My First Love Blackmailed Me Into Marriage

“Knock, knock, knock.”

The frantic rapping sliced through the thunderstorm like a blade. Aitana Nguyen, curled up on the couch and completely absorbed in a horror flick, nearly leaped out of her skin.

She shuffled to the door in her fuzzy slippers, cracking it open just enough to peer through. “Who is it?”

A man stood on the doorstep, drenched to the bone, looking more like a wraith than any of the ghosts she’d been watching on screen. It was Jaxxon Nguyen—her high school sweetheart and the boy next door.

He was soaked beyond recognition, his hair plastered to his head like mop strings. His white shirt was water-stained, his black pants flecked with mud. Despite the ten years that had sculpted his boyish features into sharp, chiseled lines and filled out his lanky teenage frame, Aitana recognized him in an instant.

“What do you need?” Aitana asked, a hint of awkwardness in her voice.

“It’s me, Jaxxon,” he rasped, his voice hoarse from the cold.

“I know. I recognized you.”

A flash of disbelief flickered through his dark eyes before he schooled his features. “I need to talk to you.”

“Okay, shoot.”

A long, thick silence stretched between them. Jaxxon’s brows furrowed, his jaw tight, lips pressed into a thin line, as if he were weighing unspeakable truths. He’d never been one for words, and it seemed that hadn’t changed. Speaking still came with a struggle.

“Well? What is it?” Aitana prompted again.

“Will you marry me?”

“…

This guy either said nothing at all, or he dropped bombshells. Aitana wondered if she’d misheard. “With who? Me?”

She wasn’t being dense. She just wanted to be crystal clear about his intentions, to avoid any crossed wires.

Jaxxon gave a tiny nod just as the motion-sensor light in the hallway clicked off. His eyes, swallowed by shadow, were impossible to read.

“And why is that?” Aitana asked, keeping her head on straight. Even with old feelings for him—her first love—stirring back to life, his bedraggled state wasn’t enough to make her lose it.

“My mom is sick.”

Plain. Simple.

“I see.”

Jaxxon didn’t need to say more for Aitana to get the picture.

Since starting college, she’d rarely come home, and she’d seen even less of Jaxxon or his mother. Her parents had let slip a few times that Jaxxon’s mom had heart trouble. Raised by his mother, Jaxxon probably wanted to give her peace of mind by tying the knot. Aitana could understand that.

Jaxxon’s mother was a kind, gentle woman who had always treated Aitana well. She was the only soul who’d known about their “secret thing,” a fact her parents were completely clueless about. Back in the school days, whenever Aitana went over to Jaxxon’s for homework help, his mom would give them space. Not that anything romantic ever went down—it really was just studying.

After Jaxxon’s mother got sick and moved into a care facility, Jaxxon went off to study in a big city, and the two families just drifted.

“Can you agree to it?” Jaxxon asked, his voice low and urgent.

“Let me think about it,” Aitana hesitated.

Without missing a beat, Jaxxon fished a wallet from his pocket, slid out two cards, and handed them over. “One’s my salary account, the other’s my side hustle. The PIN is 931111. You know what I do. It’s not much right now. There’s a mortgage on the house, but the car’s fully paid off.”

It was hands-down the most bizarre and straight-to-the-point conversation Aitana had ever had with him. She stared at the slightly damp bank cards in her hand, a weird mix of shock and unease flooding through her.

This guy has a car, a house, and, damn, he’s doing better than me.

Mimicking his move, Aitana slipped inside to grab her own bank card and handed it to him. “This is all I’ve got, but fair warning: no car, no house. Don’t say I’m dragging you down later.”

“So you’re saying yes?” Jaxxon looked genuinely startled.

Aitana nodded. “I’m not stupid. These days, you check the finances first, then the face. And honestly, you’re not lacking in either department.”

Plus, her parents would be over the moon. Jaxxon wasn’t just a familiar face from the block who’d aced every class; he was also a doctor—a steady gig that, in her parents’ eyes, was the golden ticket to happiness. Her dad, a civil servant, and her mom, a middle school teacher, were old-school like that.

Aitana wasn’t picky about her future partner’s job, but she refused to let her parents down. Not again.

“Keep your card,” Jaxxon refused her offer.

His fingers brushed against Aitana’s as he pushed it back, and she noticed how warm he was. That wasn’t Jaxxon’s normal temperature. It hadn’t been like this before.

“Are you running a fever?”

For a beat, he stayed silent, then gave a slight nod, his eyes half-lidded, pain etched on his face.

“Come in first,” Aitana said, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Marriage can wait. At least pick a better day to talk about it.” She bent down to rummage through the shoe cabinet for slippers.

Jaxxon paused, one hand already reaching for the door to close it. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

Aitana tossed the slippers at his feet, straightened up with her hands on her hips, shooting him an annoyed look. “Fine, come over tomorrow. Dress nice, and don’t forget a bouquet. And the ring better be more than five carats, or forget it.”

Jaxxon, knowing she was just messing with him, stayed quiet, his face unreadable.

“Change your shoes before you come in. Don’t gunk up my floors,” Aitana ordered, grabbing a fresh towel and a set of new men’s pajamas. She pointed to the bathroom. “Go on.”

Jaxxon didn’t take the stuff right away. He glanced at Aitana, but all he could see was the top of her hair and the pale skin of her neck peeking out from her pajama collar. Her hair wasn’t fully dry, draped over one shoulder, carrying a faint floral scent. The pajamas were modest, old-fashioned things, hiding everything except that strip of skin—still as fair and luminous as it had always been.

Aitana busied herself fussing with the items, her mind racing to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. “This is all I’ve got. Make do, okay?”

Handing him the bundle, she caught his questioning look. “They’re new. Never worn. I meant to give them to you, but… we broke up before I could,” she blurted out. Then added, “If it bugs you, there’s still time to back out.”

She meant the marriage proposal.

Jaxxon studied the royal blue silk pajamas. They were smooth, clearly pricey, and it gave him a glimpse into Aitana’s situation—working on her doctorate, zero income, but still thoughtful enough to have bought these.

“So you and him, you’re totally done?” Jaxxon asked suddenly, veering off track.

Aitana got a little flustered, unable to spit it out right away. “Just read the message I sent you.”

There was a pause on the line, Jaxxon presumably reading.

A beat later, he replied, “Got it.”

“‘Got it’ what?” Aitana wondered, frustration prickling.

Did that mean yes, or no?

“Got it, as in bring the stuff over this afternoon.”

“…You could have just said yes, you know?” Aitana said, exasperation leaking through.

Jaxxon: “Why didn’t you just ask me over the phone?”

Aitana: “…”

Caught off guard by Jaxxon’s relentless logic, Aitana tried to refocus. “Will his dad get admitted to the hospital today?”

The longer they waited, the higher the costs. She was worried about Beau Schmidt’s financial burden.

Jaxxon: “I’ll arrange a bed.”

Aitana’s eyes lit up. “Seriously?”

In a major hospital where resources were stretched thin, getting admitted fast was nearly impossible.

“Seriously,” Jaxxon confirmed. “Bring the stuff.”

Aitana clutched her phone, a swell of emotion rising in her chest. She swallowed hard, barely reining it in. “Thank you, Jaxxon.”

“No problem,” Jaxxon’s tone softened for a second, then chilled right back down. “It’s rare to hear a nice word from you.”

Aitana’s face fell in a heartbeat. Jaxxon was a pro at ruining a moment.

“Bye.” She hung up before he could answer.

She stewed harder with each passing second. What did he mean, “rare to hear a nice word”? Which one of her words wasn’t nice?

While she was swapping shoes, Lucia Flores and Bodhi Nguyen got back from their walk. Spotting Aitana with her bag, ready to bolt, Lucia asked, “Where are you off to?”

Bodhi looked just as concerned. “Your mentor making you work overtime again?”

“No, a classmate’s dad is here for treatment. I’m going to help,” Aitana said, bending over her shoes.

“What’s he being treated for?” Lucia asked.

“Leg injury.”

Without missing a beat, Lucia said, “Go find Jaxxon.”

Bodhi nodded in agreement. “Yeah, have you asked Jaxxon? Isn’t he at the hospital today? Let him take a look.”

“… Aitana gaped. “You guys seriously treat Jaxxon like he’s family or something.”

“Well, we don’t know any other doctors, and Jaxxon’s an orthopedist,” Lucia said, looking all justified, almost proud.

Aitana, helpless, admitted, “I already reached out to him.”

“So you’re going to him now?” Lucia asked.

“Yeah, I’ll pick them up first, then find him.”

Lucia nudged Bodhi. “Go grab that meat for Aitana to take to Jaxxon. Save you a trip later.”

Aitana was floored. “The roast you set aside was for Jaxxon?”

She’d been wondering why they’d separated a perfectly good pot of roast.

Lucia explained, “Your Auntie Liang did us a favor, and Jaxxon’s the one who dropped it off. We can’t just take without giving something back. Jaxxon’s swamped and doesn’t have time to cook—take it to him for dinner.”

Aitana: “…”

Before she knew it, Bodhi had everything packed into the same thermal container Lucia used to send her soup.

Spotting the familiar container, Aitana froze. “This container?”

Lucia said, “Jaxxon brought it back this morning.”

“What—? That guy…” Aitana bit her lip, irritation flaring up.

What the hell was Jaxxon playing at, basically announcing they’d been in close contact, like she’d been sending him soup all along?

Lucia looked puzzled. “He’s been helping you with your doctoral data. Isn’t this a small way to say thank you?”

Aitana was stunned. “Is that what he told you?”

“Well, yeah,” Lucia shot her a look. “Why so jumpy? You didn’t send him soup to chase after him, did you?”

“Absolutely not!” Aitana owned up, righteous. Because if she didn’t, Lucia might really think she was chasing Jaxxon with soup.

You had to kill that suspicion before it took root.

Lucia handed over the thermal container. “I don’t know if Jaxxon can handle spicy food. If not, tell him to water it down, maybe toss in some potatoes to mellow it out.”

Aitana laughed to herself. She’d thought coming home on a Saturday was the best. She’d felt so lucky to have such doting parents. Who knew they’d dote on Jaxxon even more?

Waving goodbye, Aitana took the container and headed out.

Walking out of the complex, a petty jealousy simmered inside her.

Being an only child was sweet—all the love, no sharing. Who’d have predicted Jaxxon would swoop in halfway through, making her feel like they were his real parents? But then the thought of Jaxxon losing his dad as a kid crept in, and she let the resentment go.

…

East River East River East River University Hospital was enormous, the buildings numbered up to fifteen. But despite the numbers, only thirteen stood, because some floors just didn’t exist. Like skipping the fourth floor in room numbers, it was one of those unspoken taboos.

Some mysteries, you just didn’t poke at.

During a hospital internship, a teacher had told Aitana that even though they tried to dodge those superstitions, creepy stuff still happened. Some beds, for instance, seemed cursed—every patient assigned to them never came back out. To break the “curse,” doctors would deliberately stick a young, healthy patient there.

And freakily enough, it actually worked.

…

Jaxxon’s department—Orthopedics—was in one of the buildings. Standing between two of them, Aitana texted Beau her location and waited. Soon after, her phone buzzed with a WhatsApp notification. She figured it was Beau, but when she glanced down, it was a message from Jaxxon.

Jaxxon: Where are you now?

Aitana: I'm downstairs, waiting for them to get here.

Jaxxon: I’ll come find you.

Aitana: No need. They’ll be here soon. I know where your office is; I’ll bring them up.

Jaxxon seemed to ignore that, asking instead: Which entrance are you at?

Aitana hesitated before typing: A specific entrance.

Jaxxon: On my way.

Aitana felt a mix of frustration and anticipation bubble up inside her.

“Linlin, I did what you said—held hands, hugged. Now what?”

Aitana blushed, forcing herself to sound brave. “Haven’t you kissed before? Stop wasting time.”

Jaxxon chuckled softly, tilting her chin up, his eyes swimming with warmth.

Aitana tipped her head back, drowning in Jaxxon’s intent, smoldering stare.

For what felt like forever, Jaxxon didn’t move. He just stared at her lips.

Aitana grew antsy, annoyed. “Are you gonna kiss me or what?”

Jaxxon grinned. “So eager, huh?”

Aitana turned beet red. She shoved Jaxxon, knocking his…