Has Mark gone nuts?

The chandelier was blazing with distinct light, hung right at the centre of a spacious, eminently furnished living room. Right at the centre of the room, there was a medium-sized rectangular table, a brilliantly furnished table, smooth and polished brown with 5 comforting dining chairs surrounding it. Everyone was seated with the company of someone beside them, aside from Mrs Ava, who chose to sit at the wide side of the table with nobody seated opposite her.

Mark was having Chloe seated beside him and opposite them were Mr & Mrs Hathaway.

“I want to welcome you all to this great feast, it's my utmost pleasure to have all of you present here”

Mrs Ava, comfortably seated with elegance in her stunning gown. She continued speaking with a smile on her face

“What do they say about a man who won't cross a bridge, but there is a raging fire starting from his side?”

With a gentle smile on her face, Mrs Ava throws the question to the table

“He has no choice, unless he's immune to burns, he must cross the bridge, ha ha ha ”

Mr Hathaway said with a loud laughter.

“My father-in-law doesn't obey this principle, he's sold eggheaded. One of the oldest prick I've ever met”

Mrs Ava responded

“Let's see how long he can survive the burns, if he won't cross the bridge, we must conclude he's into sorcery. And I'm sure there isn't a sorcerer in the Winthrop's”

Mrs Hathaway, adding some spice to the discussion

The whole table laughs except Mark and Chloe who were trying so hard to maintain a comfortable pose

“Without any further ado, we must proceed into what brought us here. I want to believe you are all enjoying your meal”

Silence overshadowed the whole laughter

The whole table nodded with a sign of a positive response as Mrs Ava proceeded

“Today is not just about us meeting as friends as we've always done, it's to explicitly increase the bond between us, not just as friends, but as something more.”

She articulated softly, slowly gazing at her son, Mark, who showed no sign of excitement but a dead look, and then nonchalantly proceeded to continue his meal.

“The Winthrop household has long gone without a head. Ever since my lovely Husband, Elijah Winthrop, in loving memory of him, passed away, he willed all of the property to his father, Mr Harold. Mr Harold is old now and surely, he can't run with the whole heritage to hell. So, my son, Mark, is the next in charge. My son is so diligent, distinct in all he does. Handling the whole family inheritance won't be a problem. Saying this with full confidence.”

She took a pause after a well-constructed announcement, slowly shifting her gaze from everyone round the table , and eventually taking a pause right at Mark's face.

She continued without shifting her gaze from his face

“ Mark must continue to project the Winthrops' dominance out there. Nobody can do it better than he would, nobody can take his place on this assignment, however, there is a condition that needs to be satisfied before all of this would begin to manifest.”

“Mr Harold, Mark's grandfather, he's been so unpredictable”

She smirked, shaking her head as the Hathaways looked at her with delight.

“He was brain-dead that of all conditions he's got in his locker, he chose to make Mark's marriage as the condition to make him eligible to access our family heritage, which my late husband and I had tirelessly worked for”

She paused a little bit to take a sip of her wine

“ Mark must get married, and I'm so sceptical about who my prince charming would end up with. After close research, I found nobody else worthy. Nobody else can play that role if Chloe doesn't. Mark has done his homework to not entertain reptiles in his bosom, nor have I found him dealing with low lives out there. He must have seen this day coming and prepared himself for it”

Mrs Ava, leaving Mark with a forced smile, like he's got an evil surprise. Chloe looked to her right to check Mark's reaction, the same as the whole table

“ Chloe apparently has the same philosophy as Mark.. My daughter as well has kept a very clean account in her past, brought up with the finest luxurious lifestyle you could ever imagine. A very influential lady on social media, she knows a day like this was coming and she's kept herself for it”

Mr Hathaway added. The whole table nodded while Mark was still seated, looking at absolutely nothing but his gaze fixed on it.

“Won't you say something my dear”

Mrs Ava asked with a smile on her face

“I have nothing to say. I think I need a space for fresh air. I'd be right back. ”

He responded with a very calm voice as he sat up to pick up his bag and leave

“We are not done yet!”

Mrs Ava, with a little bit of a high tone

“Seat! You must show respect to your in-laws sitting here!”

“In law?”

Mark quietly said to himself as he scoffed. After a few seconds of pause , he sat looking still and surely, you can't precisely tell what exactly was going on in his mind, but it's not something good.

“The main purpose of this feast isn't just to introduce you to your bride, it is to also hook you both together”

Chloe was smilled while she watched all of this scene play out

“In a few months from now, a marriage feast will be held. You are getting married to Chloe and surely, nobody will twist fate. So I'd like you to get to know your bride-to-be, she's so lovely and I know you are as well. ”

“You guys can choose to be excused while we continue to dine”

Mrs Ava articulated, with a smile on her face as she resumed eating. Chloe looked to her left at Mark this time around with a smile on her face hoping he pulled the first move of the communication, but Mark wasn't having any of it. He broke the whole silence with an evil smile that went further into laughter, leaving the whole table confused as the loud laughter got their attention

“I have a woman in my life, and I'm getting married to her as soon as possible”

Mrs Ava, looking confused.

“You must be joking! I won't condone any more of your disrespect again!. Not before my guests!. You don't have a woman in your life, I'm not guessing this, I know it for a fact”

Mrs Ava, speaking in a very high tone, Mark however insulated the whole rage like it was nothing with a smile.

“Tracy! , pls come over here”

Mark said, leaving the whole table guessing.

Tracy approached the table as Mark stood up and held her by the waist and deeply kissed her.

Mrs Ava jaw-dropped to her knees.

Tracy with a startled look as Mark continued kissing her. Tracy, dumbfounded and couldn't utter a single word or stop Mark. He stopped after a few seconds and faced the table.

“This is the lady I want to marry and there is absolutely nothing you guys can do about it”

Holding her by the waist as he presented Tracy to the table.

Mrs Ava still can't find a way to close her mouth, Chloe looks at Tracy with rage and tears filling her eyes. Tracy looking dumbfounded still, Mr Hathaway stood to address Mark.

“This is a disgrace, you are such a pig, Mark… a fucking pig!”

He said with rage filling his voice and panting hard

“Say whatever you want, you won't have a say in what my life would end up as.”

Mark responded as he left the table grabbing Tracy's hand. Tracy hesitantly followed him.

“I've never been disgraced in my life, this is totally unacceptable. I can't believe my whole family can be dragged into the mud this way. Having my beautiful daughter rejected in place of a Maid. Has he gone nuts? You fucking speak to you dickheaded son , Ava. What the hell!”

Mrs Hathaway spoke on the top of her voice as she watched her daughter break down in tears.

Mrs Ava, still looking dumb like she's seen a ghost.

“What are we gonna do now?”

Chloe asked

“Say something”

Mr Hathaway, angrily looking at Mrs Ava

“I'd fix it, trust me. Mark is my son. There's absolutely nothing he can do without my orders. It is fixed. Just calm down”

“Please do. Your child just crossed the line to have disregarded my whole family this way, does he really know who we are?”

Mrs Hathaway, with a strong voice.

“I'd fix it. Please stay calm”

“Let's move out of here my darling. Must have been unbearable for you”

Mrs Hathaway, holding her daughter calmly by her shoulder and taking a handkerchief to wipe her tears as they both left the building. Mr Hathaway followed as well with a bitter rage on his face