Chapter 47

The first guest came on stage full of energy and confidence. His speech was flawless and well rehearsed like a song. It intrigued us as his audience we found ourselves laughing where we were supposed to and clapping at the end of the speech.

The guests that followed were boring and their speeches quickly forgotten. They were not as captivating as the first speaker. After a few more speeches we were allowed a short break to socialize and dance.

The waiters replaced the empty glass with glasses filled with champagne. The drinks never ran dry. Some of the guests started getting drunk and behaving in a different manner than they were used to.

Some people took it to the dance floor to grind on the crotches of their spouses or plus ones while others were okay with dancing as a group. Everyone was in a joyful mood, ready to let their freak flag fly high.

I understood that some of them were parents and this was the only time they could let loose without having kids to look after. They deserved this precious time to unwind and enjoy themselves.

I enjoyed watching people while I took small sips of my drink. I didn't want to get too drunk and miss all the fun and drama that was bound to happen. Zuri and John were busy dancing near our table. They kept whispering , giggling and laughing like teenagers.

It filled me with so much joy that I got to be a part of their love story. I hoped that I would be an auntie sooner rather than later. After all we were not getting any younger and I was ready to spoil a young nephew or niece . I was bored after a few minutes of watching everyone ,so I resulted to going on Instagram and posting some insta stories.

How else will they know I was not sitting at home watching a movie?

I checked out my favorite celebrities ,my family and friends. After Instagram I went to WhatsApp, where I replied to all my messages and checked some funny status that made laugh. When I was done I kept my phone in my purse and raised my eyes to look around.

The MC asked everyone to take their seats so that the ceremony can proceed. Once everyone was settled a slide show was shown on the big screens. We watched how tusker has changed through the years to the better product that we had now. We also watched some of the customer reviews and comments about the drink.

After the presentation we all gave a big round of applause. Some of the tusker employees gave some speeches and then we were given a sample of the latest drink. I have never been a fan of beer but it tasted way better than I had expected.

During the show Zuri tapped my arm to get my attention. She asked me to escort her to the washrooms since I knew where they were. We stood and walked slowly away from the ceremony towards the washrooms.

We entered the washroom to find a woman who looked so familiar to me. I didn't know why I found her so familiar but I couldn't place where I saw her. I was very good with faces but her, I couldn't put my finger on it. She was powdering her nose very aggressively might I add.

Zuri went to use one of the stalls while I waited outside leaning casually on the wall . The woman finally finished with her nose and now she was applying a fresh layer of lipstick. One of the stalls opened slowly revealing a face I didn't expect to see.

All the blood drained from my face , leaving my face white. My hands began to tremble that I hid them behind my back. I would never give her the satisfaction of seeing me affected by her presence.

She walked slowly towards the sink and opened the tap. She washed her hands staring at me without blinking. She didn't even pretend that she was not looking at me. She moved to take a tissue to wipe her hands before she opened her big mouth.

" Well! well! What do we have here? " She said sarcastically.

It was good to see that in spite of the years I haven't seen her the sarcasm was still part of her life.

" Adeline, how have you been?" I tried smiling pretending that I actually cared for her answer.

" Better than you I suppose" she snorted.

" That's good then" I rolled my eyes.

The stall Zuri was in opened up. She came to stand next to me when she saw who I was talking to.

" I hope life has been more kind to you Zawadi" she said trying very hard to seem sincere.

" It has been, thank you. I will see you out there" I concluded this conversation making my way out of the washrooms.

I didn't think I had any more control in me. I hated Adeline. She knew how to push my buttons and make me angry. I didn't need that kind of negativity right now. I was in a good place. I had to stay clear of her from now on.

She hadn't changed much since the last time I saw her. Still beautiful on the outside but evil on the inside. Zuri found me outside after she finished washing her hands. She pulled me in for a long hug before we separated and intertwined my left hand with her right hand.

" Are you okay?" She asked concerned by my interaction with Adeline.

" Am okay" I sighed.

" Don't let her get to you. You are at a better place now than two years ago."

" I know, I will just avoid her"

" Good idea. Is it just me or does she look like Ursula from the little mermaid?"

We both burst out laughing and forgot about the small interaction. We walked back to our table hand in hand. We took our seats before the last guest was called.

" Our last guest, the owner of the hotel Mr. Marcus. " Said the MC.

Did he just say Marcus. I turned to confirm with Zuri and John only to find them staring at me with pity in their eyes. My body started trembling and my hands shaking. I was not ready to face him. I couldn't face him after everything that went down.

It might have been years but it was still fresh in my mind. Every wound that healed felt fresh again. I needed to do this so that I could move on but it doesn't make it any easier. I forced my eyes to look at the stage.

There he was, as handsome as ever ,maybe more handsome now. My eyes ravaged through his body looking and inspecting. Aging made him look even better. He had a black suit on that was working overtime to contain his muscles. He has been working out more because damn he looked good.

He took the microphone from the MC and introduced himself. He said some other things that I didn't hear as I was busy staring at him. He called someone to the stage and that made me more alert. A woman walked towards him on stage. She was glowing and beautiful. The same woman from the washrooms that I had met earlier.

He looked at her with so much love and joy in his eyes that I like I was being stabbed repeatedly in the heart.

" I wanted to introduce my girlfriend Katelyn to everyone and to also share some good news with our friends and family" he said.

My stomach felt like someone was doing flips on it as I grew nervous. My hands were visibly shaking that Zuri took one of my hands into hers. She gave me a reassuring look. I took several deep breathes before I continued listening.

" Katelyn and I would like to announce that we are pregnant with our first born child" he announced.

The crowd roared with applause, congratulations and screams celebrating their good news. I on the other hand was shocked that I forgot how to breath. My heart felt like it was beating slower and slower, my lungs started straining from the lack of enough oxygen.

" We would also like to announce that we are officially engaged" he continued.

I couldn't hear the rest of the speech as their was this ringing sound in my ears that got louder and louder. My vision started getting darker and darker before everything went black.


THE END.



Authors note:

Thank you everyone who has followed this book from day one till the finish. I appreciate it. The story of Marcus and Zawadi is far from done so their will be a book 2. Book two will be out soon, so prepare for another adventure. You can follow me on my Instagram ( eyvie_eve) where I will posting everything about the book. Love you all.
Bye❤️.