FOREVER

Aria’s POV

Morning again.

The same sun. The same fluffy clouds. The same room. The same old me.

With half-closed eyes, I lazily lay on my bed, staring out of the window, watching those same scenarios unfold every single morning. The neighbors watering their plants, children rushing to school, people hurrying to work... everything felt like yesterday replaying itself.

After a few moments, I shifted my gaze to the mirror across from my bed.

Yep... same boring face.

I scratched my messy hair before dragging myself to the bathroom to freshen up.

Every morning, I have a very unique ritual in front of my bathroom mirror.

First comes my five-minute stand-up yoga.

Don’t ask me where I learned it—because I honestly have no idea. I just stand as straight as a stick, stretch my arms in random directions, wobble from side to side, and somehow convince myself it’s yoga. If anyone ever saw me, they’d probably think I was buffering like bad Wi-Fi.

“Beauty requires sacrifice,” I always tell myself.

Once my “professional” stand-up yoga session is over, I lean closer to the mirror and begin my daily inspection.

One pore...

Two pores...

Tiny pimple? Nope.

Dark circles...

I froze.

My eyes widened.

“SO NOOOO...!”

I gasped dramatically, gripping both sides of my face.

“My dark circles got even bigger!”

I looked like I hadn’t slept for a hundred years.

“Why do I look like a panda who just finished a night shift?”

I let out the loudest, most dramatic sigh in history.

“At this rate, even my concealer is going to resign.”

I gave my reflection one last look before shrugging.

“Yep... still the same dull face.”

With that, I walked into the bathroom.

I brushed my teeth, then stepped under a hot shower. The warm water washed away the last traces of sleep, and for some reason, I decided to wash my hair too.

No special reason... I just felt like it.

After my shower, I slipped into a simple knee-length frock—nothing fancy, just something comfortable. I carefully combed my hair, making a neat middle part. I thought about tying it up...

“Nah.”

I left it loose, letting it fall naturally over my shoulders.

Once I was ready, I took a deep breath and opened my bedroom door.

The moment I stepped outside, I blinked in confusion.

“What on earth...?”

The entire house looked like it had been hit by a storm.

Mom was rushing from one room to another, clutching a notebook in one hand while muttering something under her breath. Her hair was slightly messy, making her look even more flustered.

Dad was sitting on the couch with a calculator in one hand and a pile of papers spread across the table. My brother sat beside him, looking like he was about to cry. The poor guy hated math, but Dad was determined to awaken the hidden genius inside his brain. Judging by my brother’s terrified face, that genius had already packed its bags and run away. Meanwhile, Dad was so focused, you’d think they were solving a NASA mission instead of a math problem. instead of a simple math problem.

I stood there for a moment, completely bewildered.

“...Did I accidentally wake up in the wrong house?”

Just then, a loud voice echoed through the house.

“ARIAAA!”

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Startled, I quickly looked around to find the source of the scream.

There she was.

My aunt.

Well... technically, she’s my mom’s younger sister.

But honestly, she acts more like she’s my mother.

She’s always bossing me around, scolding me, and ordering me to do things. We argue over the smallest things almost every single day.

That’s exactly why I gave her a nickname.

MD.

Mother Don.

She has all the qualities of a mafia boss—except instead of threatening people with weapons, she attacks them with endless lectures.

And unfortunately...

I happen to be her favorite victim.

I frowned at her and crossed my arms.

“Why are you screaming like something terrible happened?” I complained.

She rolled her eyes so hard I thought they’d disappear into another dimension.

“What are you even talking about, you dummy?” she snapped, flicking my forehead. “Do you have memory loss or something? Have you seriously forgotten what’s happening today?”

I blinked.

“...Huh?”

My brain immediately started searching through its empty files.

Birthday?

Festival?

Exam?

...Laundry day?

Nothing.

I just stood there, staring at her with the most confused expression imaginable.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a dramatic sigh.

“Unbelievable.”

“You’re hopeless.”

“Today’s the engagement,” my aunt said casually.

I froze.

“...What?”

A second later, I let out the loudest scream in the house.

“WHAAAT?!”

Everyone turned to look at me.

I pointed a trembling finger at my family.

“You all fixed my engagement... and didn’t even bother to tell me?!”

For a second, the entire house fell silent.

Then my aunt burst into laughter.

She looked at me with a face full of sarcasm.

“Wow, your confidence is truly inspiring.”

She folded her arms and smirked.

“It’s not your engagement, you drama queen.”

She paused just to enjoy my horrified expression.

“It’s your sister’s engagement.”

“...”

“...Oh.”

I blinked.

Then I cleared my throat and tried to save what was left of my dignity.

“Well... I knew that.”

My aunt raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

I smiled awkwardly.

“...No.”

The entire room burst into laughter while I stood there wishing the floor would kindly open up and swallow me whole.

*My aunt shook her head with a sigh while the others simply smiled and went back to whatever they had been doing. Clearly, everyone had already accepted that I was the family’s certified drama queen.

I puffed out my cheeks.

“I knew that!” I said, trying my best to sound convincing. “I just got freshened up, and I came out to help all of you.”

I placed my hands on my hips and looked around the house.

“Now... where’s my cutie sister?”

Mom, who was hurrying past me with a tray of decorations, answered without even stopping.

“She’s upstairs getting ready.”

A grin instantly spread across my face.

“Finally! That’s exactly who I was looking for.”

Without waiting another second, I dashed toward the staircase.

I hurried upstairs and walked into my sister’s room.

She was surrounded by her friends, getting ready for the engagement. Among them was my one and only best friend. We’ve been together since childhood, and she’s practically family. Everyone in my house knows her.

The moment she saw me, she smirked.

“Well, well... look who finally woke up. You lazyhead.”

I rolled my eyes.

“If you had come to wake me up, I would’ve chased you out of my room, you crazy girl.”

She placed a hand on her chest dramatically.

“Wow! Such respect for your best friend.”

I grinned.

“You don’t deserve any.”

My sister laughed softly and shook her head.

“Can you two stop arguing for at least five minutes? It’s my engagement today.”

The moment my eyes landed on my sister, I couldn’t help but smile.

She looked absolutely breathtaking.

Her long, dark hair was styled in soft waves, cascading gracefully over one shoulder. The subtle makeup enhanced her natural beauty, while the sparkle in her eyes made her look even more radiant.

She wore a shimmering silver gown that flowed elegantly to the floor, embroidered with delicate beadwork that caught the light with every small movement. Around her neck rested an emerald-green necklace, perfectly matched with elegant earrings, adding a royal touch to her look.

She wasn’t just beautiful...

She looked genuinely happy.

The kind of happiness that couldn’t be created by makeup or expensive clothes—it came from her smile. A smile so bright that it made the entire room feel warmer.

For a moment, I simply stood there, admiring her.

“My sister is really getting engaged today...” I thought, my heart filling with both pride and a tiny bit of sadness.

Actually, my sister’s fiancé came from a much wealthier family than ours. Compared to them, we were just an ordinary middle-class family. Since they wanted to host the event, the engagement was being held at their mansion.

And guess what?

It wasn’t just an engagement.

It was a destination engagement.

I’ve heard of destination weddings... but a destination engagement? That was a first for me.

The entire family was running around, packing clothes and making last-minute arrangements.

My MD was busy making sure everything was perfect. She has two daughters—my cousins. One was still in school, while the other had just started her twelfth grade. They were just as excited as the rest of us, getting ready as if it were their own sister’s engagement.

My uncle—MD’s husband—was handling all the travel arrangements. Thankfully, he owned a travel agency, so booking flights and transportation wasn’t much of a problem for him.

As for my family...

My dad is a science professor who can explain the mysteries of the universe but still forgets where he left his glasses.

My mom somehow manages to keep this wonderfully chaotic family together.

My brother is currently pursuing his graduation, though judging by his relationship with mathematics, graduation might still be negotiating with him.

My sister works as a news reporter, always chasing headlines and breaking stories. Her fiancé is a Senior Architect at Astor Corporation, one of the country’s most prestigious companies.

And then there’s me...

Along with my one and only best friend, I’m desperately searching for a job, hoping that one company will finally decide we’re worth hiring.

That’s the Reyes family.

A little loud.

A little chaotic.

But full of love.

And me?

Everyone outside the family thinks I’m the sweetest, most innocent girl they’ve ever met.

I honestly have no idea why.

Because if you ask my family...

They’ll tell you I’m the biggest troublemaker in the house.

As everyone continued packing, my sister’s phone rang.

She answered with a smile.

“Oh... you’ve reached already?”

After listening for a few seconds, she nodded.

“We’ll be there soon.”

She ended the call.

“Who was it?” I asked.

“My fiancé.”

“He said the Astor family has already arrived.”

For some reason...

The name Astor lingered in my mind.