𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐕𝐎𝐖𝐒

e l e a n o r | 1

"Excuse me." I whisper, taking my things, "Sorry, this isnt gonna work out." I set a few hundred dollars on the bill and head for the door leaving behind yet another stupid date.

I roll my eyes on the way out.

Twenty-four. Twenty-four stupid dates I had to endure, and yet not one of them led to a second. For god's sake, there isn't anything wrong with me, right? No, there isn't; there are just many things wrong with the men out there today. Perhaps people would say my standards are high, but I'm not going to settle for someone who's not worth me just because society has lowered the standard.

It's not like I have ridiculously high standards... I just need the bare minimum, and that's pathetic. Aimee, Freya, and Summer could treat me better than all these guys combined.

Too bad I'm not gay.

Either way, if my dating luck keeps going like this, I may be single till I'm in a nursing home. My friends, they attract men. I'm pretty, but not in the way they are. Not in the way Sophie Wang is.

Between my job, nursing, friends, and my dad's restaurant chain... everything's been so overwhelming that perhaps I was partially to blame as well, even if the male specimen was now slowly in decline.

I wanted that romance, the ones in movies, but considering my past luck with love, a healthy, long-lasting relationship would be a miracle. The worst part was facing my father. He raised me to believe I was worth everything, and to see me fail over and over was just humiliating for me.

Every Sunday, we had family dinners, and I knew the topic of my love life would come up today: What am I supposed to say? Lie? I couldn't lie to my family—not more than I had to.

–

I quickly swing open my apartment door, setting my things down before changing into more formal clothing. These dinners were one of the only times when we could all be together without cameras or surrounded by people at events. It was my turn to host the dinner this week and I had already prepped the food a few hours ago. Since Kami got married, her husband has been joining us, and as much as I love them both, it's just a reminder to me and my parents that I couldn't find a husband.

The doorbell rings as I run to open it frantically, wiping my sweaty palms against the yellow dress.

"Mama, Baba," I smile, hugging the both of them before turning to Kami with a light smile, "come on in."

They all started to head over to the table while my mother grabbed me by my arms, looking me up and down, concerned. " You've lost weight, Els," she whispered, twirling me around.

A light smile creases my face, "you noticed."

She shakes her head, "That's not a good thing, Els... it's getting unhealthy. You looked perfectly beautiful before." her voice was so soft, and she seemed so sure that it nearly convinced me.

I sigh. "I'm fine, Mama, really, just a bit stressed with everything going on."

She sighs, squeezing my arm and sitting down in the seat next to mine, "Don't overwork yourself." I nod as an answer. She worried too much.

"I didnt have much time to prep. I only made pasta." I smile, bringing it out and scooping a bit onto everyone's plate.

Dad smiles warmly, taking his fork. "No worries, darling. It looks wonderful." Kami nods in agreement as her husband, Pete, plants a kiss on her head.

We eat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound, breathing, chewing, and awkward glances around.

Finally, my dad breaks the silence, "So, how did the date go today?" he asks, taking a bite of his food, unable to take his eyes off of me in curiosity.

There's a moment of silence as I gulp my food down, "as usual." I can almost feel the atmosphere die down with my words as they exchange glances of... I can't even tell.

"What is this? Date twenty-three?" my sister asks, genuine concern seeping through her voice. Twenty-four, actually, but I wasn't going to correct her.

I shrug, "It's fine." I mutter, but the tone of my voice says the opposite.

My mother nudges my father slightly with a trace of a grin across her face. Oh god. The last thing I needed was them butting their noses into my love life.

He exchanges a look with my mom, a silent conversation passing between them. Then, he clears his throat. "We need to talk about your... dating life."

I gulp.

My cheeks flush with embarrassment, and I can feel the weight of their disappointment settling over me like a heavy blanket. I've always been the 'perfect daughter' in their eyes—straight A's, Ivy League education, successful career. But when it comes to love, I'm a complete failure.

"We know it hasn't been easy for you," Mom says gently, her eyes full of sympathy. "And we want to help."

Help. how would they help? Perhaps a blind date with a stupid, self-absorbed diplomat? I know that's coming next, and I can't bring myself to meet their eyes.

"We've been thinking," Dad continues, his tone careful, "maybe it's time to consider... other options."

Other options. The euphemism for what they really mean an arranged marriage. My stomach churns at the thought. I've always prided myself on being independent on making my own choices. But when it comes to matters of the heart, it seems I'm utterly hopeless.

"I... I don't know if I'm ready for that," I whisper, the words barely audible.

Kami, my younger sister, reaches out and takes my hand, her eyes filled with sympathy. "Eleanor, we just want you to be happy. If this is what it takes..."

Her voice trails off, but the message is clear. My happiness, my future, it all hinges on this decision. Do I continue down this path of failed dates and broken hearts, or do I swallow my pride and accept the help my parents are offering?

"I just... I don't want to disappoint you," I sigh, taking a bite of my pasta and sinking deeper into my chair.

"You could never disappoint us," Dad says firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument. "We just want you to be happy, Eleanor. Whatever that takes."

Maybe it's time to let go of my stubborn independence to accept the help my parents are offering. Maybe, just maybe, they know what's best for me after all.

Is this the right choice for me? Or am I simply trading one set of expectations for another?

"Fine." I blurted out. They had brought this topic up numerous times, but I had never actually considered it until today.

In the corner of my eyes, I see my mother and father giving each other little grins. What the hell have I gotten myself into?