Chapter 1: Arrangement (pt.1)

“MARRY HIM,” Beatrice said to her daughter, Aurora, with authority as she entered her daughter's office.

Aurora's brows furrowed as well as her forehead in response to her mother's words. “What?”

And Beatrice slammed the brown folder she was holding on top of Aurora's desk, causing the girl to turn her gaze there.

“Marry that man if you want to save our company.”

Aurora opened the folder and, to her horror, saw the face of the man she despised seeing, let alone marrying, even if he was the only man left in the world. And at that very moment, a memory from her past that she was trying to forget suddenly appeared in her mind, but it appears that the opportunity did not want her to forget and was forcing her to remember everything—every disgusting event of her life with that man.

“Marry me, Aurora. You will not regret it. I have the money, fame, and power,” Logan stated after kissing her on the cheek.

Aurora's eyes widened as she remembered Logan's brazen behavior toward her in front of their classmates when they were young.

Because of what he did to her, their classmates teased them as the "Beauty & Beast" couple, causing her life to be filled with shame in high school, and it didn't end there because they met again when they went to college, causing her another shame that ruined her entire college years.

“Aurora, you will be mine and I will be yours. And no matter what happens we will be together forever!”

“Marry, Logan Luciano. That’s the only way to keep what we have right now, especially this company, Aurora.”

Aurora snapped out of what her mother said, forcing her to gather herself and face her mother.

“No! I’m not going to marry that ugly and arrogant guy! I rather die than marry him!” With great vehemence, she exclaimed to her mother.

"Do you hear what you're saying, Aurora?" her mother questioned, frustrated. “If you didn’t marry Logan everything that we have right now will be gone!” she added.

“It’s better to lose everything than marrying that kind of shit! I will not marry that beast!” Aurora protested.

Beatrice snatched her daughter's shoulders and locked her gaze on her. “Are you sure that you are ready to lose everything, Aurora? Especially this company that your dad left to you?”

Aurora was unable to respond to her mother's words. As she felt her mother's hand squeezing her shoulders.

“You must marry him, Aurora,” Beatrice continued to stare directly into Aurora's eyes. "You're not going to let your father's business go away, are you?"

Aurora remained silent, clenching her fist in anger and frustration.

“If you understand everything, free your schedule tomorrow. Go to the salon and make yourself beautiful,” her mother said sweetly.

Aurora raised her brows in question to her mother. “Why do I need to do that?”

Her mother holds her hands and lightly pats them while smiling sweetly. “Tomorrow evening we’re going to meet Logan’s family, so you have to look beautiful and presentable.”

***

“I’M SORRY, Dad,” Aurora apologized to her father who was in a coma. “I love you, Dad, and I really mean it. But I can’t let anyone neither Mom decides nor control my life. This is my life, and I will be the one who will decide what will happen and whom will I going to marry,” she said and gave her father a kiss on the forehead. “I’m sorry, Dad.”

After that, even though she didn't want to leave her father alone, she had no choice but to leave and go to the airport to run away from everything that was going on in her life—to save her life and protect her freedom from her unwanted responsibilities, and to find the man she desired and will love and spend time with for the rest of her life.

Aurora comes to a halt as she is about to get into her car.

“No. Mom will catch me if I use my car to go to the airport.”

As a result, Aurora decided not to use her car and instead leave it at the hospital so that her mother would think she was there and give her time to escape. She quickly walked out of the hospital and hailed a taxi that showed up.

"Manong, to the NAIA, please," she said.

The driver does not say anything and simply nods.

Aurora quickly boarded and once properly seated, immediately pulled her hair back, then took her white-blonde wig from her bag and put it on, drawing the attention of the elderly driver.

Aurora let out an awkward laugh. "Don't worry about me, Manong. "I have a photo shoot and I'm late, so please let me finish my work here," she lied.

The old man just let his mouth hang open while nodding, as if he understood his passenger's strange behavior, and turned his gaze back to the road.

Aurora heaved heavily after the driver believed her alibi. When she was certain that the old man was no longer looking at him, she removed her blazer and immediately put on a white blouse, followed by a black pleated skirt, before removing her slacks. She replaced the heels she was wearing with beige flat sandals after changing her clothes. She took his small mirror and looked at herself; she couldn't recognize herself as Aurora Castellano. But, just to be sure, she applies makeup and colors to her face, and for a finishing touch, she places a mole on the lower part of her eye to distinguish herself from her original appearance.

“Here we are, Ma'am," the driver announced as they approached her destination.

Aurora gave the driver her money. "Here's my payment," she says as she exits the taxi.

Aurora's belongings had been left in the taxi, so the driver called her again.

"You left your belongings behind, Ma'am!" He yelled.

Aurora smiled and turned around. "I'm not going to use it. It's completely yours!”

“But—”

Aurora rushed into the airport, and the driver was unable to speak. He smiled as he examined Aurora's clothes.

"How did that lady know I liked these kinds of clothes?” he asked himself, unable to conceal the joy on his face. "Well, she no longer wants it; it's all mine now!”

After that, the old man drove the taxi away, a wide smile on his face.

***

Aurora headed fast to the departure area, where passengers bound for Sicily, Italy are called.

“Final call for boarding, final call for boarding for the last remaining passengers. The last remaining passengers on Philippine Airlines flight JR0923 are bound for Singapore. Please board in aircraft through Gate 3. This is your final call for boarding, all board, please.”

Aurora made her way quickly to Gate 3. Her luggage and boarding pass were both checked before she was allowed to board the plane. She turned to see if anyone was following her before continuing her walk, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw there wasn't.

“Hope they not yet found out,” Aurora murmured to herself as she resumed her walk towards the plane she was about to board.