James frowns.
“I’ve had you keep your eyes on him, and then? He ran away! Today is my big day! If anything goes wrong, I won’t let you off!” Isabel is yelling at the phone over there. She never expects that someone would be hearing her.
Isabel hangs up the phone angrily, and then the phone rings again.
“Darling! I… I’m coming back!” Her voice is sickly sweet. I’m pretty sure it is Noah calling her.
James and I don’t show up until Isabel leaves. After a long time, James says to me, “Let’s go.”
I thought James is awkward at the moment.
He could not have been a son without knowing what his mother is doing out there. He wouldn’t know what Isabel has done to me that year. But she is James’ mother, what can he do to her? I follow James with a sneer.
James leads me away from the crowd and into his room.
In an instant James relaxes and collapses into bed with me in his arms.
“Get some sleep.” James closes his eyes.
“OK.” I don’t say anything. I take a warm place in James’s arms and close my eyes.
Isabel, you will see what disaster is. I will make you lose all that you have.
What does she care about most? Being Mrs. Orlando. It’s funny, but that does not belong to her at all.
I look at James and feel sad again.
It isn’t until the wedding is about to begin that James wakes up from his bed. The moment he opens his eyes, I thought they are bright.
But he doesn’t sleep at all.
“Come on.” James pulls me up.
When the wedding bell rings, James asks me to take his arm.
I look at him puzzledly.
“Take it.” James has a smile on his lips.
I could never say no to James, and I put my hand on his arm and walk in like the newlyweds.
Now all the people are looking at us.
I don’t know if I’m deluding myself, but I think James is deliberately putting me in the spotlight in the public.
I could see Salome, who viciously stares at me, while others are looking at me and at Salome and at last, their eyes fall upon James.
“Sit down.” James asks me to sit next to him.
I look back at Salome. She stares at me hatefully.
It is ridiculous to bring a woman to his mother’s wedding in front of his fiancée, and I sit quietly next to James.
I’m looking forward to that moment.
The music begins to ring out, and the crowd withdraws their eyes from us, waiting for the protagonists.
Noah takes Isabel’s hand and walks in.
The crowd applauds.
I look at Isabel and stare at her.
I don’t know what she’ll look like when she sees me. Shocked? Surprised or scared? Will she believe I am not Carolina?
I smile.
“She is my mother.” James says, “But sometimes I really wish she wasn’t.”
His voice is so low that only I could hear and understand it.
I pat his hand and say nothing.
Like a lot of wedding scenes, the master of ceremonies began to speak the auspicious words, and the crowd cheers.
Isabel finally walks to the front of the stage and looks up, and the moment she raises her eyes, she finally sees me.
She opens her mouth slightly.
I smile at her.
Surprised?
Not to be outdone, I stare at her.
Isabel is so confident that in a moment she takes control of her emotions and smiles to show her happiness.
Noah takes out the ring, a symbol of happiness and promise.
Isabel has a proper smile on her face.
“Isabel! You can’t marry him!”
Porter rushes in.
Isabel is suddenly panic. Look, this is what I am waiting for.
“Who’s that man! Get out of here now!” Isabel hides behind Noah. “Noah, I’m so scared!”
Noah defends Isabel and looks down on Porter.
Porter smiles coldly, “You’re pretending you don’t know me, right?” But he looks so painful. “You were not like this when you were screaming on my bed!”
The wedding suddenly gets excited.
“What are you talking about? Where are you from? Are you mad? I don’t even know you!” Isabel curses in panic and calls to the security guard, “Get him out of here!”
Noah’s face turns green.
I sneer and look at it.
But James never says a word.
Porter laughs, “I know you’d say that! But Isabel, you can’t be so heartless! Don’t you know what I did to you these years?”
“Noah, I don’t know what he is talking about! You have to believe me!” Isabel, no longer elegant, nervously explains.
Noah looks at her fiercely. “Tell the truth.”
“I really don’t know him! No!” At this point, Isabel is still defending herself.
Porter stares at her fondly. “I love you so much, but how could you lie to me? You promised to run away with me, but then you wanted to kill me and marry another man! Isabel, I hate you!”
“Don’t frame me! I don’t even know you!” Isabel yells awkwardly at Porter, turning to Noah and pleading, “It’s not what he says. I love you, and I don’t even know him!”
Noah pushes away Isabel and looks over Porter. “Go on.”
“I’ve known Isabel for almost 30 years. She dropped out of school since she was a little girl, and I covered for everything that happened to her. I was her first man, but soon she got to know you! She told me that she finally found a rich man. I did everything for her every day for so many years to make her happy, but what I got in return is betrayal!”
Every word of Porter is a statement of his own reluctance and perplexity. He hates Isabel, but he loves her for so many years that he thinks they’re in love, but he didn’t expect she’s just used him.
Now he sees it clearly, but the more clearly he sees, the sadder he becomes.
The guests are surprised, but are afraid of the Orlando family so they don’t dare to gossip.
“Is that true?!” Noah shakes in anger and shouts, “Say something!”
Isabel shakes her head piteously, “No, it is really not!”
“I know you won’t admit it, but do you really think that I won’t leave a way out?” Porter smiles triumphantly at Isabel.
Isabel is really scared now. She sees the smile on Porter’s face. It’s revenge and destruction.
The video wall showing Isabel and Noah’s photos has suddenly changed.
Here’s Isabel and Porter.
Porter, you’re the best. When I get the money in the Orlando family, I’m going to go away with you and we’re going to live our lives together. That old man is so annoying! You are so nice!”
Isabel is finally desperate.
Then it changes to a hallway of the fitness room.
“Did I make you comfortable yesterday, Isabel?”
“Very comfortable! I will wait for you tonight. There is some money in this card. Buy what you like. Don’t say I don’t love you.” Isabel smiles and shoves her bank card down the young man’s crotch.
“Stop it! Don’t play it! Get out of here! All get out of here!” Isabel goes crazy and shouts at everyone, “Get out of here, everyone!”
“Isabel! You are a bitch!” Noah slaps hard on her face.
Isabel falls on the floor.
The crowd leaves in disbelief, feeling shock, and even gloating.
Noah turns away in anger.
James, Isabel and Porter and I are here.
Isabel sinks to the floor. “Porter, do you want to me to die? Are you satisfied now? I have nothing!”
Porter laughs and looks at her, “My heart aches, really. I never thought you’d do that to me, last time I almost trusted you again, but what happened then? You’re still lying to me, just trying to use me again. I’m still your pawn, aren’t I? If you have loved me even for a day, it’s enough for me.”
Isabel looks up, her makeup messy, at him with hatred. “Why should I love you? Why should I fall in love with a man like you? You’re just a smelly bug! I’m sick of you. Do you think I’d look at you if you don’t work for me? Come on. Will you get real?”
“You’ve finally told the truth.” Porter’s eyes are red with tears.
“But I have loved you for so many years!”
Isabel rises slowly from the floor and smiles unsteadily at Porter. “Yes, I have stood it for so long. I love no one but myself!”
Then she suddenly turns to look at me with disgust.
“Carolina, you finally show up.” She has a smile on her lips and knows everything.
I smile back. “You’ve got the wrong person.”
James’s hand grips me hard.
“Have you framed all this? Because Porter could never have done this alone, I should have guessed you are back. You aren’t dead at all!”
“I’m not Really Carolina, I’m Carl Nida,” I say as I walk over to Isabel and hold out my hand with a smile. “Hello, nice to meet you.”
Isabel grits her teeth. “You’re so good at pretending and seducing. Why can’t my son recognize you?”
“Mom, go back.” James takes off his suit and puts it over Isabel. “I’ll take you home.”
“How silly you are. Can’t you see how cunning this woman is? How can you not recognize her when she has fooled and charmed you again and again?” Isabel takes James’s hand. “You must stop being obsessive with her!”
As I stand behind them, I am thrilled to see Isabel lose her mind.
“Mom, I can’t promise you.” James says, looking firmly back at me. “I’m going to marry her.”
My mind flutters.
“She’s Carolina, not Carl Nida. She’s been lying to you all along!” Isabel screams hysterically.
“How could I not know?” James looks at me tenderly. “I always know she is Carolina.”