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riteshotz:
Barbie is something else. For the love i have for this story. Hope you like it.

I like the book cover, riteshotz, we should talk, here is my email, aishayasmina@yahoo. com

It has been a long ride friends, get ready for the FINAL episode.

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Damola observed Lila was not talking to either of their parents and it was queer, because she was the talkative one out of the three kids they had.
‘Where is Mmayen?’ He asked his mother.
‘Oh, Mma left to see one of her friends. I don’t think she has heard about this news like us.’ His mother concluded.
‘True, if she did, she’d come running and weeping.’ The old man smiled.
Damola almost blushed as he spotted a glint of an all knowing mischief in the old man’s eyes.
‘Relax, falling in love is not a bad thing.’ The man teased him.
‘I do love her father and I want to make her my wife someday.’ Damola couldn’t hold it in any longer. He had so many plans for her and all he wanted was a chance to prove his love.

Lila’s heart skipped as she gazed at the two monsters she called parents. When were they going to take off the sheep’s fur and reveal their true nature to their sons?
The chief and his wife exchanged glares after what Damola said.
‘Is there a problem? Do you guys have a problem with Mmayen as my future bride?’ He noticed the way his parents looked at each other.

Eniola was tongue tied; she didn’t know what to offer in return, so her eyes were fixed on her husband for the next step to do. Granted, this was not the best time, but confessions of terrible sins were not to be delayed else the sinner’s heart could become stonier than it already was.
The chief grasped the meaning of her stare and he knew it was time to tell their children the truth together.
He was about to speak, when Denzel returned with an angry look plastered all over his face.
‘What is it?’ Lila asked once he showed up.
‘I know who sent the thugs. It was not Iris Legacy.’
****
‘Don’t be so sad Mma, I am not too sure of this news myself. It could just be a rumour.’ Tolu was now filled with regrets; she had been too fast to share the news with Mmayen, knowing how emotional she could get.

‘But what if it’s not? Today has been such a bad day for me.’ Mmayen cried silently at the back of the cab they’d chattered towards the Oluwatosin mansion.
‘I don’t know. You need to be strong Mma; you need to be strong more than ever. You have to prepare yourself for the worst.’ Tolu reached for her hands and covered it with hers.
‘I know, I have so much to tell you, I came to your house for a reason...’ Mma licked her lips as she stared out the window, distracting her mind from the possibility of losing her darling to the cold hands of death.

‘Yes, tell me’ Tolu sensed it was serious.
‘I overheard Damola’s mother saying something about my father to her husband. That triggered my curiosity. As I pondered on her words, I realized that I never knew my father much; I was closer to my mother. I knew that he was a very playful person when he wasn’t studying or carrying out a research. But I never knew him deeply...’ she paused looking for suitable words to explain what she truly meant.
Tolu understood her, ‘You didn’t have a connection to your dad. To you, he was simply the “father”, the daddy figure who provides all your needs but is never there actually. He does not know when you are sad or happy or why you are sad or happy. He is just...nonexistent.

For some minutes, Mmayen stared at Tolu with admiration, she seemed to live in her mind.
‘How did you know this?’
‘I never had a deep connection with my father...’ Tolu blinked as tears gathered in her eyes.
‘I am sorry about that.’ It was Mma’s turn to comfort her.
‘So tell me about your father.’ Tolu asked.
‘I discovered something grave about him, from an old news agency which stores its contents online. My father lost his job when I was ten years old and that was when he started writing computer programs at home. He had a special lab where he experimented with computers, but I was oblivious of this.
He was sacked for sexually harassing his secretary. When I read that, I just brushed it off as an allegation with no evidence.
But I couldn’t brush this one off....’ tears stung Mmayen as she remembered for the first time what her father had done to her when she was ten years old.
‘Talk to me, what happened?’
‘He raped a twelve year old girl, he was arrested and released after six months. I believe that story because my father touched me in a certain way and when I frowned, he pulled his hands away.’ Mmayen confessed.
Tolu could feel her pain, ‘I am sorry about that.’
‘I know, I just hate him right now. I am quite sure my mother knew he was a monster, why did she put up with him?’ Mmayen felt so hurt and betrayed.
‘Mma, you have really gone through a lot in this life, but don’t let it weigh you down. That is the past, if you need to see a psychologist, then go ahead and talk to one, if that would make you feel better. I am sorry about your father’s bad behaviour.’ Tolu felt so worried about his latest discovery.

‘When I think about that fire now, the way it happened...it’d resembled a plan. Now I know the kind of person he was, he could’ve had lots of enemies.’ She wished she had all the answers.
‘Let it go Mma, you cannot control everything.’ Tolu repeated.
‘It’s not easy to let things go...let me face it, if truly Damola is gone, I don’t think I would let it go easily.’ She looked her friend right in the eye and announced this.
Tolu just smiled, she knew Mmayen had fallen for this guy already.
‘I liked his brother too, Denzel, but I had to let him go.’
‘Why?’ Mmayen asked.
‘Well, we need to know each other really well, before we rush into a relationship.’ Tolu returned.
“We don reach.” The cab driver announced as he pulled the grey Toyota by the gate that blocked the Tosin mansion from public view.
Tolu paid him off, the next minute; the girls were by the gate, pounding it hard like their lives depended on it.
‘Please don’t die.’ Mmayen held her breath as her knuckles hit the metal.
****
“What?” The family chorused.
It seemed everyone had been hoping that Iris was the one behind the attack.
‘They assured me Iris Legacy is not the one behind the attack.’ Denzel had disbelieved the man too, till things had been explained to him.
‘If that witch is not behind the attack, then who is? Her son?’ Lila waited for his reply as she had made Ife a solemn promise to pay him back, should his mother be behind the attack of her brothers.
‘It’s a terrorist group, “The Ammunitions”, it is rising not just in Tomato Island but in Southern Nigeria as well. They kill and maim people; they kidnap wealthy citizens and vandalize government property. The Police had received a strange call, they’d announced the attack days back but they’d seen it as a crank call hence tossing the threats aside.’ Denzel explained.

‘Their target was Damola, they wanted to take him down and steal his body under the guise of kidnapping. If they had succeeded, we would’ve paid heavy sums of money, thinking he was still alive and in their custody, only to be shocked at the end of the day. I believe them, Iris has too much on her plate right now to strike back at us.’
‘Are you serious? So they had that kind of information and they kept it to themselves? This country is really messy.’ Lila shook her head.
‘I see why they had been so quick to show up even before we were able to call them.’ Damola felt so disappointed.
‘Once again, the evil Iris Legacy escapes...’ the chief clicked his tongue.
‘You don’t get to call her evil! You are worse off!’ Lila released all the anger that she had been able to contain. Her voice was grossly pained as she yelled at her father. His hypocrisy was sickening.
Both brothers were shocked, why was their younger sister so rude to their dad?
‘Lila! Enough!’ Denzel tried to control her.
‘Leave her!’ The chief pushed his son gently away.
‘What dad? You enjoy the way she’s talking to you?’ Damola scoffed, he’d sensed a friction between Lila and their parents.
‘I am so sorry children...’ Eniola started in a shaky voice.
‘Sorry about what?’ Damola was uncomfortable seeing her cry.
‘Something is really off, both of you have been acting real funny.’ Denzel pointed a finger at them both.
‘We have to tell you something. We don’t care if you abandon us later, but you have to know the truth.’ The chief came in.
‘What are these people talking about?’ Damola sucked in a deep breath, wondering what this show was for.
Before he could say more, both of his parents fell on their knees.
‘I will not be a party to this strangeness. I have to rest now, do you mind?’ Denzel turned to Damola.
‘Wait bro, what they are about to tell us, is really important.’ Damola held him back.
The flood of naked truth was about to clear the earth of lies.
‘I was an average man, but I and your mother got greedy and decided to steal Engineer Brown’s programs, we made it ours and created more programs out of the one we’d stolen from him.’ The chief took charge of the confession.
‘What!?’ Damola hoped he was not dreaming.
‘That is Mmayen’s father, should I not be mistaken.’ He added.
‘Yes, he is the one.’ Eniola nodded.
Just then, the gate creaked as Mmayen and Tolu rushed in. They slowed in their steps as they spotted Damola’s parents kneeling on the floor, what was happening?
‘He is alive! He is alive!’ Mmayen rushed towards her lover, but she faltered in her steps as her body fell to the ground, when she head: ‘We killed Mmayen’s parents by setting the house on fire.’
****
THREE days later...
He was in the middle of the rose garden, soaked in tears, hands scribbling all what his brain could muster as he penned down the most heartfelt apology anyone could ever read.
He was ashamed of himself; he hated himself for all the things that he had done in the past.
‘Mmayen, I am so sorry’ his lips shivered as he thought of her, the woman he was meant to love but had pushed away for a trivial woman.
Now that things had changed, now that the river had changed its tide, Marian had abandoned him, she didn’t even care to give him a call and ask how things were going.
‘I guess I deserved it.’ Ife thought to himself.
Once he was done writing his letter, he ran his eyes briefly through it.
‘What are you writing in my rose garden?’ Iris breezed in.
‘A letter. Apology.’ Ife answered casually.
‘A legacy does not apologize.’ Iris pulled back a chair and sank into it.
‘Not in this case.’ Ife folded the paper neatly and dropped it into an envelope.
‘For the girl I suppose?’ Iris raised her brows, Ife nodded.

‘I know it must be difficult to adapt to our new reality of not being the “Legacy” family that we were before things changed. Your father is a coward whom I regret bedding. But I am working on something...’ she paused as Ife cut her short.

‘Tell me, mother, did you have anything to do with the attack on Denzel and Damola?’ Ife stared deeply into her eyes, he was not done mourning his friend, so he needed to be sure. He remembered the way Lila’s large brown eyes had accused him.
The corners of her mouth tightened as she stared right back at him, ‘You should be smart enough to answer that.’
Ife was not surprised by his mother’s reply; she always turned everything rhetoric.
‘You see...I have fought a lot of battles right when I could stand on my own. I came from the down low; I fought hard to create a name for myself, one that would last through the ages. One that would make people tremble once they heard of it, and I think I accomplished that dream. But in all of my planning, I failed to treat what was most important, I failed to envision how failure would be and that was when I gave the victory to your father, who failed us all.
In life, you win some and you lose some.’ Iris replied with a taut face.

‘So, did you send those men to attack them or not?’ Ife brushed away her talk.
Slowly, the frown that sat on her face faded, replaced by a bright smile.
‘You are as stupid as your father, cowardly the same.’ Iris was irritated by his question.
‘Why would you say something like that?’ Ife was offended.
Rising to her feet, she dropped her parting words, ‘If I wanted to kill anyone, you and your miserable father would be top on my list, you both are the architect of my problems. Once you’re done with your little apology letter, get out of my garden.’ Iris hissed angrily and walked away.
‘Oh my, I really pissed her off this time.’ Ife’s face was a picture of bewilderment as he stared after the woman that birthed him.
That was all he needed to know, she had not been the one behind the attack.
‘Now I must face her...’ his eyes fell on the brown envelope as he thought of her beautiful face.
He had lost his jewel forever, by the works of his own hands.

..

Otuosowo:
na wah oo, some writers will hurriedly start a story that will take them forever to conclude. this is not nice at all and most times nairaland stories are inconclusive. Is not by force to be a writer.

I apologize to you and all my fans who genuinely care about me...

I have been very busy...but I always finish my stories...just be patient biko...

...

...

you back. I became suspicious when I saw you drinking so heavily in your study the other day. Also, I overheard mother and her sister planning to do something terrible to Mmayen, that is the reason I abandoned work to watch closely over her’ Lila decided to open up first, maybe that would give her father courage to do same.
The man tears slowly dried up, his eyes grew wide on hearing his daughter.
‘You mean, your mother and Imisi were still planning to hurt that innocent girl another time? Haven’t they done enough?’
‘Just talk to me...I promise to stand by you, no matter what’ Lila encouraged him.
‘It’s so difficult, I feel great shame thinking of the atrocity we committed that night...’ he paused and sniffed in a breath.
‘It does not matter, just tell me. I swear I wouldn’t forsake you. I can see that you are sorry, and you regret your decision and that is why I will by your side always’ Lila reassured him of her undying loyalty.
‘Talk to me father’ she whispered, her fingers curled tightly around his’.
More tears rushed down his cheeks, he just couldn’t keep it in anymore, and the guilt was too much for him to bear alone.
‘I and your mother did something really terrible many years back, our hands are soiled with human blood...’ he wiped his face with the back of his hands.
Lila waited patiently for him, with her fingers curling tightly to her phone.
‘We were not always rich, we had a lot of challenges and that was the reason I began to resent Denzel. I saw him as additional responsibility, one that I had not business dealing with, your mother saw my hatred for him and came up with a plan, one that would change our lives forever.’
‘What kind of plan was it father?’ Lila asked.
‘It was a very bad plan, one of betrayal and sabotage. Do you remember Engineer Brown?’ the man cast a look on his daughter’s face.
‘Yes, Mmayen’s father’ Lila nodded.
‘Well, back then we were richer than they were, but we wanted more. Your mother was quite close to the man’s wife, so one day during one of her visits, she found some papers on their dining table. Your mother is a very smart woman and she is well educated too, so she knew what was written on the papers.’
‘What was written on it?’ Lila’s ears itched for more.
‘Programs...which I and your mother stole, and turned to ours. We worked on it and sold it, which was the beginning of our expansion. For years we derived wealth from these programs which Damola finally inherited and named “Marisoft”. The program was never my idea, it was Engineer Brown’s, he worked day and night to create something different. I spoke to the man occasionally, but the few times that I’d met him, his face had radiated with so much hope, he believed he had what it took to take Nigeria and the world at large to the level in Software Marketing.’ The man felt slightly relieved as he poured his heart out, but that was not all, the hardest part was yet to come.

Tears welled up in Lila’s eyes as she imagined what happened next.
‘No, don’t tell me both of you were...’ her voice was shaky; she was terrified of what her mind whispered.
‘You promised not to judge me...I ...your mother was behind it’ he stuttered.
‘No, you burned Mmayen’s parents? That fire was set by you two!’ Lila jumped to her feet. Her eyes were filled with fear and disgust as she stared at the man she called father, how could her parents had done such a callous thing?
‘Lila, you don’t understand, your mother had been really persuasive’ the man rose to his feet.
‘Oh come off it! Don’t pin this on mother, you both are birds of the same feather. If you hated what you did so much, why did you build a company on another man’s sweat? Why do you feel suddenly guilty now?’ Lila fired at him.
‘I am sorry, I just couldn’t help it, I have carried this pain long enough’ he replied with a sombre face.
Lila was mortified as she never imagined her parents being capable of something so evil. The man and his wife had been burned to death, their house was totally destroyed, only Mmayen had been fortunate to escape alive.
‘You made her an orphan, you ruined her life! No wonder you are afraid of spending time with her. How could you father? I am terribly disappointed in you’ Lila felt disgusted at the sight of him, she hated her mother even more. She now understood why her mother was planning to destroy Mmayen; she wanted her secret to be buried forever.

‘I am sorry, please forgive me...’ the man’s knees sank into the concrete floor.
‘You are a very wicked man; because of you I and my brother’s would never be happy. We are going to face serious humiliation when the truth gets out, because unlike you, I would not keep something as grave as this within me’ she turned off the voice recording application on her phone and raised it upwards.
The man’s face beamed with realization as he realized Lila had recorded their conversation.
‘Lila, please, you don’t have to’ he begged.
‘You can’t tell me what to do. We have been living a lie all these years. I looked up to you as man of ambition and wisdom, you deceived us into believing that your riches were gotten from pure hard work, how foolish we had been!’ Lila scoffed.
How would Damola take this? Though he had created his own Softwares, but the rock upon which they were built was that of Engineer Brown.
‘No...’ tears ran down her face, this revelation was set to destroy a lot of things. How would Mmayen react once she found the truth? Surely, all her feelings for her brother would wax cold. She would hate them all; she would fight them with her last breath.
‘Please, just listen to me Lila, you don’t have to tell your brothers, at least not yet’ he begged.
‘This conversation is over dad, you cannot tell me what to do. I am off to see Damola and Denzel.’ Lila sighed and decided the best thing to do was to share her father’s confession with her brothers.

The chief had never felt this much afraid, with his own hands he had destroyed his life; with his hands he was destroyed his family. One thing was for sure; his children were going to hate him for a long time.
‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to hold yourself together, now they will hate us all once they realize what we had done...’ Eniola’s cool voice startled the man.
He swirled round at once and faced her, his pale features were emboldened by rage and regret, ‘What are you doing here, you sick bitch?’
His insult meant nothing to her, it passed like the whisper of the wind in cool evening, and she had been searching the house for her husband when one of the security guards had informed her of his whereabouts.
She had found him sitting next to his daughter, from the look on his face, she knew their age long secret was about to be released into the world.
‘You have no right to speak to me; I can’t believe you plotted to kill her with that crazy sister of yours. Aren’t you two tired of doing evil? Don’t you have a conscience?’ He regarded her slowly, the woman was as firm as iron. Her features showed no emotion, it seemed she had no regrets about what they had done that night.
‘It was just a plan; we didn’t carry it out, so stop judging me. I know what you are trying to do. You are trying to absolve yourself of the guilt you feel, by playing the blame game. You cannot blame me for everything that happened that night, you could’ve said “no”, you could have dissuaded me, but you didn’t. You were silent, and we both know silence is not an answer. Even the good Book already said it, ‘Let your yes be yes and your no, no’ she replied sternly.
She had suspected the chief would say something about the event that had taken place some years back, but she reminded herself that he wouldn’t so something so foolish.
‘You acted foolishly by telling Lila about it, once she tells her brother’s, it is over for us. They are never going to believe in us, we could even go to jail’ her lips shook.
‘Maybe we deserve it, jail is not for the innocent’ the man replied.
‘Think of the scandal, the embarrassment that we will cause them. You made a terrible mistake! You should’ve let me handle this, our secret would’ve been buried forever, what you have done is disastrous!’
The man stared at his wife unbelievably, ‘I can’t believe you’d plan to kill her after what you did to her parents, and you are a sick woman...’

Her lips parted, giving way to a throaty chuckle, ‘I see, I am the devil and you are the saint, how ironic.’
‘I don’t have to be a saint to condemn an evil act, what we did was demonic. Those people didn’t deserve our cruelty. I don’t regret telling Lila about it, I feel better now...’ the man sighed.
‘What makes you think Engineer Brown was a saint?’ Eniola scoffed, she raised a brow which mocked her husband.
Just in time, Mmayen walked towards the swimming pool, she had forgotten some of her novels outside and she needed them to kill time and the anxiety she felt when Tolu had told her, ‘There is something that I must tell you about Marian.’
She froze as she heard her father’s name or was it another Engineer Brown?
‘Oh! Mma, you are here’ Eniola had failed to see her in time.
‘Good day Ma, Good day Sir’ she bent a knee as she greeted them.
‘Thank you Mmayen’ the chief acknowledged her with a nod and scurried away from the pool side, only his wife stayed behind.
‘How are you doing today?’ Eniola moved closer to Mmayen.
‘I am fine Ma, just that I feel bored. Damola left for the office and he refused to take me along’ she answered.
To this, the woman laughed, ‘My daughter, you just lost a pregnancy. He wants what is best for you. I thought my son how to be a responsible man.’
A smile curled on Mmayen’s lips as she thought of Damola, the name that gladdened her heart, she couldn’t wait to see him.
‘You are a very beautiful woman; you have your father’s eyes’ Eniola remarked.
She had heard this for the first time, no other person knew her parents the way the chief and the wife did. She couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful words.
‘Thank you’ Mmayen replied.
‘Welcome, stay safe, I need to catch some sleep’ she patted Mmayen on the back and moved quickly away.
Mmayen couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she thought about having her father’s eyes. While he was alive, people always compared them both, stating that they shared a striking resemblance, hearing it after many years made her miss her those old days.
‘I wish you both never died...’ she sighed.
Tonight she had a date with Tolu, who was going to tell her all about her cousin. She dismissed other thoughts while guessing what Tolu had to say about Marian.
‘Typical, I know she does married men’ Mmayen rolled her eyes. After packing her novels, she found it difficult to get the words she had stumbled upon out of her mind.
What if her father had been the subject of discussion? What did Mrs. Oluwatosin mean when she said her father was not a saint?
‘Research, kill boredom’ she shrugged and walked towards her room.
****
Her heart was pounding really fast against her chest. She couldn’t breathe as she was so nervous. She couldn’t believe Ife would issue her such a threat, she had seen his eyes, and they were fiery and full of determination.
‘No...’ she shook her head, Ife had meant what he had said. Undermining him would be a really foolish thing to do.
She was in a dilemma and she did not know a way out of it. How would she redeem herself, should the truth about their conspiracy and betrayal come to life?
‘I can’t let that happen...’ her hands shook.
She wanted Damola for herself; she deserved to have him and not her cousin. Mmayen was a tramp, a low life and a LovePeddler; she did not deserve a man like Damola.
‘If I can’t have him, then no one will’ she whispered to herself.
She had her plans, all she needed was to pay Damola a visit, and seduce him whenever her was alone, no man ever resisted her charms, he was not going to be the first.
She decided she would call her cousin, she had not spoken to her for a month now, and all she needed was to get closer to her that was the tactic she had applied while Mmayen had been dating Ife.
As for Ifedayo, she as going to deal with him in just one way; taking him down would solve that problem.
‘The syringe...’ she ran her slim fingers into her hair as she remembered the syringe that contained the poisonous substance that she was supposed to inject into Mmayen.
Now she thought about the object, she realized that she had not seen it after that day. No, she couldn’t be that careless.
Marian walked towards the area where she hung all of her bags. She took off the vintage black bag she had carried that day, the syringe had to be in there.
She unzipped it immediately and began to search, she opened all the inner compartments of the bag, yet she found nothing.
‘No...’ her heart raced, had she misplaced it? Had she thrown it out?
She pressed a finger against her lip as she tried to remember, but she couldn’t; her memory was a blur and this meant trouble.
She never shared things with Tolu, even if Tolu was home, she wouldn’t be able to ask her about the syringe.
She decided to search all of her bags which numbered twenty, maybe she had mistakenly dropped it in one of the bags.
Marian couldn’t wait to get her hands on that potent poison, she would inject Ifedayo with it and end him forever, no one had to know her secret especially Mmayen.
While on the third bag, she heard the doorbell ring.
‘Who could that be?’ She had not expected anyone; Tolu had gone to work and would return later at night.
She was not happy about the interruption, she moved towards the single window in the room and parted the curtains, there was a strange van in the driveway.
‘Tomato Island Laboratories...’ she read the words that were inscribed on the van. What did they want with her?
She hurried outside so she could get rid of them quickly and resume her search before Tolu returned. She knew how smart that donkey could be, she didn’t want Tolu watching her wide eyed.
‘I hope this is worth it’ Marian hissed, before pulling the door open and welcoming her visitor with a fake smile.
‘Good day Sir, how may I be of help?’ she beamed.
‘Thanks for the welcome, please I would like to see one Ms. Tolu Badagry’ the young man said.
‘Tolu Badagry? What do you want with her?’ Marian eyed him suspiciously; her eyes went to the package he clutched tightly to, like his life depended on it.
‘She brought sample to our lab, we ran a test and gave her a feedback but we had to return it. There is a breakdown of diseases in our lab right now and we are taking out all dangerous chemicals’ he explained carefully.

‘Oh, I am so sorry about that. Tolu is not around, but I am her sister, I live here with her. You could give me the package; I will deliver it to her.’ Marian wondered what this “sample” was.
The young man hesitated for a while as he had been given strict instructions to drop the sample with Tolu.
‘You don’t need to be afraid; I promise to deliver it to her.’ Marian could see he was not comfortable about that arrangement and that made her more curious about the package.
‘Okay...just get her to call our company once she receives it’ he decided he could leave it with her sister.
‘I sure will...’ Marian nodded and grabbed the package that seemed to be a wooden box from the young man.
‘Do I need to sign?’ She asked sweetly.
‘No, just make sure she calls’ he replied and left as the van driver started to horn incessantly.
‘Good riddance’ Marian shut the door immediately. She reminded herself of her syringe search; she had to find it before her friend returned.
She dropped the box carefully on the table, wondering what creepy stuff Tolu was up to...
‘On second thoughts, I should take a look at this.’ Marian decided to check it out.
She took off the aluminium paper that covered the package, like she had rightly assumed, it was a wooden box.
‘What could be inside?’ She thought to herself.
Slowly she pulled the little box open, her heart froze as she stood face to face with the syringe that she had been looking for.
This only meant one thing; her number of enemies was on the increase.
‘No’ Marian held her breath, she was quite sure the lab attendants must have run a test on the poison and told Tolu what it was before returning it. What if Tolu had connected the dots and realized she had an affair with Ife and had also planned to kill Mmayen?
She felt cold all over; goose bumps appeared on her creamy skin.

*******
After his encounter with Marian, he’d decided to go visit Iris, she alone could confirm or debunk the rumours that flew carelessly around.
Ifedayo hoped the email message he’d received was a lie; he had been born and raised with money; how would he survive without it now?
Hurriedly, he stepped down from the car, he moved briskly towards the garden, knowing where his mother was going to be.
‘Mother!’ He called her sharply.
Iris Legacy had been waiting for this moment, sooner or later, she knew the truth was going to come out and that had been the reason she had wanted to get close to Eniola. She survived by feeding on people’s secret. Currently, Eniola’s son, Damola Tosin was the reigning billionaire, finding the family’s secret would have bought her some time, as she would’ve blackmailed them, a process to enrich herself and rebuild the fallen Legacy Empire.

‘Don’t tell me you have not heard the news that is going round.’ Ifedayo was appalled by the sight of his mother drinking brandy and sniffing some flowers.
Was she so heartless not to care about what their family would go through should they lose everything? Where was his father? He had so many questions, only his mother could answer them.
‘Talk to me! Where is father?’ Ifedayo’s tone rose higher. He was infuriated by her carefree attitude; she acted like she had everything under control.
‘Lila Oluwatosin threatened to tell the world that we are broke, somehow that news got out, I need to know if this is true mother...’ Ife folded his arms across his chest, while waiting for an answer.

Iris only sighed, she poured herself another glass of golden liquor, this was her own way of relaxing, of celebrating.
‘She is right...’ Iris answered after gulping the burning liquid.
She had been so terrified the day Lila and Denzel had accosted her, no one had ever put her in that situation before. She had always been the one to drive fear into people and not the other way round.
‘What do you mean, “she is right”’ Ife could hear his heart beating, sweat broke out on his forehead as he imagined a life without luxury.
‘We are broke Ifedayo, we have been for a long time and that was the reason your father ran away’ Iris fetched a rose flower and sniffed the fragrance.
There was thick silence in the garden. Ife had never been this confused as he stared into his mother’s face, what the hell was she talking about? Last he remembered, Chief Legacy, his father, had travelled for a summit of entrepreneurs all over the world.
‘Your father never went for any summit, he left. We started losing money two years back when he fell back into his old habit of gambling; I tried to stop him, I tried to reach out to him but he refused to listen...’ she paused.
‘That’s impossible, how come?’ Ife was going crazy.
‘How come you never knew about the company’s financial situation as the C.E.O? You were never serious with your position Ife, I and your father over pampered you and for that I hate myself’ Iris sighed.
His mother was right, he hardly had time to go through the files from the accounting department; he’d spent most of his time chasing after women and latest cars, sneaking around with Marian and partying.
‘No...’ he felt weak, so his father had abandoned them both? How were they going to survive? How would he face Mmayen who was now with Damola, the man that had stolen his shine?

‘Your father has always been a coward, I regret marrying him’ Iris shook her head in disappointment.
She had known this hour was going to come, when she would look back and realize they had nothing left, just like Lot had left the city of Sodom and Gomorrah.
‘So what are we going to do?’ Ife’s lips trembled.
‘I don’t know...we are in a huge debt. Soon, the debtors would come, soon my rose garden would be gone, soon our name would be covered in dust’ Iris angrily threw the rose flower to the ground.
‘Mother! We cannot lose it all, there must be a way out, you have rich friends, you can call them to help us’ Ife was so terrified of facing this new world.
‘Never...’ Iris pressed a shaky hand against her chest, she was too proud to beg anyone for help, to lofty to step down from her unseen throne.
‘I remain Iris Legacy, in riches and in poverty’ she stood her ground.
‘I will commit suicide, I cannot live a wretched life’ Ife threatened, he knew how powerful his mother was, he knew she could still salvage this situation, no matter how late it was. He just had to manipulate her a bit.
A crooked smile twisted Iris’ features; the smile faded quickly and was replaced by a great frown.
‘You are just as miserable as your father, I have been the one taking major decisions, why can’t you stand up and be a man for once? Damola Oluwatosin is your age mate; he is working wonders, breaking the software market. Yet, you stand like a little sissy, threatening to hang yourself. To what end Ifedayo? To what end?
My hands are tied as it seems, there is nothing I can do. We have lost everything. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose...’ she shrugged and rose to her feet.

‘Oh no, maybe God is punishing me for...what I did to that baby’ tears welled up in Ifedayo’s eyes.
‘What are you talking about?’ Iris’ brows knotted together in wonder.
‘Mmayen was actually pregnant for me, but I ...’ he couldn’t bring himself to speak the words.
‘You did what?’ Iris was eager to know.
Now she thought of the girl, she hated herself for the way she had acted; this reality of losing everything had a humbling effect on her.
‘I...I slipped in something poisonous into her food, it destroyed the pregnancy’ he wept bitterly.
‘What?’ Iris’ eyes grew wide as she had never imagined her son capable of murder.
‘I am sorry, I was so selfish. I treated Mmayen like she was scum, now I am paying for it.’
‘I don’t know what to say to you Ifedayo, we have all done evil things, maybe God is paying us back in our own coin’ Iris decided not to judge him, she was not so innocent herself.
‘Is there nothing we can do about this situation?’ He asked in a faint voice.
‘I don’t think there is, our debtors are coming for us. If I were you, I’d beg Damola to hire me’ those were her last words before she retreated towards the house where she had kept all her boxes.
Her heart had troubled her the day Lila Tosin and her brother had paid her a visit. She had known that her game was up.
The game of power was won, when the opponent had a secret about the other, only then was true power existent.
Ife watched with despair as his mother walked away, he felt like a loser. He was greatly ashamed of himself.
First, Marian had abandoned him, now his mother. Who was going to save him now?
He quickly took out his phone and dialled Ubong’s number, surely his best friend was not going to abandon him, only Ubong could advise him now.
‘Pick up, pick up’ Ifedayo waited patiently as the phone rang, but there was no answer.
Something was wrong, he was sure of it, Ubong rarely missed his calls.
****

Few minutes later, Lila returned to the swimming pool with a glass of water in her hand and two tables of aspirin, but she met no one at the pool.
‘What now?’ She rolled her eyes wondering where Mma had gone to.
She settled in on an empty seat and decided to tell her brother what she had learned, Mmayen was in love with him just as much as he was with her, it felt so beautiful as she imagined the two of them being together.
She took out her phone from the pocket of her trouser and texted him a message.
‘How wonderful, Mma and Dami together...’ she laughed, her eyes closing to the scenes that played out in her head.
Everything seemed so beautiful right now, somehow she had been able to discover Iris’ secret and had been able to tame her for some time. The thought about Iris pricked her and cracked her eyes wide open.
She had sent Ifedayo a threatening email, she had warned him to stay away from her brother else, she was going to unwind the window of their secrets and let the whole world know just how broke they were. They had been living an illusion and portraying same to the world at large; their loves were similar to the mirage that placed itself strategically at the middle of the road in a sunny afternoon.
‘Soon, she may bite back’ Lila rubbed her chin, deep in thought as to what Iris Legacy may plan next for her and her family.
She had failed to let her brother’s in on her plan, neither Denzel nor Damola knew about the email message she had sent to Ifedayo, she believed she could handle the Legacy’s alone, but now she thought about her own family and how weird her parents were both acting, she was starting to regret her actions.
Without looking back, she could sense that she was not alone; her father’s Malizia scent danced through her nostrils and awakened her to his presence.
‘Why are you out here alone...?’ The old man asked, narrowing his eyes on the chairs that were placed next to the pool and some novels which obviously didn’t belong to Lila as she was not an ardent reader.
‘Dad!’ She turned to have a look at his face.
‘Yes darling...’ he settled in one of the chairs.
A wave of sadness filled her as she stared into her father’s face; the man was a shadow of his old self; his beards were dishevelled; wrinkles pulled his cheeks together, he seemed to have aged overnight. His eyes were bloodshot from heavy drinking and his face was pale.
‘I just felt like being alone’ Lila replied.
‘You didn’t go to the office today, your brother’s left you behind...’ the man noticed.
‘I just felt like staying at home’ she answered.
‘Hmm’ he seemed to scrutinize her face with his reddened eyes, this made her uncomfortable, and so she quickly looked away.
She had been so quick to threaten Iris Legacy about her family secret; she had failed to search her family thoroughly. She hated that she had acted impulsively.
Her parents were definitely hiding something; she had overheard her mother plotting evil against Mmayen. Surely, that would have been proof enough that her family had its own fair share of secrets, one that seemed more deadly than that of the Legacy’s.

‘I’ve watched you grow Lila...you have always been the smartest of my three kids. You are just like me, kind and strong at the same time; considerate and fearless, you are a beautiful soul’ the man adored her with his lips.
Her father’s praise did not sink deep, she knew her father well, he rarely praised his children, this man sitting next to her was a total stranger, and something was eating him up.
‘Since when did you accept Denzel as your third child?’ Lila raised a brow.
‘Well...since I realized life is not a gift. It is a privilege. Gifts cannot be taken back, but a privilege is like a mat under a man’s feet, it can be pulled away at anytime. Denzel is my son, I accept him’ the man replied coolly.
‘Hmm’ Lila stared at him closely, something was not right.
She was not a bookworm like her brother’s, but she was a movie freak and with what she was seeing, her father looked suicidal, all the signs were there.
His sudden drinking bout, he was a lover of wine, no doubt but the rate he’d been drinking this past week was alarming and that was a sign of depression. But now he was talking about how life is a privilege and how easily it could be taken away, her fears were confirmed.
‘I want you to keep staying smart and take good care of your brothers. Don’t be like your mother, Eniola is a bad woman and I regret marrying her’ he shook his head sadly.
‘Dad! Please don’t talk like this, you are scaring me’ Lila held her beating chest with her left palm.
‘I am sorry dear, but carrying this burden is too great for me, seeing her walk in this same house that was meant for her saddens me. I was a monster, I let a woman control me...I failed you all!’ tears ran down his cheeks as he cried. He was really bitter about the past and there was nothing he could do to change it now.
Her face haunted him. Her innocent brown eyes disturbed his peace of mind and that was the reason he had carefully avoided her and spent all his time drinking away his sorrows. It baffled him, how Eniola and Imisi were able to sleep at night, knowing the girl’s parents they had all murdered was living with them.
‘Dad, I can tell that something is eating you up...please open up to me. I can handle it’ Lila rose to her feet and knelt beside him.
‘Can you?’ He asked in a shaky voice.
‘Yes, you are dying yet still alive. You are not happy. Please, whatever it is you did, tell me. We can handle this together. I know that you are scared of the way I may see you after that; I know you are most afraid of Damola and what he would think of you, but please, just let me in...Open up to me and you will feel better’ Lila rubbed his hand gently, her eyes were pleading.

The old man could see how scared Lila was for him, but he was more afraid for himself. Telling her the truth about what they had done, could tear their family apart. They could lose everything overnight and he didn’t want that for his children.

‘And when you keep saying “her”, who are you talking about? Who is haunting you?’ Lila was really terrified, was her father hallucinating now?

The moment of truth had come; the man could see his time of misery was up. His daughter was right, he was dying slowly, and all he needed was to confess even if it meant losing everything.
He had ruined another person’s life to be where he was today; his kids had inherited his cursed wealth, tainted by the blood of another man.
‘I can feel you dad, you want to open up badly, but something is holding

The two brothers stood side by side as they watched the men work on the site, the one where the Marisoft building would be erected.
‘They are trying really hard, it’s going to be awesome’ Denzel remarked, his voice full of great expectation.
He knew how much this company meant to his brother, and that was the reason he had agreed to confront Iris Legacy with Lila the other day.
‘These men are really living up to their name...’ Denzel continued, the men they had hired where the first black Africans to own a construction company and they had come highly recommended.
‘Hmm’ Damola nodded.
His mind was elsewhere. His mind was occupied with thoughts of his angel, his darling. He wondered what she was up to now, had she eaten? Was she sleeping? Was she thinking of Ife?
His heart jolted as he thought about that beast that had taken his angel for granted.
‘Are you okay bro?’ Denzel could tell his brother was absent minded, whatever he was thinking about had a stronger pull on him than the job they had both come to supervise.
‘Yes I am, let’s go back to the office, we still need to do some paperwork’ Damola suggested.
The construction workers had erected a glass made office which served as a temporary purpose.
‘Okay...’ Denzel agreed, still not comfortable with his brother’s silence.
He had noticed the way his family members had been acting of late, it baffled him but he decided to stay out of it. He had wanted to discuss their father’s behaviour with Damola, but it seemed the younger man had issues of his own to resolve.
‘I can’t help but wonder why Iris would be so confident in her attack of me, her records are not even clean’ Damola could feel his brother’s eyes boring into him, so he quickly spoke up. He couldn’t let anyone into what he was feeling inside. His heart was in turmoil, he was afraid of her not loving him, he was afraid of being rejected.

‘Oh, Iris is an ambitious woman like dad had rightly said. Now we know for sure that she has nothing against us, so we would ignore her like the non entity that she is’ Denzel retorted. He was still not comfortable with the look on his brother’s face; it was one of despair, like all hope was lost.

‘Damola...what is wrong? Did I say something to offend you?’ Denzel did a mental runback of the words he had spoken to his brother; Damola could be sensitive at times. So he needed to be sure his current mood had nothing to do with him.

Damola laughed, how could Denzel even ask him that? He was the best friend he never had. Damola was about to answer when his phone buzzed, he had been expecting Lila’s call the whole day, so he quickly took it hoping she would be the one.
He ran his eyes over the screen of his phone, realizing that he had a text.
“She loves you...you need to pay me for that Olivia Pope act. Cheers! Lila”
He couldn’t believe his eyes, could it be for real?
‘Okay bro, this is getting weird. If you were a lady, I’d think you pregnant, but, you are not, so why the mood swings? One minute your face is gloomy, the next, you’re all smiles’ Denzel found this really odd.
‘You’re funny’ Damola laughed then quickly replaced his phone in his pocket.
‘Okay...so what’s the problem, because I know there’s something you are not telling me’ Denzel asked.
‘Matters of the heart bro, matters of the heart’ Damola replied, still grinning.
He wondered briefly how Lila had managed to get the answer he’d desperately sought.
Did she confess to feeling the same way? Or, did Lila just assume?
‘Oh, I see’ Denzel winked, knowing how smitten his brother was by Mmayen.
It was difficult for a man in his right mind not love someone like Mma; she was homely and very friendly. Denzel couldn’t help but wonder how on earth she got to be with someone as beastly as Ifedayo.
‘That reminds me, how about Tolu? You guys had a thing right?’ Damola could remember the way his brother had fawned over Mmayen’s friend, the one he was comfortable with. For some reason, he resented Marian, he just didn’t like her.
‘I’ve had time to think about what I feel for her, and I think we should take a break and start over. I built everything on lies, I want her to trust me’ Denzel replied.
He was not in a rush, he totally adored Tolu; she was a very confident and smart woman and that was all he needed in a woman.
‘I am too embarrassed to tell you what I did, but I regret taking that decision’ Denzel sighed.
He had impersonated his brother, used his picture, deceived Tolu to believe the man she was in love with, was the man on the picture.
‘That’s a good one, there is nothing that kills love more than dishonesty’ Damola supported his decision.
‘Yes, so about you and Mmayen, Is there any chance for you both?’
‘I asked Lila to find out for me, I think she likes me too’ Damola replied, his heart still not fixed on his sister’s text.
‘Lila? Why couldn’t you just ask her yourself bro?’ Denzel shook his head; he knew how mischievous their younger sister could be at times.
The Lila he knew was a master twister, maybe Mmayen had denied having feelings for Damola, and however, to prevent Damola from feeling bad, she’d sent him a message to give him hope.
‘What? You think she’d lie to me?’ Damola didn’t like the way his brother was staring at him.
‘I don’t know, but it would’ve been best to find out yourself’ Denzel advised.
‘I was just scared, what if she rejected me? What if I put her in an awkward situation that would make her want to leave the mansion?’ Damola voiced out his fears.
‘Um, those are just probabilities, talk to her bro, and don’t send Lila to do your job for you’ Denzel moved closer and patted him on the shoulder.
‘Thanks, this means a lot’ Damola felt stronger and determined, he was going to win Mmayen’s love, no matter what happened.
They both trotted towards the glass building that had been erected by the engineers, they still needed to do a lot of things.
‘You’ll need a personal assistant, we can do all these alone’ Denzel dropped his thoughts once they’d stepped into the office.
‘Lila had already suggested that, I’d expected her to find me one’ Damola sank into his chair.
The Tosin brothers began working on the files on the desk, only to be interrupted minutes later by an unfamiliar face staring at them from outside.
‘Good morning Sirs’ the man greeted politely with smile spread wide across his face.
‘Good morning...’ Damola rose to his feet, straight to where his brother sat and whispered, ‘do you know him?’
They had to be security conscious, Iris was a foul player and she couldn’t do anything to bring them down.
Denzel focused on the young man’s face and slowly shook his head.
He was tall and lean, dark complexioned and seemed like one who was on a job hunt.
‘He seems harmless to me, let’s find out what he really wants. If he tries anything funny, just remember we have followed 007 all through our adult lives’ Denzel winked, taking the lead, he walked towards the door and pulled it open.
‘What can we do for you?’ He asked.
‘Good morning once again, my name is Ubong Peters and I would like to see the Chef Executive Officer of Marisoft Corporation’ the young man said.
‘Why?’ Denzel asked lazily.
‘I am a computer programmer, I have a B.sc in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Computer Programming, I would like to work for your establishment, I have a lot of things to offer should I be hired’ Ubong replied.
‘Hmm’ Denzel shrugged, he decided to let Damola handled this, after all, it was his company.
‘Let me see your files...’ Damola knew he needed workers for this Nigerian branch.
Ubong handed his files quickly to Damola, praying inwardly that he would not be turned down.
He knew Ife would feel betrayed once he found out that he was now with the Oluwatosin’s, but there was no friendship in business. Ubong had been the first to see the rumour that was circulating on media tabloids about the Legacy Empire.
He had not believed it at first, but his friend’s recent seclusion and refusal to show up at work made it a fact. He couldn’t be on the losing team, besides, it seemed Ife was being punished for the way he had treated Mmayen.
Damola ran his eyes over the files, briefly reading some of the things written on the man’s Curriculum Vitae, something caught his eye and he had to check it through, carefully this time.
‘You were working with Legacy...’ Damola peered at Ubong.
What was this about? Was he sent from Iris to spy on him?
‘Yes! But I resigned, I no longer work there’ this was the only thing that could ruin his chances.
‘Really? How long has it been since you resigned and has your resignation been honoured by your boss?’ Damola observed the man’s face carefully, to spot any trace of lies.
That did it! Fear crept slowly, till it covered Ubong’s face completely, he had not thought about these questions the moment he had tendered his resignation earlier that morning.
‘I just did today...I know you may think that I was sent to spy you and your family, but far from it. I believe so much in myself, I have potential and I can help you build your Nigerian brand’ Ubong tried to convince him.

‘Hmm, if I hire you Mr Ubong Peters, what guarantee do I have that you wouldn’t leave me high and dry when you get better offers?’ Damola asked.
From his qualifications, he was truly one with potential, and he had a lot of awards and recommendations attached to his name.
‘I don’t give up easily sir when I know something still has hope. Leaving Legacy was the best decision I made because it is dead. It is living in lost glory, sooner or later; the authorities would take over that building. Why don’t I pitch my tent in a place I believe in?
I am not a spy, just test me and see’ Ubong has not thought this would be so difficult.
‘Hmm, does Ifedayo Legacy, know about your resignation? Did he approve it?’ Damola asked, as he didn’t want any confrontation from that lunatic.
‘No...He has not been in the office for a week now.’ Ubong replied.

‘Okay...I’ll consider your application and get back to you.’
‘Thank you, I’d really appreciate if you hire me.’
Just as he was about leaving, there was a loud scream in the air, briefly followed by a gunshot.
‘What could that be?’ Denzel who’d been sitting down quickly rushed towards his brother.

‘I don’t know, I hope we are safe’ Damola remarked.
Seconds later, all the construction workers abandoned the site, running outside it, when Damola sighted six masked men running towards them.
‘No’ Denzel shook his head, someone wanted them dead.
‘We have to get out of here Damola, those men are after us!’ Denzel grabbed his brother’s hands at once as they ran quickly towards their car.
But they were not fast enough, “Kill him, the one in blue!”, one of the men shouted.
A bullet was quickly released, a loud scream followed. Damola had been the man in a blue shirt.

*******

****
She had spent a week in the Oluwatosin mansion, which was just as beautiful as she remembered it. There were tall tropical palms all over the place, flowers in their numbers and a huge swimming pool.
She had never felt this loved, she had never felt this wanted; somehow, spending time with this beautiful family had made her forget all her pain and misery in the hands of Ifedayo. It seemed Damola and his family were angels, one that God had sent time after time to rescue her.
The night the house was on fire. And then now, when she had just lost her baby.
She flowed well with everyone in the house. Aunt Imisi’s face now took shape in her mind as she recognized her, she remembered seeing the woman in Iris’ garden, and the woman was Damola’s talkative aunt. Eniola was really kind to her, Damola’s mother treated her like a real pet, it even nauseated her sometimes, the way the woman treated her, like a real baby.
Was it Lila or Denzel? Everyone was nice to her, everyone...except the old man who kept his distance from her, which she found odd as he had been really playful and jovial when she was younger.
Mmayen had been swimming alone, dancing with her thoughts, analyzing the inhabitants of the mansion in her mind. This place felt like home, she was welcome, she was at peace.
‘Aren’t you tired of swimming; you are not a fish you know...’
Mmayen laughed and pulled her face out of the water at the sound of Lila’s voice; she had also noticed something odd about Lila.
While they were younger, Lila wasn’t that close to her, but right now? She seemed to show up everywhere Mmayen went, which she thought odd.
‘What if I was a fish in my former life?’ Mmayen replied with a high pitched laugh.
‘You wish! You were a monkey!’ Lila chuckled as she drew closer to the pool; there were three chairs next to the pool, so she settled into one.

‘A pretty monkey I guess...’ Mmayen could tell Lila wanted to discuss something with her, so she decided her little swimming exercise was over.
‘Where’s your brother by the way?’ Mmayen stepped out of the pool and quickly covered her body with a towel that she had placed on one of the chairs.
‘He left the house really early with Denzel. They went to supervise the building of the country brand of Marisoft’ Lila replied with a yawn.

‘I see...’ Mmayen took a seat next to her.
Her mind was now focused on the man that had rescued her from the beast she had thought loved her. Damola had brought light to her world, he had made her see things differently, see herself differently and she regretted the things she had done, had suffered all in the name of love.
It had been a week since she lost her pregnancy, the one Ifedayo had destroyed, a week since she had gotten over him, a week that marked her total healing.
‘You seem really happy here...’ Lila remarked as she ran her eyes over Mmayen’s pretty face.
‘And it seems that you are reading my thoughts’ Mmayen replied.
‘I am just happy you could get over it...’ Lila licked her lips nervously, not knowing how to begin.
‘Stop, it’s okay, I am fine Lila’ Mmayen rolled her eyes knowing what Damola’s sister was about to say.
‘No, let me say it. I have never been with child before, so I cannot fathom the pain you felt when you lost it. I am sorry for everything, I am glad Damola found you before it was too late’ Lila continued.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that fateful day; she had been too careless to notice the pretence that brimmed in his eyes as she had served her food, but it was too late to regret now.
‘I don’t know what happened, but Damola took away all my pain. I am happy I am alive, I will have other children as compensation for the ones I lost...’ she blinked away the tears.
Damola had been so kind to her, he had treated her like a queen and he always called her “angel”. It was impossible to resist this good mannered and caring man, over the days and nights she had spent in the Tosin mansion, she realized her adulation of him was rising stronger, and stronger like the pyramids of Egypt, and they baffled her greatly.
‘Enough about the past, let us talk about you and I, I want us to be close, we were never close as kids’ Lila said.
‘The reason is obvious...I am older than you’ Mmayen laughed and then winked.
‘Shut up! Age does not matter’ Lila sniggered.
‘It does Smallie!’ Mmayen tongued Lila, she was about to say more when her phone buzzed.
She raised a finger up and checked through her phone, her eyes gleamed with expectation as she read the text from Tolu, who had planned to visit her.
As she read the text, she thought of her cousin, Marian. Something was off about her, they had not spoken to each other for a weak, she had sent her cousin messages, called her but Marian had never returned either the calls or the messages.
‘Is that from your lover?’ Lila bit her lip.
‘I don’t have a lover, we both know that’ Mmayen sighed.
‘Oh...Damola does’ Lila replied.
Apart from her duty of watching Mmayen closely to protect her from her mischievous mother and aunt, she had come to the pool on errand.
Many people were not aware that the bold and very handsome Damola was also shy when it came to expressing his feelings. He couldn’t contain his joy since Mmayen had walked away from her abusive relationship with Ifedayo Legacy; it showed they were meant to be together.
He loved her very deeply, but he was scared of opening himself up. What if she still had feelings for her ex lover? What if she didn’t feel anything for him? This was the reason he’d sent his younger sister, who was good at making enquiries, to find the answers that his heart sought.
Her heart skipped as she heard that he had a lover.
‘Oh, he does have a girlfriend?’ Mmayen felt pain clog her throat, one that transformed her voice into a whisper. For some reason, she felt this sadness as she thought of him with another.
‘Yes...how can you even imagine a man like my brother being single? He is hot, sexy, hardworking and rich, all that a woman could ever dream of’ Lila watched her face the whole time.
‘Oh...’ Mmayen could hear her heart thumping; her feelings were strange to her. She was happy for him, no doubt, but, she was also sad as she imagined him being with someone else.
She found it difficult to push Damola out of her thoughts, she was convinced that he had felt the same way about her and she had caught him looking at her with so much longing, apparently, she had misread his stares.
‘Are you okay?’ Lila touched her shoulder lightly.
‘Of course I am, I just have a little headache, maybe I should go inside the house’ Mmayen touched her forehead lightly.

‘Um, no, let me get you some aspirin, sorry’ Lila quickly jumped to her feet, knowing her mother was right inside the house.
‘Okay, that would still be fine’ Mmayen accepted her help.
Lila rose to her feet and matched briskly away feeling accomplished. It was so glary, her body language couldn’t deny the way her heart beat, Mmayen was in love with her brother, so all Damola needed to do was confess his feelings to her.
‘So long’ she snorted as she hurried towards the house.
‘No, I have no right to feel this way about him. All he ever did was to care for me and rescue me from Ife...’ Mmayen shook her head, and decided she would kill whatever feelings she had for Damola.
She had been so deep in her thoughts that she failed to notice her friend, Tolu, who had just walked into the Oluwatosin mansion.
‘A penny for your thoughts...’ Tolu clutched tightly to her bag, wondering what was on Mmayen’s mind.
‘Geez! You scared me’ Mmayen almost jumped to her feet.
‘Sorry, you look...’Tolu held her breath; this new version of Mmayen was so beautiful and happy.
Her brown skin glowed attractively like pure honey; her eyes were totally relaxed and their brown pools glazed under the sunlight.
‘Astonishing...’ she found the words after few seconds of ransacking her brain.
‘Thank you...he...Da...Damola has been really nice to me, his family too’ she finally found the courage to say his name.
Tolu was no stranger to Mmayen’s moods, she could tell Mma was not comfortable about something.
‘Slow down, you are not okay, what is it?’ Tolu asked.
Mmayen took a deep breath, there was so much that she had on her mind, which she couldn’t discuss with anyone here.
‘I think I have feelings for Damola, I feel so stupid’ Mmayen felt defeated.
‘Stupid?’ Tolu’s eyes grew wide, why would her friend say something like that? It was obvious that Damola was nuts about her.
‘Yes, I just came out of an abusive relationship and here I am falling for another hot guy. Who does that? You know what’s worse? He has a lover, Lila confirmed it’ she explained.
‘Really?’ Tolu raised a brow.
She had a vast experience when it came to the things of the heart, one thing was for sure, and Damola was not seeing anyone. He was in love with Mmayen.
‘You don’t look like you believe me...’ Mmayen watched her friend closely.
‘Because it is not true, maybe his sister does not like you and wants another woman for her brother. That could be the reason that she is coming up with such a huge lie.’ Tolu replied.

‘Are you sure about this? Lila does not lie...I don’t think she would. Why would she do something like that?’ Mmayen wondered.
‘How close are you to Lila? What was she like as a kid?’ Tolu fingered her chin.
‘Truth be told, we were not that close during childhood.’ Mmayen replied.
‘Then you don’t know her that much, human beings are unpredictable. They are just like the chameleon, pink today, green the next, our job is to be watchful’ Tolu advised.
‘Thanks, I just don’t know how it happened...but I find myself thinking about him all the time. He has been so nice to me, he made me forget that bastard, I just wish...’ tears sprang up in her eyes.
She wished many things. She wished that her parents had never died in the fire; that Damola’s love would’ve found her earlier; if all those things had happened, there was no way she would have ended up with someone like Ifedayo.
‘We live in the real world and not one designed by the wishes of our heart. If what you feel for Damola is love, then take it, chase it and make him yours.’ Tolu reached for her hand and caressed it softly.
A bright smile spread across Mmayen’s face as she stared into Tolu’s eyes.
‘I always feel better after talking to you...’ she was about asking after Marian, her cousin who seemed to be mad at her for no just cause when Tolu’s phone rang, interrupting this special moment.

She pulled her hands away from Mmayen and took a quick look at it.
‘I am sorry; I have to take this right now’ Tolu placed the phone against her ears.
‘Go ahead, no problem’ Mma nodded.
‘Hello Ma, My name is Santos Elba and I am calling from Smookwich Medical Laboratory...’
‘Oh, Good afternoon Mr Elba, have you examined the sample I dropped in your lab?’
‘Yes Madam, it is a very poisonous substance. One that could destroy a pregnancy, harm anyone who comes in contact with it. I would like to pry a bit, where did you get this dangerous chemical from?’
Tolu’s mouth dropped, she quickly took the phone off her ears and stared at it.
Was this a dream? Could this be true?
‘Are you alright?’ Mmayen could see the look on her friend’s face, it was not one that accompanied good news.
‘No...’ Tolu’s voice was broken.
She knew Marian was not happy about Damola’s relationship with Mmayen, but she found it difficult to believe Marian was behind Mmayen’s miscarriage.
But to what end?
Tolu was afraid, for herself, for Mmayen. The amount of fluid in that syringe had been plenty, what if Marian had not just planned to terminate the pregnancy? What if she had other plans like killing Mmayen?
Trust was a luxury she could not afford. The laboratory had confirmed what the substance was, it was poisonous.
‘Mmayen, I don’t think Ifedayo was behind your miscarriage.’ Tolu said.
‘I don’t understand, what are you talking about? He did it! He poisoned me...’ Mmayen shook her head.
‘I don’t know what to believe...but I am very sure her hands are not clean’ Tolu closed her eyes firmly as she imagined a thousand ways to tell he friend that her cousin was plotting her own death.
‘Who are you talking about? Is this still about Lila?’ Mmayen was confused.
‘No...’ Tolu shook her head. She decided she had to do it, no matter what happened, even if she lost Mmayen’s friendship forever, she was prepared to do it.
‘Tell me, talk to me’ Mmayen was on her feet now.
‘I know it is going to be really hard for you to believe, but the results have just been sent in PDF form to my mailbox. There is something that I must tell you about Marian...’
*****

honourable356:
Only chapter four so far and I find my self thinking of a certain Angelsss with a mischievous smile on my face..and almost drew an unfair conclusion,

Until...

I had to click on this Mizsylviah (Miss/Mrs Sylvia) to be sure it is not the legendary Angelsss. Sadly, there is a stumbling block: I never got the opportunity to see a picture of the said legend before she disappeared into oblivion with an unfinished masterpieces.

Strangle I thought she is the same person but with a new moniker "Mizsylviah" until I remembered that her name was actually Rose! You should see and read her stories.. Every of her update was a hit... a class of its own that kept the audience addicted.

As things stand here now, this new writer obviously is exactly on the same track..She is not yet at her level yet but she generates 100%same excitement and her sophisticated use of words set her apart from the said legend.

I will continue this adventure with you taking careful every details and descending devastatingly on you with an unthinkable accuracy if you derail for the pathway you have taken so far until you bring the story to a grand conclusion.

It is either criticism makes you outrageously better than you are now or it breaks you.

Be motivated!

I am back, honourable356

Lila licked her lips nervously, not knowing how to begin.
‘Stop, it’s okay, I am fine Lila’ Mmayen rolled her eyes knowing what Damola’s sister was about to say.
‘No, let me say it. I have never been with child before, so I cannot fathom the pain you felt when you lost it. I am sorry for everything, I am glad Damola found you before it was too late’ Lila continued.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered that fateful day; she had been too careless to notice the pretence that brimmed in his eyes as she had served her food, but it was too late to regret now.
‘I don’t know what happened, but Damola took away all my pain. I am happy I am alive, I will have other children as compensation for the ones I lost...’ she blinked away the tears.
Damola had been so kind to her, he had treated her like a queen and he always called her “angel”. It was impossible to resist this good mannered and caring man, over the days and nights she had spent in the Tosin mansion, she realized her adulation of him was rising stronger, and stronger like the pyramids of Egypt, and they baffled her greatly.
‘Enough about the past, let us talk about you and I, I want us to be close, we were never close as kids’ Lila said.
‘The reason is obvious...I am older than you’ Mmayen laughed and then winked.
‘Shut up! Age does not matter’ Lila sniggered.
‘It does Smallie!’ Mmayen tongued Lila, she was about to say more when her phone buzzed.
She raised a finger up and checked through her phone, her eyes gleamed with expectation as she read the text from Tolu, who had planned to visit her.
As she read the text, she thought of her cousin, Marian. Something was off about her, they had not spoken to each other for a weak, she had sent her cousin messages, called her but Marian had never returned either the calls or the messages.
‘Is that from your lover?’ Lila bit her lip.
‘I don’t have a lover, we both know that’ Mmayen sighed.
‘Oh...Damola does’ Lila replied.
Apart from her duty of watching Mmayen closely to protect her from her mischievous mother and aunt, she had come to the pool on errand.
Many people were not aware that the bold and very handsome Damola was also shy when it came to expressing his feelings. He couldn’t contain his joy since Mmayen had walked away from her abusive relationship with Ifedayo Legacy, it showed they were meant to be together.
He loved her very deeply, but he was scared of opening himself up. What if she still had feelings for her ex lover? What if she didn’t feel anything for him? This was the reason he’d sent his younger sister, who was good at making enquiries, to find the answers that his heart sought.
Her heart skipped as she heard that he had a lover.
‘Oh, he does have a girlfriend?’ Mmayen felt pain clog her throat, one that transformed her voice into a whisper. For some reason, she felt this sadness as she thought of him with another.
‘Yes...how can you even imagine a man like my brother being single? He is hot, sexy, hardworking and rich, all that a woman could ever dream of’ Lila watched her face the whole time.
‘Oh...’ Mmayen could hear her heart thumping, her feelings were strange to her. She was happy for him, no doubt, but, she was also sad as she imagined him being with someone else.
She found it difficult to push Damola out of her thoughts, she was convinced that he had felt the same way about her and she had caught him looking at her with so much longing, apparently, she had misread his stares.
‘Are you okay?’ Lila touched her shoulder lightly.
‘Of course I am, I just have a little headache, maybe I should go inside the house’ Mmayen touched her forehead lightly.

‘Um, no, let me get you some aspirin, sorry’ Lila quickly jumped to her feet, knowing her mother was right inside the house.
‘Okay, that would still be fine’ Mmayen accepted her help.
Lila rose to her feet and matched briskly away feeling accomplished. It was so glary, her body language couldn’t deny the way her heart beat, Mmayen was in love with her brother, so all Damola needed to do was confess his feelings to her.
‘So long’ she snorted as she hurried towards the house.
‘No, I have no right to feel this way about him. All he ever did was to care for me and rescue me from Ife...’ Mmayen shook her head, and decided she would kill whatever feelings she had for Damola.
She had been so deep in her thoughts that she failed to notice her friend, Tolu, who had just walked into the Oluwatosin mansion.
‘A penny for your thoughts...’ Tolu clutched tightly to her bag, wondering what was on Mmayen’s mind.
‘Geez! You scared me’ Mmayen almost jumped to her feet.
‘Sorry, You look...’Tolu held her breath, this new version of Mmayen was so beautiful and happy.
Her brown skin glowed attractively like pure honey; her eyes were totally relaxed and their brown pools glazed under the sunlight.
‘Astonishing...’ she found the words after few seconds of ransacking her brain.
‘Thank you...he...Da...Damola has been really nice to me, his family too’ she finally found the courage to say his name.
Tolu was no stranger to Mmayen’s moods, she could tell Mma was not comfortable about something.
‘Slow down, you are not okay, what is it?’ Tolu asked.
Mmayen took a deep breath, there was so much that she had on her mind, that she couldn’t discuss with anyone here.
‘I think I have feelings for Damola, I feel so stupid’ Mmayen felt defeated.
‘Stupid?’ Tolu’s eyes grew wide, why would her friend say something like that? It was obvious that Damola was nuts about her.
‘Yes, I just came out of an abusive relationship and here I am falling for another hot guy. Who does that? You know what’s worse? He has a lover, Lila confirmed it’ she explained.
‘Really?’ Tolu raised a brow.
She had a vast experience when it came to the things of the heart, one thing was for sure, Damola was not seeing anyone. He was in love with Mmayen.
‘You don’t look like you believe me...’ Mmayen watched her friend closely.
‘Because it is not true, maybe his sister does not like you and wants another woman for her brother. That could be the reason that she is coming up with such a huge lie.’ Tolu replied.

‘Are you sure about this? Lila does not lie...I don’t think she would. Why would she do something like that?’ Mmayen wondered.
‘How close are you to Lila? What was she like as a kid?’ Tolu fingered her chin.
‘Truth be told, we were not that close during childhood.’ Mmayen replied.
‘Then you don’t her that much, human beings are unpredictable. They are just like the chameleon, pink today, green the next, our job is to be watchful’ Tolu advised.
‘Thanks, I just don’t know how it happened...but I find myself thinking about him all the time. He has been so nice to me, he made me forget that bastard, I just wish...’ tears sprang up in her eyes.
She wished many things. She wished that her parents had never died in the fire; that Damola’s love would’ve found her earlier; if all those things had happened, there was no way she would have ended up with someone like Ifedayo.
‘We live in the real world and not one designed by the wishes of our heart. If what you feel for Damola is love, then take it, chase it and make him yours.’ Tolu reached for her hand and caressed it softly.
A bright smile spread across Mmayen’s face as she stared into Tolu’s eyes.
‘I always feel better after talking to you...’ she was about asking after Marian, her cousin who seemed to be mad at her for no just cause when Tolu’s phone rang, interrupting this special moment.

She pulled her hands away from Mmayen and took a quick look at it.
‘I am sorry, I have to take this right now’ Tolu placed the phone against her ears.
‘Go ahead, no problem’ Mma nodded.
‘Hello Ma, My name is Santos Elba and I am calling from Smookwich Medical Laboratory...’
‘Oh, Good afternoon Mr Elba, have you examined the sample I dropped in your lab?’
‘Yes Madam, it is a very poisonous substance. One that could destroy a pregnancy, harm anyone who comes in contact with it. I would like to pry a bit, where did you get this dangerous chemical from?’
Tolu’s mouth dropped, she quickly took the phone off her ears and stared at it.
Was this a dream? Could this be true?
‘Are you alright?’ Mmayen could see the look on her friend’s face, it was not one that accompanied good news.
‘No...’ Tolu’s voice was broken.
She knew Marian was not happy about Damola’s relationship with Mmayen, but she found it difficult to believe Marian was behind Mmayen’s miscarriage.
But to what end?
Tolu was afraid, for herself, for Mmayen. The amount of fluid in that syringe had been plenty, what if Marian had not just planned to terminate the pregnancy? What if she had other plans like killing Mmayen?
Trust was a luxury she could not afford. The laboratory had confirmed what the substance was, it was poisonous.
‘Mmayen, I don’t think Ifedayo was behind your miscarriage.’ Tolu said.
‘I don’t understand, what are you talking about? He did it! He poisoned me...’ Mmayen shook her head.
‘I don’t know what to believe...but I am very sure her hands are not clean’ Tolu closed her eyes firmly as she imagined a thousand ways to tell he friend that her cousin was plotting her own death.
‘Who are you talking about? Is this still about Lila?’ Mmayen was confused.
‘No...’ Tolu shook her head. She decided she had to do it, no matter what happened, even if she lost Mmayen’s friendship forever, she was prepared to do it.
‘Tell me, talk to me’ Mmayen was on her feet now.
‘I know it is going to be really hard for you to believe, but the results have just been sent in PDF form to my mailbox. There is something that I must tell you about Marian...’

A Week Later...
She found it difficult to sleep, she couldn’t get him off her mind, what further upset her was the way he totally ignored her and paid maximum attention to her cousin, Mmayen.
‘That bitch has to pay, she can’t have it all’ Marian grumbled as she stepped out of the bathroom.
‘Who’s the bitch? If I may pry’ Tolu who’d been busy with her phone asked, she’d been watching Marian closely these days and she thought it suspicious the way her other friend was acting.
‘None of your business’ Marian hissed and threw the towel on the bed.
She needed to see Ifedayo, she had not seen him for a long time and the time had come for them to re-strategize. She was not going to sit and fold her arms and watch Mmayen take Damola from her, she was going to work hard, and that meant getting her fingers dirty.

‘Is this still about Damola?’ Tolu arched a brow.
She had resolved in her heart to be more careful with Marian who’d become a total stranger overnight. She knew Marian had a lot of bad attitudes, but seeing that strange looking syringe scared her, there was just something off about it.
She had her suspicions but she was not going to act on it, till she had proof.
‘There is a reason a lot of people die Tolu, one of them, is not minding their business, you could fall into that category’ Marian slipped on a sequin dress that dropped on her knees.
Her words stunned Tolu, this Marian was totally different, she bit her lips and shut down the reply that she prepared for her rude friend.
‘I am off to work, see you later’ Marian waved at her and hurried out of the room.
‘Okay, safe journey’ Tolu waved at her.
‘What a nutcase’ Tolu shook her head, she knew Marian was not happy about Mmayen and Damola being together, it was that obvious, but she hated to think, her recent behaviour had any relationship with that.
She decided to take a shower and pay Mmayen a visit at the Tosin family house; Mmayen had never sounded or looked this happy. They chatted most of the time, with Mmayen uploading pictures of herself with Damola and his siblings, his mother sometimes, and this made Tolu really happy. This showed that her friend was in a place where she was being totally accepted. She was in a place where she could sleep with two eyes closed, not having to worry what Ife, the bastard that had almost ruined her life would do.
‘I love you so much’ Tolu smiled as she stared at the new picture Mmayen had just uploaded. Her face was bright with promise and laughter crossed all her features, she was such an angelic sight to behold.

‘Mma and Damola forever!’ Tolu yelled excitedly before hopping towards the bathroom.
***
The room was cold, darkness hung upon it wearily, it was uninvited of course, but the quietness invited it, the loneliness of the curtains who refused to let in the glory of the sun also called on it.
The room smelt of anger, of pain, of hate and regrets and there was a table, upon it sat two huge bottles of expensive liquor.
He had been this way for two days after discovering a grave secret which his mother had hidden from him. When his best friend, Ubong, had showed him the files, which was supposed to be top secret, he’d laughed it off. He’d denied it, knowing he had been in full control of his father’s business, he’d been sure nothing of that sort would happen.
“What if you ask your dad? Or your mother?” Ubong had suggested.
“I can’t reach my dad and my mother does not know much about the company” Ifedayo had replied.
“Besides, this is not possible, if it were true, we would have been sent a letter” Ife had replied confidently.

‘No...’ he groaned as his tummy rumbled, he had not eaten for two days, he had not taken a bath, so his clothes were soaked in his sweat and tears and his vomit.
How on earth would he survive this shame? He’d been born with a silver spoon, one he’d fought vigorously to protect; one he’d never thought would be gone but now?
What if the news of this shame got to the public? Or his workers? He was going to lose everything; his family was going to lose everything!
‘Lila...!’ he screeched her name, the name that had brought him so much pain.
He was yet to confront his mother about what Ubong and Lila had said, if it were true, then his world had truly fallen apart.
Cold fear gripped him as he thought about such a life, a life without money and a mansion just as his, a life where people would no longer fear him or worship him.
‘No...’ he shook his head, tears rising with such power, this was the first time Ife had cried in a long while.
He felt his phone ring, he ignored it at first as he was not in the right frame of mind to talk to anybody, he just wanted to be alone.
His weakened and sunken eyes regarded the darkness of the room, what was happening to his life? What was happening to him?
His fear about the future was heightened as he thought about Mmayen and Damola being together; his heart raced, blood pumped into his veins as he imagined Damola making love to her. They will so much mock him if he eventually lost everything. How was he going to live with the pain of that humiliation?
He had to do something, he had to know the truth and the only person that could tell him that was his mother and not even Ubong, or Lila Oluwatosin, who had threatened him with an Email message.
He smacked his lips together, his mouth stank and tasted bitter, he was even appalled by the ungodly fragrance that emanated from it.
He felt his phone buzz another time, he decided to take it.
‘Hello...who the Bleep?’ He groaned.
‘Ife...is that you, are you alright?’ a sweet female voice asked.
‘Who the Bleep are you? I feel like licking you all over’ he laughed.
‘Ifedayo? Don’t tell me you are drunk, I need you to open this gate, I have been waiting outside for the past twenty minutes. We need to come up with a plan, one that would destroy Damola and Mmayen forever’ she answered.
The tone of her voice and the sound of it, chased away the tipsiness that he felt; recognition dawned on him as he realized whom he was speaking with, Marian, the woman that he loved, the one that had always been by his side.
‘I am sorry for being so rude, I’ll open the gate’ he replied swiftly and then threw the phone on the ground.
Shame covered him as he stared at the table of his own puke; he couldn’t believe he could act this way.
‘Shit!’ he took off his shirt and decided to stuff it under the chair, where she would not see it.
He hurriedly parted the curtains so a stream of sunlight could come through. Satisfied, with the new arrangement of his room, he took off towards the gate. Hearing her talk about his arch enemy in the person of Damola Tosin, made him sober and happier. He wanted to take that bastard down more than anything, he also wanted to destroy Mmayen for humiliating him, he hated her so much, he hated her more for being with him.
‘Ife!’ Marian screamed as she stared at him, what the hell was going on in his life? He looked totally different from the man she’d once known. He looked dishevelled, he smelt horribly, almost like a lunatic.
‘I am sorry about the way I spoke to you, you don’t need to worry about this...’ he pointed a finger at himself.
‘Huh?’ her mouth fell open.
‘Yes, I’ve got myself under control now, I was a bit terrified and depressed’ he responded and then widened the gate so she could come in.
She stepped in carefully, not too sure if the man before her was in his right frame of mind, for the news she was about to share.
‘We need to deal with Damola fast, we need to end him before he takes away my shine’ Ifedayo licked his lips, he felt so nervous, he wanted things to go back to the way they’d always been in Tomaton Island; where he was the only business mogul and Legacy empire the only one that existed.
Marian was not too sure about that, she had only said those words to cajole him. In fact, her fight with Ife was over, she was no longer on his side, she had come to tell him something different. She had a new battle to fight and the battle had nothing to do with Damola or Ifedayo, it had everything to do with Mmayen.
Ife kept telling her about everything Ubong had said, but she didn’t respond, this baffled him, was she even listening at all?
‘Marian, are you alright?’ He paused and looked into her large eyes.
‘Ife...’ she rubbed her palms together, not knowing where to start from.
‘Yes...any problem?’ He took a deep breath to settle himself.
‘I have been thinking this past week, I have carefully observed how our lives had spanned out. You once loved me and then you dumped me for my cousin Mmayen, and after that, we kept cheating together...’ she waited as he cut in.

‘What are you driving at?’ He raised a brow, fury slowly travelling from his spine to his head.

‘I don’t want us to be together anymore. Now Mmayen is out of the way, you can find yourself another woman to love; she would be really hurt if I date you. You and I can never happen and I am being honest’ she answered.
‘You’re kidding right? Wait, is today, fool’s day?’ Ife chuckled; he stopped as he realized she was being serious.
‘I am serious, dead serious Ife. Let us be true to ourselves, we never loved each other, we just enjoyed the sex. So now everything is over, let us move on with our lives!’ She threw her hands in the air.
He was silent for some minutes; his dark eyes carefully scrutinized her. He had not seen this coming; he had not expected this blow that Marian had launched at him, why was she doing this? How could she leave him now when he needed her the most?

‘Why?’ tears welled up in his eyes.
‘I am sorry, this is the right thing to do’ she replied feeling so relieved. Now the coast was clear, she was going to chase after the love of her life and she would uproot anything that stood in her path.
‘You are a snake Marian...’ Ife licked his lips as his fingers curled together. He knew who Marian was, he knew what thrilled her and the things that made her sad; she was that transparent and he could already see the reason why she was leaving.

‘Excuse me?’ her heart leapt as his accusing eyes bored right deep into her.

Ife wiped his tears and moved closer to where she stood, he didn’t bother about his stinking breath, he just wanted to send her a message, one that would bring her back to her right senses.
‘Do you think that I am a fool? Why do you suddenly care about your cousin? We have cheated on her severally all these years; you encouraged me to hit her so she would break up with me; you even encouraged me and fed me with the idea of terminating her last pregnancy. How dare you propose a break up?’

She was scared as she looked into his eyes, she had not expected this response.
‘Ife, I know we did all these together, but it’s in the past. We have to move on with our lives. I am a changed person and I don’t want Mmayen hurting anymore on my account’ Marian replied.
She had not seen this one coming, she had not known that Ife would be so clingy, how would she work herself through this one?
‘You want to leave me now, because you must have heard that my family is about to lose everything...you never loved me, you were always there for the money’ his voice was low, Marian was breaking his heart.
‘What?’ Marian’s eyes widened, this was the first time she was hearing this.
‘Yes, I am not sure of it, but there is an iota of truth in what I heard. You want to leave me because I would no longer be the Ife that you knew a d fell in love with’ he replied.
She could see the truth in his eyes, he was not lying. She even felt more excited, that she had taken the decision to leave him before learning of this new development.
What business did Marian have with a broke man? How would Ife survive the shame of losing everything and submitting to Damola?
‘No...’ she shook her head, that was the reason she needed to move to the winning team.
‘It is true, but that should not be enough reason for you to leave me’ he said.
‘Let us come up with a plan, we could still work together, we could destroy Damola somehow and take all what belongs to him’ Ife searched his mind for ideas, his eyes were shut.
Marian scoffed as she stared at him, what Ife didn’t understand was that she was already through with him. She was in love with someone else, and that someone was Damola, how could she hurt the man that she loved?
‘I don’t want to do anything that would hurt Mmayen, she is in love with Damola and I wouldn’t want to ruin her happiness’ Marian lied, using Mmayen as a cover would not make him suspicious of the feelings she had for Damola.
‘Bleep Mmayen!’ Ife cried in a loud voice, staggering backwards.
‘I am sorry Ife, I didn’t mean for us to end like this’ she cried.
‘If you leave me, I would tell Mmayen about what we did to her baby and how we were sleeping with each other...’ Ife steadied himself and stared at her.
Marian’s knees felt weak, they almost gave way but she maintained her stand. One look at his blazing eyes, told her he was not bluffing.
How was she going to get herself out of this mess?
****
She had spent a week in the Oluwatosin mansion, which was just as beautiful as she remembered it. There were tall tropical palms all over the place, flowers in their numbers and a huge swimming pool.
She had never felt this loved, she had never felt this wanted; somehow, spending time with this beautiful family had made her forget all her pain and misery in the hands of Ifedayo. It seemed Damola and his family were angels, one that God had sent time after time to rescue her.
First, the night when the house was on fire and now, when she had just lost her baby.
She flowed well with everyone in the house. Aunt Imisi’s face now took shape in her mind as she recognized her, she remembered seeing the woman in Iris’ garden, the woman was Damola’s talkative aunt. Eniola, was really kind to her, Damola’s mother treated her like a real pet, it even nauseated her sometimes, the way the woman treated her, liem a real baby.
Was it Lila or Denzel? Everyone was nice to her, everyone...except the old man who kept his distance from her, which she found odd as he had been really playful and jovial when she was younger.
Mmaeyen had been swimming alone, dancing with her thoughts, analyzing the inhabitants of the mansion in her mind. This place felt like home, she was welcome, she was at peace.
‘Aren’t you tired of swimming; you are not a fish you know...’
Mmayen laughed and pulled her face out of the water at the sound of Lila’s voice; she had also noticed something odd about Lila.
While they were younger, Lila wasn’t that close to her, but right now? She seemed to show up everywhere Mmayen went, which she thought odd.
‘What if I was a fish in my former life?’ Mmayen replied with a high pitched laugh.
‘You wish! You were a monkey!’ Lila chuckled as she drew closer to the pool, there were three chairs next to the pool, so she settled into one.

‘A pretty monkey I guess...’ Mmayen could tell Lila wanted to discuss something with her, so she decided her little swimming exercise was over.
‘Where’s your brother by the way?’ Mmayen stepped out of the pool and quickly covered her body with a towel that she had placed on one of the chairs.
‘He left the house really early with Denzel. They went to supervise the building of the country brand of Marisoft’ Lila replied with a yawn.

‘I see...’ Mmayen took a seat next to her.
Her mind was now focused on the man that had rescued her from the beast she had thought loved her. Damola had brought light to her world, he had made her see things differently, see herself differently and she regretted the things she had done, had suffered all in the name of love.
It had been a week since she lost her pregnancy, the one Ifedayo had destroyed, a week since she had gotten over him, a week that marked her total healing.
‘You seem really happy here...’ Lila remarked as she ran her eyes over Mmayen’s pretty face.
‘And it seems that you are reading my thoughts’ Mmayen replied.
‘I am just happy you could get over it...’ Lila licked her lips nervously, not

Good morning my friends....A lot of you may have forgotten or lost interest in "A bride for November"...

I didn't stay off for a reason.
I have been struggling with a lot of things which I don't want to share here...
I was really I'll, especially during Christmas, but I am fine now...
For those who kept sending me email messages, just to check up, you are the real Gs!

I am back! And This story is long overdue!

watch out for a very long episode!

I owe you an Xmas Update...I promise honeys...meanwhile my new boom is out. "Love came down at Christmas"... If you are interested, email me(aishayasmina@yahoo.com). PDF copy available at a fair price! Also available on Okadabooks.

AvatarMode:
You are an amazing writer Angels...kudos!

thanks dear

Those that cared about my health... my wellbeing...thanks so much. I was really down. You the real fans! Thanks a lot

NOVEMBER BRIDES EPISODE 18-19 BY ROSE AKPABIO
Lila tried to process what her brother had just told her about Mmayen; she needed to act fast, she needed to tell Damola that Mmayen’s life was in danger, but what if he didn’t believe a word of it?
She sighed as she trotted towards her father’s study, knowing he would likely be there, the man loved to read and while on it, he would always have a bottle of brandy next to him.
She had a lot of questions, but she didn’t know who to ask. What reason would her mother did her mother have to kill Mmayen’s parents and to kill Mmayen too?
She rapped on the door twice and only opened it when she heard a scowl ‘Come in’.
‘Dad...are you okay’? Lila rushed towards him. His face was pale; his lips were shivering and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked really sick and this scared her.
‘Lila’! He forced his eyes close. His head was spinning; he had not expected to see his daughter, he’d thought it was Eniola. No one could see him this way; no one could see him this vulnerable.
‘Father...are you okay’? She moved closer to him, till her figure cast a shadow over his.
‘I am fine. Can I help you with something’? His eyes cracked open, they were no longer red, but they still held an emotion in them. One that scared Lila, the chief had always been in charge of everything but as she stared into those orbs, he really did look afraid.
What was going on?
She had come to threaten him about his affair with Iris which she was a hundred percent sure took place either in the present or in the past; that was the only way she could force her father to follow her to Iris’ where she would confront the woman.
But as she saw him now...her heart fell and she yearned to comfort him.
‘You shouldn’t be here Lila, you should be with your brothers’ the Chief rose to his feet and poured himself another shot.
‘This is not healthy for you dad, you’re drinking too much’ Lila quickly snatched the glass away from him.
The older man did not struggle; he took a deep breath, as if his whole life rested on that intake of air.
He was afraid. All these years had passed by and the guilt of that night plagued him heavily.
‘What would you have an old man do? The innocent drink, the guilty drink, old men should drink too’ he scoffed and returned to his chair.
Lila fed on the words, was her father trying to tell her something? She could swear he just sent her a silent message but again, he could’ve just been quoting a line from a book.
‘You don’t look happy dad, did mum do something to you? Is this about Iris? You cheated on mum’? Lila licked her lips, nervously awaiting an answer.
The room died.
An eerie wave of silenced engulfed the study. Father and daughter stared at each other, words unspoken.
Lila hoped her question had not peeved her father. She didn’t want them to have another fight, she couldn’t afford it now. She still needed him to pull through for Iris.
That woman had to be exposed for the fraud that she truly was.
‘How did you know’? Was her father’s simple reply as he searched her eyes. Of all his three children, Denzel, Damola and Lila, he had always thought her the smartest one and she just confirmed it.
His affair with Iris had been a long time ago, even before he met his present wife and that affair had left a mark on him as Iris Legacy had almost ruined his life.
Iris wasn’t the type of woman any man could cope up with for long; she was terribly domineering and she cared less of what people thought about her.
‘I saw the way your eyes glowed when her name was mentioned. Even the way you asked Damola to “tread with caution”’ Lila shrugged. It was impossible to notice, to trace a connection between her father and that psychotic woman who was bent on ruining her brother’s business but she wasn’t going to let that happen.
‘So what do you want? Lila...I know you are no longer a child. I cheated on your mother a lot while you were growing up and maybe you resented me for that...’ he paused as she cut in.
‘Dad...do we have to go there? I...’ she stopped as he raised a hand upwards.
‘No let me finish’ he said.
‘I cheated on your mother because she was never there for me. I regret marrying her and this our marriage is just a facade, I am not really happy with her. I am not really happy with the way she influenced me. We did terrible things Lila. Things that would haunt us for a very long time’ tears welled up in his eyes, but he quickly blinked it away.
Lila had a feeling, her father was talking about something else, but that wasn’t important, Iris was.
‘You can run like a child and tell your mother all about Iris but that was way before I met her. Your mother is no saint’ he rose to his feet and walked closer to her.
Lila swallowed the ball of fear that was rising in her throat. Her mother wasn’t a saint, she had just learned that early enough. All she needed was the truth.
‘She had an affair with a married man for a very long time and when I discovered, I wanted to divorce her, send her and Denzel both packing but she came up with a trade’ the chief paused as he remembered that night, the night he had made a pact with the devil.
‘One you couldn’t refuse’ Lila watched his face. He nodded.
‘We were average but I wanted to be more; I wanted to be richer. I was into software creation’ he smiled as fond memories embraced him warmly.
‘It’s the family business, Damola is doing very well in it’ Lila acknowledged proudly.
‘Yes it is, it is also the family’s curse’ her father replied, uncertainty heavily laced in his voice.
Again, he was sending her a message. She didn’t want to interrupt him, so she stayed quiet.
‘I wanted to be big in Tomato Island...I wanted to be like Gates. Have a software empire in my name; make money; tour the world. So I accepted her terms of not divorcing her and sending Denzel away’ he replied.
‘What were these terms dad’? Lila’s ears pricked, her skin tingled for an answer.
‘You don’t need to know everything darling’ he suddenly cupped her face in his hands.
‘Why? Why can’t I know everything’ Lila looked into his eyes, the worry was becoming clearer. Her father was suffering for something he had done, something that wouldn’t let him rest.
‘Because sometimes it is better not to know the truth’ he pressed his lips on her forehead, tears rolling from his face.
Without warning, the door flew wide open and Denzel stepped in.
‘I see, am I interrupting a special father and daughter moment’? He mocked. He had known right from the start that the old man wasn’t his father. The chief had always treated him very differently from the rest. All his life he had tried to please the man, but it never worked and he had realized it would never work. So he stopped trying.
‘Denzel’! Lila moved away from her father towards him.
‘Where is Damola’? She asked.
‘Fine...are you two okay’? Denzel stared at his sister and then his step father.
‘Just get out boy, leave me alone’ the chief returned to his old self.
‘Whatever, not before I take a shot’ Denzel moved towards the table and lifted a glass filled with golden brown liquor. He had been through enough and he needed to relax, this was his way of relaxing.
‘Come on Denzel, I need your help’ Lila tugged at his arm.
‘Not before I share the news Darling sister’ he replied.
They all remembered Mmayen very well; she had been their neighbour and had lived with them for some time since the death of her parents.
‘What is it’? The Chief asked him.
‘Do you remember Mmayen? The daughter of Engineer Brown’? Denzel turned to the chief.
At the mention of that name, his heart skipped. It was as if an arrow had been plunged in there, intently.
‘Yes. Why do you ask’? He tried to mask his expression as he realized his face was under the faithful scrutiny of his daughter. He couldn’t betray his feelings right now, he couldn’t let this secret out.
‘Well, Damola hit her today. Mmayen Brown, but she is fine. I felt really happy she was alive and I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of her around here’ Denzel said and moved towards the door.
‘I don’t understand, Mmayen is alive’? The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop it.
‘Dad, she isn’t supposed to be dead. It’s her parents that died in that awful fire’ Denzel shot back, grabbed Lila’s hand and propelled them both outside.
The words stung him like an angry Bee would.
‘No...’ his heart thudded, faster and faster as he realized the truth was like the sun.
The truth could be hidden at night, but when morning came, it would rise from the embers of the cold fire of secrets. And when it blazed, it burned everything in its pathway.
‘No...’! He screamed in a loud voice.
He rose to his feet and poured himself another glass; he needed it to numb him; to freeze his brain before he awoke to the reality that soon, everything he built would be crushed to the ground.
“What is it”? The two sisters who had been plotting in the kitchen both rushed into the room.
‘You vile woman! Daughter of Jezebel, I regret the day I set eyes on you. I regret that night that I agreed to be your pawn’ he spat at her and then threw the glass which narrowly missed Imisi’s head.
‘Chief, you are not okay, you need some rest’ Imisi nodded and moved closer to him.
‘No! It is you two that need rest, but rest shall delude you because the truth is about to come alive’ he sneered at them.
‘Calm down Chief, you still haven’t said anything’ Eniola felt really afraid, she had never seen her husband this way.
‘She is back and she is alive’ he grumbled and sank into the chair.
‘Who is back and who is alive’? Eniola wondered.
‘Mmayen I guess’ Damola strolled into the study with a happy look plastered on his face.
He had found her and she had agreed to follow him home.
****

‘What we did is plain wrong, we shouldn’t have allowed her to leave with that guy’ Marian started as they walked into their apartment.
‘And what is wrong with that’? Tolu arched a brow. She didn’t like the look she had seen on Marian’s face, in fact, she was terribly suspicious and she would watch her really close.
‘Damola is a stranger, we don’t even know him and we shouldn’t have allowed Mmayen go with him. What is wrong if she stays in his house with us? It is big enough for three, I fear for her’ Marian sighed.
‘Are you really sure about that? Or you thought her staying with her would afford you adequate access to Damola Oluwatosin, who turns out to be the richest and youngest African’ Tolu rolled her eyes.
‘Excuse me? Are you insinuating that I have eyes on him’? Marian rose to her feet, walking towards Tolu.
‘Of course, you wanted him for yourself the first day you set eyes on his picture but I am warning you to step back. He loves Mmayen and he would make her really happy now she is done with that bastard’ Tolu replied coolly.
‘I don’t blame you one bit, You need a shrink because you are getting real paranoid these days’ Marian hissed and returned to the seat.
She wasn’t happy with the turnout of events. Fine, Mmayen had lost the pregnancy but she wasn’t satisfied. Her attraction for Damola was growing by the minute and she found it difficult to resist it.
‘Denzel is so damn proud of him’ Tolu smiled as she stared at the screen of the phone. She had already confirmed Denzel’s words about his brother by Googling him up. He was really blessed to have a brother like Damola.
‘Why is that’? Marian was interested in anything Damola related.
‘Here, drool over him baby girl but I am sorry you cannot have him. Excuse me’ Tolu dropped the phone on her laps and left to fetch herself a glass of water.
She hummed a song on her way. Though the day had started out bad, with her fighting with Mmayen; fighting with Denzel but it ended well.
‘Thank you lord for finally opening her eyes to see the truth’ Mmayen’s break up with Ife made her feel really excited. In fact, it was the highpoint of her day.
Finally, she was free from the talons of that infectious bastard. She was really going to be happy and Damola looked like the kind of man that would place a lot of money in making her look perfect.
Now she could go back to school without worrying about money; she could have a house and whatever she wanted.
As she gulped the cold water, she decided she would make some calls later. One to Denzel and one to Mmayen, she needed to be sure her friend was okay.
Marian licked her lips seductively as she read his profile. She hadn’t sensed the time her friend had returned.
‘Why are you drooling, give me back my phone’ Tolu snatched the phone from her. It was obvious Marian had a crush on Damola, she also did but she killed it the minute she realized he was in love with Mmayen. There was no other person like Mma, her soul was pure and beautiful and when she loved? It was from the depth of her heart and she deserved to be with a man like Damola.
‘I wasn’t drooling, I am excited for Mma’ Marian winked.
‘Why is that’? Tolu cocked a brow.
‘Well...Damola is richer than Ifedayo’ Marian paused, she was thrilled by this.
‘Point of correction, Ifedayo isn’t rich, he glories in his father’s shadow. We both know his is a mummy toy’ Tolu clicked her tongue; her hatred for Ife couldn’t be seconded.
‘True, Mmayen is really lucky’ Marian repeated. She would have Damola by all means.
All her life, she had loved Ife but never for once did he acknowledge his feelings for her, properly. Now, the time of waiting was over, she had another plan.
‘If you’ll excuse me, I want to make a call, briefly’ Marian rose to her feet, scooped the phone from her bag and rushed outside. She needed to meet with Ife first and then she would re- strategize.
‘Whatever’ Tolu clicked her tongue.
Her mouth felt bitter and she suddenly felt like chewing gum.
‘The bitch always has gum’ she rolled her eyes and fetched Marian’s bag.
She unzipped the first compartment, but there was nothing. The second, nothing.
‘I hope you are here, gummy gummy’ she sighed and parted the third and biggest compartment.
She froze at the sight of the huge syringe filled with green liquid.
What was Marian doing with a syringe?
*****
Lila had convinced her brother by telling him what she had discovered about the Legacy family; they were a fraud and needed to be put in place.
‘I still don’t understand why you are with that gun, and where the hell did you get it from’? Denzel stared at the pistol in Lila’s hand.
‘Doesn’t matter but dad really seemed scared of Iris, she is dangerous bro and I need to visit her prepared’ Lila replied.
‘Okay’ he said.
‘So, did you meet your girlfriend? Has she forgiven you for lying’? Lila glanced briefly, then shifted her gaze back to the road.
‘Um, not really but I could tell she liked me and I hope we work things out. I shouldn’t have lied to her Lila but I was scared and insecure’ Denzel deeply regretted his actions but there was no turning back now.
‘I know...but you are an Oluwatosin, all girls like you and Damola’ Lila winked.
‘We both know that is a lie, I am not an Oluwatosin by blood’ Denzel reminded her.
‘But by name’ he added.
‘Does it matter? You are who you are. And who you are is beautiful’ Lila pressed for the horn as they had arrived the Legacy mansion.
‘Thanks sister’ Denzel sighed, Lila was always good with words and that was why he loved her. He was curious though, why had their father seemed so scared? So troubled?
He was about to ask her that when the gate parted open and an angry looking Iris stormed towards them with rage by her side.
‘What are you doing in my house’? Iris barked, marking her territory.
‘We would need that pistol, she seems so violent’ Lila scoffed.
‘Drop the weapon’ Denzel advised before stepping out of the car.
‘I ask, what brings you to my house’. Iris stared at them with disdain.
‘Don’t you welcome your visitors? We may be carriers of good news’ Denzel winked.
‘And bad news’ Lila laughed and joined her brother down.
‘I see, confidence and foolish pride has blinded you to the fact that you don’t just storm someone’s house without an invitation’ Iris replied coldly.
She recognized them both. The children of Tosin, the man she had once loved but who turned out to be really weak and stupid just like the man she was married to.
Her lawyers had called her, telling her that a certain Miss. Lila Tosin was asking questions; searching files; awakening things that were long dead. Lila was about tearing the canopy of lies that shielded her family from the world.
It scared her.
‘Give up Iris, leave my brother alone. Damola is not the cause of your problem and your fight with him is meaningless’ Lila said to her.
‘And If I don’t’? Iris frowned as she stared the young woman. One she had thought would be fitting of her son, Ifedayo before she started digging.
‘The whole world would know that you and your miserable little family are broke...your husband would be dethroned on the Forbes. Damola’s wings shall cover all of you’ Lila said.
‘Madam, it would be better if you listened to my sister’ Denzel backed her up.
‘You are a coward and your rants mean nothing to me. You are all foolish, just like your father words. Now get the hell out of my house before I bury you in my rose garden’ she smiled sweetly as deadly words flowed from her mouth and then spun on her heel and hurried to the house.
Her cover had been blown. It was time to use violence; she needed to speak to her son.
‘We’ll be seeing you Iris; don’t try anything stupid’ Lila yelled across but the ice queen walked straight, back unbent, she was unperturbed by their threats and this made them wonder the kind of woman that she was.
‘I can’t believe she didn’t flinch, dad was right; she is really dangerous’ Lila shook her head.
She had discovered some documents about the Legacy Empire. They were broke as they had taken a huge loan from a foreign bank of development but were unable to pay back. In no distant time, the company would fold up; this had to be the reason, the explanation to her hostility towards Damola.
‘Let’s go Lila’ Denzel grabbed her hands and they both returned to the car.
A WEEK LATER

...

NOVEMBER BRIDES EPISODE 16- 17
******
‘She lost the baby’? Damola stared at the doctor wide eyed.
‘Yes...but not through accident. I should leave now’ the man bit his lip as he realized he had shared too much.
‘Wait...did you tell her this’? Marian came forward, her heart raced as she imagined what Mmayen would do if she suspected Ife was behind her miscarriage.
‘Yes, she deserved to know the truth. I told her once I realized that she was stable. She is strong, the pain would fade away before tomorrow’ the doctor replied and moved out of the room.
Tolu was dumfounded, if Mmayen didn’t lose the pregnancy because of the accident, then something was wrong. She wasn’t going to let this one go, she needed to see the doctor in private. She needed to get down to the root of this matter.
‘Can you escort me to the doctor’s office’? Tolu whispered to Denzel, who was as confused as the rest of them.
‘Sure, why not’ Denzel took hold of her hand and they moved towards the door.
‘Where are you two going? We need to find Mmayen, I need to see her, please, where do you think she would be’? Damola threw the question at Tolu, still not comfortable with the light skinned woman next to him.
‘Can you give us a minute? I’ll be back, I promise’ Tolu said, she needed to speak with the doctor first.
‘Okay, I would wait but please hurry, there is no time’ Damola nodded and watched as they both moved out of the room.
He felt horrible that she had lost her baby. It wasn’t making sense, could the doctor be lying? The pregnancy had to be aborted by the accident, except...
‘Except she was already experiencing the miscarriage and that was why she lost control of the steering’ he voiced out his thoughts.
‘Oh my God’ he exhaled sharply.
‘Are you okay’? Marian had been watching him the whole time, he was so handsome. More adorable in reality, she had known right from the start that Tolu wouldn’t get to keep him. He was too good for her. But she wasn’t happy about Tolu’s recent revelation, that this Adonis was in love with Mmayen.
‘Why must everything be about that bitch’? She thought to herself.
‘I am fine. Thank you’ Damola offered her a polite smile. He had never felt this aversion for anyone before, but from the moment he set eyes on her, something inside of him repulsed her.
‘My name is Marian, I am Mmayen’s cousin and you are’? Marian tried to get close.
‘Damola’ he replied simply.
‘Um, so how do you know my cousin, I hear you are in love with her’ she parted her lips into a smile.
Of course he was in love with her, but it wasn’t anybody’s business, particularly Marian. Luckily for him, Lila chose to ring him at the same time.
He sighed, Mmayen’s accident had created a rift between him and his plans. He had been on his way to meet with Ifedayo Legacy, he knew Lila was calling to find out how the meeting went.
‘Lila...’ he pressed the phone next to his left ear.
‘Damola...where are you? I need to see you urgently’ Lila was eager to tell her brother all what she had discovered.
‘I am in the hospital with Denzel, I had an accident’ Damola replied.
‘I hit someone, it turned out to be Mmayen’ he added.
The line fell quiet as silence kissed her.
‘I don’t understand, which Mmayen’? Lila held her breath, this was fate. She needed to tell her brother the truth of what her mother and Aunt Imisi had done.
‘The one I have always loved, the one I grew up with. She is so beautiful Lila, you need to see her now’ a smile brightened his face.
Lila was excited and scared. Her emotions were a mixture of sweet anxiety.
‘Um, when you are back, I’ll tell you something very important. I also found something about Iris and I am paying her a visit to keep her in place’ Lila diverted.
‘Iris Legacy? Please Lila, tread with caution, that woman is a viper’ Damola warned.
‘I know and that is why I wouldn’t be going alone’ Lila said.
‘Who are you going with’? Damola asked.
‘Dad. I have a feeling he knows something about that woman. I watched his face the whole time, and I guess he must have had an affair with Iris while being married to mother’ Lila was very smart and she knew how adulterous her father had been.
Damola paused, he had felt this too, but he hadn’t wanted to confront his father, the chief, knowing very well the man would deny it.
‘What makes you think he’d agree to go with you’? Damola wondered where Lila got this confidence.
‘Don’t worry, I can handle dad’ Lila sighed. She was still bothered about Mmayen, how would Damola handle the news that her mother had a hand in her parents death?
‘Alright dear, I have to go now Denzel is back’ Damola broke the call and rushed towards his brother.
Her heart twisted bitterly as she had listened to the call, he was in love with Mmayen and it irked her that a man as handsome as this would be hers yet again. She wouldn’t allow it.
So she had to play her cards, this was a game and she would win.
‘What did the doctor say’? Marian asked seeming very concerned.
‘Nothing. He wouldn’t disclose a thing to us’ Tolu replied.
‘So, where can we find her’? Damola asked.
‘Obviously, that bastard’s house, she has gone back there to weep in his arms’ Tolu blurted out angrily.
‘Tolu’! Marian cautioned her.
Damola’s fears were confirmed; maybe the man she was in love with wasn’t treating her well. But he wasn’t here to fight for her love as she had someone else; he just wanted her to be happy.
‘Take me to her, please’ he turned to Tolu.
‘Okay...’ Tolu sighed, regretting the words that had flown out from her mouth.
‘I am coming along’ Marian joined in.
‘Lila is calling me Damola, I must return home’ Denzel called to his brother and then rushed towards Tolu’s side and planted a swift kiss on her forehead.
‘I’ll be back for you’ he whispered.
***


She felt hurt, broken and fooled as she stared at the mirror on the wall. Her face was bruised, her lips were wounded. Her whole body ached but the doctor assured her she would get better.
He had not wanted her to leave the hospital as she had just been brought out from the theatre, but she didn’t care. She didn’t want to play victim anymore.
She wondered who the kind stranger was. He had hit her, taken her to the hospital and had paid all her bills. Such a kind act really touched her heart and she decided she would find the stranger and thank him.
The accident wasn’t the stranger’s fault, it was hers as she had lost control of the steering wheel.
‘I was such a fool to have trusted him’ her lips shook.
Her baby was dead now. She felt alone and empty knowing he would never love her again. Hell, he was the devil himself.
“How is my baby doctor, I hope she is fine”? Those were the first words she had spoken once she came out of the theatre.
Her face had been bright with hope, expectation and desire of a future with Ife.
“Your baby...” the doctor had paused, he looked down on her with pity, something she hated and that was when she suspected something had gone wrong.
“Yes, my baby. Her father is such a lovely man and we are going to get married real soon” Mmayen had smiled, even in that painful condition.
“Um, I am so sorry madam but your baby didn’t make it because you tried to ruin that pregnancy” the doctor’s voice was cold, it poured on her like ice on a cold night.
“Excuse me? Are you accusing me of attempting an abortion”? She felt insulted.
“Then why did I find traces of poisonous substance in your womb? Your blood flowed with it. Why would you take Sodiumizin if you didn’t want to terminate that pregnancy”? The doctor asked.
She paused as she was confused. She had aborted for Ife other times but she had never for one day thought of killing this child. Something was wrong.
‘Bastard’ tears ran down her cheeks as the memories vanished.
Her friends had warned her to leave him; it was just this morning that Tolu had advised her to be wary of Ifedayo but she had not listened. She had been carried away by his passionate lovemaking; his kisses that had been filled with empty promises; his stares that had been filled with lies.
She hated him now. Her love for him was frozen, dead. Never to be reawakened.
But before she left him, she was going to tell him a thing or two, she would leave a mark on him that he would never forget.
‘Mmayen, are you in there’? She heard him knock the door of the bathroom.
A darkness rose inside of her as she heard his voice, the voice that had once hypnotized her.
She drew a deep breath and wiped her face. This wasn’t the time to cry or the time to play victim. She needed to face Ifedayo head on.
****
He had been in his office working on some files when he’d received a text from Marian. Marian had informed him about the situation, with Mmayen fleeing the hospital, their plan had to be halted till she was found.
He had tried her number severally, but stopped as he realized she must have lost the phone in the accident. He knew she would be at home, crying and yearning for his love and that was the reason he had abandoned all his files and rushed back home.
He was incredibly happy that she had lost the pregnancy. There was nothing else to tie him down, he was going to send her out of his house once she recovered fully from the accident.
‘Baby...oh My God, I heard about the accident. Marian told me’ Ife cried as she stepped out of the bathroom.
Mmayen scoffed, her feet hurt so she was limping. Ife was obviously mocking her, why was he acting like he cared? Hadn’t he done enough?
‘Baby...I am so sorry about the baby’ he moved closer to her, he wanted to embrace her when she grabbed his hands.
‘Don’t touch me with those hands, murderer’ she said through clenched teeth.
‘What’? Ifedayo moved back.
‘What’? She mimicked.
Why was he acting like a saint when he knew what he had done?
She had been so stupid to believe him; to believe something could happen between them.
‘You know, I planned to say nasty things to you or do something crazy to you like kill you...’ she trailed off.
‘But I’ll leave you to posterity, what you do unto others, others shall do unto you’ she said to him, and then limped to the place where she kept her boxes. She was going to leave Ife, once and for all. She was never coming back.
‘What are you talking about? Are you threatening me’? Anger shot through him as he watched her pack her things. This wasn’t the Mmayen that he knew, this was a different woman and he hated the power that exuded from her.
His Mmayen was weak and naive, foolish at best. This woman scared him and he hated her instantly.
‘I said, what are you talking about’? He moved towards her and grabbed her hair.
He thought she would cry out and beg him to stop, but she didn’t.
‘If you don’t get your hands off of me, I would do something miserable to your already miserable life’ she bit her lip, she wished she wasn’t in so much pain. She would have dealt mercilessly with Ifedayo.
He released her immediately, afraid of this new version of Mmayen. He didn’t understand her, she confused him.
‘You think I am stupid Ife? I should’ve known you were up to something the minute you started kissing me in the bathroom, but I was slow. I parted my legs and welcomed you, scum of the earth and I hate myself for it. You slipped a poison into the breakfast that you prepared, you made me eat it, knowing it would destroy the baby you really hated. Why? Why didn’t you just tell me that you were not interested? I would’ve walked away but no, you killed that innocent baby and posterity would judge you’ she dropped the words, slowly, icily as they tasted bitter in her mouth.
‘I don’t know what you are talking about’ he moved away from her.
‘Of course you wouldn’t but I know I was poisoned. Tolu and Marian would never poison me, you on the other hand? You are capable of anything’ she hissed and resumed packing her things.
‘Don’t be so sure of your friends, one of them must have betrayed you. Bitch’ Ifedayo rose to feet as he heard a car horn. Who was that? He wondered as he wasn’t expecting anyone.
Mmayen paused too, she moved to the window and so did Ifedayo.
The car looked really expensive, she had never seen that make before in Tomato Island. Whoever was in it, was incredibly rich and that made her even more curious.
She knew Ifedayo was rich but the owner of that car had to be a hundred times richer.
‘What is this bastard doing in my house’? Ife scowled as he spotted Damola Oulwatosin alight from the car.
She recognized him immediately, her heart danced with jubilation, how had he found her? When had he returned’?
‘Damola...’ her lips shook as the lightning power of flashbacks overcame her.
****
Damola felt quite nervous as he stepped down from the car. He almost regretted his actions, what if her husband or fiancé read his intentions wrong?
‘This is the house Damola, we are supposed to get in’ Marian scurried to his side and grabbed his hand.
‘Hmm’ Tolu eyed her as she watched Marian with suspicion.
‘I don’t know if I can do this Tolu’ Damola pulled his hands away from Marian and moved towards Tolu. Blood crept on her cheeks as he let go of her hand, why was he rejecting her?
‘It’s okay Damola, but we are not leaving. If you really love Mmayen as you claim then we are both going to bundle her out of this house today. I don’t want her in this abusive relationship anymore’ Tolu said to him.
She couldn’t wait to see her friend. She couldn’t wait to apologize for all her harsh words, she hoped Mmayen would forgive her.
‘Let us go’ she took Damola’s hands.
‘Okay’ he nodded, clutching tightly to Tolu’s hand, like he was her strength.
Marian’s face darkened with anger and jealousy as she stared at Tolu and Damola, she wasn’t going to back down. She would win this game, no matter what.
As they reached the door, it flew wide open and an angry Ifedayo stepped out.
Their eyes met. Two lions sizing up themselves, recognizing each other immediately.
Tolu sensed this agitation, this silent aggression, she let go of Damola’s hands and ran into the house immediately. She needed to get her friend out of Ifedayo’s web.
His face was burning. He felt undermined, small and worthless as he stared at Damola.
‘What are you doing in my house’? Ife’s voice was cold.
Damola had not expected this icy welcome, it seemed Ife had a personal thing against him and he was surprised as they had never met before. They were only competitors in the business world.
‘Good day Ifedayo, my name is...’ Damola paused as he stared at the face behind Ife.
It was the face of a broken woman. The face of a woman that had been denied happiness for too long. It was the face of a woman in dire need of love.
He had found her.
‘Damola...Damola’! Mmayen screamed and rushed towards him.
‘Angel’ Damola whispered and welcomed her in his arms.
He kissed her hair; he dropped kisses on the side of her face. He couldn’t believe this, after all these years, he had found her.
The world stopped. The earth wasn’t spinning. This was their moment and all eyes were on them.
Tolu rolled out Mmayen’s box happily, she was surprised at her friend; she had not expected to meet Mmayen packing her things, but there wasn’t time, they would talk later.
A rage was building up inside of Ife as he watched them. Why did she look so happy with him? How had they known each other?
Confusion, frustration and anger seared his mind. He hated them. He hated him even more.
Marian watched with grimace as Damola spun her cousin round. He was truly in love with her and she hated it. Why did she always have the good ones?
‘I wonder how long this would last’ she mocked, rubbing the syringe still in her purse.
‘Get out of my house’! Ifedayo yelled angrily.
At once, Damola dropped Mmayen and stared at his “opponent”, wondering if this was the beast Mmayen was in love with.
‘Does he talk to you like this’? Damola asked her.
‘Don’t worry, I can handle him’ Mmayen sighed and walked closer to Ife. They stood just a breath apart. Her eyes bored into his; her lips almost reaching his’. She was the winner, she had triump.
‘Bitch’ he cursed.
‘That would be your mother’ she winked and then did the unthinkable, drew him next to her and kissed his lips, releasing him almost immediately, pushing him away with a strength that scared her.
‘You’ll miss that, loser’ she laughed and took hold of Damola’s hands. They all walked back to his car.
“Loser” the words re-echoed in his brain as he watched the car leave his compound. No, he couldn’t lose. He would make sure that Damola Tosin never blocked his shine in Tomato Island.
WRITTEN BY ROSE AKPABIO.

To all of you that always appreciate my work by dropping your comments... thank you. You are the best! It shows you love this story.
So everyone, I have a Christmas love story for sale. It would be available on Okada books and PDF copies too.
When it is time, I'd share the link.
Thank you angels!

kinah:
‘My younger brother, Damola Oluwatosin. One of the richest men in the world, he beat Chief Legacy to the top tenth and he wants to establish a branch of his software company here’.


‘Um, meet my elder brother, Damola Oluwatosin...the one I told you about’ Denzel did the introductions.

is damola the eldest or the youngest?

That's obviously a mistake....when you type so fast, you can get distracted...
Damola is the younger brother...
Denzel is the older...
Thanks for pointing this out

Tolu and Denzel both rushed into the massive structure of the Living Rose hospital. Tears were already dropping n her cheeks as she imagined the pain her friend was in.
‘This is my entire fault; I should never have spoken to her like that. I am not perfect and she wasn’t’ Tolu cried as Denzel led her towards the counter.
‘Hey baby, I don’t know you or your friend or what transpired between both of you but I want you to stop blaming yourself as this is not the time. You need to be strong’ Denzel paused and pressed his lips into her forehead.
She had never felt this comforted by anyone, not even her friends when she needed solace. His words were kind and gave her hope that everything would be fine.
‘Thank you’ she nodded.
‘So...do you promise to let go of what happened between you two and focus on the “now””? Denzel asked, staring deeply into her eyes.
‘I promise...’Tolu’s eyes were engorged by surprise as she watched him approach them. This was the man’s picture Denzel had used! What was happening?
Mmayen had just been brought out of the theatre, she was still asleep but the doctors had reassured him that she would wake once the effect of the drugs wore off which would happen three hours from then.
One of the doctors had written him a list of drugs that she would need once she was awake and he had been heading towards the pharmacy when he spotted his brother, Denzel with a pretty dark skinned lady. What was he doing here and who was she?
‘Are you okay’? Denzel could see the brightness in her eyes, like she had seen a ghost. She was tongue tied by his majestic entrance, he was dead drop handsome, just like his pictures.
“Denzel” he called.
Denzel swirled round and was surprised to see his brother in the hospital.
‘Damola, what are you doing here’? He asked.
‘I was about asking you the same question’ Damola raised a brow. He noticed the lady kept staring at him, like he was an alien or had fallen from the stars.
He wondered if she knew him from somewhere or knew him as the youngest Nigerian Billionaire. He always got that reaction from people once they realized he was the “great Damola Oluwatosin”.
‘Hello’ he said to Tolu.
‘Hello there’ Tolu sighed, her brief magical fixation to him faded and she was back to reality. She had come to see Mmayen and not wallow in some reverie about a handsome man kissing her.
Besides, she was in love with Denzel and not this handsome man whom she barely knew.
‘Um, meet my elder brother, Damola Oluwatosin...the one I told you about’ Denzel did the introductions.
‘Wow, hello’ Tolu smiled and offered her hand for a handshake.
‘Nice meeting you Tolu...I never knew my brother had friends back here in Nigeria’ Damola winked at Denzel, whose eyes were filled with adoration as he stared at Tolu.
‘She is my wife, so you better be careful’ Denzel said to his brother.
‘Denzel’! Tolu called him sternly, but with smiling eyes. She had not gotten over his lies yet and there he was talking about marriage.
‘Okay, sorry, so what brought you here Damola’? Denzel asked.
‘I had an accident, I hit a woman’ Damola’s features tightened as he thought about Mma, he hoped nothing bad would happen to her. He would never forgive himself, if she never woke up the same.
‘An accident’? Tolu swallowed hard, wondering if it was this handsome stranger that had hit her friend.
‘Yes’ Damola sighed, then turned to his brother and said ‘I hit Mmayen’.
“Mmayen”? Tolu and Denzel chorused.
‘Which Mmayen’? Denzel asked.
‘The one we grew up with of course...Do you know her’? Damola first answered his brother and then Tolu.
‘I...my friend had an accident and her name is Mmayen’ Tolu stuttered.
‘This one’? He fetched an old photo of Mma as a school girl and handed it to Tolu.
He had carried Mmayen’s photograph all these years like a piece of him; he had also carried her in his heart like a prayer and now he had found her. What other conviction did he need? When all fate whispered was that they were meant to be together.
‘She is the one, Mmayen is my best friend’ a tear ran down her face as she recognized the younger version of Mmayen at once.
‘I am so sorry...I didn’t mean to hit her. I love her so much and she means a lot to me. Please, I assure you that she would be fine. The doctors were quite sure of this’ Damola said to Tolu.
No, she wasn’t mad at him. She saw something in his eyes, like he cared deeply for her friend. Who was this man? A total stranger to her yet she liked him for the way he carried her friend in his heart.
‘I am not mad Damola, I am just sad because we had an argument before this’ Tolu paused, a bit confused. Was it appropriate to open up herself that way to someone she didn’t know?
‘You argued’? Damola was curious, Mmayen had not been the type of girl who argued. She was meek, almost like a lamb.
‘Never mind, so, how is her condition’? Tolu asked.
‘She is okay’ Damola replied.
‘And the baby? How is the baby’? Tolu moved closer to him.
‘A baby? Was she pregnant’? Damola’s heart sank at the thought of that. Was she married? But the doctors never mentioned any pregnancy.
‘Um, what if you go to the pharmacy, we’ll talk when you are back’? Denzel stepped in, he could sense Damola’s pain on hearing about “the baby”. It wasn’t a secret that his brother deeply cared for Mmayen.
‘Okay, I’ll be back’ Damola walked away, tears welled up in his eyes. It wasn’t just the pain of realizing she belonged to someone else. It was the pain of hurting her and her child.
Once his brother was out of sight, Denzel turned to Tolu ‘Is Mmayen married’?
‘No’ Tolu shook her head.
‘Are you interested in her’? Tolu arched a brow.
‘No’ he shook his head.
‘Damola has been in love with your friend for a very long time. When Mmayen lost her parents, she lived with us for some time before she decided to live on her own. That period she stayed with us was the best period of my brother’s life. From the way he stared at her, I knew he was in love, but he was scared to approach her coupled with the fact that she had been very young. The truth is that Damola returned to Nigeria to find Mmayen and this confirms my greatest fears’ Denzel heaved a sigh.
‘What fear is that’? Tolu was touched by his story.
‘That Mmayen was married or she was in love with someone else and this would break Damola’s heart’ Denzel replied.
Tolu shook her head as she stared at Denzel. Here was a man, Damola, who totally adored Mmayen and not that bastard called Ifedayo.
‘I just hope she would feel the same for him’ Tolu replied.
‘So she is in love with someone else’ Denzel bit his lip, Damola was going to be hurt.
‘If your brother really loved Mmayen, why did it take him so long to reach out to her? What happened’? Tolu wondered. She couldn’t doubt the fact that Damola loved Mmayen, she had already seen his love for her blazing in his eyes.
‘It’s a really long story, but it doesn’t matter now. Mmayen’s heart belongs to another’ Denzel replied.
Tolu shrugged, there was nothing she or anyone else could do to make Mmayen come to her senses and realize that her love for Ife was unhealthy.
She felt her phone buzz, it was Marian.
‘She must be around somewhere’ Tolu scanned the faces of the people that walked into the hospital, and there she was, storming towards them.
‘Hello there, miss me’? Marian winked. She had come prepared for her mission.
****
Damola had gotten the drugs from the Pharmacy and some snacks that he knew Mmayen enjoyed back then.
‘Thanks’ he whispered to the sales girl and walked away. There were just too many memories of her that he wouldn’t let go of. She was such a beautiful person, both inwardly and outwardly and he loved her very much.
She loved Pringles especially the spicy flavour. She loved to take Ice Cream. She loved fruits too.
What he loved about her most was the fact that she was an excellent cook. She was his princess charming and he couldn’t wait to look into her eyes.
But he quickly reminded himself that she belonged to someone else now. He felt troubled, his mind was restless.
‘Whatever happens, I am glad I was able to see her again’ he reassured himself and moved back to the hospital.
This time, he met Denzel not just with Tolu but a light skinned lady whom he resented for no just cause. There was something sinister about her. Something wasn’t just right with the way she stared at him, he had to steer clear from this one.
‘Um, can we go now? One of the nurses just told us she is awake’ Tolu said to Damola.
‘Okay then’ Damola shrugged, ignoring the lightskinned woman totally.
‘I don’t understand, Isn’t that supposed to be your fiancé’? Marian whispered to Tolu.
‘Not now Marian, I’ll tell you everything when we get home’ Tolu returned.
‘Whatever, keeping secrets ain’t the best’ Marian sighed. She needed to focus on what was ahead. Mmayen had to lose the baby and her life too.
Unknown to Ife, she had included a poisonous substance in the syringe; one that would end Mmayen forever.
‘Well, for the records, he isn’t my fiancé, he happens to be in love with Mmayen, so get your eyes off of him’ Tolu said through clenched teeth, it was so obvious Marian was checking Damola out.
‘What? Does he Know Mmayen’? She felt defeated.
Tolu said nothing. She focused on Mmayen, how was she doing now? How was she faring?
Damola pushed the door open, the door to the private room he had paid for her to be kept.
His heart raced as he stared at the empty bed.
‘Where is Mmayen’? Tolu asked as she followed him into the room.
As they moved closer to the bed, they realized the drips were abandoned. It seemed she had pulled them out.
Mmayen was gone.
‘She lost the baby’ a doctor walked into the room.

NOVEMBER BRIDES –EPISODE 15
******
She knew Mmayen was not pleased hearing the truth but she didn’t care. She was doing it for her own good, she was helping her see that Ifedayo was nothing but a midday mirage and needed to be dumped.
Now Marian had gone out of the house, she decided to use this opportunity and go through Denzel’s profile. He had played her like a fool and had the guts to show up in her house expecting a warm welcome.
She turned on her laptop, and while waiting for it to start, she pondered on the man she had fallen in love with.
He had been so nice, sounded so sincere and she had fell for it. He had been generous too, far too generous than any man that she had ever met and his looks were out of this world.
‘I guess there is no perfect anyway’ Tolu sighed and clicked on his image.
The Denzel that had showed up in her front door was dark and skinny; this man whose gorgeous eyes stared back at her from the screen looked nothing like him.
Denzel must have downloaded a picture of a model and tricked her with it. Though he wasn’t as good looking as the man in the picture, he wasn’t an ugly man. Average was fair and if he had showed her who he really was, there wouldn’t have had any problems at all.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized she couldn’t stop thinking about him. She had fallen in love with someone who she didn’t know.
‘You made a mistake Tolu’ she whispered to herself.
Tears covered her plump face, they took over it. Her lips trembled as this pain was new to her. She wasn’t the type to fall in love, and now she did, she had fallen deeply.
She heard a knock on the door.
It was probably Marian, she usually returned after her anger had cooled off. Tolu quickly wiped her face and turned off the laptop, rising to her feet she whispered ‘I have to fix this’.
She trotted towards the door feeling stronger and determined to get rid of Denzel and his lies. Her heart wasn’t a place for lies and secrets.
She took a deep breath before opening the door, she needed to look calm before Marian as she didn’t want to be taunted or mocked. It was too early for that.
‘You’re back early’ she paused as she pulled the door wide open.
Her features transformed into a frown as she stared into his face. What was he doing here? Hadn’t he done enough harm?
‘Before you say anything baby, I am so sorry...you must understand my reasons for lying’ Denzel quickly fell on his knees. His face was rough, like he hadn’t slept all night. He really looked stressed and for a moment she wondered if any of that had to do with her.
‘What do you want to say Denzel? You had enough time to talk to me, to reveal your true identity. I don’t even know who you are’ she crossed her arms over her chest.
She felt better talking to him now than the night before when shock wouldn’t let go of her senses. She had been terribly confused, but now she had everything under control.
‘I thought you wouldn’t like me like this. I am sorry’ Denzel apologized and he meant it. He had never connected so deeply with a woman like he did with Tolu.
There had been something about her that drew him to her and he really wanted to be with her.
‘That still doesn’t explain why you used another guy’s picture. Are you sure your name is really Denzel? Are you sure you aren’t a criminal on the run? Why are we even having this conversation’? Anger pumped through her and she moved to close the door.
‘Please...just hear me out. I am real Tolu, maybe the picture was fake but what I felt...what I still feel is true’ he jumped to his feet and moved closer to her.
She searched his dark eyes; his bushy eyebrows and his pale lips. this Denzel was different from the one that she knew but that same old familiarity exuded from him and cast a shadow over her. She had just met him, but it seemed she had known him all her life.
‘How do I know that you are telling the truth’? She sighed.
‘I am Denzel Oluwatosin and here is my International Passport. Please darling believe me’ he fetched the green card from his pocket and handed it over to her.
She took it swiftly and scanned the pages. She made certain the passport wasn’t forged. Satisfied with her little scrutiny, she handed it back to him and widened the door of the house.
‘Come in’ she murmured.
His heart raced, excitement coursed through him as he trailed behind her. He couldn’t wait to show her how much that he loved her.
‘Does this mean that you have forgiven me’? He asked eagerly.
‘No. Not yet, My eyes are still on you’ she replied, his heart sank.
‘I love you Tolu and I am very sorry I lied. But I needed to get your attention. Girls like flashy men. They love rainbows’ he said to her.
She stared at him with angry eyes, how dare he fix her with “girls”? She wasn’t easily moved by material things, that would be Marian.
‘Not all girls, point of correction’ she replied.
‘I am sorry, I just wanted you to be mine’ he sighed, hoping not to offend her anymore.
‘So, who was the guy in the picture’? Tolu asked.
A brief smile curled his lips and then he spoke with a sense of pride, and deep love for the man he had impersonated.
‘My younger brother, Damola Oluwatosin. One of the richest men in the world, he beat Chief Legacy to the top tenth and he wants to establish a branch of his software company here’.
Her brows knitted in confusion as she stared at him, Chief Legacy was Ifedayo’s father and if Denzel was right, the Legacy family had a serious competition.
‘That’s awesome’ her mouth fell dry, she couldn’t wait to share the news with Mmayen and Marian.
She was about to say something else when her phone rang.
‘Excuse me’ she raised a finger upward and took it. It was Marian.
‘Mmayen is at Living Rose hospital, she had an accident. I just confirmed this’ Marian said to her in a voice broken by grief.
Before Marian could complete her statement, the phone had fallen from her hands and she was left standing with fresh droplets of tears running down her face.
‘Are you okay? What is it dear’? Denzel couldn’t stand the sight of her crying.
‘My best friend just had an accident; can you take me to Living Rose hospital’? Tolu asked.
‘Of course, come’ Denzel took her hand in his as they both stepped outside.
She felt really guilty, there is now way the things she had Marian had said to Mmayen hadn’t been a cause of the accident.
‘I was too hard on her, I was too insensitive and if anything should happen to her, I would never forgive myself’ Tolu muttered as she slipped into the car.
‘Nothing would happen to her honey, everything would be fine’ Denzel reassured her before igniting the engine.
****
Eniola had gone out to shop for groceries, she didn’t have a housekeeper back here in Nigeria, so she had to do all the chores by herself and with the help of her only daughter, Lila.
‘How are you Imisi, I have really missed you sister’ Eniola pulled open the refrigerator in the kitchen and fetched two cans of malt drink. They were very cold and suitable for the Nigerian weather.
‘I miss you too Mama Damola, Why didn’t you tell me Damola would be coming home too? I would’ve found him a wife’ Imisi laughed and winked at her elder sister.
‘Wife ke, you know, children of nowadays want to take charge of their own destiny. I don’t want to interfere in Damola’s love life’ Eniola sighed and pulled a chair next to her sister.
The two were really closed and even though they were married, they still shared their burdens and secrets.
‘Lila and Denzel nko’? Imisi inquired after her niece and other nephew.
‘Both good...how are you now’? Eniola asked.
‘Very fine, I came here for a very important reason’ Imisi sighed and unzipped her bag.
‘What could that be’? Eniola wondered.
‘Iris Legacy invited me over to her house the other day, she asked me a lot of questions about you; she really wants to be close’ Imisi paused and watched her sister’s reaction.
‘Iris Legacy’? Eniola had heard about the famous Legacy family resident in Tomato Island but she had never met Iris before.
‘Yes. She is the most powerful woman in Tomato Island. Wives of other rich men worship her and obey her completely’ Imisi gave briefed her sister about the woman of Iris.
‘I don’t see how we could be friends...I don’t like women who are controlling and power hungry. The fact that her husband is in the Forbes list shouldn’t give her the right to trample on people’ Eniola replied.
‘Hm, sister, you needed to see how she treated one young lady that came to tell her about her son who had impregnated her. She called the girl all sort of names. She threatened fire and brimstone. Please avoid Iris like a plague, I don’t know what reason she has to come close, but keep her at arm’s length’ Imisi advised.
‘Thanks’ Eniola nodded and gulped from the can.
‘When last did you hear from this girl’? Imisi showed her sister a picture of Mmayen as a teenager.
Eniola’s mind skipped, her hands shivered and the can fell from her hands.
‘Why are you bringing her up, we both know she should be dead by now’ Eniola swallowed deeply.
‘But what if she isn’t? You know Damola would never forgive you if he finds out the truth’? Imisi folded the picture into her bag.
Eniola couldn’t breathe. Fear had blocked her nostrils; she felt like running mad as she thought of the possibility of Mmayen being alive.
‘I poisoned that food, the last food she ate before moving out of the house; there is no way she would’ve survived’ Eniola informed Imisi.
‘I don’t know sister, but let’s hope she is dead. If she isn’t, then one day she may discover the truth about the death of her parents and you could lose everything’ Imisi hoped for the best.
‘I still don’t understand why you are bringing her up after all these years’ Eniola wasn’t comfortable with the topic being discussed.
‘Well, the young woman who accused Ifedayo Legacy of getting her pregnant was a striking resemblance of Mmayen. I died five times in that woman’s rose garden’ Imisi replied.
Unknown to the two women, Lila had been listening to their conversation. She was shocked by the many revelations. She was pinned to the spot. Even her own discovery about Iris was nothing compared to the evil things that her mother spewed.
She couldn’t wait for Damola’s return, she would tell him everything.

Abi dear

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