chap 4

Sana pushed her plate away, the rice tasting like ash. Across the table, her mother was already mentally picking out wedding invitations.

"He didn't even look at me, Ma," Sana said, her voice small. "He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. He’s not interested."

Her mother didn't miss a beat, reaching over to pat Sana’s hand. "He’s just disciplined, Sana. Aria told me he’s always been like that—focused, quiet. Give it a chance. You’re always so quick to say no. Just one meeting, for us?"

"I’m not optimistic about it," Sana muttered, retreating to her room.

But it wasn't her mother’s expectations that kept her awake; it was the ghost of a friendship. She couldn't step into Yaziel’s world if it meant stepping on Kadi’s heart.

The Mall Meeting

The air-conditioning in the mall felt too sharp, or maybe it was just the nerves. Kadi was window-shopping, looking more relaxed than she had in months. It made the knot in Sana’s stomach tighten.

"Okay, tell me now," Kadi said as they sat down for lunch, leaning forward with a playful glint in her eyes. "You’ve been spaced out since we walked into the lobby. You’re acting like you’ve seen a ghost."

"It’s... I don’t know how to tell you," Sana began, twisting her napkin into a tight coil.

"What? Did you finally get a marriage proposal that you actually like?" Kadi teased.

Sana snapped her head up. "How do you know?"

Kadi laughed, genuinely surprised. "What? Seriously? It’s nothing bad! Why do you look horrified? Who is he? A doctor? An engineer?"

Sana took a deep breath, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. "It’s from them. Ms. Maria’s family."

The laughter died in Kadi’s throat. The silence that followed was deafening. "You... You mean for him? Yaziel?"

Sana nodded slowly, unable to look her friend in the eye.

"No," Kadi whispered, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion. "How can it be? Their family doesn't marry people off this young. Yaziel is only twenty-three. Even Ms. Maria is twenty-eight and just now getting married. It doesn't make sense."

"I don't know, Kadi. It was a complete ambush. I wasn't even informed," Sana poured out the entire story—the aunt’s "casual" talk, the unexpected visitors, the silent man in her living room. "Kadi, listen to me. I’m going to say no. After I meet him once to satisfy my parents, I’m ending it. I can’t do this to you."

Sana braced herself for tears, for anger, for a dramatic Wattpad-style fallout. Instead, Kadi did something unexpected.

She smiled. A bright, genuine, and slightly relieved smile.

"Girl... No. Don’t you dare," Kadi said, reaching across the table to grab Sana’s hand. "Go there. Talk to him. See if it works. Do not let me be your excuse to run away."

"No, Kadi, I can't—"

"Listen to me," Kadi interrupted, her voice firm.

"I’ve been meaning to tell you something important. My own marriage just got fixed. He’s a good guy, Sana. We’ve started talking, and honestly? I think I’m going to be really happy. I moved on a long time ago. I was only shocked because it’s so unlike Yaziel’s family to rush into this. Nothing more. So just go for it."

The weight that had been crushing Sana’s chest for days suddenly lifted. The guilt, the secrecy, the fear of betrayal—it all evaporated into the humid mall air.

"You're sure?" Sana asked, her voice trembling.

"Positive. Now, tell me—did he at least look handsome in person, or is he still a grumpy robot?"

The rest of the week passed in a blur of school bells and history lectures. The tension of the proposal was still there, but without the guilt, it felt different. It felt like a challenge.

Sana was grading papers on Friday evening when her phone buzzed. A message from her aunt.

> Auntie: Don't forget tomorrow at 4 PM. The cafe near the Academy. Yaziel will be there. Wear something nice, Sana. First impressions are everything.>

Sana stared at the screen. The meeting was no longer a theoretical fear; it was a scheduled reality. She wasn't ready—not really—but for the first time, she wasn't looking for an exit.

She was looking for answers. Why was a "strict" family breaking their own rules for her? And why was Yaziel, the man who shouted in lobbies and ignored her in living rooms, going along with it?

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