The resort is a flurry of activity as everyone pitches in to help with the wedding preparations. James, the wedding planner, is busy coordinating every detail, ensuring the flowers, catering, and stage setup are perfect. His keen eye for design and organization shows as he moves swiftly between tasks, giving orders and making adjustments.

Sora’s friends arrive, just as lavish and ostentatious as she is, their conversations filled with talk of wealth and luxury. Sora, eager to entertain them, leads them to their rooms. Soon, the sound of gossip and laughter echoes through the hallways as they settle in.

Meanwhile, Pond moves through the day in a daze. The closer the wedding gets, the heavier his heart feels. He wears a strained smile, but inside, he's restless, struggling to come to terms with his fate. With less than a day until the wedding, his mind is a storm of thoughts he can’t quiet.

As the afternoon drifts into evening, everyone retreats to their rooms to rest before dinner. Pond tries to calm his nerves but finds no peace. He knows he must face his family and Sora again soon.

One by one, everyone gathers in the dining hall for dinner. The air is thick with anticipation, but Sora is noticeably absent. Earth, Pond’s father, looks around with a furrowed brow and finally turns to Pond.

"Where is Sora?" Earth asks sharply, his tone carrying a hint of impatience.

Pond, already on edge, feels a stab of pain at his father's tone. He grits his teeth, struggling to maintain his composure. "I don't know," he replies, his voice tight.

Earth’s expression darkens with disappointment. "You're useless, Pond. How can you not know where your fiancée is? This is your responsibility. I'm disappointed."

A heavy silence falls over the table. Pond lowers his gaze, his face pale with a mix of anger and hurt. He clenches his fists under the table, feeling the weight of his father’s words crushing him.

Sensing the tension and wanting to diffuse the situation, Mix quickly steps in. "Fourth, why don’t you go check on Sora?" he suggests gently.

Fourth, visibly annoyed but understanding the urgency, nods. "Fine, I'll go," he mutters, pushing back his chair and heading toward Sora’s room.

As everyone waits in tense silence, time seems to stretch. Moments later, Fourth comes rushing back into the dining hall, his face drained of color, clutching a piece of paper in his hand.

Seeing his panicked state, the room erupts into concern. Mix stands up, worry etched across his face. "Fourth, what happened?" he asks urgently.

Fourth, too shaken to speak, thrusts the paper toward Mix. His hand trembles as he does so. "Just... just read it," he manages to say, his voice barely a whisper.

Mix takes the paper with a furrowed brow and starts to read it aloud, his voice growing more strained with each word.

"To everyone, 
I'm sorry, but I can't go through with this wedding. I already have a boyfriend , my parents knew about this before, but they forced me into this marriage. I just agree with this because of money.  I'm leaving and won't be coming back. Please don't try to find me. 
— Sora" 

As Mix’s voice fades, the room is plunged into a stunned silence. Everyone stares at each other in shock, processing the gravity of what they just heard.

Earth’s face turns red with anger and frustration. "This... this can't be happening! Not now!" he bellows, slamming his fist on the table.

Pond, though initially stunned, feels a strange mix of emotions swirling inside him. Part of him is angry, but another part is relieved. He looks around at his family, sensing the shock and confusion, but all he can think about is the sudden shift in his fate.

Earth: "How can this happen? What is happening? Huh? Do you think this is a joke? Is this my reputation you guys are playing with? I don’t tolerate this kind of behavior! How could she just leave like that now?"

His voice rises with each word, his frustration boiling over as he breathes heavily. Turning towards Sora’s parents, he shouts.

Earth: "You! How could you let this happen? How could she just run off like this?"

Sora's parents, caught off guard and scared, remain silent, unsure of how to respond. Earth then spins around to face Pond, his eyes blazing with fury.

Earth: "And this is all your fault, Pond! Because of you, she left. Why couldn’t you do a simple thing like marrying her? You refused to spend time with her, and that’s why she left with her boyfriend. Now, what am I supposed to do? How am I going to face my business partners and the media tomorrow?"

Pond feels each word like a dagger to his heart. His father's accusations cut deep, and he feels his chest tighten with a mix of anger, shame, and helplessness.

A tear slips down his cheek despite his best efforts to hold it back. The room falls silent, tension mounting as everyone feels the weight of Earth’s harsh words.

Unable to bear the sight of Pond’s silent pain any longer, Phuwin decides to speak up. He takes a step forward, looking directly at Earth.

Phuwin: "Uncle Earth, how can you support such a cheater and blame your own son? Don’t you understand what’s in the letter? Sora clearly said she didn’t agree to marry because she has a boyfriend, even before the wedding talks started. So clearly, it’s not Pond’s fault. How can you blame him for her mistake?"

Joong places a calming hand on Earth’s shoulder, trying to defuse the situation.

Joong: "Yes dad, calm down. This isn’t helping anyone. Let’s think this through calmly."

Pond, feeling overwhelmed by the confrontation and his father's harsh words, quietly stands up and leaves the dining hall, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Earth glares after him but turns his attention back to Sora’s parents, his face twisted with anger.

Earth: "Get out of my sight! Make the papers ready. I’m breaking the deal with you and pulling out my shares."

Sora’s parents exchange a defeated glance, knowing there’s nothing they can say to change his mind. They nod silently and leave the room, humiliated.

As the door closes behind them, everyone else in the room remains tense and unsure of what to do next. They slowly move to the living room, gathering around, trying to make sense of everything that’s happened. The air is thick with uncertainty and worry about what the future holds.

Suddenly, Earth, still desperate to salvage his reputation, turns to Tay.

Earth: "Tay, please help me in this. Give your son Phuwin’s hand to marry Pond. Only then can I save my reputation. Please, ask your son to marry Pond."

The room falls into stunned silence. Phuwin opens his mouth to protest, but he trusts his father will handle this. He waits for Tay’s response, hope and fear battling within him. Tay takes a deep breath, his face somber.

---

Heyy stars ✨

Sorry for late update...

Today I wrote a long chapter...you know, 1186 words, 😌 feeling proud of myself you know😅...

Ok ok now tell me about the chapter. How is it? Do you like it?