They had enjoyed peace and harmony as a family, and any wrong move could affect the children and grandchildren adversely. So, she never bothered to honor him by replying to his message. Nevertheless, she carefully organized the bride and her train and led them to the registry.
At Arthur’s Apartment.
“Father,” Julie called out and her fifty-eight years old father looked up.
“Yes, Julie,” he answered.
“Look at the time. We should be on our way,” she informed him.
“Oh! Let’s go, then.”
Arthur and his beautifully dressed daughter got into his car and he turned on the ignition. Before they drove off, he looked at Nichole’s apartment and discovered that she had gone.
He concealed his disappointment and asked, “So, your Mom has gone?”
“Yes, Father. You don’t expect that they should still be at home by now. Do you?”
“Not at all. She is an excellent organizer who would not want to arrive late at any event.”
“You are right, Father.”
He had hoped that they would go in convoy. While Julie would join the train, he would come behind the train with Nichole and they would begin to get familiar with each other. After he promised his daughter the previous night, ‘I will give it a thought if that will make you happy,’ his thought went to Nichole. She was the only woman close to him apart from his secretary, whom he inherited from his late brother, Mr. Williams Bailey. He had been so busy with work since he took over as the President of the Bailey International Conglomerates seven years ago that he never gave his emotions a thought. Now, Julie’s suggestion had motivated him to love again, and that woman must be Nichole.
Subsequently, he arrived at the registry with Julie to discover that everyone who needed to be present at the ceremony had arrived, especially some members of his staff whom he had invited. He felt odd because he was supposed to be the first to arrive as the father of the groom. He searched around for Nichole and found her seated at a seat designated for the parents of the groom. Furthermore, he cheerfully took his seat on the empty seat beside her as the father of the groom. Nichole joyously smiled to cover up and welcomed him, which gave the children joy without suspecting anything. At that point, Mr. And Mrs. McGregor were seated happily. Soon the wedding commenced.
Louis got to the registry by 12:15 PM, as he anticipated, walked in vivaciously with his white suit, and mumbled happily, ‘At last, I am here.’
However, to his dismay, the registrar joyously announced, “You may kiss the bride.”
‘Wow! So soon?’ He thought and looked at his time. It was 12:16 pm. Therefore, he joined the witnesses in clapping as the couple engaged in a fervid kiss. He took advantage of the clapping session to look around to see the people present. Then, he saw the faces he was familiar with and gave them a nod, especially Julie, who was a few seats away from him.
Furthermore, he saw a couple he least expected to see. The couple he had been looking for in Cairo and beyond. They were sitting on the seats meant for the bride’s parents.
The very couple who almost got him into trouble. Now, he was aghast.
‘What is happening? Why are they here?’ He asked himself. At that moment, many questions clouded his mind at once, oblivious of how to get the answer. Now, the kissing session had ended, and the couple faced the audience.
The Registrar faced the audience as well and announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, the latest couple in town.”
The audience hysterically clapped. Now, Louis was able to see the bride. She was smiling heartily in her white apparel, just as he saw her in his dream. He was disoriented and could not say anything apart from, “Olivia?”
Likewise, he took a deep breath and blinked his eyes several times before he took another look at her. “This is Olivia, no doubt,” he concluded and quietly walked out of the registry.
The first thing that came to his mind as he was walking, was to inform Dr. Kadon Quain, the only person aware of his plight.
‘I need to let Dr. Quain know about this. At least, I owe him that,’ he resolved despite his despondency.
Although he was not aware whether it was the right thing to do, in his befuddled state, that was the only thing he could do. Then, he called his line, and it connected at once.
“Hello, Mr. Bailey. Good to hear from you,” he greeted him cheerily.
“Good day, Dr. Quain. I feel you should be aware of this. I have found the lady that I’m looking for.”
“Oh! That is …?”
Louis was desperate to pour out his mind. He cut him short and announced, “She got married today to my cousin brother, Denise. See you later.”
(Cut)
Louis conducted himself impeccably, which was strange to him, too. He could now make meaning out of the dream he had some nights ago.
“So, Denise was the man with the white apparel?” He muttered, got into the car, drove it back to his compound, and parked.
Then, he got into the house while Denise’s staff members cast him a questioning look and asked.
“Welcome back, Mr. Bailey,” John greeted him but he pretended not to hear him.
“Is the ceremony over?” Caleb asked him just to get his attention.
Louis only smiled at them without a word and walked to the guest room. Then, he pulled off the white suit and hung it on the thick wooden hanger to let it get some fresh air. Afterward, he dressed up in his clothes, picked up his belongings, and moved. John and Caleb looked at him until he disappeared from their sight.
“Why is he not answering us?” Caleb asked in despondency.
John only shook his head.
At The Registry.
When Dr. Quain’s phone rang, he picked up the call. The sound was swallowed by the hysterical clapping from the audience, which did not cause him any embarrassment. At that point, the people around him watched as he walked out of the door to speak with the caller. To their surprise, his phone fell off his hand Immediately. He picked it up at once and tried to call back, but he could not.
Therefore, he had to switch off his phone and turn it on. Before he could call again, Louis, who was not aware that he was at the registry and was on his way back to Heathrow Airport to catch up with the 3 O’Clock flight back to Cairo, had turned off his phone.
Now, Dr. Quain was visibly restless. At that moment, the couple, and some witnesses were signing the register. At last, the Registrar handed over the certificate to them. Then, the doctor looked at the bride, who was smiling happily again, and asked himself, ‘Is she not aware that she had killed someone? The man who loved her so much.’
Presently, nothing was meaningful to him at the ceremony and he decided to leave. He walked to Mr. Bailey, who had just got out from signing the register and requested, “Excuse me, Boss. I would love to be on my way, please.”
Now, Mr. Bailey, who noticed that he had been uneasy since his phone fell off from his hand, interrogated him, “I hope there is no emergency, Doctor? I noticed when your phone fell off your hand.”
Nevertheless, Dr. Quain gave a false smile and simply replied, “You are right, Mr. Bailey, but I have to leave.”