"Well, Chairman Madoff! Let's then start business! I believe that you and Miss Norton are fully geared up for the signing of the marriage agreement. And I hope each party understands the rights and the duties of the other," said Barrister Lara with great seriousness.
"Yes Barrister, my bride and I have discussed about the implications of becoming husband and wife. We are thus fully prepared to embark on this journey together," answered the tycoon.
"Alright! Let's then proceed with the signing of the marriage agreement," replied the lawyer.
"But wait a second! Where are your witnesses ? They are on the way I suppose. Without their participation, the marriage agreement will not be valid, let me warn you. In that case, you will have to sign a new contract which includes two witnesses, more precisely one witness for each party. And I believe that's not what you want. So let's make things properly one time," Barrister Lara advised.
Ben Madoff and Joanna then exchanged glances and their eyes revealed signs of worries. However, postponing their wedding to a later date was a last resort option. They had first to find two witnesses no matter who they were.
And as if the Lord had heard them, the young nurse who had gone to seek help from the cleaning service returned that very moment to Joanna's office with another young lady dressed in a purple blouse and pushing a cart filled with different kinds of cleaning materials.
"Behold! the witnesses are here, Barrister Lara!" said Ben Madoff happily before hastening to hug the young nurse and then the young worker from the cleaning service as if to welcome them.
Surprised by the unexpected hug, they nevertheless did not dare to ask for full explanations because the one who embraced them and said of them that they were his witnesses (of what? What they who were still unaware at that time), was neither more nor less than the shareholder of the city's general hospital.
Seeing that they were confused, Ben Madoff took advantage of a small moment of distraction from Barrister Lara who suddenly received a short telephone call, to approach as if nothing had happened the young nurse and the young cleaning employee in order to to beg them to be the witnesses against a reward of ten thousand dollars for each of them.
Having heard the amount of money they would receive for their role as witnesses to the circumstances, the two women were excited. The sum was equivalent to three to four month salary.
The young cleaner was the first to give her approval.
"Excellent, Sir Madoff! No problems!" she hastened to whisper discreetly to him while Barrister Lara was still busy on the phone.
"Alright, Sir Madoff! That's understood," the stunning young nurse replied in turn, while raising her thumb to also indicate her agreement.
At the same time, Barrister Lara ended her phone call and resumed the marriage agreement ceremony.
"Well, I see that every body are here. Let's then proceed with the signing of the marriage contract without further delay!" She announced with great enthusiasm before opening the yellow folder she was holding in her hand and taking out a draft document with the heading "Marriage agreement".
"And now where's the damn barrel?" The barrister said, practically getting angry as she searched her yellow folder unsuccessfully.
"Ah, there it is. I have finally found it," exclaimed Barrister Lara as she picked up her gold colored barrel.
"Sir Madoff, you are to start. Please read the marriage agreement with the utmost attention and sign at the bottom of the document," declared the lawyer, placing the paper on the wooden table near the couch before handing the gold colored barrel to the chairman of Madinvestment who hastily grabbed it.
Without delay, Ben Madoff sat down on the couch and began to peruse the terms of the marriage contract. Then without raising any objections, he signed under the very focused gaze of the other parties. After one last glance at the document, he rose up to make room for his bride.
Barrister Lara then glanced at the young woman and said: "Miss Joanna Norton, it's you now."
The director of the city's general hospital was a little shaken, not because it was her turn to sign the marriage agreement but because the barrister called her by her family name "Norton". Which had the effect of making her think of her sick mother Cecilia Norton and of her late stepfather Sean Norton.
"If only my loved ones could be here with me," reacted Joanna in a low voice as she was sitting on the couch.
She therefore began to read the marriage agreement before suddenly stopping just a few seconds later and heaving her green eyes to the roof.
Joanna then closed her eyelids and began to pray. Ben Madoff found that the young woman's ceremony was a bit too long, so he began to lose patience. He gritted his teeth and began tapping the ground with his left foot. He stared at Joanna angrily and began to call her names with a very low and inaudible tone of voice.
And suddenly, what he feared was about to happen, then came true. Joanna opened her eyelids, got up from the couch, then apologized to the other parties before leaving the office for the high class section.
"Sorry but please give me just a little moment. I must first pay a visit to my sick mother and ask for her blessing. I will be back to sign the marriage agreement as soon as she does bless me," declared Joanna, avoiding Ben Madoff's sweaty and red face.