It all started in the Burj Khalifa, at a business meeting neither of us expected to be life-changing.
At the time, my life in Dubai was far from glamorous—I was spending every day in the hospital, taking care of my business partner after his cancer diagnosis. After weeks of exhaustion, one night, I finally said yes to a social invitation I had been dodging for months. Little did I know, that one night would change everything.
That evening, a mutual friend invited me to a crypto business meeting on the 130th floor of Burj Khalifa. Among the group was Dennis. He was quiet, observant, and had an undeniable kindness in his eyes. I’ve always been drawn to guys like that.
After the meeting, we all went down to a restaurant, and then to a crypto event. Our friends, knowing we were both single, set us up in a taxi together. That’s when I really noticed him—gentle, a little shy, and incredibly thoughtful. We bonded over our love for animals, and he showed me pictures of penguins he had seen in South America. That’s when I knew—I really, really liked this guy.
At the event, Dennis pulled the ultimate gentleman move: he drank all my champagne because he saw I didn’t want to drink. Every time the waiter brought me a new glass, Dennis casually took it from my hand. By the end of the night, he had way too much champagne “for my sake,” and I was smitten.
When he insisted on driving me home, I later realized it was completely out of his way—but that’s just Dennis. And here’s a secret: as I was getting out of the taxi, I pretended to forget my jacket… just so I had an excuse to see him again.
The next day, we had our first date. Dennis wasn’t about to waste time.
October 30, 2023, was supposed to be just another beautiful day in Bali, a mix of work and leisure—or so I thought. Looking back, I now realize how cleverly Dennis and my mom planted the idea in my head that I needed to do a location scout for our upcoming dress collection photoshoot. They made it seem like a last-minute but necessary task, and to make it even more convincing, they tied it to my birthday, saying I should take some early birthday photos since my birthday was only a few days away. It all felt logical, so I naturally went along with it. That’s how my mom and I ended up an hour away from our villa, at a stunning, secluded beach with no Wi-Fi—completely unaware of what was really being set in motion.
We found a perfect spot, but since it was midday, the lighting was too harsh for photos. I wanted to wait for better conditions, but my mom was oddly impatient, insisting we head back to our beach in time for sunset. I couldn’t understand why—this beach was stunning! Why rush back? But she seemed so determined, and since it was her vacation too, I let it go. As we left, another strange thing happened. With no internet access, my mom suddenly became very anxious, frantically leading us on a long walk just to find a signal and call a taxi. I found it odd but was too tired to question it. In the taxi, exhaustion took over, and I started dozing off—until my mom, for the first time in my life, commented on my hair! She never cared about things like that, but suddenly, she was concerned about my “messy, bushy” beach hair. Half-asleep, I dismissed it, saying I’d shower as soon as we got back. But she wouldn’t let it go. Before I knew it, she was clipping my hair back while I drifted off.
When we arrived at the villa, I was still groggy. As usual, I grabbed all my filming equipment—arms completely full—when my mom suddenly rushed after me, trying to take everything from my hands. What is she doing?! Too tired to argue, I let it slide and walked up to the villa’s porch.
Then Dennis opened the door. His smile stretched from ear to ear, brighter than usual. I mumbled a sleepy “hi,” kissed him quickly, and tried to walk past him inside. But he didn’t move. He stood there, grinning, blocking my way. Confused, I glanced at him. Then he subtly nodded toward the pool. At first, I didn’t get it. Half-asleep, half-blind from the dim light, I squinted. Something was off—the pool looked red. Slowly, the words came into focus. Sandra… Marry… My brain froze. It took a few seconds to process what was happening. Wait… this is it? This is THE moment?! As realization hit, emotions flooded in all at once—shock, happiness, confusion, excitement. The background music? “Marry You” by Bruno Mars. (My childhood crush, by the way. ) The pieces of the puzzle suddenly fit together—the strange events of the day, my mom’s urgency, the taxi ride, the hair clips! It all made sense. I started laughing, crying, and asking a million questions at once. Meanwhile, Dennis stood there, looking at me with that same 6-to-6 smile, waiting for my response. And of course, I said YES! The night didn’t end there. We shared the big news with our families and friends, and later, Dennis took me out for a private dinner—just the two of us, in an empty restaurant. We toasted countless times to our new beginning, our journey ahead, and danced our first dance as fiancés.
A night we’ll never forget.
