The night had been painfully long.
Sleep never truly came for Gold. It hovered around her like a distant shadow but never fully embraced her. Each time she closed her eyes, the same words echoed loudly inside her mind.
"You're getting married."
Her father's voice replayed over and over again like a cruel echo trapped inside her head.
By the time morning arrived, Gold felt like she had lived through an entire week of sorrow in a single night.
The pale sunlight of early morning slipped quietly through the thin curtains of her room, painting faint golden streaks across the worn walls. Outside, the world had already begun moving again.
Cars passed along the street, people spoke in distant voices, and somewhere nearby a dog barked loudly.
Life outside continued as usual.
But inside the small apartment, everything felt different.
Gold lay motionless on her narrow bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling above her.
The paint was old and slightly peeling in one corner, something she had noticed many times before but never truly thought about.
Today it felt symbolic.
Broken.
Just like the future she had imagined for herself.
Her eyes were swollen from crying, her body heavy from exhaustion. Yet even after such a long night, she felt wide awake.
Because reality refused to let her rest.
One month.
That was the time her parents had given.
One month before she would be married to a man she had never even met.
Gold slowly turned her head toward the window.
The sky outside looked calm.
Peaceful.
Almost mocking her pain.
A quiet tear slipped from the corner of her eye and rolled slowly down her cheek into the pillow beneath her head.
"I can't do this…" she whispered softly to the empty room.
But the silence offered no answer.
Later that morning, the apartment remained unusually quiet.
Gold stayed inside her room, refusing to come out.
In the small kitchen, her mother stood beside the stove, absentmindedly stirring a pot of tea. Her movements were slow, distracted.
Every few seconds her eyes drifted toward the hallway leading to Gold's room.
The door remained closed.
Her daughter hadn't come out once since the night before.
Not even for breakfast.
A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
For the first time since the decision had been made, a faint feeling of guilt stirred quietly in her chest.
Gold had always been a gentle child.
Soft-spoken.
Obedient.
Seeing her cry like that the previous night had shaken something inside her.
Yet what choice did they truly have?
The debts hanging over their family were not small.
They were crushing.
And the opportunity that had been offered to them… it felt like the only escape.
Still…
She wiped her hands slowly on a cloth before stepping into the living room.
Her husband sat there with a newspaper in his hands, though it was clear he hadn't actually read a single word on the page.
"We need to talk," she said quietly.
He lowered the paper and looked up at her.
"It's about Gold."
Her husband rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"I know."
"She hasn't eaten," the woman continued softly. "She hasn't even come out of her room."
Silence filled the room.
For several seconds neither of them spoke.
Then finally the woman sighed.
"Maybe we should go see them."
Her husband's eyes lifted slowly.
"The DeLucas."
Even saying the name felt heavy.
Powerful.
Dangerous.
"If we speak to them," she continued carefully, "perhaps they can give us more time. Gold is still young… maybe we rushed this too quickly."
Her husband leaned back in his chair, thinking deeply.
The truth was he had also barely slept that night.
Seeing his daughter cry like that had left a bitter taste in his heart.
But debt did not disappear simply because emotions were involved.
After a long pause he finally nodded.
"Fine," he muttered.
"We'll go today.
While her parents quietly prepared to leave the apartment, Gold remained unaware inside her room.
She sat silently on the edge of her bed, staring at the small phone resting in her hands.
The poor device looked exhausted.
The screen had a crack running across one corner, the back cover was slightly loose, and the battery percentage blinked weakly like it was begging for mercy.
Sometimes the phone shut off without warning.
Gold often joked that the thing was praying for death to finally come and take it out of its misery.
Yet today she needed it.
More than ever.
Her thumb hovered over a single name in her contacts list.
Lina.
Her best friend.
The one person who always knew how to pull her out of the darkest moods.
Gold hesitated for a moment before finally pressing the call button.
The phone lagged slightly.
The battery icon blinked dangerously.
"Please don't die on me today," Gold whispered softly.
For a moment the screen froze.
Then finally the call began ringing.
Relief washed through her chest.
A few seconds later the line connected.
"Gold?" Lina's energetic voice burst through the weak speaker.
"Hey! Is everything okay?"
Gold swallowed the tight lump forming in her throat.
"Can you… come over?" she asked quietly.
There was a pause on the other end.
Lina immediately sensed something was wrong.
"What happened?"
Gold glanced around her small room.
The peeling paint.
The old furniture.
The quiet loneliness pressing against her chest.
"I'll tell you when you get here," she murmured.
Another short silence followed.
Then Lina spoke again, her voice firm.
"I'm on my way."
Gold slowly lowered the phone.
For the first time since the nightmare began, a tiny flicker of relief appeared in her chest.
She wouldn't have to face everything alone.
Almost forty minutes later, a loud knock echoed through the apartment.
Gold jumped slightly.
Another knock followed.
"Gold!"
Lina's voice called out loudly.
"I know you're in there! Open up before I start kicking the door!"
Gold hurried toward the entrance and opened it.
When she opened it, Lina was standing there, slightly out of breath from climbing the stairs. Her eyes immediately scanned Gold's face.
And in that moment, she understood something was very wrong.
"Gold…" she said quietly.
Gold tried to speak, but the words refused to come out.
Instead, her eyes filled with tears again.
Lina stepped forward without hesitation and wrapped her arms gently around her.
It wasn't a dramatic hug.
It was the kind that simply said I'm here.
Gold leaned into her, her shoulders trembling slightly.
For a few seconds neither of them spoke.
Lina slowly rubbed her back.
"Hey," she murmured softly. "What happened?"
Gold shook her head weakly.
"I… I don't even know where to start."
"Then start anywhere," Lina said calmly.
They stepped inside and sat down in the small living room.
Lina looked around briefly, noticing the untouched breakfast on the table.
"You didn't eat," she observed quietly.
Gold gave a small, tired smile.
"I wasn't hungry."
Lina didn't push the subject. Instead, she leaned back slightly and looked at her friend carefully.
"Alright," she said gently. "Tell me what's going on."
Gold hesitated for a moment.
Her fingers twisted nervously together in her lap.
"My parents…" she began slowly.
"They want me to get married."
Lina blinked once.
Then again.
But unlike before, she didn't react loudly.
Instead she frowned slightly, clearly trying to understand.
"…Married?" she repeated.
Gold nodded.
"To someone I've never met."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Lina leaned forward slightly.
"Wait," she said calmly. "You mean… an arranged marriage?"
Gold swallowed.
"It's because of their debts."
Understanding slowly appeared on Lina's face.
"Oh."
Gold looked down at the floor.
"They said the man offered to clear everything."
Lina remained quiet for a moment, thinking carefully before speaking.
"That must have been hard to hear."
Gold let out a small, bitter laugh.
"I thought they were joking at first."
"And they're serious?"
Gold nodded.
A tear slid quietly down her cheek.
"What about my life, Lina?" she whispered.
"My plans… my future…"
Lina reached over and gently held her hand.
"We'll figure something out," she said calmly.
Gold looked up at her.
"You say that like it's easy."
"It's not," Lina admitted.
"But sitting here crying alone won't help either."
Gold wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, though the heaviness in her chest still refused to disappear.
Lina watched her quietly for a moment, studying her face carefully.
"You really scared me on the phone," Lina said softly. "I thought something terrible happened."
Gold let out a weak breath.
"Something terrible did happen."
"They decided I should marry him."
The words felt heavy on her tongue.
Lina remained silent for a moment, processing everything she had just heard.
"That's… a lot," she finally admitted.
Gold gave a small humorless laugh.
"That's one way to describe it."
She leaned back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
"I had plans, you know."
Lina glanced at her.
"What kind of plans?"
Gold shrugged weakly.
"Nothing big."
She paused.
"I just wanted a normal life."
Her voice grew softer.
"I wanted to finish school… maybe get a small job… help my parents slowly."
Her eyes dropped to the floor.
"I thought if I worked hard enough, things would eventually get better."
Lina listened carefully without interrupting.
"But now…" Gold continued quietly.
"Now everything feels like it's already decided."
Silence settled between them.
Then Lina reached over and gently nudged Gold's shoulder.
"You're acting like your life ended yesterday."
Gold looked at her.
"Didn't it?"
Lina shook her head slowly.
"No."
Gold frowned slightly.
"How can you say that?"
Lina leaned back against the sofa, crossing her arms thoughtfully.
"Because you haven't even met the man yet."
Gold stared at her.
"That's not the point."
"Maybe it is," Lina replied calmly.
Gold sighed.
"You're unbelievable."
Lina smiled faintly.
"I try."
Gold shook her head, but a small smile finally appeared on her face.
Seeing that tiny change in her mood made Lina relax a little.
At least she wasn't crying anymore.
"So," Lina continued after a moment, "tell me something."
Gold looked at her cautiously.
"What?"
"Is he handsome?"
Gold blinked.
"What?"
Lina shrugged.
"I'm just saying… if you're going to be forced into a marriage, at least the guy should look good."
Gold stared at her in disbelief.
"I'm having a crisis and that's your question?"
"Well excuse me for trying to find the positive side of things," Lina replied calmly.
Gold sighed deeply.
"I don't even know what he looks like."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"You don't know his name either?"
Gold hesitated slightly.
"No."
Lina blinked slowly.
"So let me get this straight," she said carefully.
"You're being forced to marry a mysterious rich stranger whose face you've never seen… and you don't even know his name."
Gold nodded weakly.
"That sounds even worse when you say it like that."
Lina leaned back and rubbed her forehead.
"This situation is unbelievable."
Gold let out another quiet sigh.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Lina suddenly stood up.
Gold looked up at her.
"Where are you going?"
"To the kitchen."
"Why?"
"Because you haven't eaten anything," Lina said firmly.
Gold groaned.
"I'm not hungry."
Lina turned around and gave her a serious look.
"You haven't slept, you haven't eaten, and you've been crying all night."
She pointed toward the kitchen.
"You're at least drinking something."
Gold sighed but slowly stood up anyway.
"Fine."
As they walked toward the kitchen, Lina glanced at her sideways.
"You know something?"
Gold raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"You look terrible today."
Gold stared at her.
"…Thanks."
Lina shrugged casually.
"I'm just being honest."
Despite everything, Gold laughed softly again.
The sound felt strange after such a painful night.
But somehow…
It also felt comforting.
Gold leaned quietly against the kitchen counter, holding the warm cup Lina had forced into her hands.
The tea had already grown slightly cold, but she didn't seem to notice.
Her mind was far away.
Outside the window, the afternoon sun had begun to soften, casting long shadows across the small apartment. Time had passed faster than she realized.
Lina sat on the chair across from her, watching her carefully.
"You're thinking again," Lina said gently.
Gold let out a quiet sigh.
"How can I not?"
Lina didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she rested her elbow on the table and studied her friend.
"You know," she said slowly, "sometimes life throws something at you that you never planned for.
Gold looked at her.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"
Lina shrugged lightly.
"Not really."
Gold shook her head.
For a moment, the room fell silent again.
Then suddenly—
A familiar sound echoed through the quiet apartment.
The front door.
Gold's body stiffened.
The faint click of a key turning in the lock was followed by the soft creak of the door opening.
Her parents were back.
For a second she remained standing there, staring at the kitchen doorway as if her legs had suddenly forgotten how to move.
Lina noticed immediately.
"They're back?" she asked quietly.
Gold nodded slowly.
From the living room, she could hear the low murmur of her parents' voices.
They sounded serious.
Too serious.
Her chest tightened.
What else do they have to say now?
Gold wiped her palms nervously against her skirt before slowly walking toward the sitting room.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
When she reached the doorway, she stopped.
Her parents were already seated on the sofa.
Her father leaned slightly forward with his hands clasped together, while her mother sat beside him, her expression unusually tense.
The moment they saw her, the quiet conversation between them stopped.
Gold felt a strange chill run down her spine.
God… what is happening to my life? she thought.
For a moment, none of them spoke.
The silence stretched uncomfortably.
Gold finally broke it.
"What now?" she asked quietly.
Her voice sounded tired.
Almost defeated.
Her father cleared his throat.
"We went to see them today."
Gold already knew who he meant.
Still, hearing the words made her stomach twist.
"The DeLucas," her mother added softly.
The name seemed to settle heavily in the room.
Gold folded her arms across herself as if trying to protect her heart from whatever was coming next.
Her father hesitated before continuing.
"There's something important you should know."
Gold felt her pulse quicken.
Her mother exchanged a brief glance with her husband before speaking.
"They've agreed to continue with the arrangement."
Gold lowered her gaze to the floor.
Of course they had.
Why wouldn't they?
Then her mother spoke again.
"But…"
Gold's eyes lifted slightly.
"They want to meet you."
The words hung in the air.
Gold frowned.
"Meet me?"
Her father nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Her mother took a small breath before finishing the sentence.
"Your husband to be wants to see you."
The room fell silent again.
Gold stood there, frozen in place.
Her heart pounded loudly inside her chest.
For the first time since everything began…
The mysterious man she was supposed to marry no longer felt like a distant shadow.
Very soon…
She would be standing face to face with him.
And somehow, that thought felt even more frightening than the marriage itself.
Gold slowly turned her head toward Lina.
For a moment she tried to hold herself together.
She tried to stay strong, to keep the tears from falling again.
But the moment she saw the concern in Lina's eyes, the fragile control she had been holding onto finally broke.
Before she even realized what she was doing, Gold stepped forward and collapsed into Lina's arms.
The tears came all at once.
Her shoulders trembled as the weight of everything she had been holding inside finally spilled out.
Lina wrapped her arms around her immediately, holding her tightly.
"It's okay," she murmured softly, gently rubbing Gold's back.
Gold buried her face against her shoulder, crying quietly, the way someone cries when their heart simply has no strength left to fight anymore.
For that moment, she didn't try to be brave.
She didn't try to be strong.
She simply allowed herself to fall apart.