El looked away from the mirror to stop her line of thoughts.
She called Alec to find out when he might arrive.
"I'm already here, come downstairs." He said.
The dress made her walk slowly but she managed to do it with sheer elegance.
As she was walking down the stairs, she saw Alec waiting for her, nothing else was visible in the dark dimly lit room.
He stood near the stairs wearing a tuxedo, his features got more clearer as she got closer.
They fixed their eyes on each other as she walked nearer to him.
He tenderly placed his palm on her face, lifting it up and trapping her lips with his. Looking deep into her eyes he said,
"Happy six-month anniversary, Love."
She chuckled and her eyebrows furrowed,
"Six month anniversary?" She asked in amusement. Letting out a chuckle again, she tiptoed and kissed him.
"I love you Alec".
All of a sudden, the living room was brightly lit.
"You look beguilingly beautiful, like a princess." Alec caressed her face.
His meticulously worded compliment, made her feel adored and yet it alerted her. Beguiling also meant deceptive and there was a time when she was the princess of the renowned Ford family.
El looked around and found a plethora of guests, all dressed in exquisite dresses and suits.
While the interiors were embellished with bright lights and beautiful flowers. She had met a few of the guests in various events, but most of them were unknown to her.
She wasn't used to having so many people around her.
"Don't worry, they won't be approaching us."
"You are the best." She laughed mildly and kissed his cheek.
A pleasant smile was plastered to her face all the while, which relieved Alec.
"You really like this?"
"Of Course I do, Love."
"Ricky said you'll find it lame."
She laughed again, "Well.. not exactly. I don't remember anyone throwing me even a birthday party, which is why I called everything lame. But this means a lot to me. Thank-you."
Her words emanated joy and gratitude along with a tinge of sadness.
She wasn't lying to him, she actually didn't have anyone around her to call an actual friend for four years.
Even though Mark was around he wasn't much of a friend to her for long. She hadn't met Isobelle in person from the day she left Barnesville.
Other people, like Elena and Elizabeth were only nominal friends who didn't really care about her.
She hadn't celebrated anything for four years, hence even a six-month anniversary celebration meant a lot to her.
Throughout the evening, the couple couldn't keep their hands and eyes off of each other.
"Happy anniversary, son", Fred wished Alec and El.
"Thank you dad, where is mother?"
"She didn't feel like coming."
Alec straightened his lips and nodded.
"You guys enjoy your day." Fred said, leaving the couple to themself.
"Happy anniversary Gold-digger." Ricky chimed in, he was accompanied by a middle-aged but handsome man.
"Meet my dad, Ronald Dawson.
Dad, you remember Alec, this is his wife, El Wilson." Ricky said, introducing both of them.
Both El and Ronald were stunned to see each other.
"You are 'The Ronald Dawson's son'?" El asked, her widened eyes expressed her surprise.
Ronald was a well known name in the business world. He was notorious for his clean slate business career and his secretive personal life.
Both father and son believed in living a life of humility. Even Ricky didn't flaunt the Dawson name, only his closest friends knew that he was Ronald Dawson's son.
"Let's not take more of their time Riche" Ronald said and excused himself and Ricky.
Seeing that they weren't in anyone's earshot, Ronald asked "Is she Li.. Lyla and Daniel Ford's daughter?"
Ricky was utterly stunned at his question.
Pulling him further away from the crowd, Ricky asked "Did you know her?"
"No, she looks a lot like her… like her parents."
Ronald paused before he continued the last part of his sentence.
"Oh, it never occurred to me."
Ricky informed his dad about everything about Michelle, how she ended up marrying Alec. He also told him about Dwane.
"Poor girl", Ronald sighed.
Ronald even had the thought of adopting her.
Obviously no one would dare to harm the Dawson's adopted daughter, not even Dwane.
However, dwelling deeper into it, he decided to not act on it for the time being.
"Look after her, Will you?" He asked Ricky.
"Sure dad, I've been looking after her."
A sense of pride and satisfaction swelled in Ronald's heart with Ricky's words.
"You are a good lad son, I've raised you well."
Ricky flashed a boyish smile.
"But if things go south, call me." Ronald said before they returned to the party.
They saw the couples swaying with their partners on soft romantic music.
Alec and El were at the centre of the crowd as they swayed gracefully to the music, letting the rhythm control their movements.
Soon enough, as they drowned themself into the ocean of love, they felt everything vanishing around them, they could sense no one but each other.
They had their bodies intertwined with each other and so did their souls. Their bodies acted on their own, floating to the rhythm of the music as one.
Everyone was enjoying themselves at the party, but Dwane.
Dwane sat on the corner with a glass of whiskey.
The envy he had been trying to bury all this long was ultimately overpowering him. He was envious of Alec since the day Alec was able to propitiously get married unlike himself.
He hoped they would have a nominal marriage, given the way they got married.
To his sheer disappointment, Alec and El flaunted their love from the moment he arrived at south-hills and this anniversary party was like a salt to his wound.
'All of these could have been mine, if it wasn't….' he thought about the women who left him.
He could blame Michelle for his state, hate her to death. But his agony was much more excruciating far beyond the hatred he harboured for her and yet he found himself helpless towards it.
'Am I destined to not have any kind of love in my life?' he asked himself.