My Paul

All eyes were on me.

Everyone sat with eyes fixated on the couple -- us-- standing at the altar. We had just finished saying our 'I dos' and that wait after the priest had asked for any objection to the union had to be the longest and scariest wait of my life. When nobody walked up to the altar and the officiating priest said 'You may now kiss the bride', my heart literally leaped out of my chest.

The moment your lush lips landed on mine, everything felt magical. This was nothing like the kisses we had shared before. This was our first kiss as husband and wife. We were in the midst of an audience but the world had zeroed in on us. At that moment, only a wonderful man kissing his woman existed.

I would have mourned the loss of your lips on another day but I was satisfied with this one at this moment. I was now your wife and from tonight, we'll begin to share an era of kisses.

You held my hand, gave it a little squeeze as we turned and faced the audience. Everyone cheered us and some walked up to congratulate us.

---

I stared down at the papers in front of me. Asking myself how gullible I was to not have noticed a thing. How you were able to fool my entire family into marrying you should be a four unit course studied in the university. You -- my Paul -- was married to another woman before me.

I wouldn't have found out that you had a wife elsewhere has I not overheard you that night. We are barely two years into the marriage and your eyes are beginning to seem distant. You rarely come home anymore and when you do, you opt to sleep in the guest room. You say because you're evolving, when you're stressed out, it's best for you to sleep alone.

I didn't see a problem with that because I too, was evolving and there were things I did before that I don't want to do anymore. It wasn't until I walked past the room you slept in that I heard you speaking on the phone.

"Why did you let Bernice sleep on the floor? Why did I buy beds in the house?"

I wasn't sure what it meant and I wanted to ignore it but there was something about your tone and the concern it was laced with that bugged me.

I began doubting your work travels and I hired someone to follow on your trail. Not only were you planning to move to the Netherlands without my consent, you planned on setting up a branch of your company there. You hadn't told me about that and I would have believed you were saving the best information for later.

If only you were.

Aside finding out about you relocating, we had found your marriage certificate to a woman you had married five years ago. There were no divorce papers to follow it before you married me. So legally, you were still married to her. She had two kids for you and they were based in Florida. You left Florida three years ago and came here and that was when we met, dated for a year and got married. You insisted on having a private wedding and I believed you. Your portfolio always displayed married and you said it was your way of making girls who wanted to suckle up to you uninterested. I ate it all up. Thinking it was a smart move on your part.

I didn't believe you were capable of this deceit but I can't confront you because I'm a lawyer and I know that my ways of hunting down your past are questionable. I was heartbroken with the reality that you had deceived I and my family successfully for two years but I was more heartbroken when I found out you were dating another lady.

How do I let you destroy another lady's life this way?

With the spy's help, we cloned your phone and discovered messages between you and your new girlfriend. You both plan to relocate, have a private wedding, establish a new branch over there and in her wildest dreams, live a happily married life. Sadly, she doesn't know that you revel in the high of being in a polygamous marriage without your partners consents.

I'm disturbed by this jarring reality about you. If only you weren't so toxic and selfish, I might have just considered filing for a divorce and let you go. But you are too selfish for your own good and I won't let you continue destroying other lives like you did mine and that of your wife with kids.

You continue with your life and you believe all seems to be going well. You even break the news to me that you plan on opening a branch in Netherlands. That it'll take you some time to get settled there, establish the company, ensure its stability and get back. I agree to all you say without a problem because I know you wouldn't be going there.

Today, I plan to finalize everything as soon as you get back. I put in two drops of sarin into your body wash and wait.

As soon as I step out of the toilet, the sound of your horn is heard blaring through the gates. You're back early today. Probably the universe is in support of me doing the right thing for you and other innocent women.

You walk in, give me a quick hug and head to the bathroom. The sound of the shower running is heard soon after and you're whistling. Something you love doing when you're excited.

Of course you are. You had finalized everything and are supposed to be leaving for the Netherlands next week.

Soon, the only sound from the bathroom is that from the shower running. You are quiet and I know that the drug's effect must have taken over.

I walk in. And you're on the floor in all your naked glory. Staring blankly at the ceiling. Rubbing off the little foam on your body, I wrap your towel over your bare torso and pick up my phone to dial 911. My last respect to you.

I do and soon they will be here. I waste no time in picking up my little suitcase I had packed prior and off I go. To the Netherlands where you wanted to go so badly.
When they investigate, they'll find the bottle of sarin and begin their search for me.

I can't help but wish them good luck hunting me.

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