The atmosphere in Shila's house was suffocating. As soon as she stepped through the door, she was met with her parents' furious glares. The air was thick with tension.
"How dare you?!" her father's voice boomed, making Shila flinch. "You had the audacity to send a rejection message to that family? Do you have any idea who they are?"
Shila's eyes welled up with tears instantly. "But Dad, I—"
"Quiet!" her mother snapped, her face pale with anger. "We had to plead and request them for weeks to agree to this alliance. And you think we wouldn't find out about your little stunt? You are going on that blind date tomorrow, and that is final. We don't want to hear another word!"
Terrified and heartbroken, Shila rushed to her room and slammed the door shut. She collapsed onto her bed, her sobs muffled by her pillow. Through her tears, her shaking hands reached for her phone to call the only person who could understand her pain.
The Call of Guilt
Across town, Ana was startled by the frantic ringing of her phone. When she picked up, all she heard was the sound of Shila's broken, uncontrollable sobbing.
"Shila? Hey, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Ana's heart raced with fear.
Between gasps for air, Shila narrated the entire nightmare—the shouting, the threats, and the forced ultimatum. As Ana listened, a cold realization washed over her. This was her fault. It was her hand that had typed that message. It was her overconfidence that had landed her best friend in this mess.
"I'm sorry, Shila... please, stop crying," Ana said, her voice dropping to a determined whisper. "This happened because of me, and I'm going to fix it. Don't worry about tomorrow."
"What... what are you going to do?" Shila sniffled.
"You're not going anywhere," Ana declared, her eyes narrowing with resolve. "I'll go. I'll meet this guy myself and deal with him once and for all. I won't let your life be ruined because of my mistake."