Twisted Fate

“Come off it. This is marriage. I don’t want to be bound by its shackles” Alex waved it off. The thought of it makes him want to puke out blood.

“Take your time buddy and weigh the consequences of saying no” Festus advised.

Few hours later, Alex heads to the restaurant in the company of Festus. They were going to have lunch, the same kind of lunch they went for when they met Ella.

As Alex was going to use the elevator with Festus, they sighted Ella stepping out of her office. She saw the men and quickly turned her back to them.

Ella was completely avoiding Alex. He had humiliated her and she had made up her mind to get a job elsewhere and resign from the Foster cooperation.

Sighting Alex with his friends, she doesn’t want to ever cross paths with Alex Foster if it was ever going to be possible.

“Hi Ella. Let’s go for dinner” Festus gestured, beckoning to her to come over. He knew she was yet to recover from the harsh words Alex Said to her.

But to create a free atmosphere between them both, he decided to invite her for lunch and at the same time make it appear as if Alex made up with her.

“Oh.. no. I am fine” Ella stuttered. Lunch, with this arrogant brat? No, not in her wildest Imagination. She would rather starve for an entire day than think of staying anywhere close to that fellow surnamed Foster.

“Common Ella. Don’t act modest. Let’s go”Festus declared with a tone of finality. It was not negotiable. He wasn’t asking her to make a choice.

He is giving it as a verdict and he hopes Ella will not make him lose face before Alex. He stared at her intently without blinking.

First time he looked at her intently. This woman is a beauty to behold. He’s never seen her through the eyes of a lady the few times they had met.

She would have been a lady, worthy of being seen around him. But, she has no class and she has no name to reckon with.

Ella sighed. She wanted to insist, to refuse him vehemently but he didn’t give her a chance for that. His words were full of finality, no other option but to compromise with him.

She glanced at Alex and the latter had a poker face. He glanced at her with an expressionless face. But Festus kept his eyes fixed on her.

She shrugged.

Ella was surprised when Festus made her ride with him in his car. She least expected him to treat her better than Alex.

Festus’ car was black Lexus and Alex’s car was white. The colour is the difference between them both. The two men were wealthy and from the little she had known about them, they had been friends from childhood.

She alighted from his car and walked directly behind him. Alex stepped out of his car and soon, a lady joined them.

Ella didn’t know the lady but she knew she shared a special relationship with Alex considering how he crossed his arms around her slim waist.

He was with Lisa the previous day and the next day he was with someone else. Anyways Alex Foster was rumoured to be a womaniser.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

He goes after anything in skirts. How can someone be so arrogant and at the same time be a womaniser? Such a combination will lead to his eventual ruin.

They were ushered to a private room and soon, a waitress approached them and asked them what they would want for lunch.

Alex was seated next to his girlfriend and she circled her arms around Alex’s upper arm, gently placing her head on the nook of his neck.

Ella felt she was going to choke on her saliva. Such an open affection to a man who will probably come to lunch the next day with another woman?

She is not even conscious of the fact that they were not alone. She looked down, shy that a lady can be so shameless.

“Make your choice Ella” Festus urged her. That was when Ella looked up and her eyes locked with Alex. He stared at her briefly and turned to his girlfriend, and kissed her temple.

“Snacks and a bottle of soft drink will do” Ella requested with a smile towards the waitress. She was polite and as if her smile was contagious, the waitress smiled back.

“Ok, miss,” the waitress answered. The lady appeared more sweet and modest than the one who almost wants to curl into the arms of Alex Foster.

Alex Foster had been a regular customer at the restaurant. Each time, he seemed to come with a different woman. She had lost count of how many women she had seen him with.

Alex watched Ella from his split vision. The way she smiled at the waitress. She looked really beautiful, especially when she smiled.

Festus glanced at her and smiled too. Ella’s politeness makes him like her more. He likes decent, polite ladies.

“What would you love?” Alex asked, holding her palm and giving it a soft squeeze. He smiled at her with his seductive lips and eyes, blinking.

“Chicken rice and salad” she said glaring at Ella. The woman looked too simple and didn’t appear to be Festus’ girlfriend at all.

Who is she and why is she sharing their table?

Ella felt like shooting her a hostile stare. How can a woman be not reserved? She looks slender, a blond with her cleavage clearly exposed.

She wore a heavy make-up that appeared as if she was looking rather irritating than beautiful.

Their meal was soon brought in and they all started eating. Ella ate her snacks quietly but Alex didn’t stop staring at her at intervals.

When they were through, Ella excused herself to visit the restroom. She was passing by when she stumbled upon two lovers engrossed in an intimate kissing.

Ella pretended not to see but just passed by. She wondered why two adults wouldn’t control their desire for each other and got into such an intimate act as kissing in the corridor to the restroom.

But as she passed by, a cold shiver ran through her spine. She paused. Why does she have this feeling again?

We usually have it whenever she encounters an unpleasant surprise. She carelessly glanced at the lovers and felt the man is someone familiar.

She had glanced once, but she’s going to glance at them again and this time, she would do so with an inquisitive stare.

She deliberately walked closer to the lovers and glanced at them again. She stood, and stared at them with a puzzle.

No, no this can’t be happening. No, he can’t be who she suspects him to be. He was standing with his back to her but she cannot be mistaken.

From a distance, she should be able to recognise him. He was already in town and was seeing someone else already?

No, this is just her imagination, only her imagination. It can’t be him. She had been obsessed with the thoughts of him for a while now.

That might be what is making her hallucinate. But staring at the lovers who seemed to care less about anyone and everyone going and coming, Ella blinked her eyes and pinched herself.

Yes, she’s not hallucinating.

She wants to be sure she was seeing the right person. Unable to keep staring on, she called his name:

“Bill!”