Chapter 17: are you married?

Are you married?

The car ride will probably take about an hour or less depending on the traffic. Just as before I close my eyes Tim calls me. "Mr. Mark." I look at him as I respond to his call. We look at each other through the rear view mirror and he continues.

"Are you married Mr. Mark?" He asks and I respond to his question. "Yes Tim I am married but have not announced it as yet." I say this with a wide grin on my face and I see him going in to a temporary daze. He continues probing me.

"Is the lucky lady Miss. Celia? You seem to be very much in love with your wife." He states. Like come on man of course I am in love with my wife. She is the first girl I planned to marry before I lost her due to her supposed death. Now that she is back I'm glad I married her.

"No. I'm afraid I did not marry Celia. My wifes name is Lilly."

"Gasp!" That is Ria gasping and I turn to look at her. "What's wrong Ria?" I ask her looking at her as if I don't understand what is going on. "Are you not engaged to Miss. Celia?"

She asked and Oh! My gosh! It looks like she is not even aware of what is going on with her cousin sister. I wonder if she is also not aware that Tim and Celia are an item, well it will be good for her if that's the case. I hope that she is not part of their scheme but a good friend to Lilly.

"Well yes I was engaged to her but it did not work out." I respond. "It did not work out? How?" She probes obviously hard hit by the answer I just gave to her. "She is not the woman I thought she was." I continue…

"Some time ago I suspected that she is two-timing me but I went on business trip before investigating it but on way back I found her in bed with some guy. She had even the audacity to sleep on my bed with that guy and in my condo for that matter."

I look at Tim as I relate that event to Ria and boy he is so tense and I continue. "I wanted us to talk about her affair and find out if it's really true but I got my face slapped that day. It is better if one does not know but after seeing her in bed with another man that day, our relationship cannot continue can it? So I left. We broke up that day and my dad got me married to Lilly soon after that."

I look at her and she looks more puzzled. "So you had an arranged marriage?" She asked not believing what I just told her. "Not necessary." I explain. "I always wanted to marry this girl since we were kids but she disappeared in an accident many years ago and pronounced dead. She was found a few months back and brought back to us and since dad was against me marrying Celia so when I told him what happened Celia and me. He summoned me back home that day and when I got there I found everything ready for my wedding so I got married."

"What? You mean you had no choice? How can your dad do that to you? I mean what about your rights?" She fires those questions being a bit hysterical.

I Chuckle. "It's alright Ria. I don't mind marrying her even under those circumstance. But you don't know my dad hey. He gave me a chance to have my choice for a wife and failed miserably so he made the choice for me. Well, so far it is the best choice." I answered and…

"Oh! My Gosh!..." she is wailing now. " My two best friends marriages are ruined…" Now it gets more confusing for me and I ask her. "What two friends? What are you crying for exactly?" I ask her with a bit of coldness in my voice.

I hand her a box of tissues and she thanks me. I let her cry her heart out and after a while she calms down. She takes a sip from the bottled water I just gave her. After that she takes a deep breath and says: "I have two friends Mr. Mark, Celia and Lydia."

"Oh!" I say and she continues. "Celia is my cousin from my mothers side. We were not close growing up but became close after I moved here a year ago and I met Lydia through her and we also became friends. We normally go shopping together.

"Lydia does not like going out much because her husband and his mother don't like it when she socialize. I wonder what kind of a man he is." I turn to look at Tim and I see him gripping the steering wheel with a bit of strength.

So my hunch tells me that Ria may be innocent in all this. She clearly is not aware that Tim and Celia are an item or know who Lilly's husband is… no was. This is amusing.

"Well…" she continues. "I am glad that Lydia's marriage ended but also sad for the divorce." Why do you feel so conflicted?" I asked feeling a bit puzzled.

"Mr. Mark, I am happy that she will no longer be associated with that man and that kind of in-laws who always find fault with everything she does. What makes me sad is that a union was broken, you won't get it Mr. Mark."

"I think I understand. When two people get married it is for a lifetime. They are supposed to be together, they should grow old together or till death but sometimes human selfishness destroys that unity and only divorce is the only way out." I see her nod her head and smiles as she agrees with me.