1. Men are Scum.

BETH

The time had come. It was finally here. To say I had looked forward to this my whole life would be an understatement, My boyfriend was finally going to propose to me, I would now have that sparkling engagement ring on my finger and soon become a Mrs.

I may be sounding old school or desperate but I don't really care, I love love.

I knew I was getting proposed to because well, Sam, my boyfriend had dropped a whole lot of hints even though he didn't mean to. I mean, I even saw a beautiful case with the most beautiful ring ever in his wardrobe and then he suddenly asked me out on a dinner date and told me to look good. Well... he didn't literally say that but, he was always a shy and nervous one so... yea.

And the venue he chose for the date? The famous Moon fountain! The most popular venue known for proposals in this city because of it's romantic sceneries and many more.

Only a dumb head will see all these signs and not get the hint.

I was excited, that was quite obvious and as dramatic as I could be, Lara was definitely even more dramatic.

"When he kneels and pops that will you marry me question, girl, don't disappoint me by jumping up and down like someone who is desperate for a ring, please, else I'll disown you within a twinkle of an eye." Lara said while I looked at her, confused.

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about. Am I not supposed to be happy about it? Stop being such a spoiler, okay? Remember that I'm about to get married and it deserves all the hype. When I get back, we are going to start planning the wedding with immediate effect."

" Oh my goodness. Why don't you just go and meet him in a wedding dress then, huh? Gosh, you're such a drama queen." Lara gasped in a joking manner.

"Oh come on! If that was possible, I'd do that too. By the way, are you sure that this dress is good enough for this event, I don't want to end up looking like I don't have dresses to wear to a dinner date. Do you think I should apply more make up?" I questioned for the zillionth time as I twirled around taking another look at the white dress in the lengthy mirror.

The dress waist was wide, but it was a comfortable fit. A bow had been wrapped around me and rests gently on my belly. Below the waist the dress snug around me and had a straight style. The dress reached to just below my knees and was longer at the sides and back of the dress. I looked hot, if I were to say so myself.

"Ugh! I've told you times without number that you look beautiful, both the dress and you, way too extra even. The dress is about to blind me and you can even decide to just go without makeup." Lara replied, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, hell no, to the no no no. Not everyone is comfortable with their bare face, girl, especially for a big date like this. I'm not as confidentas you." I said making her laugh.

"Whatever, just don't act this desperate in front of him. He might take you for granted." She lectured yet again.

" Oh my God, Lara! I am desperate. How else would I act if not that way, huh?" I rolled my eyes.

"Just act like you're neutral about it, okay? Don't inflate his already inflated ego even more, come on girl! By the way, I still think you're overdressed by the way. What's with this heavy makeup and shiny white dress, one might think you are wearing a wedding dress and that death trap called high heels, Beth! You might get so nervous and fall flat on your face as you walk to him!" Lara screamed.

Yea! That was my best friend since childhood at her best. She was the most experienced and lucky one between us, and the one who got all the awesome guys too. Heck, Lara had three boyfriends if not more and she didn't believe in love unlike me who was a hopeless romantic and believed that love conquers all. To Lara? That was bullshit.

"I won't fall down, Lara. Try and be positive for once, you're always allowing negativity." I replied her while she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, just come back early though!" She nagged like a mother.

"No mummy, that's not possible. I'll be with my fiancée, probably cuddling him, riding him or doing something else as gratitude for the ring, you should know that." I said as I watched Lara's face contort in disgust and disappointment as soon as I said that.

"The fact that you think a guy is doing you a favour by proposing to you disgusts me! Like what! You! An epitome of beauty, a combination of beauty, brains and sophistication, you're a whole damn spec! Dead that nonsense thought, please, for you to even say yes to it, that's gratitude!" She hyped and lectured. I smiled, my cheeks turning a shade of pink.

"Okay okay! I've heard you, woman. I have to leave now though! Before overexcitement makes me late. I'll be back with all the gist tomorrow morning!" I said as I walked out the door. My driver already had my white car packed outside the building and all I had to do was get in. He greeted me and then zoomed off.

Minutes later, we were soon at Moon Fountain. My palms suddenly got sweaty as I took one last look at myself in the makeup mirror, I applied more powder, blush and also cleaned off my excessive lip gloss as I knew that I would have to kiss him after the whole paparazzi was done.

As I took the first step out of the car, the sky rumbled and I knew that it was definitely going to rain. Despite that, I took my time to relish in the beauty of the place I was standing in, the lights around the artificial fountains glistened and I knew I could watch this for hours if permitted to. Two couples could be spotted whispering and taking selfies beside the fountain and even from where I stood, I could see the whole inside of the first floor which consisted of exotic dinner tables and an exquisite aquarium that had the most colorful fishes in it.

Thanks to the transparency, before entering, I already spotted Sam at a side of the huge aquarium, sitting and looking around impatiently. I smiled to myself.

'Someone can't wait to make me his.'

As if it was planned, as soon as I stepped into the building, the song suddenly changed to a underrated song I actually loved, it was by an artist known as Timi Dakolo.

"Like an angel in the morning, shooting star across the night, the most beautiful girl I've seen in all my life, every second spent with you is like a day that starts brand new..."

As I walked towards him amidst the song, I couldn't help but exaggerate the swaying of my hips and flipping of my hair dramatically hoping that I was giving that Queendom entrance. Sam and I locked eyes until I reached the table he was seated, It felt magical.

"Hy, have a seat." He said as he motioned to the seat in front of him. I expected him to greet me with a hug, compliment my dress and maybe even draw out the chair for me but even though he didn't do any of that, I still felt special, nothing could down my mood in anyway.

He raised his hand, beckoning for one of the waiters dressed in white shirts and black trousers or skirts. One of them came with the menu and I went through the dinner combination platters, I was torn between choosing the salted pepper chicken and wings combo and the hot and spicy chicken cantonese combo but I decided to go for the least expensive food on the menu which still cost much.

I was in awe when Sam chose the most expensive wine and food on the list. He must have really wanted to make sure everything was exotic and expensive to the end, I had thought, because Sam was not really financially buoyant to actually do something like that. He still owes me almost half a million dollars. Lara who doesn't date hustlers like she likes to call them had repeated to me several times about how getting married to him would mean I'd suffer and even fend for him my whole life, but then love is greater than all of that, isn't it?

When the waiter left to prepare what we ordered for, the silence that hung between Sam and I was deafening. I found myself eagerly waiting for him to just go ahead with it already. "You said you wanted to tell me something, Sam." I started, seeing that he wasn't going to start the conversation anytime soon.

"I want us to eat first." He simply replied.

'Oh! So the ring will be in the wine glass, right? Nice move, Sam.' I thought, getting ahead of myself as usual.

"I'd really like the DJ at our wedding to play that song as I walk down the isle than the usual here comes the bride or what do you think?" I heard myself ask as I mentally facepalmed myself for getting so ahead of myself but then it was already out. Sam looked shocked and uncomfortable as he tried to register what I just said. I found myself smirking, thinking his shock was because he was scared that I knew what he was about to do.

The waiter soon came around with our orders and I had to commend them on their fast service. I've been to restaurants that take over thirty minutes for that.

I looked through both wine glass trying to check if there was a ring in it yet while Sam dug into his food like someone who had been starved for days.

And then out of the blue, he finally spoke when he was almost done with his food.

"We should break up."

"Yes! Yes I do." That was what came out of my mouth before my brain finally registered what he actually said and as if I thought my brain must have being playing games on me, I slapped it hard.

"What... what did you just say? Come again."

"We need to break up, Elizabeth."  He repeated, deadpanned.

And then I laughed. I mean I knew where this was going, he'd act like he's going to break up with me as a prank and then just ask me to marry him.

Yeah, nice try, Sam.

"Why are you laughing? Did you not hear what I just said? I want to break up with you." He said again.

I remained unfazed.

"Ugh! Baby. Just cut the drama short already okay? I know that this would mean I'm ruining my own surprise but I already found the ring in your wardrobe and I already know that the purpose of this meeting is that you want to propose to me so let's just get it over with, okay?" I rambled on while shock was written all over Sam's face.

"Wait what?...That... that ring doesn't even belong to you, Elizabeth. It was for my girlfriend and I already proposed to her on Tuesday with that. We'd be getting married in the next two months." He said.

I was really getting tired of his pranks this time that I felt I might actually break down, these jokes of his were just too expensive, proposal or not.

"God, Sam. Stop it already."

"I'm so sorry that I gave you the wrong impression but I'm not proposing to you, I'm breaking up with you instead to focus on my fiancé, come on, Beth, I can't marry you?" He said, as if I was poop that couldn't be married.

"Wait, I'm confused. You're breaking up? Like really breaking up? This isn't a prank? You're not proposing? You can't marry me? You proposed to your girlfriend?" My voice went higher than I actually wanted it to at the last question.

"Your girlfriend that isn't me? Like another girlfriend?"

"I can't marry you, Elizabeth. It's forbidden for us to marry white girls in our family. It's either black or nothing. And I'm more of a thick girl man, Liz. You're too petite and skinny, I can't just be with you for the rest of my life." He said in a very nonchalant manner such that it took everything in me to resist the urge to actually smack him across the face.

"I'm sorry, Liz. I'm really sorry. But our time together was great anyways. I hope you don't take this too personal." He concluded and just like that, he left leaving me wondering about what the hell just happened.

And then, the waiter dropped a piece of paper on the table.

"Here's your bill ma'am." He said and left.

I picked up the piece of paper and was shocked to see the enormous amount on it.

And then I screamed.