hard just to survive.
She collected the food from him and shut the door gently behind her.
Leaning her back against the door, Katriel laughed at herself.
She had completely forgotten about the food.
As she walked toward her bed, the power came back on.
She sat down and started eating her now-cold burger, chicken, veggies, and a bottle of soda. Though the meal had lost its warmth, the comfort it brought was still real.
Later, she lay back in bed, her mind unravelling the events of the day. That's when it hit her,she had forgotten her brand-new phone charger at work.
She picked up her phone to check the battery level.
"Just nine percent… oh, that's not good," she mumbled.
Still munching, she scrolled through her socials. She hadn't done that in ages.
The air in the room grew cooler. Her toes tingled from the chill, so she pulled the blanket up to cover them.
As the power was restored and Katriel scrolled through her phone, her screen blinked
A message appeared
"Don't open the door again. Next time, it won't be a delivery."
She dropped her phone
what the hell was that?
Her vision began to blur slightly. The room seemed darker than before.
She didn't notice the skeletal shadows crawling across the wall,cast by the faint light of the moon outside.
The sun's rays broke through the edges of the curtain, shining directly onto her face.
She groaned, realizing she hadn't set her alarm.
She jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. She hadn't even bathed the night before.
Outside, the city was alive,a pulsing rhythm of footsteps, horns, and morning chatter. She walked as fast as she could to her office desk.
"WHY ARE YOU LATE?" A voice boomed across the room.
She scrambled at her desk, trying to get things in order. She looked up ,it was her supervisor.
"I overslept, sir. It won't happen again," she said breathlessly.
"It better not," he snapped.
He turned to leave but paused and said loud enough for the whole office to hear, "Don't forget ,the CEO might come for inspection any day now. Make sure all your work is completed."
Beatrice and Sarah, who sat at the desks beside hers, leaned in, curious.
They bombarded her with questions, and Katriel was known for punctuality. It was strange to see her late.
They naturally slipped into gossip, talking about the CEO's rumoured looks and the stories they'd heard about him, while Katriel quietly plugged in her phone and listened to their chatter.
Then ,
"Beep. Beep."
A message popped up from her father:
> "MAKE SURE YOU COME HOME TODAY. THE QIN FAMILY ARE COMING AT 7 PM TO FINALIZE THE MARRIAGE."
Katriel reread the message.Her heart dropped.Was this her fate, sealed forever?And then the realization hit her ,tonight would decide everything.
No "Good day."
No "How are you?"
No "Talk to your little brother" or "Your brother is doing fine."
It's just a cold, emotionless message.
Katriel stared at the screen. Like I'm a contract. A business deal.
She was used to it by now,but it still stung.
The day passed faster than usual, and before she knew it, she was standing at a once-familiar doorstep.
She rang the doorbell, and the butler answered. She walked in as waves of memory washed over her,both good and bad.
Arms wrapped around her gently. It was her younger brother, Kalvin.
She ruffled his hair lightly. "You've grown so much," she said softly.
He only smiled.
They exchanged a few words as they walked together to the living room.
Even though the rest of the family treated her like she didn't matter, Katriel was still grateful that her brother wasn't hurt or affected.
Then came her father, James Miller, her stepmother Kate Miller, and her stepsister Cassy Miller.
Her father and stepmother didn't acknowledge her presence at all.
Cassy, on the other hand, gave her a smug smile,like she was both mocking and pitying her. Pity for the man she was being forced to marry.
Just then, a staff member entered the room and announced:
"The Qins have arrived."