Veiled Desires

As I walked further, I saw a figure in the distance. I could not make out who it was, but I could feel a familiar presence. The figure was standing in front of an altar, and I could see a beautiful red rose bouquet in his hands. I felt a warmth and joy in my heart that I could never explain.

I looked around, the aisle was full of people, all of them were in white too. I felt like I was in a dream, a beautiful dream that I never wanted to end. I could feel the warmth of the sun and the gentle breeze brushing through my hair, and the scent of the roses surrounded me. I was so happy and content, and I knew and felt that I was safe.

I felt a sense of peace and contentment as I slowly walked down the aisle. I could hear a faint music playing in the background and all I wanted to do was stay there forever.

I knew then that it was only a dream, but it still felt so Suddenly, a voice called me from the other end saying, "You are the chosen one, you have to accept this". I was confused and scared at the same time, I asked "What do I have to do?". He replied, "You have to accept it, it is destined for you".

He looked at me with a deep sorrow in his eyes, and gently said, "No matter what happened sweetheart, don't you ever pull out the ring at your finger. This is a sign of the commitment you have made and it is important for you to keep that commitment, it's for your own good." I knew he was right and I nodded in agreement, even though I didn't know why I had said yes to him in the first place.

I sighed and replied, "Yes, I know. I won't take it off, I promise". I knew he was trying to protect me, and I wanted to do the same for him. I looked into his sincere eyes and smiled, grateful for his concern. I nodded my head slowly, understanding the importance of what he said. I didn't know why, but something told me it was the right thing to do. I knew I had to trust him, and that this ring was my only anchor in a stormy sea.

I couldn't believe what was happening, I felt my heart racing as he kissed me. I was completely taken aback, it was my first kiss and I was really nervous. I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy the moment, even though I was scared and unsure of what to do. I had never been kissed before, and I was so surprised that he kissed me again . He held my face in his hands and kissed me for what felt like a minute for the second time.

I was so shocked by his sudden gesture that I couldn't move. I was completely taken aback, as I had never expected him to do something like this. I could feel my heart racing as he held me close and kissed again I had never experienced anything like this before, and I was overwhelmed with emotion.

I feel weird because my father wasn't around and indeed my friends. I don't see these people here, too many guests greet us but i don't indeed recognize either of them.

I woke up in a cold sweat and realized it was only a dream.

CHAPTER 1

I rushed up the stairs, taking two steps at a time. I could hear the sound of students rushing to their classrooms. I reached the third floor and quickly made my way to my classroom before the teacher arrived. I was relieved to see that I was not the last one to arrive. I took my seat and waited for the teacher to start the lesson.

"Whoa, hold up! Two whole days and you vanished into thin air? We were counting on you for the Chemistry report, remember?" My mind raced - how could I have missed an entire day. As I sat there panicking, trying to figure out what could have possibly happened, I immediately thought, how come I was absent just yesterday.

"Naoki is worried about you, He saw you with men riding in a black car and thought something terrible might've happened."he said.

" Is he sure it was me who rode in that black car?"

" yes and My heart skipped a beat at those words, and I could see the panic clearly written on hes face. and you didnt know how I relieved to see you now that and feel happy that you were OK and hadn't been in any trouble."....Hyorin said and hold my hand.

" Oh your so sweet my friend" I said and hug Hyorin I reassure her that everything was okay and that I had simply overslept. However, deep down inside, I knew that I still felt bad about missing an entire day of classes. After all, it was unlike me to be absent without notice, and I knew that it could potentially affect my grades in the long run.

I can't bring myself to tell Hyorin about the dream I had last night. I know she would only laugh at me and make fun of me, especially if I mention the intimate details of the dream. It's like a real experience, almost too vivid to be just a dream. In it, I found myself making love to my husband, being lost in the moment with him. The emotions were so real, so raw, that I can still feel them now, in the light of day.

"Hey, is that a dazzling new ring?" Hyorin interrupted, her attention suddenly diverted. "Gift from your Dad? Is Uncle Ben back yet? And where's my stash of chocolate?" My father always brings an assortment of sweets that Hyorin favors whenever he returns from a business trip. It's a small thing, but it's something that makes her happy, and I'm glad to oblige with the occasional chocolate treat.

So I hold back my dream, keeping it locked in the chamber of my mind where secrets are stored. It's a personal thing, one that I can't share with anyone else.

Hyorin is a very close friend of mine here in Korea. We have been living in this country for almost five years now, which is a significant amount of time. I can confidently say that this is the longest period of time I have ever stayed in one particular place, and it's all thanks to my father's job.

You see, my father is a businessman, and his work often requires him to travel a lot. As a result, we don't have a permanent house, and we have to move around a lot. This can be quite challenging for someone who is used to having a stable home, but I've come to accept it as part of my life.

Given the fact that we move around a lot, making and maintaining friendships can be a bit difficult, but that's not the case with Hyorin. She and I have become the best of friends, and I truly appreciate her company. She's always there for me, and we've been through a lot together.

I must admit that sometimes I feel a bit lost when it comes to my father's job. He has never really spoken about it in-depth, and all I know is that he's a businessman. It's quite intriguing, to be honest, and I can't help but wonder what he actually does.

Most of the time, it's just my Nany (short for nanny) and me at home when my father is working out of town, and it can get a bit lonely. However, when my father is back in town, he spends all day and night at his office and only comes out during dinner. It's not the perfect family situation, but I'm grateful for what we have, and I'm learning to make the best out of it.

All in all, Hyorin has been an excellent companion who has helped me navigate life in Korea. She's someone I cherish and will always hold dear to my heart.

"Oh, Harper Anderson, did you forget my sweet chocolates? Say it isn't so," Hyorin exclaimed, with disappointment etched on her face. I could tell that I had let her down.

Her expression suddenly changed as she reached out to touch the ring delicately. "Where did you get this, Harper? I havent seen this ring since before "..she asked, intrigued by the unexpected addition to my ring. I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. The truth was that I had no idea what the ring was or how it had ended up on my finger.

As I tried to come up with an explanation, Hyorin began to share her own story. She had found the ring in her mother's old jewelry box, and despite not knowing what it meant, she felt drawn to it. Perhaps it was because she missed her mother so much and felt that wearing the ring would bring her closer to her. As she spoke, I couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity with her words. and I just made a story too about my mo mothers ring that i took on her belongings before she died.

As I tried to remove the ring, I realized that it was too tight and wouldn't budge. Despite this, I wasn't scared or worried. Instead, I felt a sense of peace and contentment. Whatever the ring meant, I knew that it was a part of me now, and that it would continue to guide me on my journey .

As soon as the class ended, we hopped on our bicycles and began making our way home. However, during our ride, I couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching us from behind. It was an inexplicable feeling that made my skin crawl and sent shivers down my spine.

As we were cycling, I decided to open up to my friend Naoki about the unsettling feeling I had. So, I started by thanking him for his help on our report the previous day.

" I'm sorry I missed our plans yesterday. I had totally forgotten that it was Sunday and ended up sleeping the whole day away." To my surprise, Naoki quickly reassured me and said, "It's okay, don't worry about it. You're always helping me out with my assignments too." she sheepishly said.

Despite Naoki's kind words, my unease only continued to grow. We were headed in different directions and taking different alleys, which made me feel even more isolated and vulnerable. As if on cue, I felt the prying eyes on me again, and I couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't right.

To calm my nerves, I sped up my bike and tried to put some distance behind us to ease the tension. I then remembered Naoki mentioning the black car he saw the other day and wondered if it had anything to do with my distressing feeling. Regardless of what it was, I was determined to make it home safely.

During dinner, my father's eyes fixated on the band adorning my finger. My dad's question startled me, and I didn't want to lie to him. But, the truth was stranger than fiction, and I was afraid of how he would react. "Ah, it's from this new jewelry store near school," I said, hoping he would believe me. He looked at me skeptically, and his grip on my hand tightened.

" Harper, don't lie to me. Tell me where you got the ring!"

" Dad, I'm sorry. I think I may have gotten it in a dream." He looked at me incredulously, and I knew I had to explain further. "I know it sounds crazy, but I had a dream, and in the dream, I was wearing the ring, someones give me the ring and we got married ,And then I woke up, and the ring was still on my finger and i could'nt take it out."

My dad let go of my hand slowly and looked at me with concern and confusion. "Harper, are you feeling okay? Have you been sleeping okay?" I assured him that I was fine and that my grades were still good at school. But he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he had about the dream and the ring on my finger.

" Anita, pack your belongings and join Harper in the Philippines tonight! "..said my daddy, who I thought was joking because he quickly dialed the phone and someone was talking on the other end of the line. "Dad, are you serious? Can you tell me what's wrong this time? Is there something I did wrong? Dad, please".

"I'll tell you everything Harper, but for now you have to get out of here because we don't have much time. Just trust me on this."

I was unable to bid farewell to my friends on that particular evening, as my father confiscated my phone and substituted it with a new one. He said In order to ensure our safety and my friends, my father advised me that it would be best if they were not informed about our destination. Although I previously struggled to part with my friends whenever we left a location, but I can still keep in touch with them via text messages. But today is a big difference coz its like a big problems I'd made this time.