Liam was in a joyful mood when he heard the knock on the door. The music he was playing was not loud but lost in the music. He didn't go to open it at first, thinking it was someone in the neighbourhood doing some carpentry work. Then the knock came again. Lowering the volume of the music, he went to the door and opened it.
'Ah Diana, welcome. You came at the right time.'
Diana came into the room, surprised by the music and the mood of the place.
'What is going on.' She asked.
Liam closed the door and came to where she stood and moved his waist in front of her. She laughed and covered her face with her hands.
'Join me in dancing on the victory we have won today.'
'And what is that?'
'The park project has been stopped by order of the court.'
'Oh really.'
'Yes. Judge Turner approved the halting of the project till further notice. Since we didn't get the project, any other person who wants to have it will not enjoy the peace of it. We will make sure to frustrate the plan.'
'So no work is going on there?'
'As I speak with you, nothing is happening there.'
Diana squealed. Since Robert and co didn't get the bid, nobody should have it. Moreover that gold digger of a person named Michael should have understood his place in society and not assume that he is lord and master.
She danced with Liam. They laughed and had fun. She drank and was happy. Their bodies met and touched from time to time as they danced. The music heightened the mood and the alcohol shot them to high heavens. Soon their lips jammed and bodies wrapped around themselves. They didn't wait to get to the bedroom. There and then, they sealed their desires. By the time they had satisfied their desires, Diana couldn't talk to Liam. She felt ashamed for falling into the temptation. After picking up her clothes and wearing them, she walked out of the room and out of the house, leaving Liam who was still asleep.
'You must be mentally thinking that I will allow you to buy into my company.'
Michael flung those words at Liam. He had been standing since he came into Liam's office even though Liam had offered him a seat.
'Can business man not invest in any business he sees fit?' Liam responded calmly from his chair. He had expected Michael's visit. The move he had made had infuriated Michael and he was not sorry about it. It was a war and in war there were no rules.
'You cannot do that in my company, you moron.' Michael stomped his fist on the table in front of Liam, leaving a dent. Liam looked at the dent Michael had made and looked sternly.
'I will invest wherever I will.' Liam stood up now, their eye level equal and Michael shouted back at him.
'I will make sure that your investments are reversed.'
'You can't do that. It is against the law.'
'Then watch me. We shall know which of us the law will side with. When did you start caring about the law and what it says? I know all your shady deals and your stories involving women. They will come to light soon and the whole world will know that you are just an over pampered son of a bitch.
Liam was not having it anymore. He threw the first punch. It nearly threw Michael off but he held himself and reached across the table to pull Liam to himself. He tried to hammer blows on his face as he stood on top of Liam who was lying with his back on the table, but Liam blocked them with his arms. When Liam got the chance, he gave him a blow to his jaw. Michael staggered back, giving Liam the chance to get down from the table and face Michael. When Michael had recovered himself, he carried Liam on his shoulder and shoved him to the wall. Liam groaned and coughed and tried to hit Michael but missed. Michael tried to hit Liam with the lamp standing close by but missed. The lamp smashed when it hit a wall close by. They recovered their strength and lunged at each other, throwing blows and fists and scattering the one orderly office.
After the last time, Diana started to feel a certain kind of affection for Liam and tried once more to seduce him. Liam had come into a club in the company of some girls. Diana saw this as an opportunity and given that the lights were not bright and people were rocking their bodies against each other, she decided to go in for Liam. Diana looked around, making sure Clara was no where around and when she didn't see her, she decided to go in
Liam was enjoying himself with different women coming to him. Diana joined the dance and it was getting heated. Bodies rubbed against bodies, the DJ was given them musical bliss. Liam moved from lady to lady and then Diana, who wouldn't allow him, left. She pressed her buttocks to his groyne and more than once, shoved her breasts to his face. Liam revealed` in the acts done to him.
'I want you to do something to me.' Diana whispered into Liam's ears.
Liam looked at her and laughed.
'Meet me in the lounge.' He shouted in her ear and then gave her a white card. Diana smiled triumphantly. She had gotten access to him. An hour later, they were in his bed together, their bodies dancing to the rhythm dictating their desires. Liam's mouth was reeking of alcohol, same with Diana but she wanted this. When they were done and exhausted. They lay in bed together, both in separate corners of the bed, each looking at the ceiling. Liam was wondering how a simple dance had ended him up in bed with another woman. He shrugged and looked at Diana.
'I knew I had seen you before. It was with Clara, right?'
Diana looked at him, unsure whether to smile or not.
'Yes, it was with Clara.'
'Shit. This is not good. Please, you cannot tell Clara.'
'Do I look like a child? We both know that this is our thing, if we both want it to remain so, because you too can tell her too.'
'No I won't. We can make this out.'
Liam stood up and dressed up and wanted to dress up and go. There was fear in his eyes and actions. Then he realised this was his lounge and he stopped what he was doing and laughed at himself
'Wait, I am about to run out of my own house.' He laughed again.
'You are being afraid for no reason. Relax, we are both adults and no one has committed a crime here.'
Liam sat back in bed, took a deep breath and fell into the bed.
Michael didn't know what to do. He felt weakness in his knees and found a place to sit. Isabella has dealt him a bad hand. He didn't see this coming. Cynthia noticed her boss's sudden change in mood and approached him
'Boss what is it?' Cynthia asked. Cynthia had sent distress on Michael's face while he was answering the phone call. He knew it was not good. Has something bad happened to Isabella?
'It is fine. Isabella just ended things with me. Apparently, Amelia got to her. Tell the minister and Abraham that the wedding has been called off due to unforeseen circumstances.'
'I will sir but what about your father? What shall we tell him?'
We tell him nothing, till we get to the bottom of this matter. Warn Abraham not to tell him anything. Thank God he doesn't listen to the news or watch TV anymore.'
After about an hour, the news men and women knew that something was up. Their suspicions became real when they saw Michael step out of the courthouse. Accompanied by Cynthia, he stepped into his car and was driven away. Another figure, they imagined was part of the ceremony, but unknown to them was Abraham the family lawyer, who emerged from the court house. They called their colleagues who had stationed themselves at Isabella's hotel.
Isabella sat on her chair, in the hotel room, thinking about the possible repercussions of her decision. She had asked all the stylists and photographers to leave. After her call to Michael, she had removed her wedding dress, walked to her bedroom and flung herself on the bed. It has not occurred to her what to do in the event that she takes this path, but she felt that calling the wedding off was the right thing to do. No one should be compelled into marrying anyone, worse still, blackmailed into marrying a person whose only inclination to marry was to show power. She wanted to marry for love.
As a young girl, she had imagined a charming prince coming up to her and bending the knee when he asked for her hand in marriage. She had imagined romantic evenings spent with her lover who showers her with affection and attention, whom she can confide in and feel safe. She imagined a honeymoon in some exotic location, and starting a family, the love of her life.
Whatever the outcome of this action of hers would be, she thought to herself, she is ready to face it. She picked up her phone and dialled a number.
'Maya, I need your help.' She said,
When the phone call ended, she put on jeans pants and a hooded cardigan, packed her valuables in a backpack and waited. Five minutes later, her phone rang. It was Maya.
'Go to the back of the hotel. A car is waiting for you. Jump in. you have exactly three minutes before the news people around the hotel get to your door. I hear there are already snooping around for answers and bribing hotel staff for info.'
'Okay. Thanks.'
She donned a face cap, hurried out of the room and went for the stairs. The elevator would be an easy place to escape them. She got to the backdoor just when a group of people were walking past the stairs. She hid somewhere and allowed them to pass. Then she walked to the door and saw the car. She jumped to the back and the car drove off.
By evening of the same day, the news hit Beaumont like a tsunami. Different news stations reported different reasons for the cancellation of the wedding. The blogs were not left out and all of social media held debates where different people discussed the cancellation offering possible explanations. The mysterious writer released a special bulletin that evening, talking about the wedding cancellation.
Isabella was in the sting room of Maya's sparse apartment, watching a TV show where an on-air personality announced her wedding cancellation with the show's host. The TV occupied a large portion of the wall. The apartment was one room, consisting of a bed, a sink showing the kitchen area and a door leading to the restroom and bathroom. The window was large and showed a part of the Beaumont skyline.
Maya was making food and playing music, while Isabella was sipping coffee and watching TV. Maya covered the pot, lowered the gas and came over to sit with Isabella.
'Thank you so much for helping me.' Isabella said.
'Nah, it was nothing. We might have our differences, but you are the only friend I have had in a long time. It was a pleasure.' Maya smiled at her and looked at the TV.
'How does it feel that they are discussing you?' Maya asked, pointing to the TV.
'I don't feel any way. I am still taking it all in.'
'What are you going to do now? Are you going to make a statement to the world, explaining what happened? You have to do it before Michael does; else, his story becomes what the public will accept as truth.'
'You know all of this still feels like a shock to me. But you are right; I have to say something before he does.'
Just then Maya's phone beeped. She picked up and looked at Isabella, with sad eyes. Isabella looked at her and was perplexed.
'What is it Maya?' she asked. Maya responded, with a ring of sadness in her voice.
'I think Michael just beat you to it. His office had released a video statement.'
Michael sat in the office alone; the light was dimmed for him to reflect on the happenings of the previous hours. In the morning, he had hoped to be married therefore, averting the clause of his parent's prenuptial agreement from coming to pass. If he doesn't marry and produce an heir, his inheritance will revert to his mother's family, as a payment for the debt his family, the Solomons, owe the Arklands, his mother's family.
He didn't care about getting married but his father's insistence had made it compulsory to do so. He would like to get married and have a family; he would love to fall in love and be loved by someone, but after what his father did to them by abandoning them and running after another man, he can never trust women, and neither can he open his heart to love.
The door to the room opened. Michael raised his head as Cynthia walked in.
'The video has been released, sir.' Cynthia said.
'Good. How about Abraham? Is he coming over or does he want us to come to his office?'
'He wants us to come. If you are ready, we can leave now.'
Michael picked up his keys and left for Abraham's office. The lawyer was signing some documents when they walked in. It was almost eight in the evening. Abraham offered a drink but Michael turned it down.
'What is our fate now? Is it still going to be a problem for us?'
Abraham looked at the both. His eyes had seen long years of practice of law. In all those years, he had handled different kinds of cases but none as peculiar as this one with the Solomon family.
'We might have still had a chance had it been that your mother isn't in town and pressing for the clause to come into effect. With the wedding cancellation and all the dust it has garnered, I think the judge might be inclined to enforce it.'
'Is there something we can do to stop it, at least delay it from happening?'
'I am sorry there is nothing we can do. Once the judge approves of the petition to effect the clause, the leadership of the company reverts to your mother, including all your assets, together with the house and all that the Solomons possess in cash or assets. Worst still, your father will find out about the wedding cancellation.'
Michael shivered. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. It would break his Grandpa Robert if he hears that the wedding didn't happen.
While Michael was making a speech about how donaldation is achieving the park project, Isabella's phone vibrated. I looked at it. It was Clara. Isabella asked Luke to help her up, telling him that she wanted to redo her makeup. He nodded. When Isabella got into the bathroom, she turned up the tap at the sink and walked into a toilet booth.
'Clara what's up?' I said, trying to sound casual.
'I am surprised you remember me. Congratulations.'
Isabella smiled.
'How have you been holding since Maya's death?' clara asked
'I haven't been fine. I need help. I have been depressed and moody and broke. And you know what, I think Michael is involved.'
'I am sorry about how you feel but I don't think Michael is the one behind it. After all, it was a hit and run. You said so yourself.'
'You don't know Michael like I do. I am telling you that he is behind the hit and run. He wanted to make it look like an accident, but it is not. I wanted to tell you to be careful of the man. You don't know him like I do. He does terrible stuff to ladies.'
'Why are you telling me this?'
'Because you need to be careful and I have seen you, how you care about people even how you cared for Maya even though he wasn't a good friend. You don't deserve a man like him. Now that you are close to him, you have the opportunity now more than ever to expose him for who he really is.'