NOT MY MAN OF CHOICE

CHAPTER 3: IMPORTANT DECISIONS

"Please sit down, Mr. Leo and..." Mr. Darma stood up, reached out and remembered the name of the man in the photo with his daughter.

"Alvin, this is my son, his name is Alvin Abraham." Mr. Leo welcomed Mr. Darma's hand and introduced his son.

After all shaking hands and greeting each other, Alvin and Mr. Leo also sat in the chair that has been provided. Alvin seemed awkward and confused what he had to explain, throughout the journey Mr. Leo just kept asking why the party was held in his new home, why the photo of Alvin sleeping with a woman was spread, and so on, who took the picture, and continued to talk about the photo without giving him a chance to talk and even think for a moment. He himself does not remember sleeping with Vera, which he remembers only when he went into the room and went to bed. Vera herself looked very stiff, not daring to look at everyone, her mind was all alone. Is the photo widespread? Anyone seen that photo? What should he explain to all his friends who had been busy asking him in chat?

"Alvin, can you make sure that nothing happened to you and Vera last night? Because if you look at the picture it looks like you're not wearing clothes." Nova's mother immediately asked Alvin with a ketus.

"Hm... Frankly all I remember last night was I went into my room and took off my clothes, and went to bed. I just remember the room AC was on, I didn't see Vera there." It was clearly Alvin who seemed quite brave and did not feel guilty.

"You know what, if the photo had been spread everywhere? One campus Vera knows all, even to the lecturers Vera." Nova's mother starts to get emotional because Alvin doesn't seem to feel the slightest guilt.

"Hm...Mom and Dad, coincidentally Prof. Dery is my younger brother, his uncle Alvin who also teaches there. At first I also knew the photo from him, and my daughter, Dona my son also attended the 3rd semester there." Mr. Leo began to calm the atmosphere and was about to give an explanation.

"Sir, in our family there is no free culture where girls are legally able to sleep in one bed with men. This photo has even been spread on the internet, and all my colleagues have seen this photo, even our family has contacted us to check the truth of this photo since this morning." Mr. Darma explained and looked a little emotional.

Vera was deep in her own thoughts, she had not heard any more talk at the dinner table, because she was in the photo now everyone was trying to find out and confirm the truth of the photo. He thought about how he and his parents had to face the evil mouth of the people out there. Not to mention her comrades on campus who had just known her as a smart girl, was it comparable to her behavior in the photo? He himself is not sure what he experienced last night, what he did to fall asleep with Alvin, the man he just knew. This is all actually the fault of Nina and David, because they were the ones who took pictures of him and spread it to the class chat group until now widespread quickly.  Unintentionally, Vera shed her tears, which she had already tried to endure with all her might.

"Vera, what's wrong with you? There is no problem that does not have a solution, papah and mamah sure there must be the best solution. We should all eat first." Mr. Darma tried to calm the atmosphere that began to heat up.

But Vera chose to get up from her chair, then without saying anything to walk back to her room, she could not eat, her heart was so sad. No more calling his parents and friends.

"Nina, David, any excuse is not justified in this case, let alone drunken reasons. You guys I could have reported to the police right now, but I still have feelings because your parents are begging you not to be punished, you kids who struggle to get into your favorite campus with difficulty, you should be more self-aware instead of playing around like this." Mr. Darma said firmly to Nina and David who were now bowed lethargic.

"Sir Darma, as a sense of responsibility and apology for me and my family, how about Vera and Alvin we unite in marriage? We do the marriage in private, only attended by family and friends, so that then we can confirm to everyone that the photo is not a disgrace, but taken after the wedding." Suddenly Mr. Leo gave an astounding advice to everyone at the dinner table including Alvin.

"Well, no wrong reward? It's just because of the pah photo." Alvin started to panic.

"Sorry to you." Alvin bowed.

"Well, you think marriage is the right decision right now. Because with a reason let alone we will confirm to all those who are currently looking for our family, pah?"

"Don't rush me, what if Vera doesn't agree?" Mr. Darma is trying to find another solution.

"Only by marriage will the mamah be much calmer for the safety of Vera, pah. Mamah is afraid of your daughter why-why, let alone have friends not clear and not really out there." Nova's mother said so while glancing cynically at Nina and David.

"Betul Mr. Darma, I think the most appropriate solution at this time is marriage. Alvin would've had more regular lives if he had a wife." Mr. Leo confirmed.

"Marriage is only for once in a lifetime sir, not for toys. I don't want Vera getting married later." Mr. Darma is still trying to reject the marriage solution, which of course is not approved by Alvin.

"We just make a marriage agreement, so before marriage Alvin and Vera must sign a marriage agreement that contains the commitments that they must carry out in marriage, so that their lives after marriage are also more focused." Mr. Leo gave advice to Vera's parents.

"Who can get a reward, marriage is not a reward toy, then what if Alvin or Vera can not make the marriage agreement?" Alvin tried to prevent the marriage from happening.

"There are consequences. There's a price you have to pay if you break the agreement." Mr. Leo said the right firmly while looking at Alvin.

Alvin understood very well the consequences that he had to bear if he violated the marriage agreement, surely one of them was to lose his papal inheritance and also the company where he worked would fall into the hands of Dona, his half-sister. Even though he was desperately working from zero to be considered qualified by his papa in managing his dream company. The company was also built with his late mother, who is now very coveted by his stepmother to be managed by his stepmother's favorite daughter, Dona.

"Okay, then let's get the marriage straight the day after tomorrow, this problem can't be allowed to drag on, because of Alvin's uncle, Prof. Derry lecturer at the campus where Vera studied, must have been very cornered as well. Because everyone knows Alvin is his nephew and Vera is a proud student at his college." Mr. Leo confirmed.

Alvin and his parents are both silent signs of agreement, despite heavy acceptance of this bitter and confusing reality. They each have their own reasons for accepting this marriage as a solution. Somehow with Vera, will she be ready to accept that she will soon be the wife of a man she does not know?