A Promise He'll Never Keep
During the family gathering, my fiance's mom takes out their heirloom brooch, intending to give it to the next lady of the Sullivan household.
The guests all clap and offer their blessings. "Karli, you've been dating Douglas for six years. Now, you guys are finally going to settle down for real."
But there isn't even a trace of a smile on Douglas Sullivan's face. He takes away the brooch calmly and pins it on his adopted sister, Isabelle Sullivan.
After that, he pinches my face and says, "Belle likes it. Let her have it."
When he sees the thick disappointment in my eyes, he explains in a gentle voice, "In the future, Belle will marry someone else. Everything that belongs to the Sullivan family will then become yours. It's just a brooch. There's no need to be so hung up on it."
Surprised, Isabelle clutches the brooch on her chest fondly. Then, she gives Douglas a light peck on the cheek.
She says, "Thank you, Dougie. You're the best to me!"
A bitter smile plays on my lips as I look at the two of them behaving intimately right in front of me. It's been six years, and Douglas still hasn't made good on his promise to marry me.
I've told my parents that I agree to go through with the arranged marriage and will return in three days to honor it.