The Broadcast - At The House

After Laura left for the hospital, Tim dabbed his swollen eyes, shrugged his shoulders, and began to eat. He was about to leave the dining table when he saw the news on the television:

(BREAKING: Mrs. Laura Dickson-Williams Hospitalized After Attack by Lazy Husband, Tim Williams! Miscarriage Reported! Assaulted Wife Over Job Offer.)

“Oh! When did I beat her?” He exclaimed and ran his hand through his head, which was spinning already. Likewise, he stared vacantly in amazement.

Now, he reminisced about his past. Since he escaped from his jealous superior, General Sidney McDonald, who wanted to kill him because of his decisive victory in the last war, he had been hiding. His higher-ups thought that he was dead and promoted McDonald to the rank of General. In addition to that, he became the President of the Auxiliary Armory PLC and Laura's boss. Now, the publicity had aroused their curiosity.

“Does she hate me this much? Has she forgotten how I saved her and her family during the war?” He asked himself bitterly when he got his wits back.

To buttress the broadcast, the pictures of his hand prints on her wrists were magnified and displayed over and over again. However, he pouted and looked at his bag again.

Now, Laura had succeeded in convincing her parents that she suffered a miscarriage because Tim kicked her stomach. She walked into the parlor with a team of Human Rights Activists and her parents.

“Wife-beater, sign this at once. We can't condone this,” Laura's lawyer ordered him without courtesy.

He was startled when he heard the order. He looked up and saw Laura and her parents looking at him hatefully. Howbeit, he was familiar with their hatred for him and felt like killing them.

“Pretender. We knew you had an ulterior motive," her mother yelled.

“Tim, you are a snake in the grass. Who would believe that you can hurt a fly? So you have been hitting her despite her condition?” Her father added and ignored his swollen eyes.

“Sign. Or you will rot in jail,” the leader of the Agency roared, and Tim was in a dilemma.

If he refused to sign, they would assume that he was guilty and wished to stay because of her money and continue to beat her.

“Apologize to her first,” his father-in-law slapped his face and shouted.

He got up angrily and advanced to hit him back, but he staggered backward out of fear and fell on the ground. Instantly, Madeline rushed to help him.

She saw Tim angry for the first time, but asked him.“Have you seen what you have caused, Tim?”

Tim looked into Laura's eyes, and roared, “Did you plan this, Laura? After the maltreatment from you and your parents?”

Now, she was conscience-stricken and vacillated, but everyone thought that she was too weak to think for herself. Her father, who had found his bearings, shouted at Tim, “What do you think? Sign the papers and leave at once. Idiot.”

Nevertheless, Tim was furious, looked at her with his bloodshot eyes, and roared again, “Did you plan this just because you wanted to throw me out, Laura? Answer me?”

“Yes. I can't live with a dark-hearted man like you,” she answered with faked boldness

“You have heard it. Sign and leave for good,” her mother declared.

Tim breathed heavily and collected the copies of the A4 papers from the lawyer and signed where necessary.

“Where is my copy of the petition?” Tim asked audaciously.

“Take,” the lawyer requested, and handed his copies to him.

He collected them, gave her a final look, and took a step.

“Come back for your alimony,” the lawyer called him back, but he ignored him and moved on.

He pulled down his cross-body bag from the curtain rail and walked out angrily.

“Where are you going? Come back and pick up all your things. You are not coming back to this house,” Madeline indicated.

“Does he have anything in this house apart from that bag?” PA Dickson asked his wife.

“You are right, Father. He has nothing in the house,” Laura confirmed.

Tim was not surprised to see that the courtyard was filled with security men who would beat him up if he refused to sign the divorce papers.

'This murderer will kill me,' the head of security murmured and hid himself while the rest fidgeted when they saw his angry face.

Silently, he walked past them and got to the gate. He was shocked to see a sea of pressmen and paparazzi.

“My God!” He exclaimed and wondered how he would pass without killing anyone.

At The Military Headquarters

“How can a man beat up his pregnant wife? It is a heinous act. The perpetrator must be brought to justice,” the Head of State, Gen. Felix Richmond, barked.

“Hold on, Your Excellency. The name sounds familiar. I pray that he is our missing member,” the Second in Command entreated him.

“Our missing member?” The Head of State asked him with great expectations.

"I think so," he responded.

Afterward, they held an emergency meeting and resolved to contact Tim.

At The Gate

However, no one knew him as Laura's husband because of his unimpressive looks. The pressmen only guessed when they saw a man walking out of the compound. Nevertheless, Tim was trying to force his way through the crowd when the pressmen began to bombard him with questions.

“Excuse me. Are you Mr. Tim Williams?”

“Why did you beat your wife, Mr. Williams?”

“Did she offend you?”

“How often do you beat her?”

“How can you beat a pregnant woman?”

He ignored their questions, “Excuse me,” he said angrily, and moved on.

Before they could ask another question, his phone rang, and he was angry about the distraction. However, he took out his cheap phone from his bag and looked at the caller.

“Oh!” He exclaimed and concealed his astonishment.

Likewise, he answered, “Hello,” and waited while the pressmen waited too.

“Where are you, Tim?” The Head of State inquired with a commanding tone.

“I'm at the Auxiliary Armory Estate,” he answered.

“If you love this country, Tim, kindly wait for me, or you will be convicted of treason.”

“I got it,” he answered, and the call ended.

Now, he faced the crowd and wondered how the caller would meet him when he arrived. Nevertheless, the pressmen continued with their interview:

“Did you truly kick her stomach?”

“Are you a wife-beater?”

“Tell us that it is not true, Mr. Williams.”

“Have you signed the divorce papers?”

“How do you feel beating a pregnant woman?”

He smiled bitterly and answered, “I'm innocent.”

Unexpectedly, they heard the thick noise of a military helicopter and everyone looked up at once. They scattered and made way for it to land. The moment it landed, two military men with an unfriendly look from the Presidency, got out quickly and went for Tim. Unfortunately, one of them was the jealous superior.

“Oh, no! They have come to take him away,” a reporter said to his colleagues.

“This is serious. They may kill him by hanging.”

“Or by firing squad.”

“Why would he beat up his powerful wife and expect to go unpunished?”

Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!

“Oh, no! They have killed him,” the crowd shouted in unison, and ducked down when they heard gunshots.

Ironically, the jealous General gave Tim a military salute.

“Good morning, General Tim Williams. The Head of State and the Supreme Military Council wished to reinstate you to your rightful position. Permit me to take you along.”

Tim smiled softly and returned the salute, “Permission granted," he said, and willingly walked away with them.

In the spur-of-the-moment, Laura, her parents, and the Human Rights Activists ran out of the house and met her astonished security men. The pressmen were still hiding their heads and could not explain how the soldiers left.

“What is the matter? I heard gunshots,” Laura asked curiously, and looked at the military helicopter that had taken off.

“They shot him,” a pressman raised his head and answered.

“Oh, my God! I am unaware that they would arrive so soon and pick him up,” Laura boasted.

Now, the pressmen were getting up one after the other and had to give an account of what they did not witness, even if it meant cooking up stories.

“They have killed him. The Head of State has zero tolerance for domestic violence against women."

“Yes. Violence against women, especially pregnant women, angers him,” a reporter confirmed.

“It serves him right,” Pa Dickson pointed out.

Likewise, his befuddled wife lurched forward and castigated him, “Oh, dear! He died a painful and shameful death.”

“Yes. Our daughter gave him the privilege to live but he abused it. I love the Head of State for this action,” her father opined.

Laura was calm and tried to process the whole thing. Although she wanted Tim out of her life, she was undecided whether to be happy over his death or not. She looked at the pressmen with an unreadable expression.

Nevertheless, the press must report what would favor them and their readers, listeners, or viewers. They took different photographs of Laura and her happy parents. Afterward, they left.

At The Military Headquarters

The three gunshots by the jealous superior were to herald the emergence of the officer who would take over from him. He was the third man in the country and was certain that Tim was better than he and would move their country, Canterbury, to a greater height. The pressmen interpreted it wrongly but the military knew better.

“I was wrong, Generals, and guilty of treason. I deserve to be punished by death,” General MacDonald confessed, put his two hands forward, and was ready to be cuffed.

The Head of State ignored him and looked at Tim.

“We are glad to have you, General,” he stated.

Instantly, Tim gave him a military salute accordingly, “Good morning, Gen. Richmond. Thank you for having me. You sent for me,” he looked into his eyes and said.

He returned the salute and said, “Yes, I did. You are free to sit down.”

Likewise, he ushered him to a seat. Tim put his hand down, adjusted his bag, and sat down. He looked at the members of the Supreme Military Council and greeted them with a smile. They smiled back at him and the meeting began.

“For three years, the entire military squad had combed the country searching for you but to no avail,” General Richmond explained.

Tim tried to get up and apologize but he stopped him.

“Keep the apologies and explanation for later, Tim. Now that we have found you, we are contented.”

He sat down again and appreciated him, “Thank you for having me, Your Excellency.”

“Good. Just for clarity’s sake, did you beat your wife?”

“Not at all, Your Excellency. If I did, she would have been dead,” he answered, and Gen. Richmond looked at him critically to ascertain the truth, but he realized that his left eye was swollen.

He furrowed his brow and inquired, “What happened to your eye?”

“Why is it swollen?” The Second in Command, Gen. Kay Hill, asked anxiously.

Tim smiled shyly and answered, “I am not proud to say that I allowed a woman to hit me. Pardon my weakness.”

“Hit you? Why is she playing the victim?” Gen. Hill asked him.

Tim smiled calmly and the Head of State continued, “We believe you. From now on, you are General Tim Williams, and all your information is classified. Your work starts now.”

Tim was overjoyed but concealed it.

“Thank you, General, for the honor,” he appreciated him and stood up for the decoration.

To pacify the house, Gen. McDonald walked briskly to the shelf and got a military uniform with the General's insignia on the collar. They watched the Head of State decorate him, and everyone saluted him joyously.

Afterward, Tim faced Gen. McDonald and looked intently at him. Everyone was calm and waited for his verdict while the culprit expected nothing but death.

The Broadcast

(It serves him right. Yes. Our daughter gave him the privilege to live but he abused it. I love the Head of State for this action.)

Pa Dickson's remark concerning Tim's death and the Head of State's action took the center page of the news. The death of his lazy son-in-law gave him instant popularity and he loved it.

“This is good, Hubby. The Head of State may invite you for an award concerning this,” his wife joyously pointed out.

“Yes. Mom is right, Dad. I will speak to my boss about you tomorrow, and you will be rewarded for speaking well about the Head of State,” Laura promised.

“Wow! This is the best thing that has happened to us. Good riddance to bad rubbish," Pa Dickson said.

Apart from Laura, he had two boys, Gerald and Samuel who loved Tim. He was a poor teacher in a public school. He lost his job during the war and lived from hand to mouth with his family and son-in-law until Laura got her present job. Meanwhile, she was not a soldier but scaled through their rigorous Military Aptitude Test which made her President conclude that there must be a military man behind her and tolerated her domineering manners.

The broadcast also captured Laura's calm demeanor and could be interpreted as nonchalance over her ex-husband's death. However, the captions gave her concern.

(She is happy with her new status as a divorcee.)

(A beautiful young widow.)

(She recovered so fast after the miscarriage.)

She overlooked it and cheered up all the same. The news of her family was making rounds on the airwaves and social media until the Head of State's broadcast quashed it.

At The Military Headquarters

After looking at Gen. McDonald for a while Tim passed his judgment.

“Gen. McDonald, you deserved to be killed just as you intended to do to me. Your actions allowed our enemies to kill a few of us which was against my wish.”

“You are right, Gen. Williams. I deserve to be killed,” Gen McDonald admitted.

Without answering him, he continued, “The families of those soldiers wept when their loved ones did not return. Their wives and children were widowed and orphaned.”

At that point, he paused and looked at the Head of State, his Second in Command, and the other members of the council and they were moody.

After a few seconds, he pleaded, “I am aware that you have done this in the past but permit me to request. Shall we rise for a minute's silence to honor and remember the deceased?”

At once, everyone stood up with heavy hearts and bent their heads. After a minute, he prayed, “May their souls find eternal rest.”

“Amen,” they chorused, sat down, and waited for his verdict on Gen. McDonald.

He looked into the Head of State's eyes, smiled bitterly, and pleaded again, “May I request that we erect a cenotaph of those who have died in the heart of Canterbury?”

“Your wish is granted forthwith,” the Head of State responded.

“I appreciate it, Your Excellency.”

Now, the culprit twitched his eyes and waited for the worst while Tim faced him and continued, “Imagine how your wife and children will feel if you don't return home to them today. Their hopes of getting a hug from their father and a peck from a husband would be dashed forever.”

At that point, everyone was sorrowful, including the Head of State.