1 You Must Marry!

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"What's the meaning of this Andrei?"

Laurie pulled the damp beach towel over her ears to protect them from the screeching voice accompanied by a gasp of scandalous surprise and disbelief.

She felt like throwing up. She could taste the alcohol she consumed in excess last night and probably the night before. It is screaming and pushing out of her guts to her esophagus. She swallowed it back and regretted it the moment she did. She could taste vile vomit that was about to happen - so bitter like all her life's regret.

She drew her knees to her chest, making her small as possible. She wanted the commotion in her head to disperse and disappear, yet the sudden flood of the harsh morning sun from the glass wall of the living room made it impossible.

"Who the fuck drew those curtains?" her voice was so ragged as though she had a concert last night. She didn't. She just bawled her eyes last night talking about boys… she couldn't remember which one, she really wanted to go back to sleep.

She heard another loud gasp, her alcohol-infused brain was barely functioning. But she's pretty sure that it's not a dream. Some people are saying a prayer somewhere. Is she dead? They are already praying for her soul.

It's probably her mother. No one would give a shit about the salvation of her soul, other than her own mother. And only because she almost died giving birth to her.

"Laurie, get up at this instance!"

Yeah, definitely her mother. She clicked her tongue in annoyance. Her body subconsciously got up from the cold marble floor, 'wait - why is she on the floor and why is her mother here?'

She got up but she remained seated on the floor with the pool of damp towels and random pieces of clothing. She doesn't like to sleep naked but why are there clothes on the floor. 'I want to puke.' She yawned and scratched her head. 'Ugh, my hair is so disgustingly sticky.'

She rested her face on her knees and her own smell made her gag. She smelled like a toilet floor in some underground bar in Shibuya.

She was about to get up to find the bathroom when a stick hit her head. "Ouch, what the hell, Andrei?" she was about to say something more when she felt the gush of vomit on her mouth.

With her hands covering her mouth, she dashed in the direction of the bathroom or where she remembered the bathroom was.

"Que barbaridad!"

"My apologies, amiga! It's my fault for not raising my son properly." Mrs. Tan kicked the said son who was still out cold on the floor. "I would make sure that my son would take care of your daughter!"

"You! Bring me some water!" she yelled at the young maid who was twisting her white apron, watching the scene unfold in the living room.

Korina, upon hearing the Madame's angry voice scurried to the kitchen to fetch some water. She then ran back to the living room, carrying a silver basin full of cold water she fetched from the kitchen tap.

She saw the second young master slump on the living room, a handful of his wavy hair was under the Madame's hand that looks like an Eagle claw, while her other hand was slapping the young master's face like he was not her own son.

Korina stood rooted in the middle of the floor, her knees were shaking in fright. Last night was her first day on the job. She was here for the summer job and nothing more. This summer house of the Tan's always hired additional helpers every summer.

Visitors come and go to this house the whole summer. Young kids not even five years older than her, mostly friends of the young masters, would spend summer vacation here partying and doing God knows what else.

Their job was to make sure that the house was clean, and that there are food and booze. Nothing more, nothing less.

The second young master arrived two days ago, with a beautiful girl. And since they arrived, they did nothing but drink and cry. Especially the second young master. Now, he was being slapped senseless by her own mother.

Korina darted her eyes on the four people in the living room. She knew the Madame, of course, the second young master, who was still slumped on the floor, begging for his mother's mercy. The first young master was standing next to the console table, with a smug expression on his face, arms were crossed over his broad chest. He is clearly enjoying the misfortune his younger brother is currently suffering.

There is another Madame with her lace fan shielding her face, as though she couldn't bear to witness what was Madame doing to her second son. It is the first time she saw this Madame in the house. She must be a family friend.

She looked for the young miss who was with the second young master, but she was not to be seen in the room. Then she heard revolting sounds from the powder room. The young miss was in the bathroom puking, she grimaced.

"Bring me that water!"

She was startled from watching the people in the room when she heard the booming voice of the Madame. She hurried next to her and stretched her arms that were already feeling numb from holding the heavy basin of water for quite a while now.

The Madame grabbed the basin of water from her arms like it was nothing and poured the content to her son who was still on the floor.

"Mama! You are being too much!"

"Too much? Am I being too much?" she smacked her son with the silver basin, and a satisfying sound was heard in the living room. "Do you understand what you just did?"

"Mama, I'm sorry I got drunk. But do you really have to beat me to death?"

"Beat you to death? Oh, you insolent fool! I would gladly beat you to death with what you did. You wait until your father hears about it."

'Father wouldn't care about me being drunk as a skunk. It was Father who taught me to drink.' was the thought running in his head.

"What is happening?" Laurie asked in front of the powder room. She just finished puking her guts out and she wanted something greasy to cure her hangover.

She got the surprise of her life when she got out of the bathroom and saw Mrs. Tan pouring a basin of water over Andrei's head. And why is her mother standing in the middle of the room, with the murderous glint in her eyes towards her?

"Andrei Mark Tan, you are going to take responsibility for that young lady's honor!"

She met Andrei's panicking eyes across the room, then she looked back at her mother who is now giving her an 'I'm so disappointed you are my daughter' look on her ashen face.

She looked down on her feet and saw that she was wearing Andrei's white tank top, a black bikini, and nothing else. Her mouth slowly opened like a fish gasping for oxygen above water, the alcohol rigging her brain functions but when she heard the next word that came out from Mrs. Tan's mouth, she knew she was in deep trouble.

"Son, if you still want me to be your mother, you must marry Laurie!"