THE CONTRACT MARRIAGE

39-SPILLED SECRETS

OMNISCIENT

"Ladies and gentlemen, Dr Dalila Tahir Pantami," His voice was a thunder that struck its targets who, of course, never saw that coming.

Maheer stood with one large hand holding his daughter's wrist while the other served as a pillow for his chin, a huge smile playing on his lips. He had waited five good years for this day, and he'd be damned if he didn't enjoy the spotlight.

"M-Mother—" A lone tear escaped from Sumaira's now bloodshot eyes, her voice cracking until she felt the words too heavy to utter.

"I left because it was high time I did. And now, I'm back for you, my children," Tears oozed from her eyes, rivers that were locked for years on end, all for this day.

She stood resplendent in a bright red gown featuring an illusion neckline and regular long sleeves, the shimmer of her pure diamond jewellery apparent with every move she made.

"M-Mom," Aarif's hesitant steps led to his mother. And the moment her slender fingers tenderly grazed his bearded chin while her teary grey orbs stared back at his hazel ones, a peculiar warmth embraced his muscled body and beyond, he didn't need any more confirmation.

"Mother, it's really you. It's really you, you're really my mother," His hands roamed her face and arms before his entire body engulfed Dalila in a hug so fierce she choked.

The onlookers watched as the grown man shed tears like a baby, but he didn't care, not when he reunited with his mother after ten years. A decade of longing.

"W-what's happening here? Can someone please attend to the world that is watching?" A reporter snapped out of his shock, happy that all heads whipped from the overwhelming reunion of mother and son to face him.

"Hello, World. It's no more the Bad boy. This the Good Father speaking, and I'm back from the dead. This is also what I look like without my goggles. Breathtaking, right? Haha! This is our daughter, Aqsa. Say hi," Maheer's smile broadened when the girl flashed her teeth at the camera and waved a tiny hand.

"Hi! I'm Aqsa, my Mammy and Daddy's princess. Even though Daddy took me away so my Mammy could complete her studies, I've been watching her through my Daddy's phone and the portraits he drew. She's too beautiful to belong to this world,"

The cameras centred on Sumaira, whose mouth and eyes were still wide-opened, a lone tear escaping from one of them. She desperately combed through the crowds for any route of escape, but there was none. The only person in her line of view was her father, the engineer.

His shoulder sagged, eyes so full so full so full of unshed tears they became the widest they had ever been while his wife vigorously shook him, not that it had any effect on the galvanized man. The sight alone was too unbearable for Sumaira.

Despondency pulled her into its chilly embrace. For the first time, the man she hoped would stand up and challenge the sudden cause of chaos in her wedding event, the last resort she looked up to became someone she didn't recognize.

Ever so slowly, Sumaira whipped her head to face the man beside her, and the blinding smile she caught sight of crushed every inkling of hope she had. There was no way out, the stone castle she spent years building had been demolished in a matter of minutes.

"I just want you to be happy, Aira," She could only watch as a smiley Saif walked away from her and went to stand amongst his flabbergasted family members.

"Coward," Sumaira muttered under her breath, and that was followed by a seamless transition of her facial expression. Her steely grey orbs burned, and every step of hers was the sound of a rock hitting the red carpet.