Chapter 2

"Wooooh… this was great. Sincerely, I don't want you to go Beatrice"

"Babe, I promise I'll be back soon. You are such a bad boy. You made me stay back to get naughty with you…haha...I would have already been there and known what this meeting is about. He must have a reason for wanting to take me out. I know Jack too well. He wouldn't just ask like that." Beatrice responds teasingly

"Okay then, just as you promised. Come back soon.," Harrison said 

"Henceforth it's just going to be me and you.", Beatrice said 

"I hope you mean what you are saying," Harrison says to her

"Believe me, babe, I have made my decision. I might end our relationship tonight, five years have been a long time with him and I am tired. Our relationship ain't going anywhere further than this." Beatrice replied

"Now that is the spirit, that's what I want to hear from you. Don't use the word might, rather you must end this relationship tonight. He should let us be" Harrison said

"Ok, take care babe" Beatrice pecks him

"Or do you mind me dropping you off?" Harrison offers

"No, don't bother yourself, " Jack said to the driver. I'll wait for him outside or he might even be here by now" Beatrice said

"Huh, I see" a jealous Harrison replied

"Don't be like that babe, I Love you?" Beatrice said as she blew a kiss in the air.

Beatrice was busy thinking of the best way to approach Jack and tell him she was breaking up with him again. The driver had just arrived, so she got into the car and zoomed off.

****

MARINA CLUB HOUSE, AMERICAN 9:00 pm

It was already past 9 pm, and everyone was still having fun. It's a surprise proposal but none of the invitees knew. He only organized this party to have a natural and happy setting to do his proposal.

Jack continues to pace about. He doesn't have an appetite to drink or eat anything. 

He was restless, his friend was standing next to him

"Take this chilled water, Sir," Briana offers

Jack became angry.

"Get that out of my sight. I felt as if my gut was trying to tell me something. Now everything is about to be ruined"

Edward looked dismayed at the way Jack yelled at Briana. He doesn't like it when Jack does that.

"She cares for you, that's why she brought you some water," Edward tells Jack 

Edward collects the glass of water to hand to Jack but he refuses to collect it. Edward urges him to drink the water. Jack finally collects the glass of water and drinks.

Beatrice enters the hall. Jack rises to his feet abruptly and goes to receive her. He brings Beatrice to the seat where Edward was seated.

"Babe, what happened? I got so worried"

"I told him you will come, but did not listen," Edward said

"Hi, Edward" Beatrice greeted

"Thank you for encouraging me, I appreciate your soothing words" Jack replies 

Jack was already thinking of how everything he planned for tonight will be a waste of time, effort and money. He was so relieved that she asked up even after saying she wasn't feeling too well.

Although she hadn't turned down his request of taking her out when they were on the phone earlier, he was still uncomfortable because her answer over the phone did not sound reassuring. 

Now that was in the past since she is finally here.

A waiter brings a glass of wine for Beatrice. She complimented the well-coordinated party and was already in a dancing mood. She loved dancing, especially at parties. Jack and Beatrice in the five years that they have been together having partied and had merry nights in New York.

Beatrice sips her wine and begins to sway, while Jack laughs. He was watching to see how his plan turns out.

She took another so, this time she feels something in her drink. She empties the remaining content of her glass cup into a tray. She picks up the object from the wine glass. It was a ring!

At that instant Jack signals Edward on what to do next. 

The DJ cuts the music and the mic was transferred to Jack who was now on his knees. Beatrice was still shut out of words. Her mouth agape

"I know you are shocked Beatrice, but I won't make this night special to you and took a while to come up with this surprise. Everybody in this room thinks they are here for a party. No, this isn't just any party. It's a gathering to propose to you, my beautiful lady. Will you marry me?"

"Uh, yeah, that's it. Ooh" the crowd cheered and clapped 

"Say yes, honey," an elderly woman yelled from the crowd.

Beatrice looked around, she was so embarrassed. How will Jack do this to her? He knows that she isn't one to get married, not now and she wasn't thinking she could stay in a marriage. Beatrice was a woman who cherishes her freedom and will not trade it for anything. Not even marriage.

"No! I won't!" She yelled

The room fell silent. Jack, who was on one knee and holding the ring he had taken from Beatrice, was confused. The ring fell from his hands on hearing that Beatrice doesn't want to marry him. Such an embarrassment. In the presence of all these people.

"Why Beatrice?" Jack asks

"Yeah, why don't you want to marry him? He loves you so much" Edward says

"I am not interested. I am sorry for all you have to put in to make this possible. But I can't marry you and Jack before you did all this, you should have asked me. It would have saved us both this embarrassment" Beatrice explains and walks out of the room.

Jack Fernando couldn't get up on his feet. He sat helplessly on the floor looking surprised.

"Edward, she rejected me!" Jack says angrily 

"Calm down, Jack. Let's get you out of here" Edward says

A good number of the invitees had already left the party. Jack sat looking lost in space. He didn't listen to Edward. 

He knew after what had happened tonight. If he doesn't look for something else to do. In a month he will own nothing of the Fernando fortune. Only married men could access the generational wealth and business of the family. Now the woman he thought he knew and thought he loved —since he had spent five years with her, has just rejected him.