Chapter 3
1532 Words
“I am still in shock over today's episode…” Hannah said to her husband, who lay on their king-sized bed going through his phone.
He only grunted and didn't reply.
“I wonder where he is now!” She said and threw her hands up dramatically. “He just ran off with a strange girl...”
A knock sounded on the door, cutting her off and garnering her husband's attention, who immediately rose to get the door.
Carlos stood at ease. “Edgar is here,” He said in his usual monotonous voice.
“Let me through!” Hannah exclaimed and shot out of the bed shoving Landon aside and almost colliding with Carlos who coolly stepped aside to let her through.
Landon sighed as he followed her down the hall with Carlos behind him.
Hannah was already yelling the mansion down.
“How dare you, Edgar? You made our family lose its face! What were you thinking?” She questioned, glaring at him and Rosalind who was cowering behind him in fear.
“Mother!” Edgar exclaimed, trying to calm her. “Calm down, Mother.”
“Don’t you dare ask me to calm down, young man! You...”
“Hannah, that's enough!” Landon said firmly. Hannah glared at him and went to sit on a lounge, sulking angrily.
He ignored her and turned to his errant son.
“Edgar, you have disappointed me thoroughly. You knew how important this wedding was, yet you went ahead and ruined it.”
“But father, I don't love Vivienne, Rosalind is the girl I want to marry,” Edgar explained calmly, hugging Rosalind possessively.
“Love isn't the matter here, Edgar!” Landon exclaimed in disbelief. “But the company's reputation and finance is at stake. The family's reputation is also at stake. There are a lot of losses here we have to consider.”
“You have to get married to Vivienne Renard. The alliance has to be made!” Hannah butted in from the side. “You didn't have to abandon your bride at the altar.” She scoffed.
“I can't!” Edgar groaned in frustration. “Doing that would only hurt Rosalind, and I can't bear to do that, mum.”
The couple were silent for some time, gaping in disbelief at what had come over their son until Carlos interrupted coldly.
“Sacrifices have to be made, Edgar.”
“Stay out of this...” Edgar snapped at him.
“But he is right. Sacrifices have to be made for the good of the family...” Hannah jumped up waving her hand dramatically. “Montgomery’co needs this alliance... We can't afford to lose this...”
“My happiness is at stake here!” Edgar yelled in frustration. “I love her. And I can't marry anyone else but her!”
Rosalind cowered in fear as they kept yelling, ignoring her completely.
“Son, you hardly know this girl, but you and Vivienne have been childhood best friends. You practically grew up together and you're both in love with each other. How can you let an unhealthy obsession over some...thing ruin your relationship with Vivienne?” Hannah said, looking at Rosalind with utter disgust.
“I never f*****g loved her, Mom! Rosalind is the one I love and she is the one I am going to marry or no one else!” He shouted back and stormed out through the door, dragging a shaking Rosalind behind him, ignoring his parents’ frantic calls.
.....
Edgar moodily strapped the seat belt on Rosalind. He sighed, clenching the steering wheels till his knuckles turned white. Rosalind bit her lips and nervously fiddled with her fingers.
For a while, no words were exchanged between them, making the air heavy until Rosalind couldn't bear to see him angry anymore.
“You didn't have to fight with them because of me. They are your parents.” Rosalind started in an unsteady voice. “They are your parents…and maybe they are right,” She sighed deeply, her face contouring into a sad frown.
He turned to her, his anger slowly dissipating.
“I can never compare to Vivienne…after all, I am just a poor girl without a background or anything to offer…even though it hurts, perhaps you would be better off with Vivi...” She sobbed, choking on her words.
“Hey! Hey, look at me.” Edgar said almost in a whisper and cupped her face. She sniffed and looked at him through her long lashes. “You are perfect for me and I love you just the way you are. Don't you dare suggest that ever again. Vivienne is nothing compared to you, okay?”
She smiled through her tears and nodded. “I love you too, Edgar.”
Edgar smiled and took her hand. “I apologize for my anger earlier. You must have been scared…”
“No, it's fine. I'd have been mad too if someone tried to force something I don't love on me,” She said playfully.
He smiled and turned to the steering, his gray eyes glinting with joy as he started the car.
“I want to show you my new home. It's also on this estate, a minute's walk away from my parents’. And it's beautiful with a wide lawn, a huge pool…”
Edgar ranted on, while Rosalind turned to the other side, revealing a little triumphant smile.
***
“Trending today! Billionaire Edgar Montgomery, famous CEO of Montgomery'Co, abandoned his bride; top supermodel, Vivienne Renard, at the altar due to the appearance of an unknown lady…”
A man, who looked to be in his late-twenties, switched off the TV and ran his hand through his long wavy hair, sighing loudly.
“What is she doing?”
He stood up and moved towards the coffee maker on the kitchen counter and poured himself a cup.
His muscular body flexed provocatively as he lifted the cup to his lips.
“Yo, bro! Yo, bro!” The door was banged shut as a young foreign guy in his mid-twenties barged into the room with a pretty white girl trailing behind him moodily, her emo-loner dress suiting her moody character.
He had a slight resemblance to the man in the kitchen.
“Bro! You've gotta see this!” He yelled, waving his phone around as he practically ran across the contemporary set sitting room towards the young man in the kitchen.
The white girl rolled her eyes and slumped onto a sofa.
The young man silently raised one of his brows as he nonchalantly peeped at the phone, shoved into his face.
“She's makin' wave, bro!” The younger guy exclaimed in broken English as he showed him a news report on his phone. The headline practically screamed: “Top supermodel, Vivienne Renard abandoned at the altar by the stunned groom, Billionaire Edgar Montgomery at the appearance of an unknown lady!”
The man only sighed and shook his head, shoving the younger guy aside as he went to the sitting room and took a sit near the moody girl.
“This is impor'ant, what are you shakin’ your head for?”
He ignored him and turned to the quiet girl beside him.
“What's up, babe?” He asked, his deep baritone voice reverberating through the little room.
“Come on Bee. A penny for your thoughts?” The older man nudged Bee calmly as he combed his fingers through her mop of curly hair that was dyed pink and blue.
“Leave me alone…” she drawled in her high-pitched voice.
“Come on, leave Bee alone, Anthony. Let's talk about this!” The younger guy whined, stomping his feet like a little kid.
The older guy called Anthony ignored him and continued pestering Bee.
“Bee…?!”
“Argh! Aw’rite, Anthony?” She groaned and turned to face him. “Ain’t you tired of constant hiding out? We already agreed to help her, isn't it time the f*****g rich b***h fulfilled her part of the deal?”
Anthony burst into laughter, to the annoyance of Bee and the irritation of the other guy.
“Bee, just be a little more pati...” He was trying to comfort her when the ringing of his phone on the coffee table beside them made him pause.
He checked the caller ID and gave a little smile. “Guess, who?”
He frowned and accepted the call. “How is it going over there?.. Oh… we are needed now…? Well, you sure took your time…”
His part of the conversation piqued the other two's curiosity as they waited impatiently for him to end the call.
“…I get it! You didn't have to elaborate.” Anthony snapped in a dangerously low voice and disconnected the call.
“Well?” Blaine and Bee chorused impatiently.
“We are in!” He muttered, clenching his teeth and restlessly running his hand through his long wavy hair.
“Yes!” The other two hurrahed and did a high five.
“We move at five.” Anthony snapped and went into the inner room, ignoring their playful salute.
- Writer
