5 - Let me set you free

The driver didn't opt to open the door when they arrived. They were in the public eye. Abigail nervously draped on her fur coat, which had been given her by Ivy to fight off the chilly autumn wind. Tony alighted and walked over to Abigails' side. A small smile lined his lips when he opened the door but his eyes were distant when he extended his hand towards her. Ivy's car had pulled over behind them but she couldn't offer any form of help at the moment. The couple had to solve their own problems.

The camera flashes, brighter than the sparkling lights illuminating the luxurious hotel, blinded Abigail when her side of the door opened. She could feel a thousand gazes on her, making her stiff and cramp. As if given permission, the microphones and cameras were all around her, she felt hot from their closeness and the blinding camera flashes as soon as the sole of her stilettos touched the red carpet. "Tell us, Mrs Wright, how does it feel to be married to the soon to be President of the Wrights empire?" A reporter threw the question at her.

Abigail's lips trembled, she bit it gently to calm herself. She couldn't depend on Tony to save her from the situation. He looked stunning, clad in his black tuxedo and bow tie. He was handsome, not perhaps in the conventional sense, but he had that appearance that could make him stand out in the crowd. He was fair, almost pale white. His unfathomable, green eyes contrasted exceptionally with his light-toned face. His eyes were as deep and expressive, where you could get lost if you stare long enough. His face had that faraway look in it, which couldn't be described in words. His smile was the only thing that didn't reach up to his eyes.

Often, you could see a hint of pain in his sparkling eyes, which would disappear as suddenly as it emerged. He wasn't ready to make any speech, which perhaps revealed how much agony he concealed within himself. Above all were his frame and his stature, which had girls swooning over him. Abigail's eyes caught Ivys'. A fresh resolve meandered through her. She couldn't disappoint the woman who treated her like a real daughter. She forced a smile and said placidly, "yes, he is the soon to be president but to me, he will always be the Tony I got married to yesterday." If they understood the meaning of her words, then the title was of no value to her.

A proud smile lined the corner of Ivy's lip when the reporter was thrown off the hook. Her next question seemed to have been stuck in her throat but then, another reporter who had been paid by the woods family to cause Tony embarrassment spoke.

"Mrs Wright, you weren't the original bride and we know little or nothing about you. Can you tell us a bit about your family?" Abigail wasn't dumb to not understand the subtle scorn in the reporters' words. Among the elites, she was a nobody and would be despised if her family's origin was traced at the moment. She couldn't let that happen either.

"I'm ready to answer any question about me but please leave my family alone. They didn't get married to Tony." Tony glanced at her swiftly, as fast as the wind with complex emotions which couldn't be explained. Abigail had an innocent smile on her face when she spoke and not only were gasps heard but even Tony was thrown in the dust. How could he have perceived the frail-looking girl to speak with such intellect? The smile on the reporter's face froze instantly. Tony was about to lead Abigail away when another reporter spoke from the crowd, "Mrs Wright, how does it feel to be in a loveless marriage? We all know that the only woman Tony loves is Ashley."

Tony's face darkened, swiftly turning cold. He was about to respond but Abigail was faster. She had never experienced heartbreak but sympathized with Tony. "Love, if unwatered, will wither and be blown by the wind but an acquaintance, if nurtured, will bloom into everlasting love, good day," she said with a sweet smile, holding onto Tony's arm. The message was clear that she wasn't going to answer any more questions and they had to leave. Tony began to see her differently. Her wit and intelligence couldn't be overlooked.

The Woods family members were watching the whole thing on TV in a private room at the luxury hotel. Displeasure chased away their comfort. "Where did he find her? Your plan didn't work Richard."

Mr Grant Wood, the Senior of the Woods family and also Richards' father spoke with disappointment. Richard was balmy. When it came to looks, he had it too. He was also smart and had been able to drive most of Tony's smart women away, leaving him with the dumb likes of Ashley. The little woman who stood beside Tony as his wife couldn't be a match for him. 

"I know but I will take care of it," he assured his father, while he straightened his tie. 

"How? She is very canny as you can see," Mr Woods said in a worried tone. As a senior elite, he could tell when a woman was endowed with wisdom but Richard thought differently and said confidently, "every woman has a price. She just has to name it."

A small smile crept onto his fathers' lips and afterwards, he said no more. Richard walked out of the room with his father to the large conference room, meeting the guests, the press, the elders of both families and of course, the outgoing President Ivy Wrights, together with the Incoming President, Tony Wright and his little wife Abigail Wright. With the swiftness of the wind, Richard had developed a keen interest in Abigail. He was curious to know the family in which she was brought up, her educational background and the mystery surrounding her marriage to Tony. Was she paid, was she sold, was she forced? They were lingering questions carried in the air around him.

He hardly heard anything being said during the inauguration, searching for the opportunity to get acquainted with Abigail. Documents were being signed and Abigail was dazed by all the camera flashes, her dizziness soaring.  Ivy was a sensitive woman, getting to her on time. "Let me get you to somewhere quiet. The rest is for the men anyway," she whispered to her. She still had a lot to do but didn't want Abigail to refuse her help. Within a short time, she knew that Abigail was a sensible woman.

Abigail couldn't be happier. For as long as she wasn't inconveniencing Ivy, she embraced the suggestion. Tony hadn't spared her a glance since they began the transitional process and she wasn't comfortable with the media either. "I appreciate it," she responded, stood up and followed Ivy.

It wasn't unusual for women to excuse themselves during gatherings, even if their presence were of great importance. Perhaps, they were going to use the ladies room but richard gave them no breathing space, sending spies after them. At events like this, the enemies would never rest so the victim had to be on the edge. He was proud of his guess when Ivy returned after a few minutes, information reaching him that Abigail was all alone in the garden.

Ivy knew the only place Abigail would feel comfortable alone was the garden since it was what she loved and left her there to complete the transition process.  Indeed, Abigail was happy. The garden was enormous but she thought it could be better. Instantly, new ideas began flooding into her mind, rudely interrupted by a subtle male voice, "do you mind if I sit beside you?"

Abigail tore her eyes from the fountain in the middle of the garden, pinning them on a tall blonde man who looked quite attractive. He also looked very familiar but she couldn't put a finger on where she had seen him. Whereas, his accent and posture betrayed him as someone from one of the elite families. "I don't own the garden and neither do I own the bench," she retorted flatly. These elites were known to look down on commoners like her. Only Ivy was different and she couldn't let her guard down. Richard almost had a nervous breakdown. No woman among the elites had ever been this rude to him. Perhaps, she wasn't elite and she didn't know him. 

He had to refresh her mind. "Am Richard Wood, the eldest son of the Woods family and you must be Mrs Wright. Now, if my memory serves me right, then you don't know who you are. The Wrights own this hotel and so does Mrs Wright," he let out an enchanting smile but Abigails' gaze shifted to the Lotus flower artistry in the middle of the fountain, as she spoke absentmindedly, "thanks for reminding me."

Richard saw it as a good sign and sat beside her. After a short while, he spoke, "you are too young to be entangled in this marriage. You don't love each other. Don't you have plans for your future?"

"Love grows," Abigail responded, still absentmindedly while Richard chuckled,

"And you think Tony will love you one day?" His tone was disparaging. Abigail wasn't expecting Tony to love her. She didn't love him too but it wasn't wise to let out that small fact to a stranger.

"I don't think so. I'm only hoping and there's no law preventing me from doing so is there?" Abigail returned her attention to him while she spoke, recalling she had seen him on TV as well. The rivalry between the Woods and Wrights was an open sepulture.

Richard was bruised with anxiety. Abigail's heart and words conveyed different things but all Richard could make out of it was the notion that she was also in love with Tony like the other girls and in her situation, she saw herself as lucky because she was married to him. 

"Of course not. There is no law preventing you from hoping but I'm just afraid that you would take that hope to an early grave. Look, I'm ready to pay you any amount so that you divorce Tony, and do something meaningful with your life," he crossed his legs and said.

Abigail smiled, she had no need for money and if she did, she was willing to work for it. Richard was spewing nonsense, trying to buy her conscience with money. "That sounds juicy, seeming we don't love each other but no. You see, there's more to life than money and fame. Since you have both, why do you seem so unsatisfied and unhappy?" Abigail asked keenly, while she wondered the reason why Richard was making her that offer.

"What makes you think I'm unhappy? I have everything I need," Richard debunked her theory but she could tell that there was more to the whole thing. Riding on the wings of curiosity, she asked,

"Then why do you want me to leave Tony? Do you want to marry him to your sister or marry him yourself?" Abigail didn't try to be polite. Tony might be a jerk but Ivy was an angel and she wasn't going to break her trust.

"Hahahaha." Richard laughed. "You indeed have a sense of humour, Mrs Wright but neither of the above. It's an old grudge between us men," he confessed.

Abigail couldn't care less. The thirst for power among the elites was always beyond the understanding of the commoners. "Then I beg of you, to keep me out of it," she pleaded, her attention returning to the fountain.

Richard chuckled and shifted a little closer but Abigail shifted further away. He was displeased. He wanted it to look as if they were flirting but Abigail was so distant. Coming to terms with the fact that his plan wouldn't work, he said, "but you were already in it the moment you became his wife. Am only trying to set you free," he said in a warning tone.

Abigail was irritated and was done being nice. "Do I look like am in prison?" The frown lining her pale face spoke volumes but Richard was nowhere near giving up.

If he succeeded in separating Abigail from Tony, he would become the President of the Wrights Empire so why would he give up? Since Abigail rejected the financial offer, he tried to bite on her conscience. "No, but a loveless marriage is worse than a dungeon. Let me set you free." He had succeeded in upsetting Abigail and she would have left if she knew her way around. Before she opened her mouth to respond, a pally voice took her stead.

"Set her free from what?" Tony's dominant voice roared beside them, feeding Richard with a concoction of panic and anger.