The sun was shining brightly amid the vast expanse of a clear blue sky. Birds were chirping happily. Flowers were in bloom. The children were out and about having fun. Beaches were full of people enjoying the warmth of summer and the scent of the sea breeze.
Meanwhile, a certain lady in the travel industry who was supposed to be out and about as well especially in this time of the year, was at home, enjoying her rare vacation.
It had been a long time since she was at home doing nothing. Perhaps, several years ago when she was still young.
She had almost always gone to her office or was on a trip to who knows where for work. She could count with her fingers the days she just stayed home doing nothing.
Especially in summer. Once she got more into the travel and tourism industry, she was often busy with work during summers, guiding VIPs and the like.
It was almost like a miracle that she was not going out today.
In the past, she had almost always spent summer on beaches or hikes even if she was there for work.
Somehow, she felt that it was better to have no plans this summer. She had only thought of going to her office as usual and staying home when she was free.
She had not even booked any flights to go somewhere either for business or personal purposes. She also did not accept tasks to tour their VIP clients to lively beaches or beautiful lakes and rivers like she usually did on summers.
Even she, herself, found it weird. But somehow, this summer, she just wanted to lay low and focus on office work and her other gigs.
She used to be a normal office worker with several part time jobs, but she worked her way up the ladder, and built a small business with her hard work.
Her name is Lillian Wang.
She's twenty-nine years old. Married, but her husband was nowhere to be found. He had ghosted her after their wedding.
It was three years ago when Lillian finally got so annoyed with being talked about as the unwanted, arrogant, and entitled virgin; and getting told to get hitched.
She was still a corporate slave back then. She did have a small travel and tours business with only four employees and a cafe with five employees that she put up thanks to bank loans she pays with her high-paying corporate job and gig works.
What she earned from these two businesses and her jobs were just enough to pay her bank loans, support her huge family, pay her employees, cater to business expenses, and get a small amount to save from what she earned.
Yet, people thought she was already earning so much and was only too greedy for money so no one wanted to date her.
Being career driven out of desperation to support her poor family even made them conclude she was too headstrong or manly for earning more compared to others her age.
They keep saying she should date and get married instead of being greedy of money and achievements.
But she never was.
It was out of necessity.
Lillian wanted to slap it to their faces that working so much was not her choice. She had to or else they would go hungry. And her small businesses did not earn so much for her to be immediately rich.
Yet people treated her like she was not getting contented with what she had so far because she was greedy.
The norm was to date or get married and they she, who did not do the same was like a pain to their eyes.
She wanted to be stable enough when she makes her own family.
What was so wrong of dreaming to be successful enough one day so you won't make your future family suffer the way you did?
If she already had good savings and investments plus excess money, then she would not mind getting married either.
But she didn't have those yet.
Thus, she could not afford marriage and children right now. She did not want to randomly and irresponsibly have children without preparing enough for them so they won't suffer in poverty.
Poverty is d*mned traumatic. She knew this firsthand since she experienced it since childhood. She was rather shocked at how many people romanticize suffering together when they have not truly tried it.
Further, she still had her family depending on her too.
Dating would probably be fine but she had been too occupied to even have time for it. She had tried but in the past but it simply didn't work because relationship takes time to build.
They even said she was still a virgin because she thought too highly of herself and her purity. But it wasn't like that at all. She simply did not have the time to mingle and date because she was busy working. And she knew it's dangerous to just go and sleep with a random guy she did not even know.
However, after the talks of people around her got even worse, Lillian got too annoyed that after her work in a business trip in Las Vegas concluded, she tagged along when their business partners invited her to a high-end bar with expenses paid by them.
Everyone got all dressed up and when their business partners left her side and let loose, Lillian was free.
Perhaps it was the gorgeous dress and the make up, or perhaps it was the mood in the bar that she felt so fearless and emboldened. Or perhaps, she simply wanted to let loose too after studying and working so hard all her life.
Lillian made the impulsive decision to get some action. And she was set to finally get things over and done with on her 'virginity problem'. She read a lot of stories of ONS (one night stand) here so it shouldn't be too difficult.
It was then that Lillian met a man who introduced himself as Leo. He had the looks, the body, the appeal, a tempting low voice, and masculine scent that enticed her.
Lillian decided that if she was gonna get rid of her virginity anyway, then it was best to do it with someone who looked so appealing and pleasing to the eye. And so, after some drinks, she threw caution to the wind and they decided to go to a hotel together for you know what.
Lillian was sure they tried to do some things, but it was her first time to drink. Her mind was alert as usual, but she did not know her body was already more affected than she thought.
Not knowing her capacity, Lillian ended up drinking more than her body could handle and fell asleep just a few minutes after they entered the hotel room.
Thus, they were not able to go all the way. But at least, she got to experience things she never did before.
In the morning, Leo said he liked her and suddenly proposed to her.
Lillian told him she needed more time and that they should date first to see if they truly liked each other, enough to get married.
However, Leo was in a rush for some reason.
Lillian thought it was suspicious. When she made him talk, he admitted that he needed to get married as soon as possible due to family issues.
Leo said he had to get married to get his inheritance from his grandmother's side and ensure it was not stolen by some relatives whom he knew wanted to use it for dubious things.
Since Lillian refused to get married with the thought that their feelings were not serious at all yet, he then offered her a deal that made her eyes turn into dollar bills.
It was a very tempting deal that she was not able to walk away from.
Lillian had basically used all her younger years for education, work, and the restless grind to reach where she was now. She worked several jobs at the same time and thrifted her budget all the time.
With the amount Leo offered her, she could get more investments and maybe, plot a retirement plan so she could finally stop working too hard every single day.
The entire world was in a recession, the inflation was crazy, and there were crises everywhere. The prices of all goods had risen so much that even though Lillian had somehow managed through so much hard work to be in the lower middle class from formerly being too poor to afford proper food, her savings would be drained soon if she did not keep grinding relentlessly like a crazed machine. And she had a huge family to support. She was a breadwinner.
Thus, Lillian took Leo's offer as an opportunity.
If she was to be damned after she died for accepting money like this, so be it. She was tired of pain and suffering, of always having to worry if she and her family would survive this recession.
Lillian rather envied those who could refuse an amount like this. For her, it was like throwing away food already on the table in these difficult times.
Her? She would not. Call her a b*tch, a money grubber, a gold digger, or whatever. Lillian did not care anymore. To her this was a relief. This was something that could possibly end her suffering.
With practicality in mind and to finally shut up those who had been insisting she get married, Lillian agreed. She married him for convenience, the money, the thrill, and his looks.
As for him, Leo paid her to marry him to get his inheritance from his grandmother's side. Leo did say he liked her, but she knew it was the superficial one since they just met. He did not seem like the type to fall in love at first sight either.
Lillian as well. She knew she would never fall in love at first sight. She always took too long to fall in love after all.
Attraction at first sight, yes, she would agree to this since it had happened to her several times like she did with Leo.
She was attracted to Leo at first sight but it was not love. It would have developed to love later on if not for Leo ghosting her after their wedding.
Yes, Leo left the day after their wedding, saying he had urgent matters to tend to, and they never met each other again after that.