Chapter Six.

Richard’s POV

I stood at the altar waiting for Eleanor.

Mother and father sat a few aisles away.

I had told Sophie not to come. She needed rest for the sake of her terrible cold.

It had been over an hour now, and the crowd was getting jittery.

I hadn’t seen Eleanor in days, and just yesterday I wanted to go to the house.

Sophie told me to stay back, that she wasn't feeling so well and it was bad luck to see my bride before the wedding.

I believed her; I didn't want anything ruining my big day.

I turned to the best man, a smile plastered on my face. “Have you seen Eleanor yet?”

“No, I haven't. Shouldn't we be asking you?” He arched a brow.

“Yeah, right. Everything is fine. She would be here soon.” I chuckled, trying to hide the worry in my voice.

Just then, the crowd began to mumble.

Finally, my wife was here; a smile spread across my face.

I turned to the aisle. But it was empty.

Then my eyes landed on a woman; looking ahead, her hand was placed over her mouth in disbelief.

I followed the direction of her gaze.

There on the screen, where the picture slides of Eleanor and me were to be displayed, was a video.

I was in the hotel room where Sophie and I usually met, and I was naked.

Grinding against her.

Panic surged through me immediately. Adrenaline seeping through my veins.

I scrambled for the remote.

“Cut this out now!” I demanded.

The screen went blank immediately.

My eyes scanned the room.

Numerous faces stared right back at me, some in shock, some in disappointment. I couldn’t let Eleanor hear of this.

My fingers curled into fists. The crowd went silent.

“Who did this!” I yelled. “Who the hell put this on the screen?”

A young man in a suit holding a file stepped forward.

“It was Miss Eleanor, sir; she demanded the video be played on her wedding day.”

Eleanor? My heart sank. For a second my vision blurred.

“What do you mean?” I lurched at him. Grappling him by the collar of his suit. “What have you done to my wife, you bastard? Where is she?”

Hands gripped me, pulling me away as I tried to get a hold of him.

He adjusted his shirt sleeve. The calmness in him is making me explode.

“Miss Eleanor is dead, sir,” he muttered.

The crowd gasped.

Everywhere went still.

My chest tightened. The room suddenly felt suffocating.

“Dead?” I scoffed. “Is this a prank?”

“Well, Mr Richard, after Miss Eleanor came across that video on the screen, she wrote a will. She was so devastated that she ended up taking her life.”

Noises from the crowd begin again, this time louder.

I dropped to my knees; my body trembled. Beads of sweat falling from my face.

It wasn’t true. I had seen Eleanor a few days ago.

“I don’t believe you,” I managed to say.

“Well then, see for yourself.” He stepped aside.

Two policemen stepped in first.

Followed by four men in black, putting on shades, who held on to a coffin. They walked briskly, not once looking away from me, and dropped it right at my feet.

The policeman stepped forward.

“Sir, we need you to remain calm.”

“Open it,” the mysterious man commanded.

With trembling fingers, I slowly pushed the coffin open.

“Holy shit!” I pushed backward, almost tripping.

The crowd was in an uproar now; people moved from their seats, scrambling to see.

“Oh, my God! Is that real?” a voice shouted.

“No, no, no. This can’t be. This can’t be my Eleanor.” I looked up at the man, but he said nothing.

I stepped forward again and crouched.

It looked like her – the hair, the face. And she was putting on the cloth she wore the day I proposed to her.

I reached for her hand.

“Careful sir” the policeman stepped forward.

I ignored him.

There it was.

The engagement ring.

She had actually killed herself because of me.

I collapsed over her body wailing. I didn’t care about the video. I didn’t care about the wedding or anybody.

“How could you do this, Richard?” I heard Mother's sobbing voice above me, but I didn't look up.

When I finally did, Father was shaking his head at me as he wrapped his arm around Mother.

“You couldn’t stay faithful for one month? One month before your wedding? Look at what your foolishness has caused!” he lamented.

The whole building was in chaos, but my misery blurred the noise.

I didn't care what they thought of me. All I wanted was my Eleanor.

“I am sorry, Eleanor.” I cupped her hands in mine. “Forgive me. I didn't know it would end like this. I love you. These videos don’t mean anything. Tell me this is a prank.”

I stared at her, but she remained silent.

It all made sense now. Her sudden change in behaviour. How she wouldn't answer my texts anymore.

The glares she threw at me most of the time.

Oh, my darling Eleanor.

I sat still, hoping that she would sit up and hug me, and say we should all keep it behind us.

By the time I had looked up. They had moved everyone out, the church was almost empty except for the five men and the medical practitioners were here already with an ambulance.

The police officers approached again.

“Sir… we need space. The coroner is outside.”

“No, no, she’s mine. Nobody touches her” I snapped.

Just then, Eleanor's driver walked in, panting.