Chapter 1
The conversation began after Helga had put down her spoon and was about to take a drink. Emma started the discussion with her trademark exaggerated expression.
"Have you two heard the latest rumor on our campus yet?" Emma asked after swallowing a bite of her fried chicken.
As rain poured down and a few students rushed into the cafeteria for shelter, the atmosphere became calmer and more pleasant for Galenka Helga. Even so, there were not many students around. The cafeteria was nowhere near as crowded as it usually was under the scorching afternoon sun.
Since the cafeteria was located across from the building where Helga had just finished her class, it was only natural that many students preferred to stay inside their classrooms or relax in the seating area behind the campus buildings.
Because of that, Helga and her two friends were able to enjoy their lunch peacefully without worrying about being disturbed by immature troublemakers. The three of them sat at the same table. Helga and Nafa shared one side of the table, while Emma sat across from Helga.
Nafa, who was always interested in gossip, shook her head.
"What rumor is it this time?" she asked, already leaning closer to Emma.
"Professor Hadyan...! Professor Hadyan was caught kissing someone in front of his office. One of my seniors saw them while walking through the corridor."
"He kissed a senior?!" Nafa exclaimed, her mouth falling open.
"No, Fa! He kissed a woman, but she wasn't a senior... I don't think."
Nafa immediately pouted. Lowering her face, she reached for her glass of mango juice and wrapped her fingers around it.
"Who wouldn't be interested in him?" she said after taking a sip. "He's handsome, his muscular arms are incredibly attractive, and he's half-Western. Who could possibly turn him down?"
Emma immediately pointed at Helga with her eyes.
Nafa smacked her forehead.
"Helga? There's no way she'd be interested in Professor Hadyan," Emma replied before continuing her meal.
Meanwhile, even after becoming the subject of the conversation, Helga continued eating without a care. She had never been interested in rumors about the lecturers at their university, especially those surrounding Hadyan, the lecturer widely known as the most handsome and charismatic on campus.
To Helga, studying was what mattered most. Ever since she became a freshman until now, as a sixth-semester student, she had never been influenced by the gossip spreading around campus.
Nafa turned to her left, where Helga was already standing.
"Hey! Where are you going, Hel?!"
"To class."
"Let's talk about the gossip first!"
"Hah! That rumor isn't worth talking about," Helga replied indifferently as she slipped her wallet into her pocket.
"Speak of the devil!" Emma blurted out, glaring ahead.
Her two friends immediately looked in the direction Emma was staring.
"That's the woman Professor Hadyan kissed earlier," she whispered as the lecturer walked closer toward them.
Still looking surprised, Nafa turned back to Emma before praising the woman.
"She's beautiful. No wonder Professor Hadyan likes her! And she has such a sexy figure."
Emma nodded in agreement without hesitation.
Without another word, Helga continued walking after her eyes accidentally met Hadyan's for a brief moment. As she passed the thirty-year-old man, she politely lowered her head.
***
The hands of the clock, which seemed to have spun by far too quickly, now pointed to eight o'clock in the evening. Dinner time had passed an hour earlier because Helga had chosen to prioritize her college assignment over cooking in the kitchen. After finishing her work, she called her grandfather, who was watching television, to join her for dinner in the dining room.
The dining table, which seated four people, was occupied by only the two of them. Not wanting any distance between them, Helga and her grandfather sat facing each other.
"Your future husband's name is Gavi," her grandfather suddenly said, causing Helga to stop chewing at once.
Once again, the conversation was about the man she was supposed to marry. Helga disliked talking about him.
"He has already agreed."
After resuming her chewing and swallowing her food, Helga looked at her grandfather, who was watching her quietly.
"We're having dinner, Grandpa," she replied listlessly. "Don't you always say that people shouldn't talk while they're eating?"
"I'm only telling you."
The rest of the meal continued in silence. Ever since Adi had mentioned the man's name, Helga had lost her appetite. She hurriedly finished her dinner, carried her plate to the sink, and immediately washed it.
Adi's voice interrupted her again. "I'm sorry for forcing you to marry at such a young age to a man you haven't even met yet, Helga."
Helga placed the clean plate on the drying rack before turning to face him.
"If I had known from the beginning that my tuition was being paid for by your friend, Grandpa, I would've never agreed to go to college. What disappoints me most is that you never told me from the start that your friend was paying for my education," she said, unable to hide her disappointment.
"My friend wants your wedding to be moved forward."
Helga's eyes widened the moment she heard her grandfather's hoarse voice.
"Does that mean it won't take place after I graduate?" she asked sadly as she looked at Adi.
"That's right. The wedding preparations are already eighty percent complete."
The moment she heard those words, tears welled up in Helga's eyes.
"Once again, I'm sorry that I can't postpone your wedding," Adi said as he gently reached out and rested one hand on his granddaughter's head.
The moment his arms wrapped around her, Helga finally broke down in tears.
"Trust Grandpa. Your husband is a responsible man, and he will love you."
"How can Grandpa know that? He's never even seen me."
"I already sent your photos to my friend. His son wouldn't have agreed to marry you without seeing your face first."
Helga stepped back and looked at Adi again.
"That only means he likes my appearance, Grandpa. What if he turns out to be nothing like you believe after we're married?"
"That's impossible. I've known him since he was a little boy. Even after he grew up, I've always known what kind of person he is, Helga."
Adi gently wiped away the tears running down his granddaughter's cheeks before stroking her long black hair.
"Promise Grandpa that you'll become an obedient wife. Take care of your husband with all your heart, and protect your marriage, even if it begins as an arranged one."
"I'm not ready yet, Grandpa..." Helga whispered through her tears as she imagined what married life would be like.
A deep fear settled in her heart after learning that the wedding had been moved forward so suddenly. Only three months earlier, her grandfather had told her that she would be entering an arranged marriage with the son of his friend and employer.
That was also when she learned the truth—that nearly seventy percent of her college tuition had been paid by Hans Anderson, her grandfather's friend. And now, hearing that the wedding would take place much sooner than expected made Helga want to run away.
"Of course my granddaughter can become a wonderful wife. The Helga I know is a dependable young woman."
Adi pulled Helga into another embrace.
"That's all Grandpa wanted to tell you before I leave you behind. I don't want my only granddaughter to be left all alone if I pass away before you and join your parents."
His whisper made it impossible for Helga to stop the tears from falling.
***
If yesterday Helga had heard rumors that Professor Hadyan had been caught kissing a woman believed to be his girlfriend, today she found herself watching another woman linking arms with him. It was a different woman from the one he had brought to the cafeteria during lunch the day before. Several female students nearby were equally surprised by the sight.
"Is Professor Hadyan so handsome that women just keep throwing themselves at him, or is he simply not firm enough to keep them away?" Nafa asked in a low voice, careful not to let anyone hear, as Hadyan and the woman continued walking toward them.
When they crossed paths, Helga simply lowered her head until the pair had passed. Letting out a quiet sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment. Nafa's comment had already bored her. Once again, the conversation revolved around the most handsome and charismatic lecturer at their university.
"Instead of worrying about that, we'd better focus on our final assignments. Not to mention our theses. We'll be in our seventh semester next month," Helga said before quickly continuing on her way.
Knowing Helga all too well, Nafa followed behind her. Even so, she couldn't stop talking. She kept insisting that Hadyan was a lecturer worthy of admiration, despite the many women people claimed were merely his "playthings."
"I got a photo of Professor Hadyan at the mall yesterday, Hel."
Helga only hummed in response, glancing briefly at Nafa as she pulled her phone out of her shirt pocket.
"Here, look!" Nafa said, showing her another photo.
This time, Hadyan was with yet another woman—someone who looked more mature, probably around the same age as him.
"Maybe that's his wife," Helga replied casually.
"Professor Hadyan isn't married!" Nafa protested. "He once said he wasn't planning to get married anytime soon, Hel."
"When did Professor Hadyan ever talk about his personal life?" Helga asked with a small laugh. "As far as I know, he's never said anything like that."
"He did—back when we first started college. That's one of the reasons I liked him. I thought maybe I'd have a chance to become one of his candidates."
"Candidates?"
"Yeah. Maybe I could become one of his future wives... I might still be able to apply!" Nafa squealed excitedly, ending her sentence with a wide grin.
Having no interest in discussing the mysterious lecturer any further, Helga shook her head as she handed the phone back.
"Take a closer look at the photo. Professor Hadyan is wearing the exact same ring as that woman," she pointed out.
At once, Nafa looked at the picture again. She held her breath, her eyes widening.
"S-So... does that mean he's married, Hel? Professor Hadyan is m-married?!"
"Maybe," Helga answered as she quickened her pace.
She left Nafa standing there, still staring at the photo of Hadyan with the beautiful woman in complete shock. Nafa remained frozen, overwhelmed by both disbelief and disappointment after noticing the silver ring on her idol's ring finger.
"It has to be edited!" she cried, clutching her phone tightly before running after Helga. "This has to be fake, Hel!"
By then, Helga was already several steps ahead and had no intention of turning back. She couldn't wait to get to the library and finish part of her final assignment, which forced her to revisit everything she had learned during her first semesters.
However, before she could step inside the library, a male student stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
"What is it?" Helga asked in confusion.
"Professor Hadyan wants to see you in his office."
"What does Professor Hadyan want with me? Why did he ask me to come to his office?"
The young man merely shrugged before patting Helga lightly on the shoulder.
"Just make sure your phone is turned on, just in case," he said before running off and disappearing from her sight.
Meanwhile, Nafa had just arrived. Confused, she watched Helga leave again without saying a word. She wanted to catch up and ask what had happened, but she was too exhausted from running. In the end, she decided to head to the cafeteria to buy a cold drink instead.
Standing in front of the brown office door, Helga knocked.
Only after the third knock did the door finally open, revealing a man wearing a black long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows.
"Please, have a seat," said the lecturer, whose sharp nose and pale red lips gave him a striking appearance as he gestured toward the red chair in front of his desk.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Professor. May I ask why you wanted to see me?"
"There are still several mistakes in your report."
Hadyan handed the rather thick report back to Helga.
"Please check everything from the middle section to the end. Pay attention to the missing words and typographical errors as well. I don't tolerate even small mistakes."
Helga was immediately taken aback. Only then did she remember that she had submitted the report without reviewing it one last time. Now she would have to revise it—and most likely redo a large part of it.
Forcing a smile, she accepted the report.
"Yes, Professor. I'll revise it as soon as possible. I'm sorry for my mistakes."
Hadyan gave a slight nod before signaling that she could leave.
"Thank you, Professor. Excuse me."
Helga stood up and was about to turn around when she heard the handle of the restroom door inside the office being turned from the inside.
A moment later, a young woman stepped out, her expression filled with surprise when her eyes accidentally met Helga's.
Helga was equally stunned to see the woman with the ponytail standing there.
So shocked was she that she could only whisper her name.
"Emma..."
"H-Helga?"
"You two may leave my office now."
Without another word, Helga and Emma walked out of Hadyan's office together.
Once outside, Helga wanted to ask Emma what had happened but hesitated. Emma, on the other hand, showed no intention of explaining anything.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Finally, Helga spoke first.
"I have to revise my report. I probably won't be going to the cafeteria."
Emma simply nodded.
Helga turned left toward the library.
However, she had only walked a short distance when Emma called out to her.
Helga stopped and turned around. "Yes?"
"There's... there's nothing going on between Professor Hadyan and me."
Helga merely smiled faintly.
"I-I'm serious, Hel."
"I don't care about that, Em. Other people's private lives aren't my concern."
Helga gave her a small wave before hurrying away. She even quickened her pace, eager to start revising her assignment as soon as possible.
Oddly enough, once she reached the library and opened her laptop, she found it impossible to concentrate.
Instead, she kept thinking about Emma walking out of Professor Hadyan's restroom with a wet face and a startled expression.
She also remembered that Hadyan's brown hair had looked as though it had just been blow-dried.
Even so, Helga shook her head firmly.
"No! I shouldn't think badly of them! Besides, I have no right to interfere in other people's business," she muttered under her breath before lowering her head onto the table and squeezing her eyes shut.
A few seconds later, her phone vibrated inside the pocket of her jeans.
It was a message from her grandfather.
Helga immediately straightened up, her eyes widening and her mouth falling open.
Her grandfather hadn't only sent her a message—he had also sent the full name and photograph of her future husband.
This is Hadyan Gavi Anderson, your future husband.
The message appeared directly above a photograph of the lecturer.
He was wearing a suit and had been photographed from the side.
There was no doubt about it.
Helga was utterly shocked.
Without a second thought, she hurriedly packed up her belongings.
She had only one destination.
Home.
