LarrySun:
The next update shall be posted on Thursday. Thank you. May God reward your patience.

Cheers,

LSD

bellefidel:
this girl sef..... u be ode oh...so after the whole quoting Na only wow u see Right... mtchewwwwwee
if u see my speed rushing here for updated

greatface:
When I opened the FT tab and saw the thread jumped from page 16-17, I was convinced fiyah has updated only to check it and see Olivervivian quoting a particular post three times just to express her feelings in less than a sentence.

I became very angry and might have used the worst word on her. Thankfully though, I was patient enough to read further and I saw her innocent reply. That alone changed everything.

Olivervivian, please modify those posts and remove most part of them. They are very annoying.

Michelle55:
lolsss, I understand the feeling of loving a story too much. you just couldn't help but to quote the whole passage.

melodydennis:


Haba, most you quote the whole update?

Diamondamsel:


This is an act of wickedness na... I thought there's an update, I rushed here to check just to find you quoting the whole story..

That's how u did on angelsss's story.... It's not fair.
.

fiyah:
**PETER**
I held the bouquet tighter like I was scared it was going to fall off if I didn't. I could feel my hand tremble as I folded it to knock on the door. I stopped to wait for an answer of any kind in the dark, cold night while my hands gave off tremor like spasms.

It was so evident I was nervous. I couldn't help it.

After what seemed like eternity of waiting, I edged forward and put my ears on the door to listen to movements. After moments of waiting, I heard nothing.

Taking a quick glance at the wristwatch fastened around my left wrist, I didn't want to believe she was asleep even though the details on my watch only screamed she should.

I tried knocking at the door once again while silently hoping I would get a response this time. I could feel my forehead dampen with sweat and that was quite surprising considering how cold it was outside. I didn't need a weather forecast to tell me how cold it was. The way my teeth clattered like an old typist typewriter was enough forecast.

I was going to try my luck at knocking on the door again when I heard rustling and prattling in the keyhole. I stopped in my tracks and waited patiently for the door to slid open with my heart literarily in my throat.

She stood in the door way, arms folded across her chest while she stared insipidly at me like an inanimate object waiting to be tossed away. She was in a brown turtle-necked cardigan whose long sleeve hand was a few inches longer than hers. The sparks I always see in her eyes were completely gone and what I see as replacement was a stomach turning blank stare.

Why a blank stare scares me so much, I don’t know. I couldn’t find the perfect explanation.

Maybe I wouldn’t be worried if what I had seen on her face was a frown or a scowl that shows she was angry at me. I am someone who agrees with this orthodox belief that if someone is mad at you enough to show it, the person still cares and would accept an apology if offered. Which explains why I was frightened by what I saw in her eyes.

She was standing right there, staring down at me like she wasn’t expecting an apology.

Like she didn’t care.

Although this might be the first time I ever admitted such, this is my greatest fear!

I want her to care about me.

A light smile spread across my face as I held up the bouquet in my hands in concerted effort to lessen the tension welling up in the atmosphere around us.

‘I’m sorry I’m late.’ I added while hopefully waiting for her to collect the flowers from me. It was hard reading what the mixture of emotions on her face suggested but either way, there was no hiding the disappointment masking it. Her face looked sullen and it was hard telling if she was actually looking at me. She seemed rather too deep in thoughts

We stayed like that for minutes.

Just staring at each other with no word leaving either of our lips.

“Peter.’ My name, being her first word ever since I got here got my attention rather too engrossingly.

'You don’t get to be two contrasting characters at the same time. You don’t get to be a jerk and prince charming concurrently. You have to choose one. Be one. Maybe you’ll find someone who will love you for who you are even if you choose to be a jerk because I am done.’ She paused for air and it was clear-cut obvious that she was at the verge of breaking down.

‘I am done hoping you would change. I am done making excuses for you. I am done having to tiptoe around you like you are some time bomb waiting for the perfect time to explode. I am done believing we might have had something which we clearly don’t. I know I might have been living in this fantasy world thinking you would be better. It might be a one sided thing; it might just be only me but I actually thought we could be better than whatever we presently are. But that doesn’t matter anymore because whatever we were is stupid. And I might have just placed my priorities and hopes too high to think you might just be ‘the guy’. I have come to realize you are not the guy. You are just another guy I risk getting hurt if I ever got tangled with.’ She said that calmly. She wasn’t angry and even if she was, she did a good job hiding it. She wasn’t screaming either. She was just standing there, delivering her statement like she had it all planned.

‘I’m sorry Peter but I guess we have to terminate what hasn’t started.’ She continued. ‘Goodnight Peter.’ She added then stood there for a few moments before she tried to shut the door in my face.

‘I…’ I started and I saw her pause. Her eyes were waiting for me.

It almost felt like she still had faith in me.

I could see it.

She still had hopes. She was hoping whatever I wanted to say would change everything.

She was expecting whatever I had to say to be a reason to change her mind.

She was so vulnerable that her desires and emotions could be read off her face.

‘I…’ I struggled to get the words out of my throat but they were stuck there and she was getting impatient.

And it was at that moment that I knew I had to do the right thing.

‘I am not the right person for you.’ I started once again, crushing the tiny flame of hope lighting up in her eyes.

‘You are right; it is a one sided thing. I really don’t feel the way you do… I don’t even know what I want! I am just a messed up, broken, stupid guy who will most likely hurt you more than you have been hurt before and you don’t deserve that.’ I paused for a frustrating sigh.

‘You don’t deserve me.’

I let the last statement linger in the air and I watched her give me the blank, hurt stare again right before she slammed the door in my face then the rustling sound of key inside the key hole, like the other time resumed.

I took a few steps backward still staring at the shut door. I sighted a trash can just right beside the front porch and dumped the flowers in it while trying so hard to refrain from yelling.

I head to my car and jumped in after which I closed the door after me.

I put my head on the steering wheel as my eyes began to sting…

It hurt so bad.

Who was I kidding?

My whole body hurt and the pain wasn’t physical in any way.

I have never felt like this before.

I really am in love.

I don’t know which hurts more; the part where I lost the only comfort I have ever felt in a while...

The only person I have undoubtedly been convinced I love.

Or the part where I lied while being conscious of the fact that if I had said the truth, I would have kept her.

fiyah:
**PETER**
I held the bouquet tighter like I was scared it was going to fall off if I didn't. I could feel my hand tremble as I folded it to knock on the door. I stopped to wait for an answer of any kind in the dark, cold night while my hands gave off tremor like spasms.

It was so evident I was nervous. I couldn't help it.

After what seemed like eternity of waiting, I edged forward and put my ears on the door to listen to movements. After moments of waiting, I heard nothing.

Taking a quick glance at the wristwatch fastened around my left wrist, I didn't want to believe she was asleep even though the details on my watch only screamed she should.

I tried knocking at the door once again while silently hoping I would get a response this time. I could feel my forehead dampen with sweat and that was quite surprising considering how cold it was outside. I didn't need a weather forecast to tell me how cold it was. The way my teeth clattered like an old typist typewriter was enough forecast.

I was going to try my luck at knocking on the door again when I heard rustling and prattling in the keyhole. I stopped in my tracks and waited patiently for the door to slid open with my heart literarily in my throat.

She stood in the door way, arms folded across her chest while she stared insipidly at me like an inanimate object waiting to be tossed away. She was in a brown turtle-necked cardigan whose long sleeve hand was a few inches longer than hers. The sparks I always see in her eyes were completely gone and what I see as replacement was a stomach turning blank stare.

Why a blank stare scares me so much, I don’t know. I couldn’t find the perfect explanation.

Maybe I wouldn’t be worried if what I had seen on her face was a frown or a scowl that shows she was angry at me. I am someone who agrees with this orthodox belief that if someone is mad at you enough to show it, the person still cares and would accept an apology if offered. Which explains why I was frightened by what I saw in her eyes.

She was standing right there, staring down at me like she wasn’t expecting an apology.

Like she didn’t care.

Although this might be the first time I ever admitted such, this is my greatest fear!

I want her to care about me.

A light smile spread across my face as I held up the bouquet in my hands in concerted effort to lessen the tension welling up in the atmosphere around us.

‘I’m sorry I’m late.’ I added while hopefully waiting for her to collect the flowers from me. It was hard reading what the mixture of emotions on her face suggested but either way, there was no hiding the disappointment masking it. Her face looked sullen and it was hard telling if she was actually looking at me. She seemed rather too deep in thoughts

We stayed like that for minutes.

Just staring at each other with no word leaving either of our lips.

“Peter.’ My name, being her first word ever since I got here got my attention rather too engrossingly.

'You don’t get to be two contrasting characters at the same time. You don’t get to be a jerk and prince charming concurrently. You have to choose one. Be one. Maybe you’ll find someone who will love you for who you are even if you choose to be a jerk because I am done.’ She paused for air and it was clear-cut obvious that she was at the verge of breaking down.

‘I am done hoping you would change. I am done making excuses for you. I am done having to tiptoe around you like you are some time bomb waiting for the perfect time to explode. I am done believing we might have had something which we clearly don’t. I know I might have been living in this fantasy world thinking you would be better. It might be a one sided thing; it might just be only me but I actually thought we could be better than whatever we presently are. But that doesn’t matter anymore because whatever we were is stupid. And I might have just placed my priorities and hopes too high to think you might just be ‘the guy’. I have come to realize you are not the guy. You are just another guy I risk getting hurt if I ever got tangled with.’ She said that calmly. She wasn’t angry and even if she was, she did a good job hiding it. She wasn’t screaming either. She was just standing there, delivering her statement like she had it all planned.

‘I’m sorry Peter but I guess we have to terminate what hasn’t started.’ She continued. ‘Goodnight Peter.’ She added then stood there for a few moments before she tried to shut the door in my face.

‘I…’ I started and I saw her pause. Her eyes were waiting for me.

It almost felt like she still had faith in me.

I could see it.

She still had hopes. She was hoping whatever I wanted to say would change everything.

She was expecting whatever I had to say to be a reason to change her mind.

She was so vulnerable that her desires and emotions could be read off her face.

‘I…’ I struggled to get the words out of my throat but they were stuck there and she was getting impatient.

And it was at that moment that I knew I had to do the right thing.

‘I am not the right person for you.’ I started once again, crushing the tiny flame of hope lighting up in her eyes.

‘You are right; it is a one sided thing. I really don’t feel the way you do… I don’t even know what I want! I am just a messed up, broken, stupid guy who will most likely hurt you more than you have been hurt before and you don’t deserve that.’ I paused for a frustrating sigh.

‘You don’t deserve me.’

I let the last statement linger in the air and I watched her give me the blank, hurt stare again right before she slammed the door in my face then the rustling sound of key inside the key hole, like the other time resumed.

I took a few steps backward still staring at the shut door. I sighted a trash can just right beside the front porch and dumped the flowers in it while trying so hard to refrain from yelling.

I head to my car and jumped in after which I closed the door after me.

I put my head on the steering wheel as my eyes began to sting…

It hurt so bad.

Who was I kidding?

My whole body hurt and the pain wasn’t physical in any way.

I have never felt like this before.

I really am in love.

I don’t know which hurts more; the part where I lost the only comfort I have ever felt in a while...

The only person I have undoubtedly been convinced I love.

Or the part where I lied while being conscious of the fact that if I had said the truth, I would have kept her.

fiyah:
**PETER**
I held the bouquet tighter like I was scared it was going to fall off if I didn't. I could feel my hand tremble as I folded it to knock on the door. I stopped to wait for an answer of any kind in the dark, cold night while my hands gave off tremor like spasms.

It was so evident I was nervous. I couldn't help it.

After what seemed like eternity of waiting, I edged forward and put my ears on the door to listen to movements. After moments of waiting, I heard nothing.

Taking a quick glance at the wristwatch fastened around my left wrist, I didn't want to believe she was asleep even though the details on my watch only screamed she should.

I tried knocking at the door once again while silently hoping I would get a response this time. I could feel my forehead dampen with sweat and that was quite surprising considering how cold it was outside. I didn't need a weather forecast to tell me how cold it was. The way my teeth clattered like an old typist typewriter was enough forecast.

I was going to try my luck at knocking on the door again when I heard rustling and prattling in the keyhole. I stopped in my tracks and waited patiently for the door to slid open with my heart literarily in my throat.

She stood in the door way, arms folded across her chest while she stared insipidly at me like an inanimate object waiting to be tossed away. She was in a brown turtle-necked cardigan whose long sleeve hand was a few inches longer than hers. The sparks I always see in her eyes were completely gone and what I see as replacement was a stomach turning blank stare.

Why a blank stare scares me so much, I don’t know. I couldn’t find the perfect explanation.

Maybe I wouldn’t be worried if what I had seen on her face was a frown or a scowl that shows she was angry at me. I am someone who agrees with this orthodox belief that if someone is mad at you enough to show it, the person still cares and would accept an apology if offered. Which explains why I was frightened by what I saw in her eyes.

She was standing right there, staring down at me like she wasn’t expecting an apology.

Like she didn’t care.

Although this might be the first time I ever admitted such, this is my greatest fear!

I want her to care about me.

A light smile spread across my face as I held up the bouquet in my hands in concerted effort to lessen the tension welling up in the atmosphere around us.

‘I’m sorry I’m late.’ I added while hopefully waiting for her to collect the flowers from me. It was hard reading what the mixture of emotions on her face suggested but either way, there was no hiding the disappointment masking it. Her face looked sullen and it was hard telling if she was actually looking at me. She seemed rather too deep in thoughts

We stayed like that for minutes.

Just staring at each other with no word leaving either of our lips.

“Peter.’ My name, being her first word ever since I got here got my attention rather too engrossingly.

'You don’t get to be two contrasting characters at the same time. You don’t get to be a jerk and prince charming concurrently. You have to choose one. Be one. Maybe you’ll find someone who will love you for who you are even if you choose to be a jerk because I am done.’ She paused for air and it was clear-cut obvious that she was at the verge of breaking down.

‘I am done hoping you would change. I am done making excuses for you. I am done having to tiptoe around you like you are some time bomb waiting for the perfect time to explode. I am done believing we might have had something which we clearly don’t. I know I might have been living in this fantasy world thinking you would be better. It might be a one sided thing; it might just be only me but I actually thought we could be better than whatever we presently are. But that doesn’t matter anymore because whatever we were is stupid. And I might have just placed my priorities and hopes too high to think you might just be ‘the guy’. I have come to realize you are not the guy. You are just another guy I risk getting hurt if I ever got tangled with.’ She said that calmly. She wasn’t angry and even if she was, she did a good job hiding it. She wasn’t screaming either. She was just standing there, delivering her statement like she had it all planned.

‘I’m sorry Peter but I guess we have to terminate what hasn’t started.’ She continued. ‘Goodnight Peter.’ She added then stood there for a few moments before she tried to shut the door in my face.

‘I…’ I started and I saw her pause. Her eyes were waiting for me.

It almost felt like she still had faith in me.

I could see it.

She still had hopes. She was hoping whatever I wanted to say would change everything.

She was expecting whatever I had to say to be a reason to change her mind.

She was so vulnerable that her desires and emotions could be read off her face.

‘I…’ I struggled to get the words out of my throat but they were stuck there and she was getting impatient.

And it was at that moment that I knew I had to do the right thing.

‘I am not the right person for you.’ I started once again, crushing the tiny flame of hope lighting up in her eyes.

‘You are right; it is a one sided thing. I really don’t feel the way you do… I don’t even know what I want! I am just a messed up, broken, stupid guy who will most likely hurt you more than you have been hurt before and you don’t deserve that.’ I paused for a frustrating sigh.

‘You don’t deserve me.’

I let the last statement linger in the air and I watched her give me the blank, hurt stare again right before she slammed the door in my face then the rustling sound of key inside the key hole, like the other time resumed.

I took a few steps backward still staring at the shut door. I sighted a trash can just right beside the front porch and dumped the flowers in it while trying so hard to refrain from yelling.

I head to my car and jumped in after which I closed the door after me.

I put my head on the steering wheel as my eyes began to sting…

It hurt so bad.

Who was I kidding?

My whole body hurt and the pain wasn’t physical in any way.

I have never felt like this before.

I really am in love.

I don’t know which hurts more; the part where I lost the only comfort I have ever felt in a while...

The only person I have undoubtedly been convinced I love.

Or the part where I lied while being conscious of the fact that if I had said the truth, I would have kept her.

Angelsss:
...

Angelsss:
...

Angelsss:
...

Angelsss:
...

Angelsss:
...

Angelsss:
...

Angelsss:
...

Angelsss:
...

Olivervivian:
[/font]so kul�

Olivervivian:
[font=Lucida Sans Unicode]so kul�

Olivervivian:
[/font]so kul�

Olivervivian:
so so kul,just joined nairaland cos of u

Olivervivian:
[font=Lucida Sans Unicode]so kul�

Olivervivian:
so so kul,just joined nairaland cos of u

Angelsss:
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

Halyma:
May God restore your sound health earnestly.

Halyma:
May God restore your sound health earnestly.