CHAPTER 3: AND IT ALL CAME TUMBLING DOWN.
1404 Words
GEORGE.
“George! George! Calm down!”
“Leave me alone!” I snarl as I shook the hand off my shoulder.
I storm up the stairs before barging into the hall where the party is still in full swing.
“GENNY!” I roar.
It is enough to bring everything to a sudden, screeching halt.
People clear away and make a path for me as I storm through them, my eyes searching for the snake.
“SHOW YOURSELF, YOU SNAKE.!” I continued.
“George!” My mother snaps as she hurries to me. “Why are you screaming and saying such terrible things about her?”
“Not now, mother! Where is she?”
“Ge-”
“I am here,” the b***h herself calls as she comes out of the crowd. Her eyes are in a wrinkle as she looks at me in concern. “George? What is it? What happened?” She asks as she reaches for me.
The words are a stark reminder of the same way Deidre had asked me all those years ago.
It is enough to make me livid.
“Don't touch me!” I snarl as I slap her hands away from me. “How long were you going to keep up this charade? Huh!”
“Charade”
“Yes, charade. Of being a dignified, honorable woman. To think I felt guilty towards you. You are a demon!”
“George!”
“Don't, mother. Don't defend her. She doesn't deserve it. I was about to marry a snake.”
“Was?” Her mother repeats as she and her father join her side. “What does that mean?”
“It means the engagement is off,” I tell them. “There is no way in hell, I would call this creature my wife.”
“George,” she calls as she tries to reach for me again. “We can talk about this, let's go somewhere private.”
“There is nothing to talk about!”
I am vaguely aware of the rest of my friends coming up behind me, lending their silent support.
“You ruined my life! And you had the audacity to pretend you cared. Like you were offended on my behalf. How dare you?!”
“George, what is it? What happened?” My dad asks as he joins me.
“Why don't you ask her? The perfect saint.”
“There is no need to be cruel. You don't have to embarrass me or my family. I-”
“Embarrass you? Did you care when you did that to Deidre? Did you care that you were embarrassing her? Ruining her? Your fellow woman? How could you? How could you do that? How depraved are you to think of something like that? What if she had gotten hurt?!”
“But she didn't!” She screams back with a wild look in her eyes as she moves toward me. “It was just a picture. That is all. And besides, did you really think she would fit right in with us? Come on, George,” she continued with a manic smile. “She wouldn't. You and I, we are from the same cloth. We fit. We are perfect. Let's forget about this, huh? Darling?”
“Oh, my god,” Kane remarks quietly from behind me.
“She is actually insane,” Tom added.
“You… you are insane. You are a lunatic,” I say quietly as I step away from her. “I was about to marry a lunatic.”
“Don't say that about my daughter!” Her mother snaps.
“Your daughter is demented!” I snap back.
“She is not! She only did what was best for both of you.”
“Oh, my god,” Archie gasps. “There are two of them. “You dodged a bullet, man.
“You knew? You know about what she did?”
“Of course. I gave her the idea. You were having that silly dream of living with a commoner. We are of a different breed, George. I couldn't let you make a mistake, even if your parents weren't doing anything about it.
“Diana,” my mother calls quietly. “What did you do?”
“It was them, mother,” I answered, completely exhausted by what I had discovered and what is happening right now. “They set Deidre up. She never cheated on me. She… she was telling the truth. Oh, god. She was telling the truth. What… what do I do? What did I do?!” I gasp out as I crumble to the floor.
Oh god.
Deidre.
The love of my life.
I ruined my…
“George,” Kane says as he tries to get me to my feet.
“She tried, Kane. She tried to explain. I… I didn't listen. I didn't listen, Kane.”
“We will fix this. But you have to get up.”
“Yeah, man,” Mark says as he takes me by the arm. “You know the truth, now let's correct it.”
“What if she doesn't want to listen? What if she hates me? I don't even know where she is?!”
“We will find her, I promise.”
“Like hell, you will!” Genny snarls as she rushes at me and grabs my shirt
She is completely unrecognizable now. Her eyes are fully blown and erratic, her mouth twisted into an ugly sneer.
“We are getting married. You had better forget about her!”
How did I not see this?
How well did she hide this part of herself from me?
And was I going to marry her?
I indeed dodged a bullet.
I wrench her hands if me, squeezing it hard until she whimpers in pain.
“I swear it,” I began. “If you so much as come near me or any of my family or friends, I will kill you, do you understand?”
She tries to keep pulling her hand out of mine but I only Increase the pressure until she caves.
“Do you?!”
“Yes, yes, I understand clearly,” she says as I let her go. “I understand that you are weak as well as blind. I am an asset. A gem among rocks, and you are willing to throw me away over that commoner. What value could she possibly bring to your family?!”
“Honor,” my mother responded. “Honesty. Sanity. Joy to my son.”
“Mother?” I ask in surprise.
She smiles at me as she places a hand on my cheek before turning to Genny and her family. “I want you all out of my house.”
“Yvettye!” Diana exclaimed. “You can't be serious.”
“I am deadly serious,” my mom retorts. “You toyed with my son's happiness. My son! I know you have wanted to join our families but that… that is a line you shouldn't have crossed. Get out.”
“Now, now,” Genny's father says, sparking up for the first time since the start of this debacle. “Let's not be hasty. We are all friends here.”
“There is nothing hasty about this Lucas,” my dad says. “Just as you are trying to calm things down for your child, I also want the best for mine. I suggest, come Monday, we should both meet with our lawyers present.”
“Sam? Come on.”
“Now, as my wife said. Get out.”
For a few long seconds, everything is still and silent, both families having a stare off while the rest of the crowd watches .
And then with an irritated sniff, Diana grabs her daughter's hand and pulls away, her husband following.
A few seconds later, we hear the doors slam shut
“Ladies, gentlemen,” my dad begins. “We are so sorry for the show that was put in and also for wasting your time but as you have all heard, the wedding is off.”
I watch as the crowd dissipates, leaving only my family and friends.
“So, son. What do you want to do now?” My dad asks.
“I am going to find Deidre. And beg her to take me back.”
- Writer
