Chapter 4 The Committee Meeting

• EPISODE FOUR.
• TITLE: THE COMMITTEE MEETING.
• SELAH'S POV.
• My hands go over each other, my head down, unable to look up since I will be facing the ten-members squarely. Their judgemental eyes are capable of ratting the truth out of me and it scares the hell outta me.
• My eyes roam over to where Joshua and his parents are sitting, they are glaring at me furiously, especially his Mother.
• She never approves of our marriage, her dislike for me stemmed from whatever grudges she has against Mom and both of them have refused to talk it out for as long as I've been aware of it.
• Dad probably invited them here to listen to whatever I have to say. Probably, my fate will be left in Joshua's hand. He's the one to determine if this marriage will continue or not.
• "Selah Richardson. Are you aware of the reason why this committee was summoned?" Mr. Daws, the chairman asks in a gruff tone.
• My mouth couldn't produce a word, instead, I gave them a slight nod as my answer.
• "Can you go over what happened to you again?"
• I shut my eyes mentally, trying to figure out what to say, or where to start, or the suitable words to use to narrate my story that won't instigate me but I find it hard to conjure them.
• They're not here to hear me out or judge me in all plain minds, all they want is for me to plead guilty, and they will probably kick me out of the place which is not any better.
• "Selah!" Dad's ravaging voice echoes through the room, pulling me out of whatever reverie I'm in. He's already growing impatient, since his fate will be determined here too.
• "I was with Ria and Joshua with a handful of friends. We were drinking..." I pause a bit to check the look on their faces, it screams nothing but disappointment, but I didn't mind. All I have to do is to argue my motion, and hope they will be lenient with me.
• "I hope you know the gravity of taking alcohol in the first place?"Mr. Daws's voice came up again.
• I wince slightly and bit my lips. "It's just a one time thing. And Joshua insists on..."
• "Don't you dare mention my name to this you fucking harlot!" He lashes out furiously at me, jerking from the seat he's sitting on.
• "Mind your words, Joshua. You're in a convent."Dad scolds him immediately, he slump in defeat and goes back to his seat grumpily.
• "Continue your story."
• "I drank. And I danced. That's all I could remember. The next morning, I woke up...."
• "It's okay. That's all I need to hear." Mr. Daws cut me off, raising a pen in the air.
• "Are you guilty of the allegations? Or do you have anything to say that will refute it?" Mrs. Lexington, the judge of the committee question.
• "I didn't do this clear-headed. I was drunk, and I swear on my life, I wouldn't do this to hurt the man I'm planning to marry." I sob, staring at them frantically.
• Her upper lips shot up in a smirk then she scribbled some things on a piece of paper.
• "The virginity test results that you submitted. Where did you get it?" Mrs. Lexington probes again, she places her glasses down the table and gazes at me in a disdainful manner.
• I wouldn't blame her for treating me like this, she taught me Ethics in the convent and chose me personally to take over years ago, she's probably disappointed that the girl she held high and mighty was nothing but a slut.
• "Why are you..."
• "Are you going to give me a straight answer or do we keep beating around the bush?"She cut me off sharply, her voice etched with strictness.
• "It was done in the Convent's clinic...."
• "By who?"
• "Bobby. He's a nurse and he's..."
• "He's your friend?" She completes the word hanging on my mouth with a knowing stare.
• Is she insinuating that I forged it up and I wasn't a virgin?
• God, the nerves of this woman.
• A scoff rolls off my mouth, making the members of the committee turn to me in surprise. But I'm not scared anymore, I won't stand them grill me and turn me to a joke all in the name of a committee.
• "Did you actually call me here to ask me questions about what happened or you just want to question my integrity?"
• Mrs Lexington's head quirks in my direction as she assesses me. "Your integrity has been questioned the moment you admitted that you drank."
• "That doesn't give you the right to doubt my virginity test. The blood was evident. You saw it, didn't you?" I turn to Joshua who looks like he's about to rip me to pieces.
• He tries standing up from his seat but his Dad pulls him back.
• "What did you just say to me?"He roars, his eyes bloodshot and mist.
• I sigh, regretting what I just said. Gosh. I'm so dumb, how could I tell my fiancee to testify that he saw the blood of my virginity on another man's bed?
• "So, you're actually admitting that you slept with him? And he caught you on the bed?"
• Mrs. Lexington asks again, I shut my eyes off for a moment, already annoyed. Her obvious questions riles me up so much.
• "It wasn't intentional, Mrs. Lexington." I say in a more sober tone.
• "Since we all know the facts of everything that went down the other night. The Convent has no choice than to kick you out of the building, and relieve you of every position you hold, Then, Mr. Richardson..."
• She trailed off, turning to Dad who looks like a cowered dog where he sat and my heart broke anew for him.
• I don't even care if I'm punished for everything that happened, but Dad doesn't deserve any of this. He's lived and held a stellar reputation all his life, now, my actions ruined it all.
• "You're suspended off your duties for three months, six months salaries cut. This ruling is effective immediately."
• "Please, No!" I cry, falling to my knees, my eyes on the floor. Totally scared to look at my Dad's face.
• Everything we worked for has been stripped of us like it's nothing. And the consequences are unbearable.
• I've lived all my life in the Convent, where do I go? What will I make off my already ruined existence?
• "I will let Mr. Joshua decides if he wants to continue this union. But the Convent won't be a part of the whole arrangement." Mrs. Lexington ordered in a conclusive tone, the sound of the gavel banging follows.
• My eyes went over to Joshua, I wiped my tears off quickly, hoping he will still find a little place in his heart to exonerate me of this messy situation I put myself in.
• He rises up in his seat with his parents side-by-side, and scowls at me.
• "Not in this universe will I make you my wife or live under the same roof as you, this relationship is over!"