Chapter 219: You Have No Right To Say No

After going through the long tunnel, they walked to the dolphin performance pavilion. The dolphins were Clark’s favorite animal, and there was a show starting soon. When they got there, there weren’t many people. It wasn’t long, though, before the bleachers began to fill up, and they were full by the time the show started.

Eric had stepped out to buy popcorn and drinks for everyone, and when he returned, Nancy gently hit Crystal’s arm with her elbow and said, “You need to marry this guy. I can tell that he is a good man. I don’t understand why you ran away from him?”

Crystal sighed and said, “You don’t know him as I know him. Can you drop it? I don’t want to talk about him,”

Nancy nodded and apologized, and they turned their attention to the show.

The dolphins jumped out of the water, and each trick was rewarded with cheers and excited applause. Clark was delighted, and he asked his Mother if the animals were going to dance.

“Maybe,” she replied. “Just wait and see.”

The trainer gave two of the dolphins a treat, and then he gave them each an end of a banner to carry in their mouths. They swam side by side to the middle of the pool, and then when they jumped in opposite directions, the flag opened to reveal four words. It took a moment for the audience to read what was written, and then everybody began to hoot, holler, whistle, and look about. The words were

‘Crystal Smith, marry me!’ and they were anxious to see who it was addressed to.

Crystal was in shock.

“Oh, my God!” Nancy exclaimed. “It’s so romantic. If I were you, I’d say yes immediately.”

Crystal didn’t answer her. She was looking at the words on the banner, and she was dumbfounded.

Suddenly, Eric took out a bundle of red roses and a small jewelry box. He knelt on one knee, revealed a ring, and said, “Crystal Smith, will you marry me?”

Crystal began to feel dizzy. All around her, people were chanting. “Say, yes! Say yes! Say yes!” But she couldn’t think straight, and her vision was beginning to blur.

Nancy squealed. “Say yes, girl!”

Crystal felt like she was in a dream. It seemed as if she had an out-of-body experience, and her body was numb. “Stand up,” she said coldly.

“If you don’t say yes, then I won’t get up,” he said. Then, without waiting for her to reply, he tried to force the ring on her finger.

Crystal jerked her hand away. “I did not say yes,” she shouted.

“You have no right to say no!” Eric exclaimed. “If I want to marry you, then you have no say in the matter. I only asked as a formality because I was hoping you could come to me willingly. So why are you acting this way? I will do everything you want and give you everything I have. What more could you desire?”

When Crystal heard this, her heart was moved, but she was still reluctant. She valued her autonomy. But how can I get out of this situation? - she wondered. After all, she still wanted Eric to help Nancy with her problem. Finally, she said, “I’ll marry you, but you have to get us out of here.”

Eric smiled and said, “That’s not a problem. Our wedding will be held in a week. At that time, it will be up to you whether you want to stay here or go back home.”

Crystal did not answer him directly, but she reached out her left hand and allowed him to put the ring on her middle finger, and when the audience saw this, they cheered louder for them than they had for the dolphins.

The only person not impressed was Paul. He glared at Nancy and said, “It’s just a proposal. So what’s the big deal?”

Nancy: “What’s the matter?”

Paul huffed and said, “Never mind.” He was appalled by what he had just witnessed, but he did not think that Nancy would understand. Eric had always declared himself a top-quality bachelor, and he laughed at Paul for giving up his wonderful bachelor life so early. But now, Eric was going to get married, and he had already gotten a divorce.

****

Once the show had begun again, Crystal turned to Nancy. “Eric promised to help us,” she whispered. “Just hold on for another few days.”

Nancy: “If it is too much trouble, don’t worry about me. I don’t think that Clark and I are going to have the Happily Ever After that I had hoped for.”

Crystal: “Don’t talk that way. Now that Eric is on board, it should be no problem.”

Nancy: You are a good friend. Thank you. And Eric seems nice. I think you’ll be happy with him.”

Suddenly, Nathan’s face flashed into Crystal’s mind, and she shook her head to drive the image away. She did not know whether she would be happy or not. The thought of being happy seemed very alien to her. She had been happy before, but she did not think that she had deserved it. Any happiness she had ever known had ended with pain, so she tried not to think about the future.

When the Dolphin performance was over, Clark wanted to interact with the dolphins, so Nancy followed him to the stage. A dolphin trainer said something to Nancy that made her smile and jump for joy. When Paul saw that, he became so angry that he ran to the stage and kicked the trainer into the pool. Then he turned to Nancy and shouted, “You’re dead! How dare you flirt with the dolphin man?”

“I can flirt with whomever I want!” Nancy. shouted back. “We are divorced. I’m not your wife anymore, so you don’t get a say in what I do!”

Paul stood akimbo, and in a stern voice, he said, “Fine. Flirt. But not in front of our son. Aren’t you afraid that he will be affected by your whorish ways?”