Chapter 18: “Make day, wedding bells…”

LISA'S POV

As I looked at Leo, I could see the anger simmering beneath the surface. I knew he was trying to keep it in check, but I could sense the frustration radiating from him.

I felt a surge of anxiety, wondering how the rest of the day would play out. Would my father's behavior continue to cause tension? Would Leo's anger boil over?

I tried to push the thoughts aside, focusing on the present moment. But my mind kept wandering back to my father's words, his refusal to accept the arrangement.

Why was he being so stubborn? Didn't he care that I was happy? Didn't he want me to have a good life?

I sighed inwardly, feeling a sense of sadness. I knew my father loved me, but sometimes I wondered if he really understood me.

Leo's voice broke into my thoughts, his tone calm and even. "Lisa, let's go over the plans for tomorrow one more time."

I nodded, trying to shake off my worries. "Okay," I said, forcing a smile.

As we went over the plans, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. What would tomorrow bring? Would my father's behavior cause more tension?

I pushed the thoughts aside, trying to focus on the present moment. But my mind kept wandering back to my father's words, his refusal to accept the arrangement.

Why was he being so stubborn? Didn't he care that I was happy? Didn't he want me to have a good life?

The questions swirled in my mind, making it hard to concentrate. But I knew I had to try, for Leo's sake, for our sake.

As the evening wore on, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. My father's words kept echoing in my mind, his refusal to accept the arrangement.

I tried to focus on the conversation, but my mind kept wandering back to the tension between my father and Leo. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I had hoped that my father would at least try to understand.

Leo seemed to sense my distraction, his eyes flicking towards me with concern. "Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and gentle.

I nodded, trying to reassure him. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile.

But Leo wasn't convinced. He reached out, his hand brushing against mine. "Lisa, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

I sighed, feeling a lump form in my throat. "It's just my father," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "He's still being so stubborn, refusing to accept us."

Leo's expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding. "I know it's hard," he said, his voice gentle. "But we'll get through this, together."

I nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude towards him. He was always so calm, so reassuring. I didn't know what I would do without him.

As the evening drew to a close, I couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. What would tomorrow bring? Would my father's behavior cause more tension?

I pushed the thoughts aside, trying to focus on the present moment. But my mind kept wandering back to my father's words, his refusal to accept the arrangement.

Why was he being so stubborn? Didn't he care that I was happy? Didn't he want me to have a good life?

The questions swirled in my mind, making it hard to sleep. But I knew I had to try, for Leo's sake, for our sake.

I lay in bed, my mind racing with thoughts of my father's behavior. He had no idea that the wedding was tomorrow, and I wasn't about to remind him. Let him do what he likes, I thought bitterly. He doesn't want me anymore, so why should I care?

I felt a surge of anger and hurt, thinking about how my father had reacted to the arrangement. He didn't even want to try to understand, didn't even want to meet Leo. It was like he had written me off, like I was no longer his daughter.

I turned over, trying to shake off the thoughts. But they lingered, festering in my mind like an open wound. Why didn't he care? Why didn't he want me?

I thought back to all the times I had tried to please him, all the times I had tried to be the daughter he wanted me to be. But it was never good enough, never enough to make him happy.

And now, he didn't even want me. He didn't want to be a part of my life, didn't want to know me.

I felt a lump form in my throat, thinking about it. I was angry, so angry, but I was also hurt. I was hurt that my father didn't care, hurt that he didn't want me.

I lay there for a long time, my mind racing with thoughts and emotions. But eventually, I drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the turmoil in my mind.

The next morning, I woke up feeling numb. I didn't want to think about my father, didn't want to think about our conversation. I just wanted to get through the day, do what I had to do.

I got dressed and went downstairs, trying to avoid thinking about my father. But it was hard, so hard. His words kept echoing in my mind, his refusal to accept me.

As I walked downstairs, I was greeted by the sight of Leo sprawled out on the couch, surrounded by bags of chips, cookies, and other junk food. He was munching away, seemingly oblivious to the chaos that had erupted in my mind.

I shook my head, trying to clear the thoughts. "Leo, what are you doing?" I asked, trying to sound lighthearted. "You're going to make yourself sick eating all that junk."

Leo looked up, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hey, I'm stressed, okay? I need some comfort food."

I raised an eyebrow. "Stressed? What do you have to be stressed about?"

Leo shrugged. "Just everything, I guess. Your dad, the situation...I don't know, it's just a lot to deal with."

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. I had been so caught up in my own emotions, I hadn't stopped to think about how Leo was feeling.

I sat down beside him, picking up a cookie. "Yeah, I know what you mean," I said, taking a bite.

Leo looked at me, his expression serious. "Lisa, you need to tell your dad about tomorrow," he said, his voice firm.

I shook my head, feeling a surge of resistance. "No, Leo, I don't want to. He doesn't want to know, and I don't want to deal with it."

Leo sighed, putting down his bag of chips. "Lisa, come on. He's your father. He deserves to know."

I felt a lump form in my throat, thinking about my father's words. "He doesn't want me, Leo," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "He doesn't want to be a part of my life."

Leo's expression softened, his eyes filled with compassion. "I know, baby," he said, putting his arm around me. "But you still need to tell him. For your sake, not his."

I looked up at him, feeling a surge of gratitude. He was right, as always. I needed to do this, no matter how hard it was.

I took a deep breath and dialed my father's number, my heart racing with anticipation. Leo was right, I needed to tell him, no matter how hard it was.

"Hello?" my father's voice boomed on the other end of the line.

"Dad, it's me," I said, trying to sound calm. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" he growled, his tone already hostile.

I hesitated, wondering if I should just hang up. But something inside me pushed me to continue. "I just wanted to let you know that...that I'm getting married tomorrow," I said, the words tumbling out of my mouth.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I thought he had hung up. But then his voice came back, angrier than ever. "You're what?" he thundered. "You're actually going through with this?"

I felt a surge of fear, but I stood my ground. "Yes, Dad, I am," I said, trying to sound firm.

"Well, I'll be there," he snarled. "But I'll leave immediately after the event. I don't want to be a part of this farce."

I felt a lump form in my throat, thinking about his words. He was still so angry, still so unwilling to accept me.

I turned to Leo, who was watching me with concern. "You see?" I said, shaking my head. "I told you he wouldn't understand."

Leo's expression softened, his eyes filled with compassion. "I'm sorry, baby," he said, putting his arm around me. "But we knew this might happen."

I nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude towards him. He was right, we had known this might happen. But it still hurt, still felt like a punch to the gut.

I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the emotions. I couldn't let my father's anger get to me, not now, not when I was so close to happiness.

"Let's just get through this," I said, looking at Leo. "Let's just get through tomorrow and then we can move on with our lives."