Chronicles of the Unforeseen
1042 Words
Zoey stood up, gazing at the tall, handsome man. She cleared her throat, scrutinizing him from head to toe.
"Wow. So handsome. Hope it's not Elijah?" she mused to herself, examining his attire.
Liam held her hands, signaling for her to sit down.
"Why are you acting like this? Can't you stay in one place? Don't you notice that people are looking at you?" Liam said.
Zoey smiled, facing Liam.
"Don't you see how he looks? Hope it's not Elijah?" she asked.
Liam shook his head.
"We all see him," he replied. "We all know that he can never be the groom, so why worry yourself?"
Zoey calmed herself down and smiled at Abigail.
The man moved forward. After reaching a point, he stopped, then faced the crowd and smiled.
"What's the groom's rich brother doing here? Hope he's not here to say anything drastic. Will I really get married to someone that's unemployed; an illegitimate man of all people? I hope he cancels the wedding. But what's going to happen to Grace if he does?" Abigail mused to herself, looking at the man.
"It can't be him. I heard that he's unemployed; the man I'm seeing is totally different from what I heard. He must be one of his rich brothers," she added, sighing heavily.
The priest emerged from the clergy room. Spotting the man, he removed his glasses.
Zoey looked surprised and was about to get up again when Liam held her hands again.
"Can you please stop it? What's your problem with Elijah? Haven't your parents made a deal with Abigail already? Will you marry someone that's unemployed? Where are you rushing to? Please stop it," he said, urging her to sit down.
Zoey sat down, gazing at Abigail's dress.
"How can I help you? Where's the groom?" The priest asked, moving closer to the young man.
The young man smiled, putting his left hand inside his pocket.
"Please, where's the groom? We have been waiting for about half an hour, and he's yet to arrive. What's wrong? Are you one of the groom's family or his brother?" The priest asked, putting his glasses back on.
"I'm Elijah; the groom," the young man announced.
Hearing this, everyone was shocked.
"You are the groom?" The priest asked rhetorically, looking at him again.
The young man shook his head.
"Yes, I am the groom," he replied.
People had already started murmuring.
"Didn't you say that your friend told you the groom is unemployed? Don't you look at his clothes? I bet he's richer than your boyfriend. That's one of the reasons why it's not good to judge people without knowing their true color " a woman said, talking to her daughter.
The daughter didn't say anything for a while. Then, she broke her silence by saying, "Don't you see how shocked people are? We are all shocked, mom. But what if the man is not the groom? Don't you see how everyone is looking at him? I bet he's just one of the groom's family; maybe his friend or someone close to him."
The mother smiled.
"Didn't you hear what he said when the priest asked him whether he's the groom or not? He replied with yes," she said.
Abigail was also surprised. She gazed at Elijah from head to toe, putting her left hand on her chest.
"Is he really my to-be husband?" she mused to herself, putting on a smile.
Zoey stood up angrily. Liam was about to stop her, but he couldn't. She quickly headed to the back, sitting beside her mom.
"Mom, what's happening? Didn't you and dad tell me that the man is unemployed? Did you just stab your own daughter in the back just to satisfy the person you adopted? Why are you so wicked? Is this the right thing to do to your only daughter?" Zoey said, her voice breaking.
"He's the one, but I didn't know he's this rich. I'm trying to understand what's happening, but I can't. Why would I stab you in the back, Zoey?" Nora replied, bringing out her phone.
She unlocked the door and opened an app. Clicking on a picture, she said, "These are the information we have about him; he's poor and unemployed. But it seems I'm seeing the opposite."
"Now, Abigail is going to get married to the person I'm supposed to marry. Does that make any sense? Do everything possible to stop the wedding," Zoey declared, noticing Abigail's gentle smile.
"Stop the wedding? Why do you want to stop the wedding? What makes you so sure that he didn't borrow the clothes he's putting on? Are you judging him by his looks? To add to that, we have already made a deal with Abigail," Nora said.
"Are you saying that I should allow your adopted daughter to marry my husband? I would rather do everything possible to end this wedding than allow her to marry him," Zoey said, biting her lips.
Elijah sighed heavily, shaking the priest's hand.
"I'm sorry for coming late. I was doing some important things at home. Can you please begin now?" he requested.
"Yes, of course," the priest replied.
The priest moved forward to Abigail.
"Bride, can you please stand here?" he requested, pointing at a circle on the floor.
Abigail didn't hesitate. She quickly went to the designated place.
"Please," the priest said, signaling to Elijah to move forward as well.
Moving closer to the spot, Abigail noticed his watch; the Patek Philippe watch, which was worth over twenty thousand dollars.
"This watch is worth over twenty thousand dollars. Someone like this can't be poor," Abigail mused to herself, gazing at the watch in his hands.
Reaching the place, Abigail looked at Elijah's face, putting on a light smile.
She closed her eyes and opened them back.
"All in all, he's good looking," she said to herself, smiling again.
Elijah examined Abigail, looking at her from head to toe.
Liam was also worried, his face burning with shame.
"Shame on you!!!" Abigail mused to herself, referring to Liam.
The priest faced the congregation. "The wedding will begin now," he announced.
Hearing this, Zoey stood up angrily.
"I must stop this wedding!!" she mused to herself, looking at the priest.
- Writer
