Meeting You Again

Chapter 3

I looked at Lyra and decided. Although this would hurt her, it needed to be done.

"Lyra, so Dad brought home a sister for me yesterday. Her name is Corinna, and she's about two years younger than us. And, she's right behind you, sitting with Elan."

Here's the story: Now, you know about my arranged betrothal with Remus, but my brother also has a fiance. And who is that fiance? Lyra, my dear friend.

To be quite honest, I hate this arrangement. And no, before you start thinking weird things or think I'm being selfish and want my brother's care all for me, let me just say two things: 1. What care would I be missing if there's none in the first place? And 2. Lyra and Elan simply don't suit each other. Now from the past few interactions you may or may not have gotten a grasp on Elan's and Lyra's personalities.

Elan is a narcissistic a-hole who only cares about himself. Let alone me, even mom doesn't matter to him. For him, life is about benefits. He's practically emotionless. As long as he and the family business does well, that's all that matters. He'll do anything to maintain a good reputation.

This is why, even though I originally felt sad we didn't have a close relationship, I'm happy we don't. Why would I willingly put myself close to someone like him, and pretend to be surprised when he sells me off for his own benefit? I'm not a masochist!

Ayla, on the other hand, has more of a sensitive nature. She's a homebody, and she would die for her loved ones. You can already see what I'm getting at, right? She's too caring for her own good, and sometimes I worry about how this girl will survive in a world with such despicable people. But my worries are too extreme. Despite being so kind, Lyra has a keen eye in finance. She brings up an entirely different personality when she deals with work, but she always tells me that at the end of the day, she just wants to come home to a peaceful, loving house.

Like I said previously, Lyra is not close to her parents at all. Her older brother, younger sister, and her, on the other hand? Practically all three of them are joined at the hip. They care for each other so much, it honestly brings tears to my eyes. So no matter how much I would love Lyra to be my sister-in-law, I don't want her to suffer in the future. And being with my brother will cause her indefinite suffering.

Lyra is a genuinely good person and she never had a crush on anyone before. She was hoping to date when she was in college but before she knew it, she was already engaged with someone. Ayla's parents and Lyra's parents met and they felt that Elan and Lyra were a suitable pair and that they should get married when Lyra turns 23. (Suitable pair my ass, more like the benefits the two families would get were shining like diamonds with this arrangement)

Lyra, who was 15 at the time, didn't hear news about her own engagement until a month later. She didn't like the idea of getting married without her consent but considering how the other party was her best friend's brother, she thought it would be okay.

And the worst part? Lyra actually started to grow feelings for Elan. But he only showed her a passive attitude. Looking at how he smiles and cares for Corinna, he doesn't put even ¼ that show for Lyra. That's why, although this'll hurt Lyra, I have to show her the scene of Elan and Corinna. To show her that Elan only cares about benefits and reputation. To show that he only cares for someone if they'll be of good use to himself.

I pointed behind her and saw as she turned around, only to see her gray eyes cloud over. She first seemed confused but then she became despondent. She turned away and looked at me, sadness suffocating the air between us.

"They look good together. Do you think they're interested in each other?"

I was stunned. Upon a closer look, the duo did seem like a couple, but Elan would never do that, right? Besides, this was his nominal "adopted" sister. I thought the only reason he was treating her so well was so that he could better the family reputation by showing how caring they were towards an adopted member. But looking at Lyra, the gnawing feeling in my stomach became stronger.