I never imagined that a man I’d only met twice would propose marriage. Meanwhile, the guy I’d been with for ten years was hiding a mistress behind my back.


    After the initial shock, I pressed my lips together and smiled. “Josh, isn’t this a bit too sudden?”


    Josh’s expression didn’t change. He remained as serious as ever. “Isn’t the point of dating to get married? If you don’t want to date, then let’s just get married.”


    There was some logic to that. But the guy saying it seemed off. I thought, ‘Would any normal person marry a stranger like that? Sure, it’s a popr plot in novels, but this isn’t one of those stories.


    1 raised an eyebrow, a sarcastic smile curling at the corner of my lips. “So, you do this with every blind date?”


    The sunset bathed us in golden light, and Josh’s shadow stretched over me, engulfing me. “You’re the first.”


    I felt a tightness in my throat. “We… don’t really know each other.”


    Josh didn’t respond. We just stood there facing each other. In the heavy silence, I could feel my body heat up. A bead of sweat even formed at the tip of my nose.


    As I nervously fiddled with the wall behind me, trying to think of something to say, Josh broke the silence. “I’m going to buy fish.”


    “I don’t liketro.” The words just slipped out before I could stop them.


    Josh gave a short grunt of acknowledgment and walked away, his long strides purposeful.


    I watched him walk away. Standing well over six feet tall, he had perfect posture and a straight back. Under the golden sunset, he looked like someone who could handle anything life threw at him.


    Suddenly, a bold thought shed through my mind: marrying someone like him on impulse wouldn’t be the worst idea. He was a soldier-a man who had already been tested by the country. Surely he could handle the challenges of life, too.


    When I returned to the courtyard, Holly wasn’t around. Otherwise, she’d be right there, asking me a million questions or trying to convince me how great Josh was.


    I opened the small door to my room. My phone was buzzing on the bed. It was Jasmine calling.


    “How was your first day of traveling? Any exciting experiences or new discoveries?” Jasmine’s voice sounded tired.


    Being a medical expert wasn’t easy. She often spent hours on end in surgery, hardly taking a break.


    Iy on the bed, reying the day in my mind, and finally replied, “Does a random encounter count as a new experience?”


    “What? That sounds exciting!” Jasmine’s voice brightened, as if she’d just been given a burst of energy.


    Iughed and told her about Josh. Jasmine sighed in admiration. “Zoe, life’s fair. When one door closes, another window opens.”


    “Who said it’s a window? You haven’t even met him properly yet. Plus, I’m not exactly in the mood for it,” I said, feeling a chill in my chest as I spoke thest part.


    “A man who’s so straightforward about wanting to get married? That’s just one thing: he’s fallen for you, no question,” Jasmine said, sounding like a rtionship expert.


    I snorted. “Maybe he’s just interested in my looks.” I was confident about my appearance-I’d even won a beauty pageant,


    after all.


    “You’re wrong. He’s a soldier. Trust in the country,” Jasmine said, almost like she knew exactly what I was thinking.


    I didn’t respond, and Jasmine went on. “I was worried you’d feel lonely and isted on this trip, but now, with this encounter… I’m sure it’ll help you heal from the mess that scumbag Alvin left behind.”


    Mentioning Alvin still left a strange feeling in my chest-partly aggrieved, partly unsettled. It was a feeling I hadn’t had yesterday.