Chapter 2 searching for groom

"Your daughter is drunk and sleeping at the bus stop alone. There are strangers leering at her." He enunciated the situation.

That worsened her father's heart. "Can you please tell me which bus stop was that?"

"Route 4, 74,"

"How did she go this far?" Her father flustered, not knowing how to bring his daughter.

"Where are you? Is your house far from here?"

"Yes. Sir, can you help me bring her to Disney Land? Our house is near that place." Her father provided him with the address.

"Okay, sir." He responded quickly.

"Your name?" Her father asked.

"Steven," he replied shortly.

"Thank you, Steven." Her father paid his respect beforehand.

He disconnected the call and tried to wake up Abby.

The phone rang. That was from her father.

He attended it, "Hello?"

"Can you please keep the call? After all, she is a woman." Her father indirectly divulged that he can't trust him blindly.

Perceiving father's discomfort Steven agreed politely, "Sure, sir."

Keeping the phone in his pocket, he informed her before carrying her, "I'm going to lift you."

She had already fallen asleep, so everything went smoothly for him. After making her sit in the front passenger seat, he fastened the seatbelt.

When he breathed her stink breath, he gazed at her adorable face, napping peacefully.

"Hey, stranger. Are you married?" She questioned. Her voice was mild but soft.

Steven shut the door and went for the driver's seat once, throwing her school bag in the backseat.

She started to whimper like a depressed dog. "I don't want to marry that ugly man. Why? Am I not beautiful to have a handsome man? Why is daddy doing this to me?" She sobbed loudly in a drunken voice.

"Beautiful? Who are you talking about?" Steven roasted her as her father heard her through a phone call.

She slapped his arms and strictly said, "I'm! I'm the pretty woman in this world."

Steven sighed, distressed, grasping his arms that earned slap from her. "No one had laid a hand at me ever since I was born," he muttered, annoyed, remembering how much she slapped him.

"I apologise for my daughter, sir." Her father begged for forgiveness, sensing rudeness in Steven's voice.

"If you feel sorry, teach her how to be polite," Steven suggested.

"Look at my lips!" She ordered him pointing out her rosy, velvety lips.

"I have no-" he opened his mouth to excuse, but realising she would slap him if he refused to listen to her, he looked at her lips.

"Doesn't this look kissable?" She asked seductively. Her weary eyes were enough to make any man go crazy. However, Steven was exceptional in it.

"No!" He dumbfounded her right away.

She breathed anger out, folding her lips, and slapped on his head.

He sighed, frustration peaked in his head. "I wish you would get a man who will teach you about being polite." He said, biting his teeth.

"This girl! She is blowing my dignity in the air." Her father murmured, keeping the phone away from his ear deliberately to prevent Steven from hearing that.

Steven pulled over the car near Abby's father.

Her father thanked him politely before getting Abby out of the car.

The next day was born.

Abby felt her body incredibly tired, as if she had done heavy work yesterday. She opened her eyes and sat up, facing her father, who had been waiting for her, sitting in the chair near her bed.

Presenting a faint yawn, she squeezed her eyes only to find her father's intense glare, which elaborated his anger. A stick in his hand sowed panic in her heart.

She gradually moved her feet out of the bed. Her father breathed heavily in madness. She jumped off the bed at light speed; however, she got caught before she twirled open the room door.

"How dare you drink late at night and sleep at the bus stand? Do you want to be raped by strangers? Huh?"

He beat her as she jumped, escaping and running inside the room screaming, "I won't! I won't anymore. I won't, Daddy. Sorry."

He halted suddenly as she stuck to the wall, making her face look like she was going to cry. "If not for him, what will happen to you?" He scolded her.

She snivelled and wiped her tears, landing her dejected eyes on the floor.

"Next week is your marriage."

Hearing him, Abby gave an aghast pervaded eye.

"Prepare for this instead of roaming like yesterday!" He directed her and walked off, dodging her anxious, boiling voice, "I didn't even meet him. How can you expect me to marry a stranger?" She raged, dictating, "You aren't okay with me getting raped by strangers, but getting married by strangers is okay for you?"

He slammed the door after leaving.

She shut her mouth and breathed outrage.

As the morning sun brightened up the world, Abby put on a dress and walked towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Her father questioned and stopped her.

"To see Annie!" She voiced snappish.

"Don't do anything stupid by hearing an idea from her. Daddy warns you." He rigorously advised her while cutting the carrots.

She left without responding to him.

At the coffee shop, where people rarely come, Abby hears suggestions from Annie by offering her whatever she asks. Their table is full of plenty of coffee and chocolates. That's all on Annie's side table.

"How about contract marriage?" Annie suggested.

"Contract marriage?" Abby sounded swither. "With that man?" Her expression changed into eww.

"Senior duri!"

Abby's eyes transformed into pitiful hearing her suggestion.

"Oooo... Okay, let's leave it. I will select a groom for you." Annie confidently spoke.

Abby's face bloomed with possibility.

Before the sun faded, Steven accidentally glanced at Abby like a woman walking down the riverside alone. He pressed the brake quickly. That tired skidding noise earned her attention.

Her baffled gaze wrenched into shock, embarrassed as she realised that her drunken behaviour had been seen by that man yesterday.

"Are you going to sleep in the river?" Steven mocked her with a cool look coming towards her.

She was pissed off.

Instead of bursting into anger, she observed his sexy lips that flickered under the orange rays of the sun and spontaneous eyes that spoke for his quiet, sharp, fair nose, which added shin to his cool-looking face.

"His look deserves me," Abby mumbled, mesmerised by his beauty. That barely hit his ear.

"What?" He questioned, flickering at her forehead.

She shook off her head, coming back to her senses, and murmured, "But I hate this man!"

Giving a relaxed gaze over that calm river, he declared, "I hear you are going to get married."

Her expression changed to instant misery. "So what?"

"Don't get married." He warned her.

Her brows wrinkled at him subtly.

"Your life isn't in your hands. Getting married is worthless." His voice held some mystery.

"What nonsense is this?" She took it carefreely.

"Then, your wish!" He shrugged and headed to his car. As she stood right there bewildered, he veered around to her and reminded her, "Get home before the sun disappears. Not all men will be as good as me."

"Pullshit!" She cursed, watching him leave in the car.