http://penastory.com/2015/12/24/twenty-episode-3/

Excerpt From Episode 2:

“I saw you, the corpse you buried last night. Check, where you hid it, dead men don’t walk.” The line went dead and she dropped the phone with a bang as she ran out to the backyard. The shallow grave had been dug out by somebody and the body was gone. She stumbled back in fear just as the door bell went off. Read Episode 2: www.penastory.com

She stood rooted to the spot listening to the ringing door bell. Whoever it was should just go, she thought to herself as she sat on the floor and began drawing patterns in the dirt with her fingers. The visitor didn’t seem like he or she wanted to leave as the peeling doorbell was now accompanied by banging. She stood up hesitantly and went inside, looking at the door as if some horror was going to walk in through the door.

“Chioma are you in there? Open the door.” Her mother’s voice sent a wave of relief washing over her and she hurriedly opened the door. She embraced her mother tightly as if her life depended on it and Mrs. Ugochukwu had to disengage herself when she felt the hug had gone on for too long.

“It seems like somebody missed me.” Mrs. Ugochukwu said with a laugh. At thirty-eight, she bore a striking resemblance to her twenty year old daughter whom she birthed at eighteen years. They looked more like sisters than mother and daughter but that was a situation beyond her control as she was a victim of rape. Her parents disowned her when they found at she was pregnant and she was going through so much pain and shame she didn’t bother to tell them she was raped. At an early stage of her life, she was forced to be responsible for another life and she managed on her own sufficiently till she met Harry. Harry was willing to marry her and take care of the baby and though she didn’t like the fact that he was about twenty seven years her senior, she married him for his riches to secure a better life for her daughter. Now in her late thirties, she was still very much the head turner she had been as a teenager and one look at her explained where Chioma got her good looks from.

Mrs. Ugochukwu didn’t look like one who lost a husband two years ago. Following her husband’s death, she began to have problems with her brother-in-law who was after his brother’s money and he began to torment her calling her a witch who bewitched his brother into marrying her. Chioma was after all not his brother’s daughter and what right had she to his wealth when she has no son for him. She didn’t argue, her husband left most of his properties to her and she simply sold everything and with the money disappeared from their Abuja residence to relocate to Lagos. She bought an apartment in Edmund Crescent and started an interior decorating business which flourished rapidly. A year after saw her venturing into modelling as established an agency, it was at the agency she met David.

The handsome twenty-four year old woke all her femininity and womanly needs and she began to crave for him. She was the beautiful rich widow and he was the young blood that could satisfy her needs. Against her better judgement, she kick started a relationship with him and they had been together about three months before the rape incident with Chioma.

“Yes I missed you mom. I have been at home all day since yesterday that you have left. A lot has happened that I need to tell you about and Matthew didn’t show up as earlier planned.” At the mention of Matthew’s name, a cloud passed across Mrs. Ugochukwu’s face. She was well aware of the romantic relationship between Matthew one of her models and her duaghter. She took her daughter’s hand and squeezed gently before replying

“About Matthew. I need to tell you something about that and I think it’s best I go first.” They both sat at the sofa slowly tears began to trickle out of Mrs. Ugochukwu’s eyes. Chioma stood up alarmed and asked

“What is it mom? Why are you crying?” There was fear in her eyes and voice as she questioned her mother. Could her mother have found out about David so quickly? Hadn’t she just said she wanted to say something about Matthew? Why was she crying then?

“Matthew, last night…Matthew, Matthew is dead…” Mrs. Ugochukwu choked out between sobs, her eye sad as she looked at her daughter’s distraught face.

“Matthew dead?” Chioma’s voice came in a whisper as if she was in some far away land and she shook her head in disbelief.

“His body was found last night, I tried to call David but couldn’t reach him.” Her mother was saying and the mention of David jolted Chioma.

“David, David…” her voice was still faint and she was sitting by her mother now as she didn’t trust her legs to carry her. She stood up and walked to her room as if in a trance and her mother trailed behind her afraid she was going to hurt herself. Chioma sat gingerly on the bed and stared at the red light of her Blackberry phone that was blinking. She picked it up distractedly till she saw it was a text message from David. She sat upright as she shakily opened the message and read

“Hey Chi, miss me? I got my eyes on you babe.”

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