The wife

The note

 "After God, fear women"

Claire was dumbstruck. It could not be. Nathan had just married his competitor and she had nothing to say about it.

The dinner was about to commence so she had plenty of time to prove Bianca was a fraud.

Wrong!

She had very little time and she remaining glued to her seat was not going to change anything.

Claire stood up and joined the new wife, her suspicion making her unable to keep a smile.

"Bianca..." There was nothing to say. Claire did not want to throw the bombshell just like that, people could still make out what she was about to spit out but Claire kept the word buried inside. There was a chance that Bianca might just be a lookalike and it was all just a misunderstanding. A thousand thoughts were scrambling her mind and Bianca feared she was about to utter a word that could ruin Nathan's marriage.

"Bianca! You look beautiful."

Luckily, Nathan's mother came to her rescue along with her bubbly nature.

"Thanks!" Bianca coyly replied.

"Now let's go get dressed for the party," Miranda said, grabbing Bianca slightly by her wrist.

Before Nathan's overbearing mom could drag her off completely, Bianca turned to face Claire,

"You wanted to say something?"

Claire paused, she badly wanted to know but she had no solid proof that Bianca was Adriana and was a spy from Transcorp. A photo could not be the only validation that Bianca was a fraud.

"Let's go get you dressed for the party!" Claire managed, keeping a plastic smile to avert suspicion.

"Ok."

  Claire could feel the guilty look in Bianca's almost innocent eyes, the lies.

If she was Adriana, why was she doing this?

It was a question she could answer if she studied Bianca closely today.

She made a mental note to keep to her word.

She had a plan and it began with Mrs. Romero. She was the only person who did not seem a bit happy about this marriage. She probably knew what was off and wasn't happy with her daughter. It made sense now.

Claire followed Miranda and Bianca towards the dressing room and when she noticed they weren't looking, she made a getaway.

  The cathedral was getting empty with guests leaving to reach Nathan's mansion where the party would take place.

Mrs. Romero wasn't going just yet, she sat alone in the front row and staring blankly at the picture of Christ placed on the altar as if asking for something.

Trusting her instinct, Claire sat next to her.

"You seem sad Mrs. Romero, why?"

Mrs. Romero hadn't noticed someone joined her and shuddered lightly when those words were spoken.

"Oh! Just sad!" She stated and went silent.

The look she had on her face informed Claire she wanted the conversation to end as quickly as possible.

"What's making you sad Mrs. Romero? Are you not happy your daughters is getting married to a well-do man....or is it something else?

Mrs. Romero cast a deep gaze at Claire who joined in the "glaring games".

"It's Bianca's father."

  She stuttered her daughter's name, Almost like she wanted to say something else.

"What about him?" Claire pressed further.

Mrs. Romero was not enjoying their small talk but she made no means to let it known.

"I just wish he was here to see his daughter getting married."

Claire was not buying her response. She needed answers and she was getting them albeit slowly. She could get the message that "Bianca's" father was probably alive and he was instrumental in the game they were playing and that was why he wasn't here and was proclaimed dead.

"What was his name?"

Claire has gotten to know from the Transcorp wiki' profile that the CEO was Adriana's father. If only Mrs. Romero made a slip-up.

"Is there anything you want from me?"

The woman suspected Claire's intentions.

"No! I just..."

The woman stood up and walked out abruptly on Claire.

"s**t!" Claire cursed when Mrs. Romero was out of sight.

There was something else she had in mind and she was willing to try it.

***

The mansion had been decorated.

The blending hue of yellow and blue made Nathan's eyes burn.

Taking another sip of the bittersweet champagne that stung his lips mildly, he wondered what he was going to do now.

The ring - an embodiment of imprisonment glittered in the bright lights, mocking him.

"f**k you!" He spat at the wedding ring which seemed to only smile more. He was dead drunk.

It was seven pm and he wasted away like he was in a bar drowning his worries. At least he was doing the latter.

Clapping forced his attention to why people were making such an awful noise.

His bride was coming down the stairs and epitome of man-made beauty.

Nathan could see his mother locking hands with her and telling her to walk slowly, cherishing the moment.

Bianca was dressed in an elegant blue gown.

It was strapless and showed enough skin to make men drool.

The gown reached down and flowed on the carpeted rug like a dancing fountain, it then twirled into shocks of midnight blue with every step she took. The whispering silver hiding amongst the indigo like stars peeping through broken slits of dark blue night.

None of his business if they wanted to do a parade but then everyone turned on him.

Was he supposed to do something?

He hiccuped. Their stares of sheer joy, he interpreted as prosecution.

They were leading him to a slaughterhouse. A beautiful and smiling one. What could he do but put on a show.

  Nathan walked up to Bianca, trying to keep a straight and collected face. The media were here after all. Each step he took, a risk of falling flat and emptying all he had drunk.

"Will you do me the honors?" Nathan asked as politely as he could be.

His stomach grumbled and he felt a deep pain in his guts. His stomach was punishing him for tainting it with impurity.

Bianca unlocked her hands from Miranda's and reached for his.

When her suckle hands touched his, Nathan felt a surge of electricity and it made him hold on to her hands refusing to let them go.

  The music began playing.

No Ordinary Love, a song by a popular R&B singer. His mother was obsessed with that music and he could only guess she was responsible for why it was being played.

All he wanted to do was sit alone but now Nathan was In the middle of the room about to be stared at for minutes straight.

His stomach condition worsened and he began to feel a bit sick.

"Is anything wrong?" Bianca quizzed, she could see how pale he looked.

He ignored her concern and proceeded to dance.

"I'm fi..."

The words barely came out before he hurled out all the contents in his stomach.

Bianca got it all. Her once beautiful gown was now covered in undigested chunks of food and champagne. To add to the awkward moment, cameras began to flash, followed by a clicking sound.

The media were taking pictures.

Bianca was stunned and her cheeks turned rouge. Two things Nathan could make out, she was either angry or humiliated but there was only a thin line separating that. It could be both.

Nathan's mother came to the rescue. She shielded Bianca from the camera and led her back upstairs to clean up.

Nathan was alone again. His wish had come true but with another disadvantage. People were laughing or just staring wide-eyed and will their mouths agape.

"Swallow me." He begged the earth silently.

Nathan walked back to his drink. He shouldn't, not after puking on Bianca but he couldn't resist. He wanted this whole night to be over as quick as possible so best he wasted away to do away with time.

The drink went down his throat burning it all the way down.

Bliss.

***

Bianca ignored any help from Miranda as she stormed into the bathroom.

Not paying attention to anything, she went right for the shower and slipped herself of the ruined dress.

That bastard!

She scrubbed the sticky yet sleek waste off under the running water.

She felt chills almost immediately the water touched her skin.

Closing her eyes, she ran her bare hands over her body, Dirty yellow liquid went down the drain getting tinted with each rain of water running down her body.

Bianca ran her fingers on the faucet, stopping the flow of the screaming water.

A towel was already hung out on a rack and she robed her naked body with it.

Bianca noticed a note peeking under the door and picked it out of sheer curiosity.

Why had she even picked it up?

It did feel like someone slipped it there just when she entered.

What could be in it?

She unwrapped the content and read.

"Adriana."

No! No! No! Someone knew.