MY ORPHAN BRIDE

SHOWING HIS RIGHT PLACE

ALICE

"Savannah"

The more I pressured myself, the more my ears beeped. I couldn't believe that just the name of another person could hurt me so much. Hearing that name from the grandfather of the MD pushed me towards the edge of something forbidden. It hurt so deeply that tears started rolling down my eyes.

"What...what do I have to do with Sa...va..? Sav?" I questioned, even though I could hardly breathe. It then felt as if Savannah was choking me with her invisible hands. I swear that the pain this name put me through was enough to tear my soul apart.

'Go...get some water.'

'Hurry up. She's fainting.'

I tried to hold onto my consciousness even though I was losing it slowly. The mental blow was too much to handle when I had to scan throughout my memory for a person with that particular name.

....

‘Come on child, check it for yourself.'

Mr. Feong senior insisted. My hands trembled when he handed me something rugged but heavy. It was a very old photo album, the leather cover had lost its grease and shine.

'I hope you will realise the truth with what you find inside it.' He further added.

I gulped hard and breathed in heavily. I readied myself to unlock something disastrous, but still I braved myself to see what lay inside. With shaky hands, I began to follow his instructions. Flipping the pages seemed to be the hardest mission of my life.

"A young girl with a brown folder in her hands....," I couldn't unnotice the detailing of the very first photograph on the album. "Black skirt, white satin shirt and heels, a golden wristwatch, her hair tied in a neat bun. Classy."

My breathing became irregular the more I flipped the pages. It was not just a random photo album, rather it was a story-teller. Her entire life was depicted in that album, from her youthful days to her marriage and then days, probably years after.

The two pairs of eyes were constantly examining me, as if they wanted to make sure whether the diamond was real or fake.

'Mr. Feozng, I don't understand the very point of you showing me these photographs. Is she Savannah?' I asked him, trying to calm myself down even when my inner self wanted to scream and yowl.

"Wh...? Well. Yes. Yes, my child. She is Savannah." He smiled even though that smile never reached his eyes. I understood what he wanted me to understand, still a small part of me refused to accept whatever was happening there at the Fezong Mansion.

"So..." I started, trying not to escalate his anger, "Do you expect me to remember this person? Mr. Fezong?"

...

"Oh Alice, my sweet heart. I don't want you to stress over her. Let me tell you a story instead."

'About Savannah?' I fiddled with my fingers because I really wanted to know what the connection was between her and me.

"Yes." He smiled. This time I could see his pure heart smiling back at me. "It is a story from when I was young myself. Well, I was not that young, but I wasn't as old as I am." He paused only to laugh at his own joke. I reciprocated too, but I could hear my own heartbeat. I wanted to know whatever he had to say, at the earliest.

"She..." He corrected himself before starting again. "Savannah used to work in our firm ever since I can recall. She was very kind and intelligent. She was patient and very brave too."

"She had such a special personality that attracted every other person around her. And I wasn't a fool to not notice that my son had a liking to this wonderful woman too." "I was not a fool. At least I believe that."

'So, her partner in that photograph is your son?' I asked the moment I found my chance.

"I wish it was him." He sighed aloud. "My child, I was a fool to believe that fate and this destiny are in our hands. No." "Life taught me that destiny exists and that no matter how much we try, humans have no control over god's plans." There was silence in the room after that. I was focused on this story with all my heart that I even forgot where I was or with whom I was sitting at that time.

"So, I talked to Savannah one day and asked her to marry my son. I had hoped that she was going to say yes. But she refused my request." "It was then that I realised as to why my son had chosen not to approach her even when he could."

'Why? Was she arrogant? Or was she a con artist...hiding her reality?' I somehow hated what I had said about her.

"Oh, no. No" He shook his head in denial. "It was not like that. She made me realize that she had someone in her life even before she had started working at our firm. She was loyal. And I didn't force her into something she didn't want. She was just like my own daughter...A daughter I never had." With his pinky finger, he wiped the side of his eyes. "Our bond grew stronger with time. And me and my family attended her wedding. She was a guest we always looked forward to every Christmas, every new year's eve."

'You know what, Alice? There came a point in time when she even promised that her daughter would one day marry into my family.' 'But fate had other plans. We heard of her demise one day. She left this world at such a young age.'

The story of Savannah turned out to be bitter at the end. I could finally understand the reason behind his tears. He must have loved her so much to feel that kind of pain even when revisiting his memories of her.

"I am sorry." I said with a heavy heart.

'Do you really not know her?' Asked Mr. Fezong after much thinking. I could totally understand the desperation in his voice. I was not that stupid that I couldn't even realize the fact of the matter. I suspected that he mistook me for that girl in the photograph, Savanna's daughter, which I was not. I had the right to deny all those false allegations, but thinking about the now late Savannah, I felt sorrowful too. When I was undergoing all these emotions, Mr. Feong Senior was scrutinizing me with a look that asked me whether everything was going well with me.

“Mr. Fezong… I am so sorry for your loss, but if you are thinking that I am the girl, the Alice in that photograph, then I have to tell you that I am not." "Sir, I can't bear to have the thought of even being related to such an elite woman as her. She seems to have been brought up in wealth." I said, after thoughtful consideration. "Whereas, I come from an orphanage. To deceive you by taking somebody else's identity is not what I was taught at the Holy Maria Orphanage. How can I even deem fit to marry your grandson?" I could see the MD smirk at what I had to say.

"I hope you can forgive me for being of no help. And I hope I am excused, sir!" I said, even though I was not sure how I would go back home. Regardless, I began to get going.

‘Alice, wait.’

The MD called me as soon as I turned my back towards them. His voice was low and deep. I could feel chills spread down my spine. He remained silent all this while, as if he was nothing more than the walls of that room. And when he was breaking his silence, it felt as if he was better when his mouth was zipped.

“Grandfather, I will send her home. Rest assured. I will definitely take care of her. She is my responsibility from now on.” He said, holding my hand as if he had known me for ages. The old man and I hardly had time to process whatever the heck was going on. My cheeks turned hot and the hand that he held me in was sweating profusely.

“Damn it!" I cursed myself for letting myself get affected by him in ways I couldn't even imagine.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.

Once out, he pushed me away from him. He laughed, eyeing me up and down. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with me? I felt bad when he was mocking my poverty. I come from the rags when he belongs to the riches. I knew it all along. Still, I felt bitter at what he said next.

“Alice Nembang, tsk tsk tsk tsk" (shaking his head rhythmically.) Do you know what I am thinking right now? Oh! Jesus! These poor people! tsk tsk!" He laughed a little more, bending a little while holding his stomach with both his hands. It was hard to tell whether he was forcing himself to laugh that hard or whether he was trying hard to control his laughter.

“I have to tell you now or else you might fall for me. So before anything happens, I want to tell you that I have a very beautiful girlfriend. I love her a lot and I am in no mood to marry or even lay my eyes on any other woman around me."

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I hadn't even realized that he was so close to me that I could even feel his breath fanning my face. I looked the other way to ease the discomfort for a while before he took a few steps back.

"It was my grandfather who wanted me to get you here. Had I known it earlier, then I would never have brought you to our mansion, in the first place.” His voice hardened the more he added to what he had to say.

"Look, Alice, whatever I said inside was only because my grandfather needs assurance that I am obeying him. Don't take anything otherwise! Do you get it?’ He asked with furrowed brows. I chose silence because I would have all sorts of dreams in my life, but to be paired with him would be my biggest nightmare. Nonetheless, he kept his promise of getting me back home.

"Thank you for the ride, Mr. Fezong. May you have a pleasant night." I said as I entered my apartment.

"And please be assured that I have no intention of marrying a filthy rich person like you, Mr. Fezong. I have other dreams to fulfill than to be called a gold digger." I bowed as he walked away without saying anything. Maybe it was his time to remain silent. Maybe I showed him where his thoughts belonged.