Kiss me Under the Starry Night Sky

Chapter 1

Warnings: Body shaming, post breakup depression, awful parenting 10/10

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Heavy footsteps sounded as a figure entered a dark room, the door softly clicking shut behind her. Her movements were clumsy and inelegant as she shuffled through the darkness. Despite knowing the layout of the room like the back of her hand, she still managed to kick her foot against a book. She stumbled and hissed. Furiously she reached forward and opened the glass sliding door with violent force.

As she stepped onto the balcony, gentle moonlight painted her delicate features, illuminating brown orbs surrounded by red puffiness and the black stains of running mascara.

Saile looked up at the stars and thought to herself, 'how did my life stray so far off course?'
If she could go back in time, maybe she would try a little harder. But it was too late now, her boyfriend was already long gone.

She blinked in amazement as a streak of light flew past, then she closed her eyes and made a wish. Although she had no idea at that moment, life had bigger surprises in store.

***
The next morning, the bright rays of sunlight poured in through the windows, lighting up her messy room. Birds chirped and danced about, chorusing outside her window. But Saile selfishly wished the sun would stop shining and the birds would drop dead. Even the birds seemed to be enjoying life more than she was. Saile wanted nothing more than to hide away from it all in a cave of darkness- free of everyone- but all she could do at this moment was curl up into a ball under her quilt and bury her head in a pillow.

Her lips curled in amusement at her own ridiculousness. Even if she hid herself away in a cave, his words, sharper than a blade, would still pierce through her mind. "So what if you're rich. You're just an incompetent fatty. If it wasn't for your parents, who would date you? Look at yourself. Your stomach bulges outwards and fat rolls jiggle when you walk. Your neck is as thick as a tree trunk. Your own family can't even tolerate you anymore."
Before she knew it, the tears had returned, rolling down the soft lumps of her cheeks like tiny rivers.

It wasn't always like this. She was smart when she was young. As a child, she was adorably chubby and intelligent beyond her age. She was a prodigal student, however, academic smarts don't translate directly into life skills. Although her starting point was above others, she found herself falling behind.

Everyone had already found their direction, but she was stranded alone on an island of uncertainty. She had no clue what she wanted to do, and before she knew it years slipped by and she retreated into her home, wasting away amongst piles of junk food, manga, books, anime and movies.

It wasn't like she didn't know how useless she had turned out. Her parents made their disappointment and disgust very clear everyone time she entered their line of sight. They would judgingly scan their eyes across her from head to toe and sneer at her flabby arms, wrinkled thighs and her large midriff before looking away in disgust, silently insulting her. If their accusing, incriminating glares hadn't told her all she needed to know, their words definitely did.

Her father would refuse to talk to her most of the time, and when he did, he would ask how she got so fat and useless, rambling on about her childhood with regret in his eyes. Her mother loved to express that Saile was a freeloader and pushed her to move out. If it wasn't for her mother's obsession with her flawless reputation, Saile was sure she would have been kicked onto the streets long ago. It was clear that to them, she wasn't their child anymore, but was instead just another problem they had to deal with- a burden.

A rumbling feeling gnawed at her stomach and she prepared to get out of bed when her vibrating ringtone buzzed on her bedside table. Groaning, her pale white hand stretched over and her forefinger swiped across the screen.

"Hello," Saile grumbled. She struggled to control her rough, pitchy voice, which had become hoarse from crying.

"Saile. Your mother told me that your boyfriend broke up with you last week,"
 her father's deep voice cut straight to the chase.

Wincing at his lack of concern, she winced before responding, "Yes, what of it?" 

"You aren't a child anymore, you have to start acting like an adult." His voice was gruff.

Her face scrunched at the idea of another lecture.

"Now listen... We've raised you for 18 years, we've fed you, clothed you, paid for your education, in high school and now university. It's time you pay us back."

"I will, after I graduate I'll get a job and pay you back in full," she interjected, hoping to cut down on his speech.

"And how exactly will you do that! You're barely passing because you spend all of your time wasting away eating and watching dramas!" he yelled.

She was shocked speechless. Her father sighed. After recovering his breath, he continued, "Never mind this, I, this father, has a request of you. If you do it, you won't have to pay us back a cent and we'll even owe you."

Saile could feel her eyebrow twitching and he frowned in suspicion. Whatever the request was, it certainly wasn't anything good.

"...What request?"

"Now that your boyfriend has broken up with you, we've arranged for your marriage."

"What?!" An ear-piercing shriek escaped her lips and her phone slipped from her hand, thumping onto her bed. She took a deep breath to calm herself. "You're... marrying me off?"

"Yes. It'll be a quiet affair, no need to make it big. He just wants the paperwork completed by Friday, then you can move in," her father explained.

"I never agreed to this!" she grinded her teeth.

"Don't make such a big deal out if it. You're single anyway. Looking at you, isn't it lucky that someone is still willing to marry you?!" her mother's high pitched voice blasted from the phone in response.

Just as she was about to respond, she heard loud beeping and saw her mother had hung up on her father's call.

wc: 1051

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Author's note:

Welcome aboard. Next chapter is a little hello message from me, read if you want otherwise you can skip ahead I don't mind :)