Aurora pov
"Aurora, what's going on?" Charlotte asked, looking at her phone. "I just saw on the BIGTIME news and social media that you're engaged to Madison Grey! Why didn't you tell me?"
I shrugged. "I didn't know he was going to announce it. He didn't even propose to me."
Charlotte looked at me with disappointment. "Aurora, you can't be serious. You're just going to accept this? Remember how he embarrassed you on your last date?"
I sighed. "Charlotte, please. I know what I'm doing. If I leave him, who will take care of my family?"
Charlotte shook her head. "I'm disappointed in you, but I'll respect your decision. Let's go to work before we lose our only meal coupons."
I nodded, and we headed out.
"I've always dreamed of marrying a billionaire, so when I saw the news, I wasn't surprised. I believe that as a woman, I should support and obey my man.
I couldn't help but feel happy knowing I'll be Mrs. Grey in just two weeks. I used to call his missing wife "Madam," but that's all in the past now.
There were rumors that she had dementia and lost control, but nobody really knows what happened to her."
We had just arrived at work when the stares began. It felt like their eyes were piercing through me. I could hear their hushed whispers: "Here comes the husband snatcher and home wrecker of the year."
I felt overwhelmed and tense, but Charlotte quickly came to my side. She gently took my hands in hers.
"Rora, baby, I've got you," she said softly. "You didn't do anything wrong. He's a single man, after all."
"You're right, and I agree," I said. "That's the only thing you'll get me to agree with today."
Just then, I heard my fiancé's voice from a distance.
"Good morning, love."
I blushed and ran to him, leaving Charlotte behind. "Morning, baby," I replied, as we kissed, not caring about the people staring at us. We held hands and walked to his office.
Charlotte chuckled and shook her head, "Well, I guess I've been replaced."
"Baby," I said, leaning in close to him. "You could have told me about this surprise."
Before I could finish, he dropped to one knee.
"I know I should have done this before the announcement," he said, "but Aurora, my love, will you marry me?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" I exclaimed, forgetting my question.
He slid a diamond ring onto my finger and stood up.
"We have a wedding to plan," I said, beaming.
"My mom is already taking care of it," he replied.
I was shocked. "Your mom? But I can plan our wedding..."
He interrupted me. "Like I said, my mom is handling everything, including choosing the colors for the big day."
He leaned in and kissed me quickly, then said "see you later, baby" before rushing off to a meeting.
Still feeling deeply hurt and upset by his words, I slowly got up and made my way to my office, trying to process my emotions and shake off the pain.
I looked at Charlotte with a mixture of sadness and frustration, and she immediately picked up on my emotions. "I know that look, what's the problem?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
I took a deep breath and tried to explain the situation. "It's just that Madison told me his mom is going to plan our wedding, including choosing the colors for the big day," I said, feeling tears well up in my eyes. The thought of not being able to plan my own wedding was overwhelming me.
Charlotte burst out laughing, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hahaha, what did you expect from someone who announced your engagement before even proposing?" she asked, her voice laced with humor. Her reaction caught me off guard, and I couldn't help but laugh too.
As I looked down at my hand, Charlotte's eyes landed on the diamond ring on my finger. "Speaking of engagement, is that diamond I'm seeing on your fingers?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement. "Wow, the ring is so beautiful!" she exclaimed, taking my hand in hers to get a closer look.
I blushed, feeling a little self-conscious about the attention. "Oh, yes," I said, smiling, and suddenly I completely forgot about our initial discussion about my concerns with Madison. The excitement of the moment took over, and I was caught up in the joy of sharing my news with my friend.
As we stood there, admiring the ring, I couldn't help but feel a little more at ease. Charlotte's laughter and excitement had a way of making me forget my worries, at least for a little while. But deep down, I knew I still had to figure out how to navigate this situation with Madison and his mom planning our wedding.