The Enigmatic Bachelor

Part 21

POV: Mr Park

I was at a loss for words, utterly dumbfounded and still reeling from the pain of what had just transpired. Hannah, sensing my distress, took it upon herself to call my brother, who soon arrived to take us away from this tumultuous moment. I felt an overwhelming urge to keep Hannah close, pleading with her not to leave because our conversation felt unfinished. I was desperate to unearth the root of our issues, perhaps naively believing that understanding would somehow mend the fractures between us. Was my inability to let her walk away a manifestation of deep-seated attachment and abandonment fears?

The weight of the situation loomed larger than I could have ever anticipated.

Emily?

This name echoed in my mind, a ghostly reminder of a past I thought I had moved beyond. Why now, of all times, had she chosen to re-enter my life after everything we had endured? Did she genuinely want me back? How had she even found out about Hannah's presence in my life? My mind was overwhelmed with questions that only deepened my confusion. What had compelled her to seek out Hannah? And why was Hannah so ready to abandon what we had begun to build together? Each thought crashed over me like a wave against the shore, leaving me gasping for breath.

I laid in bed, my thoughts spiralling into chaos. Somewhere in the house, Hannah was likely being chided by my brother; I could picture him pacing back and forth, concern etched on his face. He was overprotective of me, and I understood why. We had been through so much together that it pained us to see each other suffer. The only issue for him was that he could not send Hannah away because I had requested her to stay.

On one side lay Emily—the girl who couldn't accept me for who I was and had deemed me ugly in her eyes. And on the other was Hannah, who, quite perplexingly, felt I was too handsome. How could I possibly find myself in such a bizarre predicament?

Moments later, the door creaked open to reveal Gideon and a distraught Hannah. She wouldn't meet my gaze, her eyes fixed firmly on the floor. "It's tragic what you had to endure, but I believe Hannah is in the right frame of mind to explain everything to you," Gideon intoned, his dramatic tone heavy with an unspoken gravity

"I'm sorry, Jeremiah," Hannah murmured, still not looking up. "I never intended for things to escalate as they did last night. It was wrong of me to play the victim, and I truly apologise for that."

Her admission sent a pang through my heart, but I could only remain silent, a ton of 'why' questions swirling relentlessly in the back of my mind. "We will leave you to rest," Gideon declared, reaching for the door handle.
"No," I replied, the word escaping my lips with a firmness I didn't quite feel. "Hannah must stay."

My insistence seemed to weigh heavily on her chest, and her expression shifted to one of profound sadness, deeper than when she had entered the room. Gideon, though clearly disapproving of my decision, respected my choice and stepped outside, leaving us to our fragile truce.Yet the distance between Hannah and me felt laced with discomfort, as though we were poised on the brink of conflict, though I felt no anger toward her—only disappointment at how readily she had surrendered.

"Do you remember how we met at the pool when Gideon and Abigail were spying on us?" I ventured, trying to dredge up a moment of levity.

She looked up at me, our eyes briefly connecting before she quickly averted her gaze once more. There was a pause as she hesitated to respond, though ultimately she nodded in recognition.

"I told you that I would not engage in battle with you as others have done, so I cannot fathom why you choose to fight me. A kingdom divided against itself cannot endure. I refuse to fight you, and I do not wish for you to fight me either; it pains me deeply when you do this to me." My voice trembled gently, aware that both Hannah and I were fractured souls. Perhaps, had I been in her position, I might have responded in the same way. "I might have responded in the same way. The details of what had transpired eluded me, yet one thing was clear: my desire was to remain and confront our struggles together. Nothing worth having comes easily; everything demands effort and resilience."

As the silence lingered between us, Hannah remained still, her head bowed, absentmindedly fiddling with the ring on her finger. I didn't want to face a battle destined for defeat, nor did I want to keep her chained within my grasp against her will. The more I craved her words, the more I felt the urge to respect her silence."That is all I wanted to express. If you still wish to leave, you may do so."

"You talked about how we are a team and how I should not fight you, which I wholeheartedly agree with, but there is an issue that looms larger than us," she revealed, her voice trembling with emotion. "Mr. Shikongo has vowed that if I do not marry him, he will turn his attention to my sister. She is underage and represents my greatest joy in this world. If you were in my position, what would you do? I have shared all of this with you to ensure that I am transparent before you. Every action I take from this moment forward will be driven by my love for my sister. This is not meant to pressure you into settling down; rather, I want to be honest about the turmoil unfolding in my life.

Last time, I left for the same reason and ran away with my sister, believing that this would somehow resolve all my problems. Mr. Shikongo is approaching rapidly, and soon enough, he will discover my whereabouts and send his men to retrieve me. The excuse of marrying you for a green card or claiming that I never truly loved you was nothing but a lie. Once again, I find myself apologizing for taking such a perilous path without considering the consequences or how deeply it would affect you. In my desperation, I sought an easy way to end our relationship, hoping you would call it off yourself. So, with all of this laid bare before you—my teammate, partner, and friend—what do you suggest I do?"

It was then that she looked up at me. A tear fell from her eye, a telltale sign of the strength she was trying desperately to maintain in the face of adversity, and she wiped it away. She wanted to remain strong in front of me, but she couldn't. The ring was never the problem; it was her arranged marriage to Mr. Shikongo. She wanted to sacrifice herself for her sister. Everything came together in that moment. Unless another man marries her, she would always remain a slave to Mr. Shikongo. And even if she were to marry someone else, her sister would still be forced into marrying Mr. Shikongo. It was maddening.

It was all beginning to make sense. I recalled the tears she had shed when I had proposed, and the days following that moment felt like a slow unraveling of her spirit. She had been wrestling with the decision to choose Mr Shikongo over me, and I had witnessed her remove the engagement ring from her finger, placing it gingerly on the bedside table. In that single act, she had made her choice. The first time she had left, I had wanted to plead with her for marriage but had kept my silence. Should I remain quiet again?

"Marry me, Hannah Matthews," I spoke just before she could reach for the door handle I spoke just before she could reach for the door handle I implored, a fervent plea born from the depths of my heart. To my surprise, she halted, her eyes meeting mine in an unspoken dialogue.

Offering her my hand, I beckoned her closer, a silent invitation to share in an unspoken bond. With trembling emotions, she returned to my side, grasping my hand and taking her place beside me.

Amidst tears and uncertainty, she questioned my motivations, doubting the viability of our union given the complexities of our intertwined lives. "What about your brother? You are incredibly precious to me, more than words can express. If I had one wish, it would be for us to find our way to each other, to share a life filled with love and happiness. However, above everything else, I yearn for the blessing of your brother and my sister on our union. I cannot marry you unless Gideon gives his blessing; his approval means everything to me. While God's blessing is paramount over all others, I fear that as long as Gideon withholds his blessing, I cannot take that step towards marriage. It pains me deeply to think that I might create a rift between you and him; I could never be truly happy in our union knowing that I have caused such division. So here I stand, torn between my love for you and my respect for family ties, hoping for a resolution that brings us all peace." 

Understanding the gravity of the predicament with my brother, I acknowledged my uncertainty about his stance towards Hannah. Though he cared for her in his way, his protective instincts clouded his judgment. I realised I could not convince him of her worth outright, but I was determined to try. My love for Hannah was too profound to allow disagreements or misunderstandings to tear us apart. As we stood together, hands entwined, a flicker of hope ignited in my heart—a hope that, against all odds, love could conquer even the most formidable barriers before us.

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