Locked in Marriage 3: Forever After

Chapter Five

The children got out first and walked the carpet while their parents walked out behind them. All of their kids had become accustomed to walking red carpets and attending parties. Colton was surprised at how well they were able to normalize their situation. When they stepped out of the car the paparazzi went into a flashing frenzy. No one was expecting them to show up together and no one ever expected them to be wearing their wedding rings. They could see other people on the carpet looking at them and whispering to the people around them, but Colton and Kayla were used to the whispering and the stares.

Colton played the perfect husband very well. Kayla always knew he could play the doting husband in front of people, it was when they were behind closed doors that she was worried about. Colton held out his hand for her and helped her out of the car. She smiled at him and said thanks and they began to walk towards the sea of paparazzi. Colton buttoned up his suit and walked behind Kayla in her flowing purple gown. He always thought she looked beautiful, and now was the time to fake their love. He followed closely behind her and heard the screams of people as they passed through the mounds of security.

As they walked onto the red carpet they saw their children ahead of them posing for the cameras just like professionals. They had been able to normalize this life and for them being followed around by paparazzi and scrutinized by social media it became ordinary for them. Colton loved the attention and after a few years, Kayla became used to it as well. The photographers began yelling questions about their separation and why they were wearing their wedding rings, but neither one of them answered. Colton had taught Kayla to never answer them unless they asked you how you were. Answering that one question could never get you in trouble.

Colton hesitated, he didn't want to walk up to her and grab her, but he knew he had to. He had to keep up appearances. At that moment he believed that they were only still together because they wanted to keep up with their public life. He walked up behind Kayla and put his arm around her and pulled her in close. His heart was beating a million times a minute and he was sweating under his suit jacket. He could feel Kayla's heart beating as fast as his. She was just nervous as him about them being this close, and that made him feel less nervous.

They stared happily into the cameras as they snapped pictures of them and they continued to walk down the red carpet towards the door to enter the building. As soon as they were away from all of the people they let go of each other and began becoming distant once again. Colton followed everyone into the building and was surprised at how beautiful it was. Kayla had chandeliers hanging from the ceilings; they were beautiful 3-tier ones, like the ones they had at home. The tables had bouquets of purple and yellow flowers in the middle with white tablecloths. They were walked towards a table in the middle of the room and were seated by Kayla's army of assistants. Kayla had already run off somewhere, obviously making sure everything was to her liking.

After being seated Colton immediately ordered a few drinks for himself.

"Dad, really, you are going to start right now?" Charlotte said disapprovingly looking at her father. She gave him the same look Kayla used to give him when they were first married.

"You know it is really creepy how you can sound exactly like your mother, but look exactly like me when you say that," Colton said leaning back in his chair as the waitress brought back his drinks. "Did you want one Charlie? You are almost 21 aren't you?" He smiled as he said the last part and Charlotte reached around for his wine glass and swallowed it down in one gulp. Colton and the boys stared at her in disbelief.

"I guess I have more of you in me than I thought," she said smiling at her father who burst out laughing with his children. Kayla walked around and Colton noticed she was coming closer to the table so he grabbed the wine glass back from Charlotte and made it look like he had just drank the whole glass.