JUDITH

"Break up with your boyfriend, and marry me."

He said that. The sentence floated beyond reason, never once touching the boundaries of my empty mind. The man staring at me with his sharp blue eyes was Kenny. My fiancé's uncle.

"Are you drunk?" I hissed, frowning in confusion. Our relationship had never been that close. We were almost like strangers. We never had long conversations, let alone met intentionally just the two of us. I only knew that he had never married even though he was over thirty.

"I'm perfectly sober, and I take full responsibility for every word," Kenny answered calmly, too calmly.

"You're insane," I murmured softly, almost inaudibly. "Do you know where we are right now?" I asked, still trying to ascertain his sobriety.

"We are at your engagement party to my nephew."

Suddenly, the low murmur of guests, the clinking of glasses, and the cheerful laughter around us seemed to get sucked into silence. I looked at him with a shocked expression, mixed with disbelief and agonizing confusion.

"This must be a joke. What if someone hears and misunderstands?" I had to find logic behind this chaos. Wasn't it just half an hour ago that Nicolas and I exchanged rings, accompanied by cheers and prayers from everyone?

"Initially, my plan was to kidnap you before this engagement party started. Unfortunately, I was late." Kenny spoke with a flat expression, as if we were discussing a flight schedule, not a crazy plan that was turning my life upside down. I felt trapped in a dizzying mirage.

I took a deep breath and glanced around restlessly. We were standing under the shade of a tree, slightly separated from the crowd. The guests seemed engrossed in enjoying the garden party; some were dancing, chatting, or just sipping champagne. Everything seemed normal, while my world had just been shaken by a storm.

"You're crazy. Truly insane," I whispered, shaking my head slowly, trying to dispel the pressing dizziness. "This doesn't make sense. We were never close! Our only connection is family, united by your nephew's love for me."

"Love?" Kenny repeated, his voice suddenly changing. He seemed to taste the word, savoring it with a tone that was cynical and disbelieving.

"Judith! Come here, let's take a picture together!" Gabriella's shout from across the garden saved me from that vortex of absurdity. Her voice was like an antidote to the madness I had just faced.

I averted my gaze from Kenny, from his piercing blue eyes. "I have to go," I said shortly, my voice hoarse. Without waiting for his reply, I turned and approached the group of friends with somewhat hurried steps, leaving the man and his crazy words under the shadow of the tree.

My heart was still pounding erratically, but I forced a sweet smile as Nicholas took my hand and pulled me to stand beside him. His warmth felt real, an anomaly after the strange conversation with his uncle. We stood in a row, shoulder to shoulder, with friends around us. Click. The camera captured this perfect moment of happiness. My smile was wide, but it felt stiff on my cheeks.

"What were you talking about over there with Uncle Kenny? He looked serious," asked Nicholas, still holding my shoulder, his voice low and curious.

My chest felt tight. I couldn't tell him. Not here, not now. "Oh, nothing important," I replied, trying to make my voice sound light. "Just congratulations. He said he didn't expect his nephew to be the one getting engaged." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but it was necessary. How could I ruin this beautiful moment by repeating the insane words I had just heard?

Nicholas chuckled, his face beaming with pride. "Ah, right. He must be a little jealous of me now. I told you, he's the lonely playboy in our family. Finally seeing me get my true love might have made him realize," he teased lightly, completely unaware of the storm that had almost hit our relationship.

I forced a small laugh, but my mind wandered. Jealous? Kenny's expression earlier was not jealousy at all. It was a gaze full of conviction, a statement that sounded like a veiled threat. I stole a glance towards the tree. Kenny was no longer there. Yet, his departure left an even deeper unease, a disturbing question that would haunt me long after this happy party ended.

"So after this engagement, when are you two planning to get married?" asked Liona with sparkling eyes, slipping in her typical gossip. She's my close friend who got married a year ago. "People say, don't delay the wedding too long after getting engaged. Otherwise... someone else might take him, you know."

Her words, which should have been ordinary, suddenly felt like a knife cutting deep. 'Taken by someone else.' The phrase echoed in my head, and without realizing it, my eyes almost darted to where Kenny had been standing. My chest tightened for a moment.

Before I could answer, Nicholas moved closer and wrapped his arm tightly around my waist. His voice was full of confidence as he answered, "Don't worry, we've already set the date. This engagement is just a formality, I wanted to officially tie her down before I truly call her my wife." The sense of security from his embrace slightly disturbed the nest of anxiety within me.

I shifted to teasing Liona, trying to divert attention from the turmoil in my heart. "Rather than us, you're the one who needs to make sure you're pregnant before our wedding day," I teased, grinning at her.

Liona immediately blushed, bringing her face closer to the champagne glass she was holding. "Hush, you! We... we're trying, you know," she whispered shyly.

A small laugh erupted among us, but amidst the cheer, Kenny's whisper still echoed. "Break up with your boyfriend, and marry me." It felt like a nightmare intruding in broad daylight, threatening to tear down the foundation of happiness I had just built.

"Judith, I'm so happy for your happiness. I hope you two last forever," Gabriella said, taking my hand and hugging me tightly. Her voice whispered softly in my ear, "He's the best one I've ever gotten for you."

"Gaby..." I called out faintly, melting in her embrace.

Only I call her Gaby. We've been friends since school, going through all phases of silliness and maturity together. She is my most complete living archive; she knows every secret, every wound, and every happiness I've ever woven. We once shared a blanket, confided our woes late at night, and lent each other everything—from pencils to cars.

She was the silent witness to all my failed puppy loves, before Nicholas finally came like a calm harbor after a long storm. I believe Gabriella is the sister I chose for myself, a bond stronger than mere blood.

But this time, at the peak of what should be pure happiness, there was one secret that immediately filled my mouth... and I swallowed it back. Kenny's words. The madness that had just occurred. For the first time, there was something too big, too absurd, for me to tell even her. This silence of mine felt obstructive, like a small betrayal of our friendship.

Suddenly, raindrops began to fall, and in an instant turned into a heavy downpour that forced the event to an abrupt end. Guests scrambled for cover, the low roar replaced by the patter of rain and muffled shouts. One by one, they said their goodbyes and left, leaving behind a wet garden and an atmosphere that had suddenly become very quiet.

I hurried inside, breaking into a small run with Nicholas beside me, protecting me with his jacket.

"The rain came so suddenly. My dress is soaking wet," I complained, looking at my navy knee-length dress which now clung to my body, matching Nicholas's jacket which was also wet at the shoulders.

As we stood on the doorstep, dripping water, Gabriella approached with a gloomy face.

"Judith, I... can't go home tonight," she whispered, her voice faint and burdened. She didn't need to explain further. I already knew. "My dad is at home... with his new 'woman'."

Just as Gabriella knows my entire life story, I too am familiar with every wound in her life. Since school days, she has been a victim of a broken home. Her parents had a bitter divorce, her mother left her for another man. Gabriella was forced to live with her father, a drunkard who often took his anger out on his own child. I have never forgotten how she would often appear at my front door with puffy eyes and bruised arms, seeking escape and a little warmth.

"Don't worry, you're staying here," I said, cutting her off before she could continue. My hand reached for her cold one. "I'll get you a towel and my most comfortable pajamas. You'll sleep in my room, like always."