BILLIONAIRE SERIES4: ARRANGED MARRIAGE TO MY ENEMY: ETHAN HARRIS MONTELLO

CHAPTER FIVE

Great. Just when I meet a Montello that’s actually friendly towards me, I meet another one who definitely hates me.

“Anyway, I’m going to get back to the party. I’d better see you on the dancefloor later, Chiara!” paalam ni Solenn na kinatango ko.

“Of course. Where else would I be?” pilit-ngiti kong sabi nalang dahil ramdam ko pa din ang masamang tingin sa akin ni Katrina. Why do I feel this way? Bakit kinakabahan ako sa babaing ito? Wala dapat akong kinatatakutan, ayun ang pinakang unang turo sa amin ni Dad.

Huminga ako ng sobrang lalim saka sinalubong ang tingin niya. Wala naman siguro akong ginawang masama para kabahan sa kaniya o matakot. Ngunit nang makaalis na nga si Solenn ang kaninang matalim niyang tingin ay mas lumalala pa.

“Excuse me―!”

“Let me make this clear from the start. Ethan and I are much more than friends. Your little sham marriage doesn’t mean to me and it doesn’t mean anything to Ethan either. It’s just means to an end.” may diin ang bawat salita nito.

“To what end? You mean, to secure the peace treaty?” sagot ko dito at pinag-ekis nito ang kaniyang braso.

“Obviously. I supported the marriage so our families wouldn’t constantly be at war, but on a personal level, I couldn’t hate this arrangement anymore. Ethan loves me. He should be married to me. That was the plan, until your father got involved.” galit niyang saad sa akin na kinatigil ko.

Ethan was going to marry Katrina? Totoo ba talaga ‘yon? Pero ang sabi niya ay wala siyang planong magpakasal sa kahit na sino. Tiningnan kong muli si Katrina, kaya ba ganito nalang ang galit na pinapakita sa akin ng babaing ito?

“I’m sorry, Katrina. Hindi ko gusto ang makasira sa inyo. Wala akong ideya sa kasal na ito.” saad ko at para din siyang natigilan, hindi ko alam kung gulat ba iyon dahil sa paghingi ko ng tawad o dahil sa sinabi kong wala akong ideya.

Ngunit bumalik din ang expression nito sa pagiging galit. “I don’t need your pity, Chiara! I just want you to know I’m the one Ethan loves. Don’t get any ideas that any of this is real―this wedding, your vows, the rest of your married life... it’s all fake.”

I know I shouldn’t let her words get to me, but they do. She’s right, this isn’t a real wedding. This isn’t a real marriage.

“Enjoy the rest of the wedding. I hear it meant to be the happiest day of your life.” she struts away, leaving me standing there with tears blurring my eyes. I force myself not to cry. I refuse to play this game.

It’s not like I ever thought Ethan have real feelings for me. After all, we only just met recently. But if Katrina already has his heart, what does that mean for me? Am I going to spend the rest of my life lonely?

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No one warned me how exhausting I’d find my wedding day. My face look so tired from all that smiling and my feet hurt from dancing.

Hinanap ko agad si Ethan, gusto ko na talagang magpahinga. Hindi naman ako pwedeng pumunta nasa kwarto namin na hindi ko siya kasama.

Oh, there he is. Mukhang nagtatalo nanaman sila ni Kuya Enzo.

As I get closer, I see my brother’s snarl. Ethan’s stance is no less hostile. They look ready to go for each other’s throats.

“If you step one foot of line, I put you back in your place. Chiara may be your wife now, but she’s always be my family.” galit na sabi ni Kuya.

“Like you said, she’s my wife now. That means you and I are family now.” saad naman ni Ethan na kinangisi lang ni Kuya Enzo.

“Family? You and I will never be family, Montello.”