Meghan
I wake up to the sound of my phone vibrating. I am surprised by this. My eyes search the dark room, and I almost panic. Where am I? How did I get here? My eyes land on the figure beside me on the bed. It's a man. It's Aaron.
I sigh in relief. I had forgotten. We had quite a time last night. It's a night I'll never forget. It's morning now, but I can't tell how early it is. My eyes drift to the alarm clock by the bed, and it reads 3:04 AM.
That baffles me. I'm up early. After receiving a pounding from Aaron, I had drifted into sleep. There's no way I should have survived that much pressure. I can still feel my thighs trembling. Aaron manhandled me. I love it.
The sound of my phone vibrating again brings me back to reality. Who the hell is that? I rise from the bed, and immediately, I hear Aaron shift on the bed with a sigh. My heart almost skips a beat. If he wakes up, he won't let me leave so easily—not until round two.
I pick up my phone from the dresser and stare at the caller ID, stark naked. I'm surprised by the caller. It's Chloe, my younger sister. I'm flabbergasted by this. Why would she call me? And why at this time of the morning? Oh, right—we're in different time zones.
Nothing surprises me more than the fact that she's chosen to call me. I've been disconnected from home for a while now. It's been two years. I haven't looked back since I left. Since my failed wedding attempt, I haven't looked back at my family. It's selfish of me, but I know I didn't deserve to spend my life with someone I didn't want to. I couldn't live with it.
And so I left. My father hasn't spoken to me since, and I'm happy. I know he despises me for ruining everything for him, but it doesn't matter. What's done is done.
I step out of the bedroom and hurry into the living room before I pick up the call. I inhale deeply before placing the phone to my ear.
"Hello," I answer stiffly.
There's silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds before my younger sister responds.
"Meghan? Is that you?" her little voice asks.
I roll my eyes in annoyance.
"Who else would it be, Chloe? My husband?"
She chuckles at the other end of the line. She's getting more annoying.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I have to let you know about this," she says.
Her tone is serious, and I correspond by furrowing my brows.
"What is it?" I ask.
She sighs. There's silence. This worries me.
"What is it, Chloe?"
"Dad wants me to get married."
My heart squeezes in my chest as I hear that. No. No way. He wouldn't try it with her too, would he? I thought he'd learned his lesson from me. Why would he want to do the same thing to Chloe?
"What? To whom?" I ask, my voice a whisper.
"I don't know him yet," she replies. "But it's an arranged marriage too."
I bop my forehead. How could that old man be so cruel? Chloe isn't mature enough to be married. She's twenty-three years old and barely finished college a year ago. Why would he bring this upon her? He's stagnating her growth as a woman by forcing her to get married.
I know Chloe very well. She loves to please our father. She would do anything he says in a heartbeat. And I know he will convince her that she's making the right decision, just like he did with me.
That lying bastard, I mutter under my breath.
"Huh?" Chloe asks on the other end of the line.
Only then do I realize I've been quiet the whole time.
"Are you happy about this, Chloe? Do you want to go ahead with it?" I ask.
"Yes. I think it will be good for our family and the others as well," she replies innocently.
I gulp hard. It's just as I feared. Our father has successfully brainwashed her into thinking that getting married is going to fix everything. He's made her think that it's the right decision. I will never forgive him for doing this to my little sister. How could he do such a thing? She is innocent and deserves to be loved.
"So when are you meeting him?" I ask.
"I don't know. I heard it'll be in the next two days," she replies. "He's not around right now."
Two days. That's the time I have to stop this circle of madness. Forty-eight hours. It's enough for me. It will do. I have to let go of the past and face my fears for Chloe. I'll have to go back home. I have to stop this.
"Chloe. I'm coming home," I say. "Don't tell Dad anything until I get there. Understood?"
"Yes, Meghan," she replies.
I can hear a smile on the other end of the line. I gulp hard at the thought of Chloe getting married to someone she doesn't love. It makes me scared. I have to do something about it before it's too late.
"Hey. I love you," I say.
It sounds weird in my mouth. It's not something I say randomly.
"Uhh…I love you too, sis," she says.
From the sound of her voice, I know she realizes how awkward it is. I sigh. Maybe I am too selfish. Just like our father had told me that day.
"See you soon."
"You too."
I end the call. I run my fingers through my hair in frustration as I stand in the living room of the hotel of the man I met barely five hours ago, completely naked.
There's still time for me to get back home. And I'm going to do just that. I can't stay in Japan anymore. Not while this is about to happen.
I rush back into the bedroom and find him still sleeping peacefully. He has his face up and his hands out on the sheets. He looks so beautiful. But this is no time to admire a stranger. I have something important to do. I have a sister to rescue.
I pick up my panties from the foot of the bed and slip them on quickly. With my phone in my right hand, I walk up to his side of the bed and look at him one more time. It's sad that I won't ever see him again.
When we first met, I felt a connection and thought it would end up being more. But this is just a one-night stand, and I'm certain he feels the same.
With that, I leave the bedroom, making sure not to wake him up. I walk into the living room and pick up my dress from the floor, slipping it on quickly. I pick up my heels and head towards the door.
I swing it open and step out of it. The hallway is cold when I get out. I put on my heels quickly and close the door silently before heading out of the hotel.
The first thing I have to do is book a flight. And that's already on my mind. As I get out of the hotel, I stand on the sidewalk and search for a cab. The street is empty. I sigh in disappointment. I'm getting cold.
Finally, a cab arrives, and I flag it down. I tell the driver the address of my hotel, and we're on our way there.
I dial the airline's reception desk, and it doesn't ring more than twice. A female answers.
"Good morning, how can I help you?" the female receptionist asks.
Her English is hurried and stained with her Chinese tongue. I look at my thighs as I answer her. They are still trembling slightly. Somehow, I can still feel Aaron's hands spreading them apart.
"I'd like to book a morning flight."
There's silence on the line for a few seconds. Then comes a rustling sound before she replies. It feels awkward.
"And where will you be heading?"
"Houston, Texas."
I close my eyes and smile at that. Nostalgia hits me as I mention my hometown. It makes the situation feel more real.
I'm going home.