My Tragic Happy Ending

Chapter IV: Unexpected Invitation

Months of waiting for the right time to come slips like my hope. Most of the pages of my calendar were now torn like my dreams, burned in the fire of misery. I'm losing time. I'm losing hope.

But still, I'm holding on to that faint light from afar as Carol does every time she stares at my engagement ring. She's keeping it like her promise that she will never lose her faith in me so should I with my vow of taking her away; escape with her form this fate.

In hour of doubt on holding on like this, I used to stare at my sister who is full of unfailing hope.

And every time I do, I just fell ashamed of my age. I'm the elder one. I'm the young adult here, but she's the one who can handle the gloom on her shoulders.

I saw her asleep on the sofa, tired of playing with me the whole day. She had never been this tired.

She's like the sweet Sleeping Beauty of the fairytale wonderland; too good to be true.

In her world, sordid things never exist. Everything is perfect on their respective places.

She built her own dream world into reality or at least into a powerful illusion.

She's just too good for the world to understand or to understand the world.

How I wish that my education never replaced my innocence, my ability to do the thing that she is doing right now.

I was about to carry her in to her bedroom when the doorbell called my attention. I opened up the door to see our friend, Stephanie, the gold digger lover of Cedric.

"You look so shocked about my unexpected call." she noted and she came in to our house and walked in with elegance and pride even without my permission as if she knows that I won't let her in if I had a choice.

"Don't worry, Albert. I have more surprise for you. Just hold your heart on its place and well be fine." she added as she puffs her cigarette smoke and sits herself down to the sofa, next to my sleeping Myrtle.

"What is your business with me?" I asked directly in my plain annoyed manner.

She caressed my sister's hair as if making her fall asleep. That irritated me even more but I have my temper controlled.

"It's plain and simple."

Now she stood with chin up and talked closer to me.

"You want Carol; I want Cedric. You will take Carol away; I'll marry Cedric. Deal?"

I stared at her eyes with ferocity and said, "Marry Cedric or his family's business or his money?"

"Oh... Go slow! Go slow!" she said in a mocking tone as if laughing with each word.

"I forgot that you're our Alma Mater's best Psychology graduate so far! You can read my mind! Why am I explaining myself?"

She posed with her left hand on her hips, puffed another one with the cigar on her right, turned around and made a little distance.

"Him, his business, his money; what's the difference? The deal is still the same! The prizes as best actor and actress are still Carol and Cedric!"

"You're a shame! You're no human!" I exclaimed. "Carol is not someone or something to trade or to serve as trophy! Wicked!"

"Oh!" she exclaimed in her faked insulted tone.

"There you said it! I'm wicked! There's nothing more to keep my least honor from your insult." she opened up her bag and handed a black and white card to me saying,

"Here. Cedric, your best friend since childhood, wanted you to be his best man on his wedding day. That will be on the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow night will be their pre-wedding party."

"And since you left me with no choice, I'll just give you a head start."

She came closer and speaks next to my ear.

'"Be there tomorrow or see your Carol the next day in her dress... BURIAL DRESS!!! Hahahaha!!!"

She left the house with the echoes of her evil laugh.

I did nothing but to stare at her as she walks out the door with my fist clenched, crumpling the invitation card she gave me, and shunting the door close with violence after her leaving.

When I turned around to tend my sister, I was surprised to see her sitting on the sofa; awake yet still sleepy.

I guess the sound I made with the door had been enough to awake her.

"Who had been here? Are you all right? You look so irritated." she asked me.

I faked a smile and said, "The promo agents are invading our privacy too much nowadays. I just taught them a lesson in a way that they can never forget."

I lied to her... for the first time.