Becoming Mrs. Manoban

3. An Arranged Marriage

Jennie attempts to open her eyes. No!, she shuts them back. The sun rays piercing through the blinds threatened to literally blind her. She turns to face the other side and after a few seconds, she musters enough courage to attempt to open them again—slowly this time, really slowly. She smiles in victory as she wakes successfully, her optical abilities still very much intact.

She quickly flips her duvet in search of her hair tie, it must have slipped off in her sleep seeing as she wasn't such a gentle sleeper—she often had nightmares. She fastens her hair in a messy bun and ventures into getting out of her room but stops halfway to the door and walks into her bathroom instead. Slipping toothpaste onto her brush, she cleans her pearls as she stares at herself in her dainty mirror.

She'd lost some weight, her collar bones were now more prominent than ever — she slowly traces the outline of the bones as she continues to clean her teeth. She hadn't spent this much time looking at herself in a while, she hadn't been taking care of herself either. It was virtually a bed—shower—work—home—Nayeon—sleep sequence for the past few months. She barely ate, for as long as she could remember her diet included mostly coffee and beignets from the coffee shop where she worked at and hence the protruding collar bones.

She spits in the sink, rinses her mouth and splashes some water on her face. She stares at herself one more time and a girl with large brown eyes bordered by long thick lashes, remarkably high cheekbones and the rosiest pink lips known to man stared back. That's enough staring for today, she thinks to herself in amusement before finally exiting the bathroom and then her room.

Nayeon is up already, she's not feeling so energetic today and resorts to lying in bed instead. Jennie makes her some soup for breakfast and quickly gets lost in her housekeeping duties. She loved cleaning, she loved getting lost in her thoughts and cleaning gave her the opportunity.

Her cellphone vibrates in her track pants and it startles her in the process— who the hell calls someone so early on a Saturday morning? She thinks to herself in botheration but after she picks up and recognizes the voice, she's not the least bit surprised.

"Morning to you too, Ms Manoban." She replies to her greetings, rolling her eyes.

"Sorry for the inevitable disturbance, I just want to know if you are available for lunch today. There are some things I would like to discuss with you before you sign the contract." Her voice spills worry.

Jennie pauses and mentally checks her schedule. "I will be available at one O'clock, we can meet then." She mutters into the phone.

"I will be waiting at The Mug and Bean, you know where that is?"

"Yes." Of course, she knows where that is.

"Okay, Shall I send a car?"

Jennie is peeved by her question. why does she do that? She was a perfectly competent driver.

"No. I can drive myself." She says in a defensive tone.

"Miss Kim, no offense but I have seen your vehicle. I am sending a car." She says with an unhidden amusement in her voice and before she can protest she interjects her speech.1

"Have a lovely morning, Miss Kim." She can perceive that she is smiling and once again before she can speak, the line goes dead.

Jennie gasps in amazement and a bit of annoyance at her nerve, not only did she belittle her means of transportation for the past 6 years but she went on to also deny her the opportunity of defending the poor thing. She was so domineering and peremptory; she wasn't her staff or whatever and he definitely wasn't going to control her.