C” š± Shayla Finally Tells Amber That Anthony Proposed to Her for Marriageā¦ But What Happens Next Leaves Everyone Shocked š Full Twist Below š
š± Shayla Finally Tells Amber That Anthony Proposed to Her for Marriageā¦ But What Happens Next Leaves Everyone Shocked
INT. AMBERāS APARTMENT ā EVENING
Rain taps softly against the windows. Amber sits cross-legged on the couch scrolling through her phone while the TV plays quietly in the background. Thereās a knock at the door.
AMBER:
Itās open!
The door creaks open. Shayla steps inside slowly, clutching her purse with both hands.
AMBER:
Girl, why do you look like you just witnessed a crime?
SHAYLA:
Iā¦ need to tell you something.
Amber immediately lowers her phone.
AMBER:
Okay now Iām nervous.
Shayla forces a weak smile but says nothing.
AMBER:
Wait. Is somebody hurt?
SHAYLA:
No.
AMBER:
Are you hurt?
SHAYLA:
No.
AMBER:
Then why are you acting like the world is ending?
Shayla sits down carefully across from her.
SHAYLA:
Because I donāt know how youāre gonna react.
AMBER:
React to what?
Long pause.
SHAYLA:
Anthony proposed to me.
Silence.
Amber blinks once.
AMBER:
ā¦What?
SHAYLA:
Last night.
AMBER:
Anthonyā¦ proposed.
SHAYLA:
Yeah.
AMBER:
Likeā¦ marriage proposed?
SHAYLA:
Yes, Amber. Marriage.
Amber stares at her in disbelief.
AMBER:
No.
SHAYLA:
Itās true.
AMBER:
Anthony who swore heād ānever get marriedā? THAT Anthony?
SHAYLA:
That exact Anthony.
AMBER:
The same Anthony who said relationships were ājust expensive stressā?
SHAYLA:
Yep.
AMBER:
The same man who forgot your birthday TWICE?
SHAYLA:
Okay can we not revisit every trauma right now?
Amber stands abruptly.
AMBER:
Iām sorry, I justāWHAT?!
Shayla nervously twists the ring on her finger.
SHAYLA:
I didnāt know how to tell you.
AMBER:
When did this even happen?!
SHAYLA:
At dinner.
AMBER:
What dinner?!
SHAYLA:
The anniversary dinner I told you about.
AMBER:
YOU LEFT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART!
SHAYLA:
Because I was panicking!
Amber notices the ring for the first time.
AMBER:
Oh my Godā¦
She grabs Shaylaās hand.
AMBER:
That ring is HUGE.
SHAYLA:
Amber!
AMBER:
No seriously, I can see it from space.
Shayla laughs nervously.
SHAYLA:
Can you please focus?
AMBER:
I am focused! Iām trying to understand how Anthony transformed from emotionally unavailable gremlin to fiancĆ© overnight.
Shayla sighs deeply.
SHAYLA:
Thatās exactly why Iām scared.
AMBER:
ā¦You said yes, right?
Shayla hesitates.
Amberās expression changes immediately.
AMBER:
Shayla.
SHAYLA:
I didnāt answer him.
AMBER:
YOU WHAT?!
SHAYLA:
I froze!
AMBER:
You froze during a proposal?!
SHAYLA:
What was I supposed to do?!
AMBER:
Most people say yes or no! You canāt just malfunction!
Shayla buries her face in her hands.
SHAYLA:
I KNOW!
FLASHBACK ā RESTAURANT ā THE NIGHT BEFORE
Candlelight flickers across the table. Anthony sits across from Shayla, unusually nervous.
ANTHONY:
You know Iām not good at this emotional stuff.
SHAYLA:
That sentence alone is terrifying.
Anthony chuckles weakly.
ANTHONY:
Iām serious.
He reaches into his pocket.
SHAYLA:
Anthonyā¦
He gets down on one knee.
ANTHONY:
You changed my life, Shayla. Before you, I didnāt believe in forever with anybody.
Shayla immediately tears up.
ANTHONY:
But now I canāt imagine waking up without you.
Restaurant guests start staring.
ANTHONY:
Will you marry me?
Shayla stares in complete shock.
SHAYLA:
Iā
BACK TO PRESENT.
INT. AMBERāS APARTMENT ā CONTINUOUS
AMBER:
So what happened after that?!
SHAYLA:
I cried.
AMBER:
Reasonable.
SHAYLA:
Then he panicked because I was crying.
AMBER:
Also reasonable.
SHAYLA:
Then I panicked because he was panicking.
AMBER:
This sounds like a disaster already.
SHAYLA:
And then I accidentally asked the waiter for water while Anthony was still on one knee.
Amber stares at her.
AMBER:
You what.
SHAYLA:
IT WAS STRESS!
Amber falls back onto the couch laughing hysterically.
AMBER:
OH MY GOD.
SHAYLA:
IT WASNāT FUNNY AT THE TIME!
AMBER:
Anthonyās down there proposing his soul to you and youāre ordering beverages?!
Shayla grabs a pillow and throws it at her.
SHAYLA:
STOP LAUGHING!
AMBER:
I physically cannot!
Both start laughing uncontrollably.
Then Amber notices Shaylaās face change again.
AMBER:
ā¦Wait.
SHAYLA:
What?
AMBER:
Something else happened.
Shayla goes quiet.
AMBER:
Shayla.
SHAYLA:
After dinnerā¦ Anthony told me something.
AMBER:
What?
Long silence.
SHAYLA:
He said thereās a reason he proposed now.
Amber slowly sits up straighter.
AMBER:
What kind of reason?
SHAYLA:
He got a job offer.
AMBER:
Okayā¦?
SHAYLA:
In London.
Amberās eyes widen.
AMBER:
Londonā¦ as in England London?!
SHAYLA:
Thereās another one?!
AMBER:
OH MY GOD.
SHAYLA:
Heās supposed to leave in two months.
AMBER:
Two MONTHS?!
SHAYLA:
And he asked me to go with him.
Amber is speechless.
AMBER:
Okay. Wow. That isā¦ wow.
SHAYLA:
Exactly.
AMBER:
So this isnāt just a proposal. This is your entire life changing overnight.
SHAYLA:
YES!
Shayla starts pacing.
SHAYLA:
My familyās here. My jobās here. YOUāRE here.
AMBER:
Heyā¦
SHAYLA:
And what if we move there and everything falls apart? What if he changes his mind? What if I ruin my whole life chasing some fantasy?
AMBER:
Shaylaā
SHAYLA:
What if I say no and regret it forever?!
Amber stands and grabs her shoulders.
AMBER:
Breathe.
Shayla exhales shakily.
AMBER:
Do you love him?
SHAYLA:
ā¦Yes.
AMBER:
Do you believe he loves you?
Shayla nods slowly.
SHAYLA:
Yeah.
AMBER:
Then the rest is fear talking.
SHAYLA:
Fear matters!
AMBER:
Of course it does. But fear also ruins good things if you let it make every decision.
Shayla looks overwhelmed.
SHAYLA:
I just wish I knew what the right answer was.
A sudden loud knock interrupts them.
AMBER:
Were you expecting somebody?
SHAYLA:
Noā¦
Amber walks toward the door and opens it.
Anthony is standing there. Completely soaked from the rain.
AMBER:
ā¦Oh.
ANTHONY:
Is Shayla here?
Shayla freezes instantly.
SHAYLA:
Anthony?
Anthony steps inside holding something in his hand.
ANTHONY:
Iāve been calling you for hours.
SHAYLA:
I needed time to think.
Anthony nods sadly.
ANTHONY:
Yeah. I figured.
Amber quietly backs away toward the kitchen.
AMBER:
Iām suddenly invisible.
Shayla glares at her briefly before turning back to Anthony.
SHAYLA:
You scared me.
ANTHONY:
I know.
SHAYLA:
London scared me more.
Anthony lowers his eyes.
ANTHONY:
Thatās fair.
He slowly holds out a small envelope.
SHAYLA:
Whatās that?
ANTHONY:
My contract.
She looks confused.
ANTHONY:
I turned the job down this morning.
SHAYLA:
ā¦What?
Amber nearly drops a glass in the kitchen.
AMBER:
WAIT WHAT?!
ANTHONY:
Iām not losing you for a job.
SHAYLA:
Anthony, that was your dream opportunityā
ANTHONY:
Youāre my dream opportunity.
Amber quietly mouths āOH MY GODā to herself.
SHAYLA:
Why would you do that?
ANTHONY:
Because when you didnāt answer me last nightā¦ I realized I was asking you to sacrifice everything while risking nothing myself.
Shaylaās eyes fill with tears.
ANTHONY:
That wasnāt fair.
SHAYLA:
Anthonyā¦
ANTHONY:
If we build a future, we build it together. No pressure. No forcing you to leave your life behind.
Shayla covers her mouth, emotional.
AMBER:
Okay this is sickeningly romantic.
Anthony laughs softly.
ANTHONY:
Sorry.
He turns back to Shayla.
ANTHONY:
I meant every word I said last night. But if your answer is noā¦ Iāll respect it.
Long silence.
Shayla slowly steps closer.
SHAYLA:
You really turned it down?
ANTHONY:
Yeah.
SHAYLA:
For me?
ANTHONY:
Without hesitation.
Tears roll down Shaylaās cheeks.
SHAYLA:
You idiot.
ANTHONY:
Probably.
She suddenly grabs his face and kisses him.
Amber SCREAMS from the kitchen.
AMBER:
I KNEW IT!!
Anthony pulls back, stunned.
ANTHONY:
ā¦Does that meanā
SHAYLA:
Yes.
ANTHONY:
Yesā¦?
SHAYLA:
YES, Iāll marry you!
Anthony stares at her for half a second before lifting her off the floor in excitement.
AMBER:
OH MY GOD THIS IS BETTER THAN TV.
Shayla laughs through tears.
SHAYLA:
Put me down before we both die!
Anthony sets her down but canāt stop smiling.
ANTHONY:
You have no idea how terrified I was.
SHAYLA:
Good. Suffer a little.
ANTHONY:
Fair.
Amber walks back in dramatically wiping fake tears.
AMBER:
Love wins. The economy may collapse, society may crumble, but apparently LOVE WINS.
Everyone laughs.
Anthony suddenly looks at Shayla nervously.
ANTHONY:
Soā¦ your answerās officially yes?
SHAYLA:
Anthony.
ANTHONY:
Just making sure.
She holds up her hand with the ring shining under the apartment lights.
SHAYLA:
Itās officially yes.*
FADE OUT.
