Part 89

H-1 The Engagement

The noisy bustle at Claire's home made her heart pound erratically. While most brides-to-be would feel excited on the eve of their engagement, Claire felt more anxious and on guard.

She was happy, of course. Who wouldn't be happy to finally be proposed to by someone they loved and who loved them back? But the fear of her mother's reaction—the rejection she might face tomorrow when her mother sees the person coming in place of her preferred son-in-law—filled Claire with dread.

What would happen tomorrow? What if her mother rejected Antony and his family? Claire poured all her worries out to her twin brother. But, with his usual calmness, Gladwin reassured her that, like it or not, tomorrow their mother would accept Antony and his family, if only to save face in front of the guests. Yet, what if Gladwin and their other brothers were wrong?

What if her mother's pride, preferring not to have a son-in-law who was a divorcé, was stronger than the embarrassment she'd face from canceling the engagement?

Once again, Gladwin brushed off her fears. He placed his phone on the bed and walked over to Claire, standing beside his shorter twin. Folding his arms across his chest, he joined her in looking down at the people below as they arranged the engagement decorations.

"C," he said, catching Claire's attention. "Do you know why protests that are planned to be peaceful end up in chaos and lead to casualties?" Gladwin asked, not taking his eyes off the scene below.

Claire looked up, raising an eyebrow as she turned to her twin brother. What was going on in his head? Why did he always come up with such absurd, strange, and unpredictable thoughts? Why were they discussing protests when what Claire was worried about was her engagement party tomorrow? she wondered.

Shrugging, Claire turned her gaze back to the scene below. "I've never participated in a protest, so I don't know the answer," she finally replied tersely.

Gladwin chuckled and nudged her upper arm with his elbow. "Questions like that get you riled up, huh?" he teased. "Let me give you a clue." He continued with a serious expression. "Protests always end in chaos because there are always infiltrators who whisper and stir up trouble."

Claire refocused her attention on him. "What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"I mean, let's see tomorrow if that 'infiltrator' manages to make your engagement a success or if it falls apart," he said with a grin.

A knock at the door made both Claire and Gladwin turn. A teenage girl with long hair tied in a ponytail stood there, looking back at them. "I want to sleep over at Flavia's," the girl said, her face twisted into the familiar pout she often wore lately. "Who knows, tomorrow or the day after, I might be forbidden to hang out with Flavia because her heartbroken father decides to separate us."

This earned her a laugh from Gladwin. "Why are you laughing at me? Are you happy if I lose a friend?" the girl retorted.

Gladwin shrugged and made a face. "This is my face, so I can cry or laugh as I please. Why should you be offended?" he mocked. "And yes, if you still want to maintain a friendship with Flavia, I have some advice for you." His comment made Claire and Abigail look at him suspiciously.

"What advice?" Abigail asked, her tone sharp.

"When you're older, you should marry Flavia's youngest uncle. What's his name?" Gladwin said, teasingly.

"Uncle Gian?!" Abigail exclaimed, looking at her brother with disbelief, then shuddering in horror. "There's no way I'd marry him. By the time I'm an adult, I'll be a beautiful girl with smooth skin and a sexy body, while he'll have turned into an old man. I don't want him!" Abigail scoffed. "Instead of me marrying Uncle Gian, why don't you just marry Flavia when she's older?" Abigail shot back at Gladwin. She stared off into space for a few seconds before shaking her head vigorously. "No. That can't happen. Poor Flavia would have to marry an old man like you," she teased, walking away and leaving Claire laughing at Gladwin, who stood frozen in place.

"Such an insolent girl!" Gladwin exclaimed loudly. "Whose child is she? What kind of lineage is that?" He shot Claire an annoyed look. Claire merely shrugged, unconcerned. "There's no way I'd marry Flavia. She's practically like my niece," he huffed.

Claire chuckled at his words. "Just wait, once love hits you, you'll know what it feels like," she teased.

The girl then left her brother's room, leaving Gladwin to stew in his own thoughts.

The atmosphere in the house had grown quiet. The clock was nearing midnight, and Claire still couldn't close her eyes. Her worries about what would happen the next morning lingered, and feeling restless, she decided to get out of bed and leave her room.

Who should she visit? Abigail had chosen to sleep over at Flavia's and planned to come home tomorrow morning, or maybe around noon. As for Gladwin, he had already returned to his apartment and wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning.

Claire walked downstairs, intending to make a cup of warm tea or heat up some milk to help her relax and fall asleep. However, as she entered the kitchen, she saw her eldest brother standing by the stove, warming something up.

"What are you doing?" Claire asked, startling him. He must have been lost in thought while waiting for whatever he was heating to boil.

"Just water. I'm making tea," her eldest brother replied. "What about you? Can't sleep? Anxious about what's going to happen tomorrow?" he inquired.

Claire simply lifted the corners of her mouth in a faint smile and nodded. Richard turned off the stove and poured the hot water from the pot into a clear glass, which already had a tea bag in it.

"What if everything doesn't go as we predict?" Claire asked softly.

Initially wanting to make a drink, she instead chose to sit at the bar table and watched her brother.

Richard approached her, holding a glass of tea in his right hand and a container of sugar in his left. He placed the glass down, opened the lid of the sugar jar, and added sugar to his tea before stirring it.

"Whether tomorrow succeeds or fails, it all comes down to fate, Claire," her brother said wisely. "You might wonder why I accepted to be matched with Abigail's mother. Why didn't I rebel like Harry and choose to marry the woman of my choice, even if our mother didn't approve?" He paused, waiting for Claire to nod in response. "It's not because I can't rebel against her. If I wanted to, I could go against Mom because I have more power than she does.

"But you need to know that I accepted this match not because I was forced into it. Not because I didn't want to be labeled a disobedient child. Not because I had to set a good example by obeying all her commands and making Harry the example of a rebel. It's not like that.

"I'm willing to be matched because, first, I know that Mom's choices are always what she thinks is best, and she does it all with my well-being in mind. After I met Abigail's mother, I had no reason to refuse. As you all know, there is not a single flaw in your sister-in-law.

"Besides her beautiful appearance, she is a patient woman with a gentle disposition. She is educated and, more than that, she is incredibly caring. So why should I refuse such a perfect person for someone else who may not possess her admirable qualities?

"Therefore, I'm telling you that I did it because I wanted to. Not out of obligation.

"I believe that Abigail's mother is truly my match, brought together by God through Mom, even if others see it differently.

"As for Harry, it has also become his destiny to marry someone he loves, despite not having our mother's blessing. That's his test of fate. His destiny. His match.

"And regarding your engagement tomorrow, once again, this is a fate you must embrace. This is how you'll get what you want: the man you love.

"We can't always make others happy. No matter what choice we make, someone will inevitably get hurt. Someone who hopes for something from us but doesn't get their desire.

"When I accepted my match, I made Mom happy. But I surely hurt someone who has feelings for your sister-in-law. When Harry made his choice, he broke Mom's heart, but he found happiness in doing so.

"And you, even though you will also hurt our mother, you will also bring joy to someone else. You can have Antony; you'll make a girl who hopes for you very happy, someone who has long wanted you to be her mother since she met you. So? Every action comes with its risks, Claire.

"The point is, if we act thinking about how others will perceive us, we will never be happy. As long as we don't harm others with the choices we make, then go for it. Because heartbreak and disappointment are the risks for those who place too much hope in us."

Claire could only look at her brother with a tearful gaze. For the first time in her twenty-five years of life, Claire heard her eldest brother speak at such length. Until now, she had always been too hesitant to share any of her problems or grievances with him.

"Will Mom ever forgive me?" Claire asked, uncertain.

Richard nodded. "Claire, when you were born, our father hoped you would grow into a beautiful girl who is loved, and now that wish has come true. As the only daughter in this family, we all love you dearly, including our mother. Arranging your match is proof of how much she loves you, and you must believe that no mother will ever hold a grudge against her child. All mothers will always forgive, even if they don't show it. So, don't worry. Everything will be beautiful in its time." Richard reassured her.

Claire could only nod, hoping that her mother would forgive her in due time as well.