Unlucky Marriage

Chapter 4

Emma's POV

It's been two days since the visit from Noah's family, and the silence gnaws at me. Maybe he’s just swamped with work. He is the CEO after all, but can he really be too busy to call? I should reach out, I think. Why should I wait for him? But then it hits me—I don’t even have his number. Frustrated, I dive into social media, scrolling through countless profiles until I find him: Noah, the guy every girl dreams of.

What if I message him first? What if he’s lost my number? My mind spirals through a maze of possibilities before I muster the courage to send a simple "Hi" in his DMs. Hours tick by without a response, and I convince myself he’s just busy. Then, finally, six hours later, a message pops up: just a casual "Hi." No explanation, nothing to ease my worries.

"Hi Noah, I’m Emma," I type, trying to keep it light. "I was waiting for your call, but since you didn’t, I thought I’d reach out. I don’t have your number, so I messaged you here." My fingers dance nervously over the keyboard.

His response? Just a nonchalant "Hmm." I blink at the screen, a mix of disappointment and confusion swirling inside me. Surely he could say more than that? Maybe he really is busy. I press on with questions, wanting to know him better. I try to pull him into a conversation, asking about his life, hoping to learn more about the man I might marry. Every answer he gives is just a single word, devoid of any curiosity about me. Not even a "How are you?" I feel like I’m interviewing a brick wall.

After five minutes of one-word exchanges, he finally states that he’s busy and will call me back when he can. My heart sinks. Is he really not interested in me, or am I overthinking this? He did say he would call—so I decided to wait.

But the next day drags on, and there’s still nothing. Not a call, not a message. This isn’t right. It’s clear he isn’t interested in this marriage. I am not going to tolerate such behaviour. At least he should have the basic manners to let me know that he won't be able to call me. I resolve to tell my mom I’m not ready to marry someone who doesn’t even bother to communicate.

As I step out of my room, I hear laughter spilling from my mom’s room—along with Arielle’s voice. They must be on a video call with someone, but who? My heart races as I tiptoe closer, and then I freeze in my tracks. They’re video calling Noah. They look so happy, sharing jokes and smiles, completely unaware of my presence. And Noah is communicating freely with them like he knows them from decades. He is sharing everything with them and making them laugh with his jokes. No one will ever believe me if I say this man has sent me all those one word answers. After listening to their conversation, he is clearly enjoying talking with mom and my sister and it is mutual. They are also enjoying their talk with him. Without realising I moved closer to them. But Noah sees me and his smile immediately fading away from his face. He abruptly ends the call, saying he has to go, and he will call when he is free and I’m left in shock.

Is this real? He’s chatting with my family, yet I’m the one he’s too busy to talk to? Once the call ends, my mom and sister finally notice me.

"Aww, you should have come earlier!" my mom exclaims, her eyes bright. "We were just talking with Noah. He’s such a wonderful person! I was worried about the dowry talk, but seeing him made me realize his family is truly lovely. If your dad were here, he would be so happy."Her voice cracks, and tears well up in her eyes.

Her words hit me like a tidal wave. Confusion swirls within me, and Arielle chimes in, gushing about how thrilled she is to have him as her brother-in-law. My heart aches as I realize they see a future with him, while I’m still grappling with my doubts.

Words stick in my throat. I can’t tell them what I intended to say. Instead, I retreat to my room, my mind a storm of thoughts. The way Noah interacted with my family stands in stark contrast to how he treated me. My mom has never looked this happy; her laughter feels like sunlight piercing my uncertainty.

But does my happiness come second to theirs? Their joy weighs heavily on me. My only goal in life has always been to make my family happy, and if that means sacrificing my own happiness, so be it.

Yet, when my mom said, “I’ve got a son, not just a son-in-law,” it struck a chord deep within me. Should I say yes to this? Is it a decision that could haunt me forever? I need to think. I need clarity. But as I sit in silence, the answer eludes me, just like Noah's voice on the other end of the line.