《Her Baby鈥檚 Secret》 Chapter 1 He is getting married Arike¡¯s POV At 1:15am, I was still up trying to gather every information I could find to solve a murder case which was presented to thew firm where I work as a Criminal Attorney. The case was about the death of a senator¡¯s daughter. Chidinma Johnson was found dead on the street after she met up with her boyfriend at an hotel. We are yet to find the killer but we have two suspects in the police custody. Her boyfriend who she met before her death and best friend who was thest person who called Chidinma. My boss put me up to handle the case and also defend my client who was the deceased boyfriend. Benjamin Nwosu was the son of Senator Nwosu and he made it known to me that he didn¡¯t kill Chidinma. I perceive that Chidinma¡¯s death was the handwork of her father¡¯s opponent. Senator Johnson was contesting for Governorship seat, so it was possible that his opponents are at him. And I just need evidences to nail them down so my client can be free to return home because he wasn¡¯t granted bail. The sound from the door jolted me up from a dozing state. Oh my God! I really need to have a good rest once this case was over. I walked to the door, wondering who could it be at this time? It¡¯s reallyte! Plus I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone. I peered through the small hole on the door. What¡¯s he doing out there?! I sighed after seeing the familiar masculine figure standing on my porch. Adedayo Awosika. I opened the door. ¡°Dayo.¡± He turned to face me. ¡°Arike, I¡¯m sorry for showing up here at this hour.¡± I didn¡¯t miss the sad look on his expression. ¡°It¡¯s alrighte in.¡± I stepped aside for him to walk into my home. The best word to describe who Adedayo Awosika was to me ¨C Best friend. We¡¯ve been friends since we were in Junior Secondary School where we started out as just ssmates. He was very popr as per son of Mr Awosika, the business tycoon. The Best Academy was a school for ¡®The Rich¡¯ and as a poor girl it had been hard for me to fit into the system. I only managed to be a student because I won a schrship to finish up my secondary level at The Best Academy. I was raised by my mom and grew up without knowing the man who fathered me. ording to the story mom told me, she got pregnant when she was a teenager and my father was also too young to take up his responsibility so he denied ever having anything to do with my mom. The funny part of the story was that grandpa wanted my mom to abort me to avoid being disgraced in church because he was an assistant pastor. So on the very day Grandpa was supposed to drag mommy to the hospital for abortion, she woke up before anyone else and ran away from home. Mom had to break her piggybox toe to Lagos to meet her uncle all the way from Ibadan. Uncle Badejo wasn¡¯t married at that time so he offered to take care of her and adopt me as his child after I was born. But that didn¡¯t happen until he had said a lot of things to grandpa for trying to abort his first grandchild just to save his reputation in church. I grew up thinking Uncle Badejo was my biological father. I was so little, too young to understand that my uncle can¡¯t be my father. Mom told me the whole story when uncle Badejo wanted to get married. To cut the long story short, my mom died in a fatal car ident when I was nine. It was around the time when I was writing mymon entrance examination. I had to move in to live with Uncle Badejo and his wife but about a month after, uncle Badejo lost his job and we survived on his wife¡¯s sry. Despite being jobless, Uncle Badejo wanted me to get the best education. So he helped me apply for a schrship at The Best Academy. I sat for the examination and came out the best. I was enrolled into The Best Academy where I had met Adedayo Awosika. I didn¡¯t like him at first meeting because he was so proud and he was one of those kids who pped it to my face that I was poor and wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to attend such expensive school if I wasn¡¯t given schrship. I did my best to avoid him and some other kids. In fact I was the most gentle girl in ss and I hardly spoke to anyone. Basically they all avoided me like a que but I didn¡¯t let it get to me. I was at school to learn and not go about making friends. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have showed up here if I knew you were this busy.¡± Dayo said calmly, his eyes scanning the whole area. It was messed up with piles of papers and tes. ¡°It¡¯s Okay. And I am not too busy.¡± I started out to clear up the mess. Dayo and I moved from school bully-Timid girl stage to friendly ssmates after an incident. It was on Thursday which used to be our sports day. I drank little garri at home on Wednesday night and didn¡¯t eat a good meal to school on Thursday. I left home without a penny but Aunty Sade, (Uncle Badejo¡¯s wife) promised to prepare a good meal with the hope of getting her unpaid sry that day. I knew I was going to eat at school but that won¡¯t happen until lunch time. I was too weak to participate in the sporting activity but I couldn¡¯tin because I didn¡¯t want my ssmates to bully me again and call me a sickle cell patient. And instead of lodging ain to the sport master, I choose to keep quiet and take part In the exercises. When it was my ss turn to run a race, Adedayo raced to my side and mocked me for being too slow. And when I didn¡¯t give him a response he stretched out his long legs and tripped me off. I lost my bnce easily and fell to the ground. Heughed and called me ¡®weak¡¯ but I didn¡¯t reply. I managed to get up to my feet but sudden dizziness made me fall back to the ground before I could take another step, then I fainted. I woke up in the Infirmary where I admitted to the nurse that I was hungry. I refused to go to ss after eating. I exined why I didn¡¯t want to go, I was scared of my ssmates. I didn¡¯t think I would be able to take all the words they would say to me. Well the nurse understood what I was going through and she was nice enough to help me get my bag. So I stayed till closing time. On my way home, I kept thinking about how I would survive the next day. I was so lost in thought that I didn¡¯t notice what was going on around me. A car stopped in front of me when I wanted to cross the main road to my street. Adedayo came out of the car and asked if we could talk for some minutes. I was still mad at him for tripping me like that. And in the end he apologized sincerely and asked if we could be friends. I couldn¡¯t say no because saying no to him only means that I haven¡¯t forgiven him. So that was how we became friends and he would always defend me at school anytime someone shows up to bully me. ¡°So how have you been?¡± I asked him after making everywhere clean. ¡°I have been good until -¡± his voice trailed off. He wasn¡¯t happy and it was clear from his expression that something was bothering him. ¡°Want some water or drink?¡± I asked.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. He rubbed his temples. ¡°Water.. and can I get some painkillers too?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I rushed into the kitchen to get what he wanted. ¡°Here..¡± I handed him the ss of water and dropped two tablets in his palms. ¡°Thank you.¡± He sighed after taking the drugs. I sat down next to him on the couch. ¡°So what¡¯s wrong with the son of the the famous Business Mogul?!¡± I said. He managed to smile at my joke. That was how Adedayo used to introduce himself back then in school. ¡°I am Adedayo Awosika, the only son of famous business Mogul!¡± Such a spoilt brat! He was the only son out of four daughters and also thest child of Mr Awosika. Chapter 2 Arranged Marriage Arike¡¯s POV ¡°I am getting married.¡± He blurted out. And it seems like my heart stopped beating for a second. Adedayo was getting married? Has he proposed to his girlfriend? But wait, why was he sad about it? I pondered. Something wasn¡¯t right! ¡°Have you proposed marriage to Joy?¡± I asked. ¡°Joy?! No! I broke up with her three days ago!¡± He responded in a slightly raised tone. ¡°Ok.. ok.. but you didn¡¯t tell about it.¡± I said in a surprised tone. ¡°Well I wanted to call you up and tell you about it -¡± he stopped. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I just got busy with some stuffs -¡± he paused again. ¡°At least¡­ now you know.¡± He added quickly. I shook my head. It has always been like that, I get to know whoever Adedayo was dating and also know when the rtionship was off. I have always known all his girlfriends right since secondary school days. And as a matter of fact I have lost count of the number of girls he had dated. But what I am very much sure of was that most of them got involved with him because of his money. ¡°So why did you break up with Joy?¡± I asked. He hissed. ¡°She¡¯s a liar, that girl decieved me!¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t love me. She just wanted my money too like the other girls.¡± ¡°But you said she was different.¡± I reminded him of his words. ¡°Yes.. that¡¯s because she never asked me for money constantly like the other women I have dated.¡± He stopped talking to stare at me. ¡°I really thought she was different.¡± He said with a sad face. Joy turned out to be another daughter of Jezebel. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect Joy to be like the other girls Dayo had dated in the past. I mean she was so sweet and lovely and Dayo loved her so much. She wasn¡¯t materialistic and she was real, well we both thought she was real. My best friend was so damn serious with her. ¡°She asked me to give her three million naira but I said I can¡¯t give out such amount of money at the moment. She got mad and then threatened to end the rtionship.¡± He exined. ¡°Maybe she needed the money for something very important.¡± I said. ¡°To start a business but it doesn¡¯t matter! She shouldn¡¯t have threatened me!¡± He gritted. ¡°So.. you broke up with her because she threatened to end the rtionship?¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s after I transferred the money to her. It¡¯s enough to pay her for the time spent with me.¡± ¡°Seriously Dayo?!¡± My jaw dropped. ¡°Joy really fucked up. I was really nning to have something more serious than what we had.¡± He said calmly. Maybe Joy already nned everything. You know acting like you don¡¯t want his money but then when you need it you ask for something big! That¡¯s boom! But she fucked up big time! Dayo told me that he might take Joy home if shested six months with him. But it¡¯s really sad that it ended on the fourth month which was his longest rtionship. I moved closer to him and pat his back gently. ¡°She¡¯s not the one for you.¡± I mumbled. I didn¡¯t like it when I don¡¯t know what to say to him whenever Dayo feels down and unhappy. We¡¯ve both grown to always share whatever was bothering us and also confide in each other. ¡°Dad found someone for me.¡± He mumbled. I stopped patting him. ¡°He wants me to marry his friend¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°Who is she?¡± I asked. ¡°Shalewa Ori.¡± He replied. That name sounds familiar. I reasoned as we both exchanged nces. ¡°The famous actress?¡± I asked to be sure. ¡°Yes, Shalewa Ori the actress.¡± He replied. I gasped out in shock. Thedy in question happened to be my favorite Nollywood Actress. ¡°Oh! Wow! Adedayo.. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re getting married to Shalewa Ori!¡± I eximed. ¡°What¡¯s so special about her?¡± He snorted.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I tapped him. ¡°She¡¯s famous, beautiful and-¡± ¡°Come of it, there¡¯s nothing special about her.¡± He rolled his eyes. I pped his upper arm. ¡°I think you should be happy.¡± ¡°Happy? Why are you talking like this? You -¡± he paused. ¡°Okay.. okay tell me what happened?¡± He sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know my father was close friends with Mr Ori. I thought they were just business partners.¡± I was a bit shocked to know that my bestie was soon getting married to a Star! ¡°Dad called me up yesterday saying we need to talk so I went home. He said that he found a perfect woman for me since I haven¡¯t been responsibile enough to bring one home.¡± He stood up from the couch. ¡°Can you just imagine?! Shalewa Ori of all women! I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°Dayo, you need to calm down.¡± ¡°Arike, you don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Then make me understand.¡± I said but no response came from him. Then I asked the next question that came to my mind. ¡°Perhaps is this about business?¡± No response. ¡°Dayo?¡± I called at him. ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded his head. Somehow I have always known that Adedayo wouldn¡¯t be given the chance to choose a bride for himself. You know how these rich people are, they always want their children to marry into another rich family to either strengthen a friendship bond or business deal. But I never expected Shalewa Ori to be the one for Adedayo. ¡°Mr Ori has the highest shares in one of our biggestpanies. So dad is afraid that he might withdraw them and but more from his rival.¡± ¡°So he wants you to marry Shalewa to secure Mr Ori Shares?¡± ¡°Yes.. he think if I marry Shalewa that means more money. And since they are friends he believed the union is perfect.¡± Well.. this isplicated! I really don¡¯t know what to say to this matter. Adedayo was being forced to do what he doesn¡¯t want to do. ¡°So what do you wanna do?¡± ¡°I told him that I am not interested.¡± ¡°And he epted your decision?!¡± I asked. ¡°Hell no! That man doesn¡¯t care about what I think. He said I am not responsible and I don¡¯t wanna make sacrifices for the family but all I want to do is spend his money.¡± That¡¯s wrong! Dayo wasn¡¯t what his father picture him to be. ¡°He said that I¡¯ll only be able to run thepany if I start a family.¡± He hissed. Yeah! I know about that too! Mr Awosika thought Adedayo wasn¡¯t capable to run apany because of his extravagant lifestyle. And he made it clear to his son that he would only get a chance into thepany after he gets married. He still sees his grown up son as a baby boy who wasn¡¯t man enough to take up any responsibility. Wait! Getting married and having kids would prove that he was responsible to run apany?! I really don¡¯t understand how that man thinks! So weird! And it wasn¡¯t enough that he wanted to force his son into marrying someone he doesn¡¯t even know. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. I have to do what he wants.¡± He mumbled sadly. ¡°When are you meeting her?¡± ¡°She¡¯sing over to our ce with her parents this weekend.¡± He replied. ¡°Okay.. but well.. I think Shalewa is a nicedy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really know her. And you better don¡¯t say she¡¯s nice because of her Instagram posts.¡± ¡°You might grow to like her.¡± I shrugged. ¡°I am not sure about that.¡± ¡°Anything can happen. She¡¯s your type, not too skinny, beautiful, supertoned skin -¡± He interrupted me. ¡°You have know me finish like that o.¡± ¡°I know you too well. See ehn, just take out your time to know her. Who knows you might fall in love with her.¡± I managed to smile. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ at least one of us is getting married this year.¡± Iughed but it faded immediately seeing that Adedayo wasn¡¯tughing when it was meant to be a joke. I can¡¯t believe I am saying all these to him. He stared at me for long moments without saying a word. I cleared my throat. ¡°It¡¯s reallyte, so I suggest you sleep over.¡± ¡°Yeah.. I was about to ask if I could spend the night.¡± ¡°Stop acting like a stranger!¡± I pped his arm. ¡°Find you way to the bedroom and take a shower.¡± ¡°I have to respect the fact that this apartment belongs to ady.¡± ¡°Come on! You¡¯ve been here so many times! So go and take a shower and rest.¡± ¡°Shower? I can walk around naked?¡± Heughed. ¡°Seriously Dayo?!¡± We bothughed. ¡°I have a t-shirt of your size in my wardrobe.¡± ¡°So I have to search for it myself?¡± He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Yes..¡± ¡°I hope there are no panties in the section?¡± He asked ¡°You won¡¯t be seeing any except you decide to open the section where I kept them.¡± We bothughed again. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He replied. Chapter 3 Chitchat with my best friend Arike¡¯s POV ¡°So please go ahead.¡± I said to send him off so I could work. ¡°What will you be doing?¡± He asked. ¡°Working¡­¡± I pointed out to myptop with shrug. ¡°You should rest too.¡± He adviced. ¡°No.. I am okay. I really need to finish up this case.¡± I answered him. ¡°Okay.¡± He walked off to the bedroom. I got back to my work of finding evidences. Several minutes clicked by before Dayo came out again with a duvet in his hands. ¡°Do you need help?¡± He asked. ¡°No, I can manage.¡± I replied. ¡°Are you sure?¡± He settled on the couch. I shook my head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleeping on the bed?¡± ¡°No, I want to watch you while you work?¡± He replied with a wicked grin. I raised my eyebrow at him ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked in a confused tone. ¡°Nothing¡­ can¡¯t I watch you?¡± He asked again. ¡°I don¡¯t need a watchman. And please don¡¯t fall off that couch because I don¡¯t have any strength to carry you.¡± ¡°Oh! So you¡¯re mocking me.¡± He gave me one of his cute puppy face. ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying -¡± I replied spreading out my arms. ¡°My heart is brusied.¡± He pouted. ¡°Sorry.. about that Mejor Amigo.¡± I gave him a mock bow. ¡°You know.. I like it when you call me that.¡± He smiled. Mejor Amigo means Best friend. ¡°I am happy knowing that I am the only one you call Mejor Amigo.¡± He pped like child. ¡°So what are you feeling like?¡± I asked. ¡°On top of the world!¡± Weughed. ¡°Please¡­ Dayo let me concerntrate.¡± I pleaded. ¡°Okay.¡± We bothsped into silence for some minutes only for him to speak up again. ¡°Arike?¡± He called. I rolled my eyes. ¡°What is it again?¡± ¡°How is Bamidele?¡± He asked. ¡°I guess.. he¡¯s good.¡± I responded. Silence. ¡°Is he your boyfriend now?¡± He blurted out. ¡°What?!¡± I gasped out in shock as our eyes met. ¡°Are you dating Bamidele?¡± He asked again. ¡°No! Bamidele is not my boyfriend!¡± I replied. ¡°Thank God.¡± He mumbled. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Nothing.. but seriously that guy is a bastard.¡± He blurted out.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°No fowl words boy.¡± I cautioned him. ¡°Sorry.. but I am not sorry for calling him a bastard.¡± He said. ¡°Don¡¯t call him a bastard.¡± I cautioned him again. ¡°Oh so now you¡¯re defending your boyfriend.¡± He teased. ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡± ¡°See you should stay away from that guy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not the type of guy you should date.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of dating him. But Bamidele is a nice guy.¡± I replied. Dayo hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t be decieved, that guy means no good. He doesn¡¯t deserve to be with someone like you.¡± He said in a harsh tone. ¡°What are you talking about about?¡± I asked, trying toprehend his words. ¡°Arike stop acting like you don¡¯t know what am saying. That guy is -¡°. He stopped talking. ¡°That guy is what?¡± I asked him. ¡°Never mind, just don¡¯t fall in love with him.¡± He threw the duvet over his face. Bamidele was awyer who works in anotherw firm. We are both working on this case because he was thewyer hired to defend Chdinma¡¯s bestfriend. He went to the same private university with Dayo but they aren¡¯t good friends. Recently Bamidele asked me out but I had to turn him down for some reasons. We are cool as friends and he respects my decision to be just friends with him. I know Adedayo doesn¡¯t like him for some reason unknown to me and he always reminds me to never fall in love with Bamidele. Maybe there was something Dayo knows about Bamidele that I haven¡¯t found out yet. I got back to doing my work while Dayo tapped away on his phone for a while before I heard a mild snore. He was asleep. Chapter 4 The full gist Arike¡¯s POV FEMI AFOLABI LAW FIRM A beeping sound from my phone distracted me. I rolled my eyes at the caller¡¯s ID ¨C Busayomi. She was my very good friend and I can also say that she was my big sister. We¡¯ve been friends for years. Busayomi was my roommate back in University days and we bonded almost immediately at our first meeting. I met her on the day I wanted to get some books from the library. I wasn¡¯t familiar with the campus yet as a fresher unlike Busayomi who was in 200 level. She helped me to the library and that was how we got talking. As at that time I needed a ce to stay because I didn¡¯t like the fact that I was living with Mr Gbadamosi (he was a close friend to my uncle) and his family. Busayomi offered to allow me stay with her and her roommate Bunmi. I talked with my uncle who agreed to let me stay with Busayomi and Bunmi after so much persuasion. Busayomi was like a big sister which I never had. She was two years older than me that¡¯s why I have so much respect for her. ¡°Hello big sister.¡± I said after epting the call. ¡°Thew! Thew! My incorruptible Attorney!¡± She hyped me as usual. ¡°How have you been?!¡± ¡°I am good. What about you?!¡± ¡°Not bad o baby girl, since you have forgotten that you have a sister somewhere.¡± ¡°Ahn ahn sister Busayomi why would you think like that?¡± ¡°Why won¡¯t I have such thought? When was thest time you called to check on me?¡± I closed my eyes to remember. ¡°Ermm.. I think..¡± but I couldn¡¯t ¡°You can¡¯t remember because it has been long!¡± Feelings of guilt stirred up in my mind. ¡°Sister I am -¡± ¡°Did you reply thest text I sent to you?¡± She asked ¡°Sister which text again?¡± ¡°Ahhh!! Arike! Tell me haven¡¯t you been checking your phone?!¡± ¡°Sister¡­ I have been really busytely. See I can¡¯t remember thest time I logged in to my social media ounts.¡± ¡°Eh.. I know I shouldn¡¯t be using you like this because of nature of your job cases here and there but at least always try to reply your messages. I have been so worried about you that I have made up my mind toe over to your ce this weekend if you don¡¯t answer your call.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t worry about you then who should I worry about? You don¡¯t know that you¡¯re now my responsibility!¡± ¡°I know sister mi, but I am alright.¡± ¡°Good to hear. And congrattions on your case.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled brightly. Actually I won my case! We were able to find Chidinma¡¯s killer. It was who I predicted it to be. Senator Johnson¡¯s political opponent was the master mind of the whole incident. We wouldn¡¯t have found any tangible evidence against Senator Jackson if one of the men he had paid to kill Chidinma hadn¡¯t turned himself in to the police. Chika, a young man of 20 years old revealed that Senator Jackson¡¯s PA paid him and four other men to murder Chidinma. Chika also disclose that his mind hasn¡¯t been at rest since the death of Chidinma. He imed to have seen her in his dreams so many times that was why he decided to turn himself in to stop the nightmares that has been haunting him for months now. Senator Jackson was apprehended after Chika¡¯s confession and he revealed that he had ordered the killing of Chidinma because her father refused to step down even after epting a huge amount of money from him. Long story short, my client was released from prison after all charges against him was dropped. ¡°In this country one have to be very careful. Imagine! They just wasted that Innocent girl¡¯s life!¡± ¡± May her soul rest in peace.¡± I muttered. ¡°Amen o! Ehen ehen wait o lest I forget!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I asked ¡°I have been seeing some shocking news onlely.¡± She replied. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about someone you know.¡± She added. ¡°Who is the person?¡± ¡°She hissed. ¡°Oh! I forgot you haven¡¯t been onlely. It¡¯s about Adedayo!¡± ¡°What¡¯s about him?¡± ¡°Is it true that he¡¯s dating Actress Shalewa Ori and that they are getting married soon?¡± She asked ¡°Yeah, it is true.¡± She gasped out. ¡°I thought it was just rumors o!¡± ¡°Shalewa is Dayo¡¯s girlfriend.¡± ¡°Eh ehn I told my friends at the office that I would get the truth from someone very close to Adedayo Awosika but they thought I was lying. They all refused to believe that my sister is Dayo¡¯s best friend until I showed them a picture of the both of you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± ¡°I had to do so they would all believe me. Please how long have they be dating?¡± ¡°Three months now¡­¡± ¡°Ahhh! Three months and they are already set to get married?¡± ¡°Na so we see am o! It¡¯s not how far jare but how well is their case.¡± I sighed. ¡°And I am just finding out. What about that his half-caste girlfriend? What¡¯s her name again?¡± ¡°Joy.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! Joy!¡± ¡°That one?¡± Iughed. ¡°I thought Dayo was serious with her.¡± ¡°He was serious with her but Joy had something else in mind.¡± ¡°She¡¯s like the other girls right?¡± ¡°Her case na high ss o!¡± ¡°Aburo gist me na!¡± She sounded excited. Sister Busayomi likes gist than her life. I am sure she called to find out if the news about Dayo and Shalewa was true, checking on me was just the perfect excuse to know the truth. ¡°Miss Joy asked Dayo for 3million naira.¡± ¡°I know Dayo has a lot of money but 3million? For what na?!¡± She eximed. ¡°To start a business.¡± ¡°Ehn that¡¯s eptable. But I thought Joy was from a rich home.¡± ¡°Yes.. but.. not rich rich like that.¡± I replied. ¡°So Dayo ended the rtionship because of Shalewa?¡± ¡°No! He ended it because Joy threatened to break up if he didn¡¯t give her the money.¡± I narrated everything Dayo told me. ¡°No! No! No! That¡¯s uneptable. It¡¯s obvious she was after his money too. Moreover I don¡¯t really like that girl, she¡¯s kinda proud jare.¡± ¡°All of that is over now. Dayo is happy with Shalewa.¡± ¡°Howe? Shalewa?! I am still surprised o! Like how dem take jam?! Who created the connection?! Abeg give me full gist na!¡± She pleaded. ¡°Mr Awosika is friends with Mr Ori. And they are business partners too.¡± ¡°Oh! Oh! Oh! I think I understand what¡¯s going on! Business matter!¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I hummed in response. ¡°Oh! This is not good! Chai! All these rich people! So have you met her?¡± ¡°Yes, Dayo brought her to my home for Introduction!¡± Sheughed. ¡°And was she nice to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another drama on it own o.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Dayo was so excited about bringing her to meet me but it seems Shalewa isn¡¯t happy about my rtionship with her boyfriend. I can tell she doesn¡¯t like me.¡± ¡°Hmm Arike! How do you know?¡± ¡°You need to see the way she was talking to me when Dayo left us in the kitchen. She thinks we are more than besties because I know so much about him.¡± ¡°Like she thinks you¡¯re having an affair with Dayo?¡± ¡°Exactly! And that¡¯s because Dayo doesn¡¯t stop talking about me anytime he¡¯s with her.¡± ¡°But do you think Dayo likes her?¡± ¡°Well at first Dayo wasn¡¯t interested but now the case is different. He has gotten to know Shalewa better.. so I think he has fallen in love with her. And Shalewa loves him too, like too much. She¡¯s possessive of him plus she¡¯s excited about getting married to him.¡± ¡°Yes I can tell from all her stories on Instagram! Dayo¡¯s pictures are all over her ount.¡± Shalewa admitted to me that Dayo has been her crush since forever so being with him now seems like a dreame true for her. ¡°What about you?¡± She asked. ¡°Me? What about me? I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± ¡°Yes.. yes.. I am happy.¡± ¡°I know you are happy but I am talking Dayo getting married.¡± She emphasized. ¡°Of course! Yes!.. yes I.. am happy for him. I mean since Adedayo loves Shalewa then I have to be happy for them. And at least he has finally found the right woman for himself.¡± I managed to clear up whatever she was thinking in her head. ¡°Arike? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay o¡­ so how is it going with Bamidele?¡± I rolled my eyes. Please how many hours have we been on phone?! I am already tired of this conversation! But I am sure she¡¯s enjoying it! Chapter 5 The career woman Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Are you guys together now?¡± She asked. ¡°No! We are not together.¡± I responded in a way that won¡¯t make her ask anymore questions but I was wrong. ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like him? Is he not nice?¡± She questioned frantically. ¡°Bamidele is a nice guy but I don¡¯t think I want to be with him like -¡± I paused. ¡°Like what?¡± She sounded annoyed. ¡°The feeling is not just there like it¡¯s supposed to be.¡± ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I mumbled. ¡°Do you intend to remain single forever?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Iughed. ¡°Listen to me, I haven¡¯t seen you with any man in years except Dayo. You keep turning every man down as if your body is made of steel. Don¡¯t you want to be happy like Adedayo?¡± ¡°I am happy sister Busayomi. I am doing well at work.¡± I answered. My careeres first before anything else. ¡°Pele o career woman. Listen to me! I can¡¯t let you continue living like this.. and if you are not going to be serious with a rtionship, I will start hooking you up on dating sites.¡± She said I bursted into aughter. ¡°Ahh no! Sister mi there¡¯s no need for that.¡± ¡°Then give a man a chance to love you.¡± She persuaded. ¡°Okay I have heard you.¡± I sighed. ¡°You have heard me or you¡¯ll do it?¡± ¡°Both.¡± ¡°Bamidele is there o.¡± She added ¡°I know¡­. sister mi please¡­¡± ¡°I should shut up right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that now.¡± I rubbed my temples. ¡°So when are we meeting?¡± ¡°For now I am not too busy at work. So you cane around any time you want.¡± ¡°Okay I¡¯ll visit you this weekend.¡± She said. ¡°I¡¯ll be expecting you.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± She disconnected the call. I heaved a sigh of relief. Some minutester the office line rang. ¡°Yes Chioma,¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am someone is out here to see you.¡± My secretary informed me. ¡°Who is the person?¡± ¡°He is not a client but imed to be your friend.¡± She answered. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have a name?¡± ¡°Barrister Bamidele.¡± She added. ¡°Oh! Let him in.¡± ¡°Okay ma.¡± A knock sounded on the door after some seconds. ¡°Come in,¡± Bamidele walked in. ¡°Hello Damsel.¡± ¡°How are you Bamidele?¡± ¡°I am okay and you?¡± ¡°I am fine too. So to what do I own this visit?¡± ¡°Well I just came around to check on you.¡± He replied. ¡°That¡¯s so nice.¡± ¡°Can we go out for dinner?¡± He asked. It wasn¡¯t the first time Bamidele was asking me out for dinner but I have always turned him down.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Ahm.. ahm.. Bamidele.. I -¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say no again. We already won our case.¡± His eyes pleaded with me. The case had been an excuse to not have dinner with Bamidele. ¡°Arike, I know you already made it clear that we can¡¯t be more than friends and I respect your decision. But having dinner with me as a friend is not a bad idea.¡± He said calmly. Bamidele was indeed a gentleman, any woman¡¯s choice but something isn¡¯t right between us. The spark you feel when you love someone isn¡¯t there in me. And I am still yet to figure out why Adedayo doesn¡¯t want me to have anything to do with Bamidele. I should turn him down but then I remembered Busayomi words. ¡°Well it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t -¡± I cut him off. ¡°Yes! I mean¡­ I¡¯ll have dinner with you.¡± His face lit up in sheer surprise. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°I just said yes Bamidele.¡± I smiled. ¡°Okay¡­ so what time should Ie pick you up?¡± He asked, excitement in his tone. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up by 7 and you don¡¯t have toe and pick me up just send me the address.¡± ¡°Okay.. if that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I nodded. ¡°So what case are you handling now?¡± ¡°A rape case, a young girl was gang raped at a birthday party. The boys involved are sons of notable men in the country.¡± ¡°So they are likely to get away?¡± he asked. ¡°Not when I am involved. They imed that they girl gave her consent.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± He asked feeling furious. ¡°No! My client is minor and she never gave consent to such terrible act!¡± I seeth my teeth in anger. ¡°This is really bad.¡± ¡°I have evidences that she was raped.¡± ¡°Let me see.¡± I gave him some paper files. ¡°Medical reports and a recording of one of the boys apologizing to her.¡± ¡°This is enough evidence to put them in jail.¡± He said. ¡°I will get more and make sure those bastards are put behind bars!¡± I spat angrily. Chapter 6 Hidden Feelings Arike¡¯s POV I rushed out of the kitchen at the jingling sound of the bell attached to my door. I was surprised to see who was at the door. ¡°Shalewa.¡± I said. ¡°Good day Arike.¡± She greeted with her shoulder high up in the air. ¡°Yeah¡­ good afternoon.¡± I managed to smile still wondering why she was here without Adedayo. ¡°Won¡¯t you invite me in? It¡¯s not polite to keep me waiting out here.¡± She said. ¡°Oh! I am sorry¡­ pleasee in.¡± I stepped aside and opened the door wide for her toe in. ¡°Are you expecting someone?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes.¡± She interrupted my statement. ¡°Dayo ising over?¡± ¡°No, I am not expecting Dayo.¡± ¡°So who are you expecting?¡¯ ¡°My big sister ising over to spend some time with me.¡± ¡°Big sister?¡± She raised her eyebrows. ¡°But Dayo told me that you are the only child of your mother.¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So who is this big sister?¡± ¡°A friend turned sister.¡± I responded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°What should I get for you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te here for merriment.¡± She replied. ¡°So why are you here?¡± I asked. ¡°Did Dayo tell you anything about me?¡± She asked. I raised my eyebrows in confusion. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Did Dayo say anything bad about me to you?¡± She repeated. ¡°I am not sure but Dayo loves you.¡± I said not knowing what exactly to say to her. ¡°I am beginning to doubt our love and rtionship.¡± She said with a sad face. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on Shalewa?¡± She stood up from the couch picking her bag along the way. ¡°I still can¡¯t figure out why Dayo got so mad after seeing you with that guy at dinner.¡± She stared into my eyes. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked. When I went to dinner with Bamidele during the week, we bumped into Dayo and Shalewa at the same restaurant. With the look on Dayo¡¯s face I knew he wasn¡¯t happy to see me with Bamidele because he already warned me to stay away from him. Shalewa suggested that we all have dinner together but Dayo said no, grabbed his girlfriend¡¯s hand and left with pure anger in his expression. I didn¡¯t like his annoying attitude at dinner because this is my life. And Shalewa showing up here unexpectedly and her strange questions really baffles me. ¡°I find it hard to believe that you¡¯re just friends with Dayo.¡± ¡°You need to stop making assumptions. There¡¯s nothing going on between Dayo and I. We¡¯re just friends, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± She said with a serious face. ¡°What do I need to do to make you believe me?¡± How do you expect me to believe you when Dayo never stops talking about how awesome is female bestie is!¡± ¡°You should deal with that with Dayo and not me.¡± ¡°How do you expect me to believe you when your eyes says entirely different things. I have watched you, I can tell you feel something for Dayo but you don¡¯t want to admit it.¡± I moved away from her. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Shalewa.¡± ¡°Stop pretending, Arike!¡± This girl is really crazy! How dare shee into my house and talk nonsense to me. I am just keeping calm for Dayo¡¯s sake. I sighed, trying to hide the anger stirring within me. ¡°Listen, if you are here to find out if I am in love with your man then I¡¯ll tell you that you¡¯ve got the wrong notion. Dayo loves you and that¡¯s why he has made the decision to marry you.¡± I felt her rxing at my words. ¡°Are you sure Arike?¡± ¡°Yes I am very sure. Moreover I have Bamidele so I don¡¯t need to go after another man.¡± ¡°Well I just wanted to be sure if there¡¯s nothing going on between the both of you.¡± ¡°You need to stop feeling insecure. Dayo is your husband and no one is going toe in between both of you.¡± I added calmly. ¡°I hope so too.¡± She mumbled. I shook my head. ¡°I should get going now.¡± She said. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for yelling at you.¡± She apologized. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I managed to smile. I understand Shalewa was just trying to protect her territory. ¡°Take care.¡± I heaved a sigh of relief after her departure. I haven¡¯t seen Dayo since we met at the restaurant. I sent him series of texts, exining that Bamidele and I aren¡¯t really a thing like he had imed over the phone when I called him the same night. Dayo didn¡¯t believe that there was nothing going on between Bamidele and I.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. I face palmed myself for lying to Shalewa and making it seem like there was something serious between Bamidele and I. No doubt, she would tell it to Dayo except if she doesn¡¯t want him to know that she visited me. Shalewa showing up at my doorstep just to find out if I love Dayo still sound strange to me. Did she expect me to admit my feelings? At least she has Dayo and they would get married soon so why bother about a damn feelings?! ***** ¡°Hey why the long face?¡± Sister Busayomi asked as she settled on the couch. ¡°What took you so long?¡± I frowned. I have been really expecting her. ¡°Don¡¯t me me o, you know Lagos traffic na. Wait is that why you are frowning as if someone fart in your mouth?¡± She joked but I didn¡¯tugh. ¡°It took you forever to get here. Ahn ahn since 9 that you¡¯ve called that you¡¯re on your way, but look at the time now 3:15pm.¡± ¡°Chai! Arike! Aren¡¯t you a Lagosian?¡± ¡°Sister Mi that duration is too long, 9am to 3:15pm. So you spent six hours on the road, are youing from ilorin?¡± ¡°Wait o miss judge, abeg before you pass on your judgement, I hope all is well with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I look fine to you?¡± ¡°I am asking a question too na.¡± ¡°I am fine o¡± ¡°But why take things personal?¡± ¡°What? I am just surprised you spent six hours in traffic on this same hignd.¡± Lemme be honest, it is not traffic matter that is doing me but Shalewa¡¯s unexpected visit plus I received a text from Dayo earlier saying that we need to have a serious talk. I already a bit nervous about meeting him, I don¡¯t know if Shalewa told him what I said about Bamidele or maybe something different. ¡°Oya let me say the truth, I dropped by at a friend¡¯s ce. Today is her daughter¡¯s birthday so I just went to say Hi to the little girl.¡± ¡°I said it! I know you can¡¯t really spend six hours for that short journey!¡± ¡°Madam please I am starving!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t eat at your friend¡¯s ce?¡± ¡°No I didn¡¯t eat o, I just drank Chivita active.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no food.¡± I lied. Her smile faded Immediately. ¡°y y abi you¡¯re joking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious o. I was waiting for you toe around so we can cook together.¡± ¡°Ah! Arike! What sort of nonsense waiting is that now?!¡± She eyed me. ¡°But you -¡± I interrupted her before she kills me with words. I know Busayomi doesn¡¯t joke with food. But this is my own way of getting back at her for keeping me waiting. ¡°Arike we¡¯ll fight o!¡± ¡°There¡¯s food o!¡± ¡°Ehn ehn so you were teasing me abi?¡± She hissed. ¡°I prepared your favorite.¡± ¡°For ying me I am no longer interested.¡± She folded her arms. ¡°Ah no vex¡­¡± ¡°I am serious.¡± She frowned. ¡°No.. no.. someone cannot y with you?¡± ¡°You can y with me with anything but not food.¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± Iughed. ¡°I am going back to my home.¡± ¡°I have semo and efo elegusi.¡± She looked at me. ¡°And what?¡± ¡°I garnished it with assorted meat, pomo, dry smoked fish -¡± Sister Busayomi was already on her way to the kitchen before I could even finish my statement. ¡°Make sure you have a good gist so I can hear it while eating.¡± She shouted from the kitchen. I already made up my mind to tell her about the dinner, Shalewa¡¯s visit and Dayo¡¯s text. I am pretty sure she would have something to say and also give me good advice. Chapter 7 Hidden Feeling Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Oya oya the gist o!¡± She chanted as she sat down. ¡°Wait, I hope there¡¯s no bad news?¡± ¡°Oh no.. no.. bad news ¡± I settled in the chair facing her direct with a ss of orange juice on the table. ¡°So.. I am listening.¡± She swallowed the food in her mouth. ¡°I.. erm¡­ I had dinner with Bamidele during the week.¡± I said. She looked up at me. ¡°For real?¡± I shook my head in response. ¡°I thought you said -¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna have anything serious with him.¡± Ipleted her intended sentence. ¡°Exactly! So have you changed your mind about him?¡± She asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. We just had dinner as friends, nothing more.¡± ¡°Well I still don¡¯t know why you won¡¯t give bamidele chance. See grade one husband material! But no o! It¡¯s uncle -¡± I cut her off. ¡°Please sister mi, let¡¯s not go down thatne.¡± ¡°I have said you my own, sheybi now he¡¯s off market. You better wise up.¡± ¡°Do you still want to hear the gist or not?¡± ¡°This one I am saying doesn¡¯t make sense right?¡± She frowned. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that o.¡± ¡°I should shut up abi?¡± ¡°No¡­ I didn¡¯t say that -¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to open your big mouth to say it before I know!¡± ¡°Stop misinterpreting my words.¡± I pleaded. ¡°Please continue before I will vex and say you should keep your gist.¡± Weughed. ¡°We bumped into Dayo and Shalewa at the restaurant.¡± I exined what you already know to her. ¡°But what does Dayo have against Bamidele?¡± ¡°Seriously, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You should have asked him.¡± ¡°I did asked him but he wouldn¡¯t open up to me.¡± ¡°Well¡­ maybe Bamidele once snatched his babe in school.¡± Busayomi pondered. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. I have this feeling it¡¯s more deeper than what you just said.¡± ¡°Dayo shouldn¡¯t think of making you stay away from Bamidele for his selfish reasons.¡± She mumbled to herself. ¡°What selfish reasons?¡± I asked with a confused look. ¡°You¡¯re so clueless, Arike.¡± ¡°Tell me what selfish reasons are you talking about?¡± ¡°Think about it. And what I will say is that Dayo is having fun with Shalewa plus they¡¯ll be getting married soon so you shouldn¡¯t waste your time sitting around here thinking of how you will stay away from Bamidele.¡± She was done eating now. I helped her take her tes to the kitchen. ¡°And guess who visited me today?¡± ¡°Bamidele?¡± I rolled my eyes. Bamidele doesn¡¯t even know my ce lest to talk ofing to my house. I didn¡¯t let him pick me up or even drop me off at my ce after we had dinner. ¡°Dayo?¡± She tried again. I shook my head. ¡°Abeg spill it, you know I am not good at guessing.¡± ¡°Shalewa.¡± ¡°Ahn ahn wetin she dey find?¡± I narrated what happened to Busayomi and all she did wasugh for a long time. ¡°Seriously sister mi?! It¡¯s not funny o. My heart almost came out of my chest when she said it straight to my face that I am in love with Dayo.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Ahn ahn isn¡¯t she right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What are we talking about?¡± She replied ¡°Shalewa.¡± I responded. She leaned forward. ¡°So aunty are you in love with Uncle Adedayo Awosika?¡± She asked with a serious face. ¡°No! You shouldn¡¯t think like Shalewa too! You of all people should know that Adedayo and I are just bestfriends.¡± She stared intently at me. ¡°Then why are you scared and concerned about Dayo finding out that you and Bamidele are together?¡± ¡°Bamidele and I are not together.¡± ¡°Because Dayo asked you to stay away from him right?¡± ¡°This is not about -¡± ¡°And you choose to obey Dayo?¡± ¡°No! I wouldn¡¯t have had dinner with Bamidele if I wanted to obey Dayo.¡± She shook her head hopefully in understanding. I only agreed to have dinner with Bamidele because of what she said plus I saw no reason to avoid Bamidele because Dayo asked me to. ¡°To be honest you have to stop doing some things just to make Dayo happy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± I avoided her gaze. ¡°Think about yourself too. You deserve to be happy.¡± She said softly. I nodded in agreement. ¡°Dayo wants to talk to me.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°After avoiding you and not replying your texts and calls? Who does he think he is? He feels he can just boss you around.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not bossing me around. Sister mi, I feel Dayo has a good reason for asking me to stay away from Bamidele.¡± ¡°See babe.. Hmmm -¡± she paused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Never mind but all I know is that the Bamidele I saw that day doesn¡¯t look like a bad person.¡± ¡°And what if he¡¯s pretending to be good just to get me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Listen whether Dayo likes it or not there¡¯s nothing he can do if you and Bamidele are meant be together.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we are meant to be toge -¡± She cuts me off with a re. ¡°Stay there and be saying nonsense. Don¡¯t wise up before it¡¯s toote. Be waiting for Mr Right to look at you.¡± She stood up. ¡°Please I need to rest.¡± Busayomi walked away to the bedroom while I went into the kitchen to wash the dishes. I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s against Adedayo, probably because she likes Bamidele for me but Dayo was against it. Busayomi wants me to give Bamidele a chance but she can¡¯t understand my feelings. No one can understand. Perhaps does she have an idea? Oh God I need to do something before I ruin someone else¡¯s rtionship. Nobody really has to know, all I have to do is y along and act like everything was fine. ¡°I¡¯ll get over it.¡± I mumbled to myself. Chapter 8 What鈥檚 the occassion Arike¡¯s POV ¡°I don¡¯t understand why your stubborn boss wants to see you on a Sunday.¡± I grumbled as I helped Busayomi carry her bag to the car. She nned to leave on Monday morning but then her boss called up to bring some files she picked from the office to his house. ¡°It¡¯s strange how your boss wants to see you. Can¡¯t he wait to get the files on Monday?¡± I continued grumbling. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s -¡± ¡°Arike please my ears are full. I am a secretary more or less like a personal assistant so he can call me up anytime. He¡¯s a businessman.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s just work rted. Work on Sunday? Who does that?¡± ¡°My boss does that.¡± She replied with augh. ¡°Perhaps are you hiding something from me?¡± ¡°Something like what?¡± ¡°Anything about -¡± She interrupted me sharply. ¡°Hey! Aunty! Stop right now! If you are thinking I am having an affair with my boss then dead that thought!¡± She eyed me. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say anything.¡± My boss shrugged. ¡°My boss is a good looking man but I don¡¯t like him. And remember I have a boyfriend.¡± ¡°Which boyfriend?¡± ¡°Seyi of course.¡± I rolled my eyes. Durrrhhhh. ¡°Well I hope your so called boyfriend is able to speak of you like this to his friends and family?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°Sister mi I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯ll be dating someone for close to five years now and you don¡¯t know his friends or family.¡± ¡°Arike please let¡¯s not go down thatne.¡± ¡°Your wish.¡± I stepped back from the car so she could close the door. ¡°Don¡¯t forget everything I said to you.¡± I shook my head in understanding. ¡°I will give you a call when I get home.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself and tell you boss to be careful if he doesn¡¯t want me to serve him a court note.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I¡¯ll constantly remind him that my baby sister is awyer.¡± Weughed. ¡°Bye bye.¡± I waved and watched her drive out of mypound. My phone rang as I turned back towards the house. It was a call from Bamidele. ¡°Hello Damsel.¡± ¡°Hi Bami.¡± We exchanged how are you¡¯s. ¡°Are you enjoying your Sunday?¡± He asked. ¡°Yeah..¡± ¡°Your sister is still around?¡± ¡°No, her boss called her up to bring some files to his House.¡± ¡°Ouch! Now you¡¯re home alone.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± ¡°Prepare for the new week.¡± I responded. ¡°And after the preparation?¡± ¡°Review a case.¡± ¡°And?¡± He asked again. I raised my eyebrows in confusion as I thought for second. Why was he asking me these questions? But nothing came to my mind. ¡°What would you do after reviewing the case?¡± He asked again. ¡°Probably read a book.¡± I responded. ¡°Okay.. seems you have everything nned so don¡¯t let me interrupt your ns.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Home alone trying to kill boredom with video games.¡± ¡°Oh! Okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be stepping out soon to buy dinner, do you want to join me?¡± ¡°Me? I have enough food at home.¡± ¡°Oh! So why don¡¯t you invite me for dinner?! Don¡¯t be selfish, Arike.¡± He chuckled. I was taken aback by his words. Should I really invite him over for dinner? I am aware Bamidele can¡¯t cook. And he told me that he always eat out or order food whenever he¡¯s too stressed to drive out to buy food. Life of a bachelor who can¡¯t cook. ¡°Arike, I was -¡± He snapped me out of my thoughts. ¡°Yes! What did you say?¡± ¡°I was only trying to make a joke about you inviting me for dinner at your ce. I mean.. well since you already have ns for today then we can have dinner some other time.¡± I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to invite him over for dinner. An inner voice said to me. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to youter.¡± He said. ¡°No! Wait!¡± I said quickly. ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°I have food¡­ so it¡¯s okay for you toe over for dinner.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°No you don¡¯t have to do that because it was a joke.¡± ¡°I am serious. I don¡¯t really having anything doing and you are bored too so we can keep each otherpany till night falls or anytime.¡± ¡°Okay.. okay what time should Ie over?¡± The time was 4:00pm. ¡°Is 6 okay?¡± I asked. ¡°You should be the one to decide since you¡¯re the host.¡± ¡°No.. you decide.¡± I said. ¡°Okay.. six is fine by me. It¡¯s cool. I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Okay.. I¡¯ll text you the address.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be needing it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh no! I mean -¡± he paused. ¡°Hello?¡± He sighed. ¡°Arike, we worked together on a case for a long time and you think I won¡¯t know where to live?¡± He asked. Well I was kinda stupid to hide my ce from him when he already knows where I live. At thest dinner when he offered to drive me home I refused and it was obvious that I had pushed him away so he wouldn¡¯t know my ce. I ordered Uber in ce of a free ride. Right now I feel so embarrassed and I don¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I am sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have found your ce without your consent.¡± He apologized. ¡°No.. no.. it¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Okay¡­. i¡¯ll see youter.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± I disconnected the call. I set off to the kitchen to start preparing dinner. I decide to cook Rice, turkey stew and catfish pepper soup because these are his best meal. I finished cooking and cleaning around 5:30pm. Thirty more minutes and Bamidele will be here. I should take a shower because my body stinks from too much sweat from cooking and cleaning. I didn¡¯t take too long in the bathroom, it was like the quickest bathe I have ever had in my life. I was a bit nervous about Bamideleing over for dinner. I kept thinking if I was doing the right thing. All I truly wanted was distraction from my feelings. I rushed to my phone when it beeped. A message from Bamidele. ¡°I am sorry, I will bete for dinner. I have to take my dog to the clinic but I won¡¯t take long.¡± I already set the table. I shook my head in disappointment. I wasn¡¯t happy even though he had a good reason for turning upte for dinner. I shrugged off the feeling of disappointment. ¡°He has to take care of his dog who happens to be his closest friend. He¡¯ll be here soon and I hope his dog is fine.¡± I whispered to myself as I sat on my couch and turned on the TV. Some minutester the doorbell rang. Who could it be? Bamidele? Perhaps was he ying a prank on me? Silly boy! I rushed to the door without looking through the small gap on the door. ¡°Ba -¡± my intended word was cut off when I saw who was at the door. My smile dropped. ¡°Oh.. Dayo?¡± ¡°Were you expecting someone else?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± I stepped aside for him to walk in. ¡± You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing.¡± ¡°Sorry about that but I wanted to surprise you.¡± He shed me his best smile. ¡°You should have at least send me a text.¡± ¡°Here.¡± He handed me the paper bag in his hands. ¡°I brought your favorite chocte.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I look happy to you?¡± ¡°Okay I know why you¡¯re giving me cold attitude. I am sorry.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Everything.. whatever it is that¡¯s making you act -¡± he sniffed the air. ¡°Are you cooking something?¡± ¡°No.¡± He gave me a wink. ¡°Five star Chef¡­ I can smell something delicious.¡± He sniffed again. ¡°Wow! Smell like my favorite ¨C catfish pepper soup!¡± He made an attempt to rush into the kitchen. ¡°No.. I mean¡­¡± He stopped at the dinning table. ¡°Wow! Food?! What¡¯s the asion?¡± He asked. I was quick enough to stop in from opening the bowl of pepper soup on the table. ¡°Arike, what¡¯s with all these food on the table?¡± ¡°Cover it up before it gets cold.¡± He obeyed. ¡°You don¡¯t eat much but why cook plenty?¡± He asked. No response came from me. Dayo didn¡¯t tell me he wasing over and Bamidele would be here anytime soon. I don¡¯t know what to do to stop these men from seeing each other. Adedayo would be so pissed once I tell him Bamidele ising over to my ce. Chapter 9 He is gay Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Perhaps are you expecting someone? Oh wait! Lemme guess Busayomi ising right?¡± He asked. ¡°No, she just left few hours ago.¡± I answered. ¡°So why is there so much food on the table?¡± He asked again. No response. Why am I scared right now? ¡°Did you predicted my visit and cooked my favorite?!¡± He smiled. ¡°Awnnnn that¡¯s so cute. You¡¯re such a darling.¡± He patted my head. ¡°No Dayo -¡± I stopped him when he tried to hug me. ¡°I didn¡¯t set the table for you.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± He settled in one of the chairs. I summoned the courage to say the words. He can¡¯t kill me but I am just worried about what he would say and how he would react. ¡°Bamidele ising to have dinner with me.¡± He dropped the te he was holding and looked up at me. ¡°You¡¯re kidding right?¡± He chuckled. When I say chuckle ¨C it was devious. ¡°I am serious.¡± I said. ¡°No you can¡¯t be serious!¡± He shouted and I jumped. I should have prepared for his reaction. ¡°I invited him over.¡± He stood up and stood in front of me, looking straight into my eyes. ¡°Arike?¡± He ced his hands on my shoulder des. ¡°Why are you so stubborn?¡± I moved his hands away. ¡°My stubbornness has nothing to do with anything.¡± I said. ¡°Oh really? Why set the whole table for him? Is he your boyfriend now?!¡± He was furious. ¡°Dayo stop over- reacting!¡± ¡°Answer me Arike! Is he your boyfriend?!¡± He yelled. ¡°No he is not my boyfriend.¡± I responded. ¡°Fine.. fine..¡± he breathed out. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him around here. So you better call him up and cancel this dinner.¡± He sounded like he wasmanding me. And I hate being told what to do and he knows that! Iughed. I think I have heard enough. ¡°Thest time I checked you don¡¯t own me. I can do whatever I want. I can invite anyone ¨C this is my home!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I don¡¯t want to see you with Bamidele!¡± He blurted our. ¡°And why is that?!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be seen with someone like him.¡± He replied. ¡°I will be the one to decide that not you.¡± I walked back to the living room. ¡°Arike don¡¯t you dare walk away from me, I am not done talking.¡± He hated that shit of someone walking out on him and I purposely did it to make him angry. ¡°Dayo¡­ please don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± He blocked me from watching the TV. ¡°Babe,¡± he sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t like your friendship with that guy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him? You keep telling me to stay away from him without giving me a good reason.¡± Few seconds passed before he answered me. ¡°Never mind. Just stay away from him.¡± He tried to walk away but I blocked his pathway. ¡°Tell me why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ then I won¡¯t stay away from him. And as a matter of fact I have decided to give him a chance.¡± Well I only said that to try to make him tell me the truth about Bamidele. ¡°You better don¡¯t try it.¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll change my mind if you tell me the truth about Bamidele.¡± ¡°Oh! So all these while you¡¯ve hanging out with him, you still don¡¯t know how true colors?¡± ¡°We only went out once but we¡¯ve been friends for a while now.¡± ¡°Well Bamidele did a great job at putting up a facade so you can fall for him.¡± He pped his hands. ¡°Bravo! If only you know his true colors then you won¡¯t be here preparing dinner for him.¡± ¡°Go straight to the point. Tell me what you know about Bamidele.¡± I pestered him. ¡°Ask him this question once he arrives. For me¡­ I am not going anywhere and I won¡¯t let him into this ce.¡± ¡°Seriously? If you are not going to tell then I don¡¯t care!¡± ¡°It¡¯s best you stay away from him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± I snapped.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°A good attorney shouldn¡¯t be seen with a man who hits on other men!¡± He hissed and flopped down on the couch. I stopped in track and turned to face him. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Are you deaf? Which of the words I just said did you not hear?¡± He eyed me. I was confused. ¡°What do you mean by a man hitting on other men?¡± ¡°Bamidele is gay.¡± Adedayo answered. My jaw droppedpletely. Chapter 10 Dinner goes wrong Arike¡¯s POV My jaw droppedpletely. ¡°Do you need a shock absorber?¡± He grabbed the remote and tuned into a football station. I could hardly believe what Adedayo just said about Bamidele. I bursted intoughter as I settled in one of the couches. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± He gritted with a huge frown on his face. ¡°Bamidele is gay.¡± Iughed. ¡°How can he be gay?¡± ¡°Oh! You think it¡¯s funny?¡± He hissed ¡°Oh course! I know you¡¯re just making things up so I would stay away from Bamidele.¡± ¡°Why on earth would Ie up with such a thing if it¡¯s not true. You should know me better than this, Arike!¡± He said with annoyance in his tone. I stood up from the couch and went to sit beside him. ¡°Ade, are you being serious right now? Like Bamidele is gay?¡± ¡°If you think I really joking then ask him whenever hees. Well I am sure he would deny ever being gay but I am a solid witness.¡± Adedayo was damn serious. What the heck?! Bamidele is Gay! But why has he being on my necktely?! I stood up and began to pace. ¡°Seems like someone is heartbroken!¡± He whistled. ¡°I am not heartbroken! I am just shocked.¡± ¡°I warned you not to get attached to him but you didn¡¯t listen to me.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me before now?¡± ¡°Well.. he begged me not to disclose it to you on the agreement that he would tell you himself. But that bastard didn¡¯t make an attempt because he imed to not be gay anymore. But I am sure he¡¯s trying to be bi-sexual since he likes you.¡± ¡°This is unbelievable!¡± I am beginning to get goosebumps all over my body. ¡°Well you have to believe it.¡± ¡°Is that why you hate him so much?¡± ¡°That son of a devil-¡± ¡°Dayo!¡± I cautioned him ¡°Sorry¡­. I don¡¯t like him. I hate him!¡± He spat. ¡°Because he is gay?¡± ¡°Maybe.. but -¡± ¡°Any other reason?¡± ¡°Yes I have many reasons to hate that fool.¡± ¡°Dayo?¡± ¡°Back then in school, he asked me to be his girlfriend! Can you just imagine?!¡± My eyes widened again. ¡°What?!¡± Jaw dropped. ¡°Yes.. remember that year I came to your hostel with a bloodshot eyes?¡± ¡°Yes.. yes¡­ you said it was an ident that happened on your way back from school.¡± I answered. ¡°Well.. I lied. Bamidele and his boys beat me up because I refused to date him.¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± I gasped out. ¡°Bamidele had some gay buddies, it was like a secret group.¡± ¡°Ade, why did you hide all these things from me?¡± ¡°He threatened to kill me. I was so scared of what he would do to me. But now I am not afraid aymore. That jerk doesn¡¯t deserve to be awyer. He is very terrible person.¡± He hissed. Wepsed into silence. I was lost in thought. Bamidele is gay and even made a hit in Adedayo. The sound of doorbell interrupted my train of thought. ¡°Talk of the devil¡­ I¡¯ll get the door.¡± Dayo stood up but I stopped him. ¡°I will get the door.¡± I said. ¡°Your wish.¡± He mumbled before sitting back on the couch. I went to the door. ¡°Hi.¡± He greeted ¡°Good Evening Bamidele.¡± I replied. ¡°You must be really mad at me.¡± ¡°No. no¡­ I.. a¡­¡± ¡°Sorry I amte. I had to -¡± ¡°Take your dog to the clinic.¡± Ipleted his intended statement. ¡°I got your message.¡± I feigned a smile. ¡°I brought some groceries you might need.¡± He handed me two bags. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have bothered yourself. I¡­ Erm -¡± Should I let him in? God! I don¡¯t want to be judgemental but I still can¡¯t ept Bamidele¡¯s sexuality. ¡°Won¡¯t you let me in?¡± ¡°Oh! I am sorry¡­e in.¡± I stepped aside for him to walk into my home. Bamidele was surprised to see Dayo. ¡°Well you didn¡¯t tell me we would be having him around for dinner.¡± He whispered to me. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I mouthed. ¡°Okay..¡± ¡°Stop whispering behind my back.¡± Dayo said. I cleared my throat. ¡°Please take a seat.¡± ¡°Good Evening Dayo.¡± Bamidele greeted. ¡°And what¡¯s so good about the evening?¡± Dayo replied in a harsh tone. ¡°Dayo!¡± I cautioned. ¡°What?! There¡¯s no need to entertain him just ask him the questions you wanna ask to confirm what I told you. I am sure he won¡¯t lie about it.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Bami asked. ¡°What¡¯s your -¡± ¡°Dayo please not now.¡± I cut him off. ¡°Well¡­ it seems like I am not weed here. I will just take my leave.¡± He stood up from the couch. ¡°You don¡¯t have to leave coward.¡± Dayoughed. ¡°I am not a coward!¡± Anger lit up on Bamidele expression. Dayo was pushing him too hard and I have to stop him before they both end up fighting.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Then why try to leave?¡± ¡°You are like this because you don¡¯t you like seeing me with Arike. Are you jealous?¡± ¡°Stop acting like a child.¡± Dayo stood up to face him. ¡°And why should I be jealous of someone like you?!¡± Dayo snorted. ¡°I hate you! I can¡¯t stand seeing your face!¡± Dayo yelled. ¡°Dayo¡­ that¡¯s enough.¡± He jerked free when I tried to hold him. ¡°Just look at you¡­ putting up a facade of a good man whereas you are a devil.¡± ¡°Dayo, that¡¯s enough!¡± I screamed. ¡°I know the truth about you.¡± I mumbled to Bamidele. I recognized the look of understanding in his expression. He knows what I meant by the truth. ¡°That I used to be gay.¡± I nodded. ¡°Used to? Or you¡¯ve chosen to be bi-sexual now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± I snarled. ¡°Hey who gave you the right to raise your voice at me?!¡± I stopped Dayo before he could charge at Bamidele what was ready for him too. ¡°I know you hate me because I asked you to be my girlfriend. But I already apologized to you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need yourme apologies!¡± ¡°So what should I do?¡± ¡°Stay away from Arike, you gay bastard! And if you are not careful I would sue you and write a petition again you for being gay.¡± ¡°I am not gay anymore.¡± ¡°Dayo¡­. calm down.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fucking tell me to calm down!¡± ¡°Can you stop being aggressive over this issue! And let¡¯s talk like matured minds.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to talk to him. Just tell him to leave. Jeez! I still don¡¯t know why you invited him to your house.¡± He snarled in anger. ¡°I¡¯m sure if I wasn¡¯t here he would have tried to rape you.¡± He hissed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do something like that to her or any woman!¡± Bamidele countered. Dayoughed. ¡°Oh! Convince me! What about those boys you raped when they refused to be gay!¡± Those words are terrible to the ears and it made Bamidele silent. ¡°Am I wrong?!¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± Bamidele stuttered. ¡°Can¡¯t you talk?!¡± I turned to Dayo. He was taking things too far and personal. ¡°Dayo..¡± ¡°Tell him to leave!¡± ¡°If you say anymore words , I will throw you out of my house.¡± ¡°Like seriously?¡± He asked surprisingly. ¡°Try me.¡± I said with serious face. Them he sat back on the couch. ¡°Bami-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± He grabbed his jacket and walked out before I could utter any word. I didn¡¯t miss the look of embarrassment on his face. Adedayo really crushed Bamidele with his words. Chapter 11 Sharp Tongue Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Is he gone?¡± Dayo asked. I grabbed a throw pillow and pped his head from behind. ¡°Ouch! Why did you do that?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s for being too hard on Bamidele!¡± ¡°Oh now.. you¡¯re taking sides.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Trying to defend your boyfriend?!¡± I eyed him. ¡°You were too harsh on him!¡± ¡°Like I care..¡± ¡°One day you¡¯ll kill someone with your words.¡± ¡°I wish he had died.¡± ¡°Dayo!¡± ¡°What?!¡± I shook my head. ¡°You should have allowed him have dinner before talking about him being gay. Now my food is going to waste.¡± I hissed.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°I will have dinner with you. And if we can¡¯t finish it, I¡¯ll pay you for the waste.¡± He stood up. ¡°And I¡¯m throwing the groceries away.¡± I grabbed the bags on the table before he reached for it. ¡°You¡¯ll keep it?¡± ¡°Yes..¡± ¡°Whatever.. just stay away from him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do!¡± I snapped at him. ¡°Okay.¡± He raised his hands up. ¡°I am hungry.¡± He motioned towards the dinning area. Dayo and I had dinner and talked till around 11pm. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± I asked for the umpteenth time. ¡°Soon.¡± His phone beeped. ¡°Okay o.¡± I focused on the work which I was tending to on myptop. ¡°Hey¡­¡± He said. I couldn¡¯t hear what Shalewa was saying on the other end. ¡°I am with Arike. No.. no I am noting over to your ce. And you can¡¯t visit me at my ce too.¡± ¡°I have work to do. And I don¡¯t think Arike would like to have you at her ce by this time.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°Whatever happens is your fault¡­ not mine. I will talk to youter.¡± He disconnected the call. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked. ¡°No.¡± ¡°So why did you do that?¡± I asked ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give that Innocent face.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong.¡± ¡°Are you fighting with your fiancee?¡± ¡°No.. we¡¯re good.¡± He shrugged. ¡°So why don¡¯t you want to see her?¡± He stared intently at me. ¡°You¡¯re too sensitive, Arike.¡± ¡°No.. I can tell some -¡± ¡°I am spending the night here.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why ask me why?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have work to do at your ce anymore?¡± ¡°Babe do I have a job?¡± Heughed. ¡°No.¡± I answered. He doesn¡¯t have a job but he is richer than those who are working. And it seems like Dayo was trying to avoid Shalewa. Something must have happened between them. ¡°Can you stop trying to figure out if we¡¯re good or not.¡± He jolted me out of thought. ¡°I am not trying to -¡± ¡°Can I spend the night here?¡± He cuts in. ¡°Ask politely.¡± ¡°Have been asking rudely?¡± ¡°Oyaman be going.¡± ¡°Okay.. fine. please ma, can I spend the night at your ce?¡± I didn¡¯t give any response. ¡°Should I call you mommy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°Mommy wa, ejor na.¡± He gave me a puppy face that made me burst intoughter. ¡°Okay.. it¡¯s your time enjoy it while itst o.¡± ¡°You can spend the night. But I want you out of my house in the morning.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you offer me breakfast?¡± ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± I eyed him. He looked around. ¡°Yes na.¡± ¡°No breakfast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± He mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a shower now.¡± ¡°I am not giving you my bed tonight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my bed.¡± I grinned. ¡°I am not sleeping on the couch. We¡¯ll share the bed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t touch you, I promise.¡± He chuckled. Iughed. ¡°You¡¯re a clown. Thest time we shared a bed, I didn¡¯t get a good sleep. Those long legs tormented me through out the night.¡± ¡°You can sleep on the couch then.¡± He said to me. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡± He moved to the bedroom. ¡°Dayo!!!!!¡± _Phone Conversation_ ¡°Ahhhh.. babe.. I am surprised o. Bamidele is gay! One would never imagine it!¡± Busayomi eximed. ¡°At first I thought Dayo was joking about it. Like he wanted to use it to make me stay away from Bamidele.¡± Busayomi sighed. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Sister mi, I don¡¯t know o. Like I don¡¯t even know how to approach him. As in he was embarrassed.¡± ¡°If I was in his shoes, I would have prayed for the ground to open up and swallow me. Ah! Poor boy¡­ I can imagine Adedayo spilling words on him.¡± ¡°As if you were there. What do you think I should do?¡± ¡°Have you tried calling him?¡± I sighed. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t called or texted him I am afraid that he won¡¯t want to pick up or reply the texts.¡± ¡°I feel bad for him but we have to be sure he isn¡¯t gay anymore.¡± She said. ¡°So I am thinking -¡± I paused. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to avoid Bamidele because of his sexuality.¡± ¡°I suggest you set up a meeting with him. I feel there¡¯s a reason for being gay.¡± ¡°You think so too?¡± She hummed a positive response. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll text him.¡± ¡°Please do and get back to me.¡± ¡°Okay sister mi.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± I disconnected the call. I should text Bamidele on WhatsApp, fortunately he¡¯s online. ¡°Can we talk about -¡± I paused. No, I shouldn¡¯t send this. I concluded on deleting it. ¡°Do you remember what happened at my ce?¡± Of course he would remember! I shouldn¡¯t start like this. Think! think! ¡°I¡¯ll like to see you so -¡± I paused again. It doesn¡¯t sound right as I read out loud. I sighed in frustration after three attempts what should I type? How do I make it less embarassing? Oh! Yes! I have an idea! I picked up my phone again and began to type. ¡°Good afternoon Bamidele, I hope you¡¯ve been good? Well I think I need your help on a case I am working on. Let me know when you are less busy so I can bring the files to you.¡± I read it three times before pressing the send button. I hope he replies my message soonest. I understand that Bamidele might be feeling ashamed but I don¡¯t want to stay away from him because of his sexuality. Aside from him being gay, Bamidele was a very good attorney. He has been a great help to my cases since I met him. I reached for my phone Immediately it beeped hoping it w I reached for my phone Immediately it beeped hoping it was a message from Bamidele. But I rolled my eyes when I read the message from Adedayo. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together today.¡± Having dinner with him means Adedayo ising over to my ce and might sleep over again. No! I don¡¯t want Shalewa¡¯s trouble again. Thest time Adedayo spent the night at my ce, she called the next morning and said some mean things to me. She asked if I would be happy if my fiance was sleeping at his female bestie house. To be honest, I wouldn¡¯t ept it! Bute on! It wast my fault! I am in no position to kick him out of my house at that hour. And she kept asking if he said anything about her to me. Hello! Is everything okay? I have a feeling something is wrong with their rtionship! But Adedayo doesn¡¯t want to discuss with me. Chapter 12 Talk to me Arike¡¯s POV A ring on my phone jolted me out of thought. Adedayo was calling again. ¡°Hello.¡± I said. ¡°Did you get my message?¡± He asked. ¡°So rude, you can¡¯t even say Hi!¡± I hissed. ¡°Oh sorry¡­ Hi.¡± he said. ¡°Good I got your message.¡± ¡°So should Ie over?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked in a surprised tone. I hate to admit it but I think Shalewa was right. I shouldn¡¯t give Dayo the chance to be spending the night at my ce again. If I don¡¯t stop it then I won¡¯t he able to prove to Shalewa that Dayo and I aren¡¯t having an affair. We are just bestfriends. And if he get married will he being to my ce? ¡°Arike are you there?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes.. I can¡¯t have dinner with you anymore.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting married soon. You shouldn¡¯t be going out with me but your fiancee.¡± ¡°Ohe on Arike, we are best friends.¡± ¡°Yes I know but it¡¯s really a different case if you¡¯re single.¡± ¡°Okay so how about youe over to my ce?¡± He requested. ¡°Dayo¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say no.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a no from me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have lots of work to do.¡± I lied. He was silent. ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°I am serious.¡± ¡°No I know you. Arike when did work be an excuse to not see me? Did I do something wrong?¡± He asked in a low tone. ¡°No Dayo, you didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Perhaps did Shalewa call or meet up with you?¡± He asked but I didn¡¯t reply. ¡°I take your silence as a yes.¡± ¡°No, she didn¡¯t call me.¡± I said sharply. ¡°What did she say to you?¡± ¡°Nothing.. I.. I haven¡¯t talked -¡± The call went off. Oh my God! I hope he doesn¡¯t do something stupid. I tried calling him back but he didn¡¯t pick up. A message notification popped up at the top of screen. ¡°Where do you want to meet up?¡± Bamidele replied. ¡°Should Ie over to your office?¡± ¡°No.. I am not at the office.¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°I am not feeling well.. so I am home.¡± ¡°Oh sorry¡­ how are you feeling now?¡± ¡°Getting better, I just need to rest.¡± ¡°Maybe I will bring the filester. Get enough rest okay?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. You have to solve your case anyways. Let¡¯s meet at the office shop not far to your office.¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t need to stress yourself. How about Ie over to your ce?¡± I asked. ¡°If it¡¯s fine by you.¡± ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Not bad¡­¡± ¡°Okay fine¡­ text me address. I will drop by at your ce before heading home.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Okay.¡± Bamidele sent his address few seconds after I dropped the call. ************** ¡°Good evening.¡± I greeted once Bamidele opened the door. He hummed a response as I walked into his apartment, my eyes scanning the whole ce. ¡°Nice apartment.¡± Imented. ¡°Thank you.¡± He replied without meeting my gaze. I could feel that awkwardness between us due to what happened at my ce. ¡°Please take your seat.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± I settled on the couch. ¡°What would you like drink?¡± ¡°Water please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± He left the sitting room only toe back some secondster with a bottle of chilled water. ¡°So how are you feeling now?¡± ¡°Better¡­ I just need to take my medications and have a good rest.¡± He responded. ¡°Oh.. okay.¡± I managed to smile. ¡°So about my case¡­¡± I handed him the files. ¡°It¡¯s a murder case. A woman was found dead in her apartment. And the cause of death is strangtion. No suspect at the moment..¡± ¡°Arike¡­¡± Bamidele called my name in a low tone. ¡°Yes..¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like everything is fine here.¡± ¡°Ahm¡­ erm..¡± I stuttered. ¡°I know you wanna know more about me being gay. You want to talk about what happened at your ce but you don¡¯t want me to feel embarrassed.¡± He dropped the file on the table. ¡°Bamidele, it¡¯s not -¡± He interrupted me. ¡°I understand.¡± I looked up at him. ¡°I am sorry about everything Dayo said to you.¡± He chuckled. ¡°I have always known Dayo to be a sharp mouthed person. His words are like thongs on ones flesh. But I don¡¯t me him, he is only trying to protect you as a friend because of what I did to him in the past.¡± He said soberly. ¡°Bamidele -¡± ¡°I admit that I was very wrong. And I have tried apologizing to Dayo but he imed to have forgiven me but he would never forget what I did to him. And I should have fulfilled my promise of telling you about my sexuality.¡± ¡°Are you still gay?¡± I blurted out. ¡°I was gay¡­¡± He replied. ¡°I stopped being gay after I passed the bar exam. I knew it wasn¡¯t legalized in our country.¡± He sighed. ¡°It was really hard for me to get over that feeling of loving another man. My past keepsing at me and I am afraid that it might ruin my career someday just like what is happening now.¡± ¡°Perhaps if I may ask since when did you notice this feeling of loving another man?¡± I asked. I could see tears at the corner of his eyes when our gaze locked buy he looked away quickly. ¡°This is a really long story.¡± ¡°Sad right?¡± I asked. He shook his head. I stood up and sat beside him and held his hands in mine. Eversince the incident at my home, a thought hasn¡¯t left my mind that there must be a reason why Bamidele was gay. ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± He looked down at my hand on his. ¡°I am ready to listen.¡± He shed me a small smile. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here after everything he said about me.¡± ¡°To be honest, I was shocked and disappointed but something keeps telling me that there was more.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t hate me?¡± He asked a serious face. ¡°I can¡¯t hate you because you are gay.¡± He withdrew from my hold and stood up from the couch. ¡°Arike you should obey Dayo. You should stay away from me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s right. You deserve a better friend than me.¡± I went to him, stood in front of him with my arms folded. ¡°What if I want your kind of friend?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You are a good attorney, Bamidele.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the best attorney.¡± ¡°No, you have helped me solve cases I couldn¡¯t work on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also good at what you do.¡± He replied. It clear Bamidele is fighting an internal banter. He¡¯s pondering if it was a good idea to share the mystery behind him being gay. He doesn¡¯t trust anyone. ¡°You know what? I will just drop the case file for you to review it.. then call me if you find anything.¡± There¡¯s no need to force words out of him if he wasn¡¯t ready to discuss it with me. ¡°Bye bye.¡± I picked my bag from the couch and motioned towards the door. Chapter 13 Gay Uncle Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Wait¡­ Arike..¡± he grabbed my elbow before I reached for the door. I looked down at his hold on me.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Bamidele..¡± I ced my hand on his. ¡°You don¡¯t have to open up to me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± I said but hoping he would just tell me everything. He shook his head. ¡°I will tell you everything. Please stay with me.¡± His eyes pleaded with me. ¡°Okay.. okay.. let¡¯s seat down.¡± I said. He motioned towards the couch to sit down. Bamidele heaved a sigh as he started off. ¡°My parents died in a ne when I was 12.¡± ¡°Oh.. I am sorry about that¡­¡± I mumbled. He nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°They were out for a vacation out of the country.¡± ¡°You survived the crash?¡± I asked without thinking. What a silly question! Of course! Bamidele wouldn¡¯t have survived a ne crash without sustaining a permanent injury. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t with them. My dad sent me off to his younger brother¡¯s home at Abuja. No one knew that they would never return home.¡± He closed his eyes for some seconds. ¡°We travelled back to Lagos for their burial. And after that my uncle took over my father¡¯spany and decided to raise me too. It was just the two of us, my uncle was so young¡­ and I didn¡¯t know he was gay until I turned 15.¡± ¡°You never suspected him?¡± I asked. He looked at me. ¡°Well.. let¡¯s say I noticed some things about him that was strange but it didn¡¯t ur to me that he could be gay.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Despite the fact that we had several rooms in our home, my uncle never allowed me sleep alone. I always wake up to him cuddling me. And he always insist on bathing me even at 14.¡± My eyes widened a bit. ¡°I became ufortable around him when he toyed with my di*k while I was taking a shower.¡± Bamidele shut his eyes tight again. ¡°And that was how it all started. He made me believe that loving a woman was a waste of time. He said that it was better to be with another man who understands how it feels to be a man.¡± My jaw dropped in shock. ¡°What¡¯s sort of theory is that?!¡± ¡°That was his own belief. I was so little and naive that I believed everything he said to me even though I knew it wasn¡¯t right to love a man. At the same time I couldn¡¯t fight it. It became so hard for me to know what¡¯s right or wrong.¡± He rubbed his temples. Pity stirred within me for him. ¡°He made me do all sort of things with him until I couldn¡¯t control my feelings anymore. I.. I¡­¡± He paused and sighed. ¡°I fell in love with my uncle.¡± He said soberly. ¡°I found it really hard to love a girl, everytime I was drawn to a man. I hated the girls in my school because of the stories my uncle told me about the women who broke his heart.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you talk to someone?¡± I asked. Bamidele looked at me. ¡°There was no one I could talk to¡­¡± He paused. ¡°Maybe at some point¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­ want to speak up¡­ because I love.. my uncle. Basically, I enjoyed being with him.¡± This time he didn¡¯t even try to meet my gaze. ¡°So you just let him -¡± He interrupted me. ¡°And it continued like that till I gained admission. I already had many gay friends, home and abroad. So it wasn¡¯t really hard connecting with the gays at the University.¡± ¡°So.. the issue with Adedayo -¡± ¡°I got attracted to Adedayo the first day I met him. You.. know¡­ as the son of the famous Mr Awosika.. we all wanted him in our group. He didn¡¯t want to join us or be my¡­ girlfriend. He was so stubborn and it annoyed my boys.¡± He exined. ¡°So you sent them after him?¡± ¡°No, he threatened to report us to the school authority and even the police. His threats annoyed us and so we decided to teach him a lesson.¡± He said sincerely. ¡°What he didn¡¯t know was that I begged my group to not kill him. I didn¡¯t want them to hurt him because of what I felt for him¡­ so they spared him but on the note that they couldn¡¯t kill him because he was the son of a well known business man.¡± ¡°You saved his life.¡± I added. ¡°Maybe¡­¡± He nodded. ¡°I tried to apologize to him but he avoided me and asked me to nevere to him again.¡± ¡°Do you want to tell why and how you stopped being gay?¡± I asked after a moment of silence. ¡°It was really hard being that my uncle never wanted me to be with any woman. I wanted to stop because of what Dayo said to me. His words¡­ kept ringing in my ears.¡± I can imagine Dayo words to Bamidele. Oh God! That guy knows how to use words on people. ¡°He said I was worst than the devil. And some day thew I was studying would be used against me and no one would be able to save me.¡± ¡°He must have said more terrible things to you.¡± ¡°He was right.¡± He rubbed his palms together. ¡°I thought about his words and realized that as an aspiringwyer I didn¡¯t want me name in the headline news. And knowing that being gay was a crime in this country, I became desperate to quit the act.¡± ¡°So I spoke to my Uncle¡­¡± He paused. ¡°So did he agree to you not being gay anymore?¡± ¡°No he said I was insane and there was no backing out.¡± ¡°So what did you do?¡± ¡°I threatened to report him to the police if he doesn¡¯t stoping to me.¡± ¡°He let you be after the threat?¡± ¡°Yes.. for a while but deep down I needed something permanent.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°I gave my life to Christ and asked God to forgive me for my wrongdoings. I left home so my uncle wouldn¡¯t change my mind. I took the bar exam and passed it¡­ shut my uncle and my gay friends outpletely. It wasn¡¯t easy but I broke free from being gay with God¡¯s intervention.¡± He sighed That was a long story. I am really out of words. I don¡¯t even know what to say to him. But at least I know the reason why he became a gay. And deep down in my heart, I am happy Bamidele wasn¡¯t gay anymore. ***** I met Adedayo waiting in front of my door when I drove into thepound. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you been picking up my calls?¡± Dayo asked. ¡°I was busy.¡± I replied sharply. ¡°Arike¡­ Arike¡­¡± He followed me into my apartment. ¡°Dayo.. I am really tired and I need to rest.¡± I pulled off my heels and flopped down on the couch. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on between us?¡± Dayo was in front of me when I reopened my eyes. ¡°Nothing is wrong.¡± ¡°No.. no.. everything is wrong. Nothing is okay between us.¡± I rubbed my temples. ¡°We are fine.¡± Dayo settled down beside me. ¡°Did I do anything wrong? Tell me¡­ and I will apologize to you.¡± ¡°Dayo, you¡¯ve done nothing wrong to me.¡± I responded. ¡°Then why have you been avoiding me? Why haven¡¯t you been picking up my calls?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like I have been doing these things since¡­ FOR.. EVER.¡± I stressed thest word. I turned him down only today. I didn¡¯t pick him calls for just today because I was with Bamidele. Dayo sat down beside me. ¡°Arike¡­ please -¡± he held on to my right hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go out tonight.¡± ¡°What? No! It¡¯ste.¡± I jerked free. ¡°I am tired.¡± I stood up from the couch to stay away from him. ¡°You¡¯ve changed.¡± He muttered. I bit my lower lip. ¡°Look -¡± He cuts me off. ¡°Arike¡­ I don¡¯t like this new you. I don¡¯t want to see you like this.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t -¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never shut me out like this.¡± ¡°I am not shutting you out.¡± ¡°Ohe on Arike! You and I know how we do things together.¡± ¡°Everything is different now!¡± I snapped at him. He gave me a shocked expression. He was taken aback by my expression. Chapter 14 Keeping space Arike¡¯s POV He gave me a shocked expression. He was taken aback by my expression. ¡°I.. I¡­ am.. sorry. I.. I.. didn¡¯t mean to raise my voice at you.¡± I apologized to him. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± He mumbled. ¡°Look Dayo¡­ we can¡¯t do the things we used to do together as best friends anymore.¡± I stuttered. ¡°But why?¡± He asked. ¡°You¡¯re getting married in few weeks time.¡± He sighed. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t affect us.¡± ¡°You should be with your wife to be and not me.¡± ¡°I know Shalewa called you. Tell me what she said to you that made you change towards me?¡± I shook my head in disagreement. ¡°I am not sharing it with you.¡± ¡°Keeping space between us isn¡¯t right¡­ and you know that!¡± ¡°But everything Shalewa said was right. If I were in her shoes I wouldn¡¯t like to see my husband to be stick around his female bestie anymore. Plus I don¡¯t want to be on the headline news as a husband snatcher.¡± I pointed out. I sniffed as Dayo walked over to me. ¡°No one is going to tag you as anything aside the fact that you are my best friend. Most of my other friends and family knows that I am closer to you than anyone else.¡± He said calmly. ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± I said. ¡°You can¡¯t stop being friends with me because I am getting married. I need you more than ever now.¡± ¡°I am not ending our friendship.¡± I tried to make him understand. ¡°That¡¯s how I see this space you are trying to create leading to.¡± ¡°See.. don¡¯t get me wrong Dayo. I just don¡¯t want any problem. That¡¯s it.¡± I managed to speak amidst the lump in my throat. I also did a great job at hiding the tears that threatened to spill down anytime soon. To be honest, one of thest things I want to do is stay away from Adedayo. I am so used to having him around. Even while he was dating other women, I never cared about them. But Shalewa seems different maybe because she¡¯s getting married to him. She doesn¡¯t want me to be with Dayo. All she wants is for me to end my friendship with Dayo so she could have his undivided attention. And that¡¯s what I am trying to do for her. I don¡¯t really know what I should do! But I just want to put that space between us! ¡°I am sorry we can¡¯t have dinner together and you can¡¯t sleep over at my ce too. Shalewa.. needs you more than I do.¡± ¡°Okay.. okay.. I understand.¡± He whispered. ¡°I should get going.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I could see the hurt written in his expression. ¡°Good night.¡± I said. He ced a kiss on my forehead before walking towards the door. Trust me he¡¯s never done the kissing on the forehead with me before. I felt like taking back all my words and just let him stay but I can¡¯t forget the promise I made to Shalewa. I fought against the urge to run out and call Dayo back. A tear slipped down my cheek when I heard the door close gently. I didn¡¯t expect to feel this pain in my heart and it was bing almost unbearable. I think I need to make my heart, body and soul understand that Adedayo Awosika belongs to someone else now and forever. He can¡¯t be with us anymore. ¡°Everything is different now. The sooner we ept the better it is for us.¡± I said internally. Slowly, I made my way into my bedroom. FEW WEEKS LATER I grumbled as I hopped out of bed when I heard the doorbell in my deep sleep. Wait! It¡¯s reallyte! I nced at the rm next to my bed, the red light beeped 2:35am! Who could be out there by this time?! Shit! And why is the doorbell So loud?! Plus I wasn¡¯t expecting anyone except Busayomi who promise to visit yesterday but ended up being too busy with work at the office with her boss. I hate her boss for giving her too much work! The doorbell stopped ringing and a bang on the door came afterwards, making me afraid. ¡°Who the hell is out there?!¡± I shouted when I got to the living room. No response Why on Earth did Ahmed let someone in by this time?! Perhaps is it a thief or worse thieves?! Gba! Gba! Gba! I should call the police. ¡°Arike! Open up!¡± I heard Adedayo¡¯s voice. I rxed a bit. Why is he here? By this time? I haven¡¯t seen him since almost two weeks now. We didn¡¯t even exchange text messages online or even call. I assumed that Adedayo really epted my decision to stay away. To be honest, I expected him to at least call to check on me but nothing. Busayomi said it was the right thing to do and I have been telling my heart to reason the same way. Dayo¡¯s wedding is just in two weeks time. So I supposed he has been busy preparing for the big day. And guess what?! Shalewa asked me to be part of her bridal train but I declined. Why? I belonged to the husband side. And she also offered me the position of bestdy, saying that her best friend was now heavily pregnant but I refused the offer. I don¡¯t want! I am not even friends with her so why should I get involved with her! Shalewa was just trying to show me that Dayo was hers now. Dorrrhhhhh! Do I look like I Care? I wasn¡¯t from a rich background so I wasn¡¯t expecting anything more than friendship with Adedayo. I tried to remember where I had dropped the key but another bang on the door interrupted my train of thought. ¡°Arike! Please open up! It¡¯s me¡­ Adedayo.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I know.. it¡¯s you. I am looking for the keys!¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°Found it!¡± I breathed out when I saw it on the stool next to the big couch. Then I rushed to the door to open it only for the smell of alcohol to wash over me. Eww!! So disgusting. ¡°Oh my God! Dayo¡­. why are you so drunk?!¡± Heughed, pushed me aside and went into my apartment. I sighed in frustration and mmed the door. ¡°Dayo! Dayo! What¡¯s all this nonsense?!¡± ¡°Trust me¡­ I didn¡¯t.. drink much¡­¡± ¡°Seriously? Why the drink at all?!¡± ¡°Now.. you.. want to¡­ scold me.. can¡¯t you see I am drunk?!¡± He dropped on the couch. ¡°Didn¡¯t I make it clear that you can¡¯t sleep over again?!¡± ¡°I know.. but -¡± He didn¡¯t reply but a sniff from him got my attention. ¡°Don¡¯t I.. look¡­ pitiful to you?¡± He said in a low tone. I sighed and went to him. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Dayo was never the type who takes alcohol but he only gets drunk whenever something¡¯s really bothering him. ¡°You promised to never get drunk again.¡± I said. He shook his head. ¡°I can take anything¡­ but not you¡­ pushing me away.¡± He ced his hand over his face. He was sober. ¡°I am not pushing you away, Dayo.¡± He snorted. ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s it. Arike¡­ we didn¡¯t keep in touch for about two weeks.. and you were fine with it because that¡¯s¡­ how you want things to be between us now.¡± ¡°Dayo -¡± ¡°It was¡­ hard for me.. but I¡­ have to respect your.. decision.¡± Okay so one thing about the drunk Dayo, he tends to talk too much anytime he is such state. am trying to protect your rtionship with Shalewa. I know you love her and she loves you too. I don¡¯t want to be a problem to -¡± I paused. I shouldn¡¯t be conversing with a drunk man. I face palmed myself. ¡°You should get some sleep.¡± I said. Suddenly Dayo pulled me in for a hug when I tried to stand up. ¡°Dayo -¡± ¡°Wait.. let¡¯s¡­ stay like¡­ this.. for a while.¡± I tried to free myself. ¡°Dayo we shouldn¡¯t -¡± ¡°I miss you.¡± He whispered. I wasn¡¯t expecting it. His words stopped me from pushing him away. I miss you too but I can¡¯t tell him. ¡°Please just this one time¡­ I promise to leave before anyone wakes up.¡± ¡°You should take a shower. Your body stinks of alcohol.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t they all be like you?¡± He mumbled into my ears. ¡°Huh? W.. w.. what are you talk about?¡± I asked. No response came from him. Chapter 15 Confession Arike¡¯s POV ONE WEEK LATER So I am going on a date with Bamidele. Hey! I know what you are thinking! Hanging out with an Ex-Gay! Come of it! Bamidele is normal now! Lol! And we¡¯ve been going out for a while now. We aren¡¯t dating yet. No! Let me rephrase it. I am not in a rtionship with Bamidele. We are still trying to figure if things can work out between us. My phone beeped as I apply make up to my face. I was kinda excited to see Bamidele. Honestly I enjoy Bamidele¡¯spany. And guess what? We have decided to attend Dayo¡¯s wedding together. Thank God I won¡¯t be alone at the party, just watching my best friend get married. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Are you ready?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°Yes¡­ I am ready.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ I am waiting outside your home.¡± ¡°Oh really?!¡± Then I heard a horn. ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± We didn¡¯t agree for him toe pick me up. The initial n was to meet up at the restaurant. ¡°I am almost done.¡± ¡°Take your time.¡± He said before hanging up the call. I finished up my make up in a rush and motioned out of my room. I couldn¡¯t understand why I was in a hurry to meet Bamidele. He was out of the car when I came out of the gate. His eyes was busying checking me out with as he smiled at me. ¡°Hi.. sorry I kept you waiting.¡± I said shyly as I was towards him. ¡°No.. it was worth thr wait. You¡­ look beautiful.¡± Hemented and I blushed. ¡°Thanks. You don¡¯t look bad yourself.¡± Iplimented his looks too. ¡°Ahmmm you sure?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Okay.. thanks. let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ it¡¯s my turn to drive.¡± I reminded him. Yeah! We always take turns to drive whenever we are going out together. ¡°You can have the keys.¡± He dropped it into my open palm. ¡°Thanks.¡± I said. We entered the car. ¡°So now¡­ I have to rx while you drive.¡± He adjusted the seat and rxed. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep thest time you were in my position.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± He said and I hummed a response. ¡°I am changing style today.¡± We bothughed. I started the car and the engine roared back to life. ¡°I like it when you drive.¡± He said. ¡°Does it surprise you?!¡± ¡°No.. not at all.¡± He responded. ¡°So what?¡± I looked at him. ¡°You look more beautiful.. whenever you drive.¡± He said after some seconds of silence. ¡°Are you trying to tter me?¡± ¡°No¡­ I am not ttering you.¡± He stuttered and avoided a nce with me. ¡°Maybe¡­ I should make a video of you driving.¡± He brought out his phone. ¡°It is necessary.¡± ¡°Says who?¡± I asked ¡°Say me¡­ Barrister Bamidele.¡± ¡°Sounds like you are indeed proud of yourself.¡± Iughed. ¡°Of course! And you¡¯re Barrister Arike, the best criminal attorney working in the bestw firm in Nigeria.¡± ¡°One of the best.¡± I corrected. ¡°Great! I am going to post this.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I looked at him. ¡°I just made a short clip of you.¡± He waved his phone. ¡°Are you serious?¡± I tried to snatch his phone but he hid it away from me. ¡°Oh please concerntrate on the road or else we¡¯re going to crash.¡± He winked. I returned my focus back on the road. A ring from my phone stopped me from saying my next words to Bamidele. I checked the caller¡¯s ID ¨C Adedayo. ¡°Won¡¯t you pick up?¡± He asked. ¡°I am driving.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you park somewhere and pick up the groom¡¯s call.¡± Bamidele suggested. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I can help you pick up.. who knows.. he might need your help with something.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Wedding preparation.¡± He answered. ¡°No, his best man is there to help him out. I¡¯ll talk to himter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± None of us said anything until we arrived at our destination. ***** ***************** ¡°Bamidele, thanks for bringing me out for dinner today.¡± I smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee. But¡­ let¡¯s do it again.¡± ¡°Definitely not next weekend.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Oh! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten -¡± I waited for him to remember but no response. ¡°My best friend is getting married!¡± I snapped him out of reverie ¡°Oh! That¡¯s true! How did I forget that?!¡± He hit his head on the wheel. ¡°If you don¡¯t stop hitting your head on that wheel, you¡¯ll have headache.¡± He stopped. ¡°How can such big event skip my mind?¡± ¡°Too much on your mind.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°I will be handling a new case from Monday but I will try to wrap things up quickly before Friday.¡± ¡°Easier said than done.¡± He said. Iughed. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Will you be sleeping over at Dayo¡¯s home on Friday night?¡± He asked. ¡°No!¡± My reply was sharp. His forehead creased at my response. Okay! I went a bit overboard. Why should I sleep over at his home on the night before his wedding?! ¡°Sorry.. I forgot you are a woman. But what about his family home?¡± ¡°I am not going there either. Busayomi ising over to my ce on Friday, so we¡¯ll all go together.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ good¡­ I wille pick youdies up on Saturday morning.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled. ¡°You should get going¡­. it¡¯ste.¡± I tried to open the door but a hold on my wrist stopped me. I nced up at Bamidele.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°Sorry¡­. Just wanted to say¡­ something.¡± He stuttered. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I mumbled. Somehow my heartbeat elerated as I waited for Bamidele to man up and talk to me. I heard him release a sigh. ¡°I like you.¡± He said finally. Our eyes met. I didn¡¯t look away neither did I utter a word. It was as if my tongue was tied. Of course I should have expected this day because Bamidele and I has been spending more time together. ¡°Arike, I know¡­ you already made it clear from the start that you want just friendship¡­ with me.. but -¡± he paused. ¡°I can¡¯t just control this feelings. This is me to me being that -¡± I cut him off. ¡°I am the first woman you choose to like.¡± ¡°Yes.. you¡¯re right. And I would like it if you give me a chance, Arike.¡± We stared at each other for some time. ¡°We can start from somewhere.¡± I swallowed hard. ¡°Can you give me some time to think about it?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes¡­ you can have all the time you want. And I hope to get a positive response.¡± He said. I managed to smile. ¡°I should get going now.¡± I said He unlocked the car. ¡°Drive safely.¡± ¡°Good Night.¡± I waved at him before entering my gate. Chapter 16 Pregnancy test Arike¡¯s POV I settled in my bed after taking a hot shower. I grabbed my phone from the drawer next to my bed. (Hi. I have been trying to reach you but you didn¡¯t pick my calls. I was hoping that you could help me check out my suit. They delivered it today) Dayo¡¯s message popped up as soon as I switched on my data. (I was busy) I replied (Okay, Leo already helped me and it looked good on me) He texted back and before I could type, pictures of himself on suit together with his best man Leo came in. (Wow! The suit looks nice on you, Bes.) (Thanks. I am a bit nervous about the wedding.) (You need to calm down. Let your mind be at peace and prepare for the big day.) (Okay. So what about your dress? Is it ready?) The moment Dayo sent I and Busayomi Aso Ebi, I didn¡¯t waste time dropping it off at the Tailor¡¯s ce. (The tailor promised to deliverstest by Thursday) (Good¡­ so what¡¯s your n? Should I send someone toe pick you up? He would bring you to the hotel where my sisters would be spending the night.) (There¡¯s no need for that. Bamidele would drive I and Busayomi to the party.) I told him our n. (Well I can see you¡¯ve nned everything with Bamidele.) (Yes) (Did Shalewa invited you to her bridal shower?) (Yes, but I am not attending it.) He was still typing when I sent myst message to him. (I am tired, need to rest. Good night.) I sent it and switched off my data before his next message came in. It has been two weeks since Adedayo got married to Shalewa. The wedding wasn¡¯t a low-key one. Different Media houses stomped the wedding capturing the whole event. The bride was beautiful and the groom wasn¡¯t bad himself. And for a moment I had wished I was the one in that gown saying ¡°I DO¡± taking the vows and kissing the groom. Lol! But it was all in my imagination. A wish that will nevere true. The new couple are out of the country, in Australia precisely, enjoying their honeymoon. It was on a Saturday morning! I got out of bed feeling nauseous and tired and weak. I didn¡¯t know why my body was acting up. I went into the kitchen to prepare tea for myself. I needed to put something in my stomach so I could use drugs. But bile rised in my throat at the second gulp of the tea. I found myself throwing up all the food fromst night into the sink. My head was spinning, I felt dizzy at the same time. I had to grab the counter top to steady myself. I have never felt this way before¡­ like it¡¯s strange. The fact that I have been feeling this way for days now and I didn¡¯t know what to do! Perhaps I wasing down with mria? I should see the doctor or better still let me call Busayomi. I went back into the room,y back in bed and took out my phone from underneath the pillow. I dialed Busayomi¡¯s number and she picked on the second ring. ¡°Thew! Thew!¡± She hyped the usual way but I wasn¡¯t in the mood. ¡°Good morning.¡± I greeted in a low tone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I think.. I am sick.¡± ¡°Sick?¡± ¡°I have been feeling somehowtely.. like -¡± ¡°That must be your period. Try and get some painkiller.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I paused. Oh my God! My period! Realization hit me. ¡°Arike?¡± ¡°Oh.. no.. no.. no¡­ it can¡¯t be.. my period.¡± ¡°Ehn your period? What happened to your period?¡± I wasn¡¯t myself anymore. I grabbed the small calendar on my dressing table and began to count. ¡°Arike, talk to me.¡± Busayomi was still on speaker. I was weekste! Damn it! Why didn¡¯t I pay attention to it before now?! ¡°Oh.. no.. God! This can¡¯t happen!¡± Tears formed in my eyes. ¡°Please can you tell me what¡¯s going on, Arike!¡± ¡°Listen.. I have been throwing up every morning for days now plus I feel weak and tired and -¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious¡­ that¡¯s mria¡­ or no.. typhoid.¡± She stuttered. ¡°No.. no.. I don¡¯t think so¡­ I missed my period. I am four weekste!¡± I blurted out ¡°What?! Arike! Have you been sleeping with Bamidele?! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?! Maybe you are pregnant.¡± She sounded shocked but excited. She got it all wrong! ¡°I can¡¯t be pregnant.¡± ¡°Okay.. I will be there soon.¡± She hang up the call. I fell to the ground slowly, my kneels curled up as I rested my head on the bed. Lately I have been eating and sleeping too much. Wait.. please that doesn¡¯t exin anything right? Oh God! Don¡¯t let me be pregnant! I began to pray. My body shook vehemently but I tried to calm myself. The thought of being pregnant scared me, I don¡¯t even want to think about it. I remember that night¡­ and I began to cry. About an hourter, I heard the door bell. I rushed out of the room to get the door. Busayomi was there. ¡°Jesus! What Happened to you?!¡± She gasped. I wasn¡¯t myself anymore. I have been crying since I dropped the call, silently praying that I wasn¡¯t pregnant. Right now! At this point I don¡¯t need to hide anything from Busayomi anymore. ¡°So you said something about not seeing your period.¡± I nodded. ¡°So before discussing anything¡­ let me ask you one question.¡± I shook my head again. ¡°Did you give up your V-card?¡± I nodded. Yes. ¡°Wow! Whoah!! And you didn¡¯t tell me! When was it?! When did you do it?¡± ¡°I.. think four weeks ago.¡± ¡°I can easily tell who took your V-card! It¡¯s Bamidele!¡± She winked and smiled but it soon faded when I cried out. I haven¡¯t hid anything from her but this aspect of my life wasn¡¯t known to her. I know she would be disappointed in me when I tell her everything. ¡°Okay.. okay.. I know you¡¯re afraid of being pregnant. You don¡¯t need to worry¡­ we can¡¯t be sure about anything until we take the test.¡± She searched her bag for something. ¡°Here this is a pregnancy test strip. I just felt we might need it. Do you want to take the test?¡± I don¡¯t want to because I am scared. I was afraid it would turn out positive but at the same time I needed to be sure. ¡°You¡¯re taking the test.¡± She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the bathroom. She left me there and rushed out of the bathroom only toe back with water after some seconds. ¡°Drink up, you need to pee.¡± I drank from the ss before giving it back to her. What would I do if the testes out positive? I asked within. I began to think of how my life would change. ¡°I want to pee.¡± I announced after some minutes. ¡°Good.¡± She handed me a stic to pee in it. I watched her as she ced the contained in the sink and dipped the strip into the urine. ¡°We have to wait.¡± She said. Busayomi emptied the urine into the toilet and rinsed the stic before looking at me. But I avoided making an eye contact with her. Minutes went by, that was the longest minutes of my life. My heart was beating hard against my chest. I felt like it was going to burst anytime soon. The result and how I would break it down to Busayomi without her getting mad stirred panic within me. I was scared. I closed my eyes as she picked the strip. I could feel her eyes on me. ¡°I.. think.. this is good news.¡± My heart broke at her words. It¡¯s really bad news if it¡¯s positive.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant.¡± She spat. No.. no.. no.. my heart beat skipped two beats at a time. Suddenly I went into hyperventting mode! And I couldn¡¯t control it. Chapter 17 His Baby Arike¡¯s POV ¡°No.. no.. no.. my heart beat skipped two beats at a time. Suddenly I went into hyperventting mode! And I couldn¡¯t control it. ¡°Hey.. Arike¡­ Arike..¡± she shook my shoulders. ¡°Can you hear me?!¡± She sprinkled water on my face and held me tight so I wouldn¡¯t hit the ground. ¡°Pull yourself together! Rx¡­ breathe in breathe out..¡± I did as she instructed until my breathing returned back to normal. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± She asked with a worried look. ¡°Come.. you need to rx.¡± She led me out of the bathroom. ¡°We.. we.. need to talk.¡± I whispered. ¡°Yes.. yes.. I know.. but we will do that after you get enough rest. You don¡¯t need to stress yourself because of the baby.¡± The mention of _baby_ brought tears to my eyes as Iy back in bed.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. Busayomi sat beside me and held my hand. ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± I closed my eyes. No! Everything is not fine. Infact this baby is gonna change my life forever. Whatever decision I make about it, either good or bad is going to change my life forever. ¡°Being pregnant isn¡¯t the end of the world. It¡¯s a good thing. And do you want me to call Bamidele?¡± I reopened my eyes. ¡°No.. no.. don¡¯t call him.¡± ¡°Why? I am sure he¡¯d like to hear the good news.¡± Panic set in again. ¡°No. no¡­ no.. you can¡¯t tell him.. please.¡± I pleaded. She frowned and raised her brows. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Nothing..¡± ¡°He deserves to know you¡¯re carrying his child.¡± ¡°No.. no¡­ no..¡± ¡°What do you mean by no?¡± She asked angrily. ¡°He¡¯s not the father.¡± I cried. ¡°What?!¡± She gasped. ¡°Wait.. hold.. wh.. what are you talking about? Bamidele is the only man that I have seen with you. And he is your boyfriend.¡± I finally agreed to date Bamidele few days after he confessed to me. The connection wasn¡¯t there yet but I knew I had to distract myself from the Feelings I had for Adedayo. And I hoped my feelings for Bamidele would grow with time. Busayomi thinks we are really a big thing because Bamidele told her that he loves me. He didn¡¯t take his hands off me at Dayo¡¯s wedding too which made Busayomi happy to finally see me with a man who loves me. ¡°I know.. he¡¯s my boyfriend.. but he didn¡¯t impregnate me. As a matter of fact we never got intimate.¡± Busayomi gave me a surprised look. ¡°Arike¡­ I need you to tell me the truth.¡± She paused and I nodded. Another wave of heavy tears hit me again and I couldn¡¯t control it. ¡°Have you been seeing another man aside Bamidele?¡± ¡°No. no.. its not what you¡¯re thinking. Bamidele is.. the only man I¡­ I.. have been seeing.¡± ¡°So howe he¡¯s not the father of your child?!¡± She asked with a confused look. ¡°It¡¯s. It¡¯s.. it..¡± I stopped. Da¡­ Dayo. it¡¯s Dayo¡¯s baby.¡± I sobbed. ¡°What?!¡± She gasped in shock. My heartbeat elerated. Seriously I have never been this scared in my life. ¡°Dayo?¡± She frowned. ¡°Hold up¡­ which Dayo?¡± I couldn¡¯t dare look into her eyes. ¡°The.. same.. Dayo.¡± I whispered shakily. Then I heard herughing as she stood up from the bed. I didn¡¯t feel any better by the suddenughter. ¡°Oh please! That was such an expensive joke!¡± Sheughed. This is not good. She thinks I am joking! Oh my God! What have I gotten into?! ¡°I.. am.. se.. serious.¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t be serious!¡± She snapped. ¡°Adedayo.. is the father of my child!¡± I cried. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Please.. please don¡¯t make it hard for me than it is now.¡± I pleaded. ¡°Oh God! This must be a dream.¡± She tapped her cheeks. I wish it was a dream too so I could just wake up and pray to never let it happen. ¡°How on earth did Dayo be the father of your child? Have you guys been sleeping with each other? Oh! Obviously! This is it!¡± She pointed to my belly. ¡°I should have known! So this is the result of all the sleep overs!¡± ¡°No.. it only happened -¡± She interrupted me. ¡°So you¡¯ve been sleeping with him, knowing that he already had a fiancee and now a wife!¡± She said angrily. ¡°No.. no.. no..¡± ¡°What do you mean by no?! You are pregnant!¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°Wait.. are you trying to pin it on him because you want to hide the real father?¡± ¡°No.. I swear¡­ it¡¯s Dayo¡¯s baby. And¡­ and.. it happened.. just once¡­ just once. You have to believe me.¡± She paced to and fro with an angry look. ¡°And you didn¡¯t tell me! You just decided to keep it to yourself.¡± ¡°I am sorry¡­ I wanted to tell you about it.. but.. I was scared.¡± ¡°Scared? Scared of what? What else have you been hiding from me?!¡± ¡°Nothing else¡­ believe me.¡± ¡°How do you -¡± she paused, threw her hands up and turned her back on me. ¡°Please.. I.. am sorry.¡± I begged her. Busayomi turned towards the door. And I figured what she was about to do. She was leaving. ¡°I am disappointed in you.¡± She mumbled. ¡°Please.. don¡¯t.. leave me.¡± I sobbed. She opened the door and went away. I was wrong to have kept such big deed away from her. Busayomi was like a big sister to me. She¡¯s part of my life, the one person I could turn to as a family. I understand how she was feeling ¨C betrayed! Finding out that I was carrying the child of the man I clearly denied to never have feelings for was so hard for her. So how do I live my life now? Busayomi was gone, my baby¡¯s father was out somewhere probably enjoying the honeymoon with his wife and I have no idea of how to raise a child. I shouldn¡¯t have let this happened to me after the promise I made to my mother. How could I have forgotten such promise?! More tears streamed down as I remembered that day. The day my mother had called me into her room when I was just 8. (FLASHBACK) ¡°Arike, are you done with your homework?¡± My mom asked as I climbed into the bed andy my head on her chest. ¡°Yes mom.¡± It was just the two of us. Grandpa had stated clearly that he never wanted to see my mom again because of me. He disowned her even after everything Uncle Badejo said to dissuade him from his decision. ¡°You know I love you so much.¡± She kissed my forehead. Everything she did was just for my sake. She lived for me. ¡°Yes mom and I love you too.¡± At that time she already told me the story of how my father denied ever having anything to do with her. ¡°You¡¯re growing up so fast.¡± She caressed my cheeks. ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to see you grow up into a big woman, then you¡¯ll achieve your dream of bing awyer. You¡¯ll have a good husband and bear children too.¡± ¡°Yes.. a husband like big daddy.. not a man like my father.¡± (I call uncle Badejo big daddy.) She chuckled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Big daddy is really nice but my dad is not good because he didn¡¯t want me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right about uncle Badejo but your father is a good man.¡± She said. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he want me?¡± ¡°Arike, we have talked about this before. Your father and I were too young. He wanted so many things but raising a child wasn¡¯t part of his n.¡± She hugged me. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it okay?!¡± ¡°Okay.. mommy.¡± ¡°Arike?¡± She pulled away from me. ¡°Yes mommy.¡± ¡°I want you to promise me one thing.¡± ¡°What is it mom?¡± I looked into her eyes. ¡°Promise me that no matter what happens, you¡¯ll never end up like me.¡± She said. Even at that age I knew what she was talking about. She had clearly outlined the consequences of sex before marriage to me. And I had heard her praying to God that I shouldn¡¯t end up like her who lost focus and couldn¡¯t achieve her dreams and give her child the life she deserved. Chapter 18 Hard Time Arike¡¯s POV (shback Continues) ¡°Arike? You have to -¡± ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t engage in premarital sex.¡± ¡°Pinky promise?¡± She smiled. ¡°Pinky promise.¡± She locked our fingers. ¡°I will buy you a big house and a car too when I have a lot of money.¡± ¡°The I can¡¯t wait for you to grow up.. my baby.¡± She kissed me on my cheeks. (FLASHBACK ENDS) She didn¡¯t stay alive for me to buy her a car or a house. My mom died a year after and she didn¡¯t get to fulfill some promises she made to me like telling me who my father was, attending my graduations and buying myw outfits. And what about me? I failed her! I only got to be a Lawyer but I didn¡¯t fulfill my promise of not engaging in Pre-Marital Sex. That promise has be the reason why I never had a boyfriend. I was scared that I would bepelled to lose my virginity if I got involved with any man. I couldn¡¯t control my tears at the realization of how I had ended my life. I didn¡¯t get to know the man who fathered me and the second thing was repeating itself but the only difference was that I know the father of my child, he won¡¯t deny our baby but I could never be with him because he was married to someone else. My baby will never get to be with her father. I have ruined my life and the life of the innocent soul in my womb. A glint of hope stirred within me when Busayomi opened the door. She walked in with a tray in her hands. ¡°Sit up¡­ you need to eat.¡± She said. I shook my head. ¡°I.. I.. am not hungry.¡± She frowned deeply. ¡°My friend sit up before I beat you up now.¡± I did as she instructed. ¡°I am not doing this for you but for the baby. So don¡¯t feel like I have forgiven you.¡± She ced the tray filled with tea and bread on the bed. ¡°Oya madam eat up.¡± I picked a slice of bread. ¡°I.. I thought you.. left..¡± I sniffed. ¡°Yeah¡­ I feel like leaving but you have no one else to turn to. If I leave now who will take care of you and the baby? So I am stuck with you.¡± She was right. Uncle Badejo was the only family I know with my mom aside the day Grandma came visiting after my mom died. Tears spilled down my cheeks. ¡°I.. am.. sorry.¡± I mumbled with the bread in my bread. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She said. ¡°No, It wasnt¡­ supposed¡­ to happen.¡± I dropped the bread in the tray. I couldn¡¯t even swallow the portion in my mouth. I felt like my throat was closed. ¡°Am I eligible to know how it happened?¡± She asked. I shook my head. I couldn¡¯t dare look up at her because I was afraid to see the look of disappointment in her expression. I know that I fucked up big time. ¡°I will tell you everything.¡± I sniffed and wiped my face clean. ¡°Okay.. I¡¯m listening.¡± She said. ¡°I was asleep that night when I heard the doorbell. It was sote that I couldn¡¯t even tell who it might be. And it turned out to be Dayo. He was so drunk that I couldn¡¯t ask him to leave.¡± Busayomi was aware that I was trying to avoid Dayo because of Shalewa.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. (FLASHBACK TO FOUR WEEKS AGO) ¡°Why can¡¯t they be like you?¡± He mumbled into my ears. ¡°W.. what are you talking about?¡± I asked. But no response came from him. Maybe he already dozed off. I thought. ¡°Dayo?¡± I tried to get away but his hold on me was tight. I stopped trying. ¡°I.. erm¡­ I keep wondering why they can¡¯t be like you.¡± He moved away from me to look into my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Stop saying nonsense.¡± ¡°I am talking about all the women I have dated.. including Shalewa.¡± ¡°You are drunk. I will go and boil water so you shower to rx your body.¡± I tried to stand up but he pulled me back to the couch. ¡°I don¡¯t want this rtionship with Shalewa.¡± He said soberly. Okay! He¡¯s seriously drunk! That¡¯s why he¡¯s saying nonsense. I concluded. ¡°She¡¯s not the woman I want to be with.¡± He stopped to study my expression. At the same time, I have heard that a drunk man tends to speak the truth in such state. ¡°I don¡¯t like her at all.¡± He said. ¡°You told me that you guys are getting along well. And that you love her.¡± ¡°I.. I.. was only ying along. I have to act like I am in love with her.¡± ¡°You know this is wrong.¡± ¡°Yes.. yes.. I know.. but -¡± he paused. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± A tear slipped down his right cheek. And it breaks my heart to see him cry. And now I see the reason why he has been avoiding Shalewa. ¡°She¡¯s cheating on me.¡± He added. My forehead creased. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Shalewa is a cheat!¡± He spat out. ¡°Wait.. are you for real?¡± I raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°Yes.. yes.. she¡¯s not honest with me.¡± ¡°Well.. you can¡¯t be so sure.¡± ¡°I am 100% sure.¡± He wiped his face and stood up from the couch. ¡°I saw her with him.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The movie she acted one month ago.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I checked out the thriller.¡± I nodded. ¡°She has been cheating on me with the lead actor in that movie. What¡¯s his name again?¡± He tried to remember. ¡°Charles Adams.¡± I answered. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s him! I suspected it at first but had to check her phone to confirm. I asked her about him but she denied it.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°Did you not hear me say that I saw her with him! I saw himing out of her apartment when I went to visit her yesterday. She tried to deny it but I showed her the picture of him which I snapped while he was driving out.¡± I was shocked. ¡°And he hasn¡¯t been the only one. Over the months I have suspected her having affairs with co-actors but she would never admit it anytime I confront her.¡± I tried to control the anger that was trying to stir up within me. Now I get the reason why Shalewa always ask me if Dayo ever told me anything about her! That bitch has been lying to me! She said Dayo has been her crush forever the first day we met. She acted like Dayo was the only man she has ever loved. Such a cheat and a liar! She tried to make me think that I was the reason why Dayo couldn¡¯t pay attention to her whereas she has been sleeping with other men! Shalewa is a Sly! ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± I asked him. I wouldn¡¯t have tried to stay away from Dayo if I knew she was a devil! Sleeping with half of the men she has acted with! Wow! Unbelievable! ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to worry about me.¡± And now that I know won¡¯t it bother me? Won¡¯t I be worried?! ¡°So you decided to drink to stupor because of her?¡± ¡°I was so angry. Not because she cheated but she med it all on me.¡± ¡°Why would she me you?!¡± ¡°She cheated because I haven¡¯t gotten intimate with her.¡± My jaw dropped slightly. ¡°What? And is that true?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± He scratched the back of his neck. ¡°I haven¡¯t slept with her. I can¡¯t do it. I don¡¯t love her and she knows it too. I am only in this rtionship because of my family business. This is all business!¡± ¡°It¡¯s ame excuse for her to cheat because you refused to sleep with her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing it to get back at me for not loving her. God! I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to get married to that witch. And now it¡¯s toote.¡± I went to him. ¡°She would definitely cheat on me if we get married.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to talk to your dad? Tell him everything she has been doing¡­ I am sure he would understand.¡± Dayo shook his head. ¡°No.. he doesn¡¯t understand me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I told him what Shalewa has been doing yesterday but he doesn¡¯t care if she¡¯s a cheat or not. He already spent so much on the wedding so nothing can be done.¡± Wow! Wow! What a father?! How could he do this to his son? He doesn¡¯t even care about his son¡¯s feelings! What a selfish father! All he cares about is money, and his business! If all fathers are like this then I don¡¯t regret not having one. I felt pity for Dayo, so I wanted tofort him. I wrapped my hand around him for a tight hug. Chapter 19 Making love Arike¡¯s POV ¡°What are you going to do?¡± A tear slipped from my eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± He mumbled as he hugged me back. I couldn¡¯t bear to see him hurting. It felt like I was the one hurting badly anytime he was like this. And the reason wasn¡¯t far-fetched. I love him! But I never wanted to admit my feelings because I can¡¯t stand a chance. I have been hiding my feelings since high school. To be honest, it had hurt me to see him date several women. I know I would just remain as a best friend in his life and nothing more so I didn¡¯t try to get my hopes him. ¡°But.. I wish I could just end everything.¡± He pulled away from me. I could see tears at the corners of his eyes. ¡°Hey..¡± he ced both hands on your cheeks. ¡°I know.. I look pitiful but I don¡¯t want you to cry for me.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds this content. I shook my head but I couldn¡¯t stop the tears. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.¡± He kissed my forehead. And the feelings came rushing in ¨C I didn¡¯t want him to stop at just kissing the forehead. ¡°Dayo..¡± I whispered as we stared at each other intently. ¡°Arike..¡± Slowly he brought his face closer to mine that I could feel his breathe on me. He kissed me and I kissed him back. It was my first so I wasn¡¯t really good at it but I managed to go in line with what he was doing. I didn¡¯t want it to end. His hands came down to my waist, pushing me closer to his body as my hands went around his neck. He lifted me up, my legs wrapping around his waist as we didn¡¯t break off the kiss. At that moment I wanted to have all of him not minding the fact that he was soon getting married. Dayo pulled backward to look at me. ¡°We.. we.. shouldn¡¯t -¡± I cut him off with a kiss. He stopped again. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± I threw caution into the wind and kissed him again. We can deal with whatever will happenter. Dayo motioned towards the bedroom. Hey me on the bed as I pulled over my nightie, revealing my naked chest region. I moaned when he sucked on my nipples. I enjoyed everything he did to my body. It wasn¡¯t just sex to me but we made love. And we did it all night long. ¡°That was how it happened.¡± I whispered. ¡°Geez! I know it was your first! But how can you be so dumb to the extent of having sex without protection! You¡¯re 24! I expect you to act up to that age! And as for Dayo.. he¡¯s the one with more experience, he should have known better.¡± ¡°There was no condom.¡± I mumbled. ¡°And so? He should have used the withdrawal method! You both are so dumb!¡± She spat angrily. ¡°He was careful¡­ but we got carried away in the shower and he didn¡¯t remember to¡­ pull out. And it wasn¡¯t his fault¡­ I had forgotten to use the pills he asked me to buy.¡± ¡°Did you buy it?! Obviously No! You didn¡¯t use it.¡± ¡°I forgot.. I totally got busy with work.¡± ¡°Oh my God! What do I do with, Arike?¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry for yourself! So what happened after that?¡± She asked. *FLASHBACK* I woke up to meet empty space beside me. The time was 6:05am. Dayo had left because he promised to leave before anyone wakes up. I felt sad that he didn¡¯t even say goodbye. But relief rushed through me when I heard the shower running in the bathroom. I felt the soreness between my thighs as I got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. I drank a whole ss of water ¨C I was on the third ss when I heard Dayo calling my name. ¡°I am in the kitchen.¡± I shouted. Soon he appeared in the doorway, fully dressed to leave. ¡°Good morning.¡± He greeted with a smile. No shyness. I was a bit shy to look at him but I tried to act normal. ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes¡­.¡± His forehead creased as he studied my expression. ¡°You want me to stay?¡± He asked with a smile. ¡°No.. no¡­ you can go.. I have to prepare for work too.¡± I stuttered. ¡°Alright.¡± He replied. I cleared my throat. ¡°So.. what are you going to do?¡± I asked. Now is the time to deal with our leftover problems. ¡°Call off my wedding just to be with you?¡± ¡°No.. no.. I wasn¡¯t thinking like that. I.. I.. mean¡­ hey.. I know what we didst night nothing. And ¨C¡± I paused. So I can think about everything now. Last night, I didn¡¯t care about anything other than having Dayo. I didn¡¯t know he was close to me until I felt his touch on my face. ¡°Look at me.¡± He said but I didn¡¯t look up at him. ¡°Arike, look at me.¡± I did as he instructed. ¡°Everything we didst night means a whole lot to me.¡± I could see the sincerity in his eyes as I looked into them. ¡°Dayo?¡± I moved away from him. ¡°Listen I have been hiding this feeling for a long time now. I tried to let go by dating other women but I felt drawn to you all the time. And I didn¡¯t want to ruin our friendship that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t take a step to tell you about how I feel.¡± He said. I hope we haven¡¯t ruin this long term friendship because of what happenedst night. ¡°Andst night¡­ felt so real. Now that we have admitted our feelings, I feel like I should call off my wedding just to be with you.¡± I admitted that I love him while in bed and all he did was kiss me without saying a word. ¡°I am not expecting anything from you.¡± Was all I could utter at the moment. I tried to put up a facade that what happenedst night was just for fun. ¡°Last night we just got carried away and let our hormones.. or emotions rule us.¡± I faked a smile. ¡°Seriously? How can you say that after admitting that you love me?¡± He snorted. I avoided his gaze and went over to the sink. ¡°Look¡­ I am not expecting you to call off your wedding and be with me.¡± I started washing the tes in the sink. ¡°Fine.. I know it¡¯s easier said than done but that¡¯s my wish.¡± ¡°Wishes don¡¯te true at times.¡± I said. A wish that can nevere true. It¡¯s toote to call off the wedding. His father would definitely disown him if he does anything stupid. And that means his inheritance will be gone too. Though I feel bad for Dayo, the fact that he¡¯s getting married to someone he doesn¡¯t love but I can¡¯t let him lose everything because of me. Chapter 20 The promise Arike¡¯s POV A wish that can nevere true. It¡¯s toote to call off the wedding. His father would definitely disown him if he does anything stupid. And that means his inheritance will be gone too. Though I feel bad for Dayo, the fact that he¡¯s getting married to someone he doesn¡¯t love but I can¡¯t let him lose everything because of me. ¡°The Awosika Empire is my sole responsibility now. And ¨C¡± I interrupted him. ¡°That¡¯s you can¡¯t call off the wedding.¡± Ipleted his intended statement. ¡°I am sorry.¡± He apologized. I shook my head. ¡°it¡¯s alright. I mean.. you don¡¯t have to apologize. I understand.¡± I faked a smile. We can never be together because he has to save his family business. And I am definitely out of his family league of women. I am not from a rich background. I bit my lower lip as I tried to control my tears but I failed. And I just let them flow freely while my back was against him. I don¡¯t want him to see my tears. ¡°Hey..¡± he touched me and tried to swirl me around but I didn¡¯t bulge. ¡°I am really sorry.¡± He whispered. I nodded. He shouldn¡¯t be apologizing. I was the one who wanted it. He clearly asked if it was fine to get intimate sexually and I said Yes. I was in the position to say no but I chose the other way ¨C Yes. Knowing that I will never get what I want which was to be with HIM. And I wished he had left without saying goodbye maybe I wouldn¡¯t be having this kind of thought. But remembering how I felt when I didn¡¯t see him next to me, I knew I was only decieving myself. ¡°Arike¡­¡± I wiped my face and turned to face him but without looking up at him. ¡°I promise to make things right.¡± Then I looked up at him, trying to understand his words. ¡°Just.. give me a little time. And I promise everything will be fine between us. I promise.¡± We stared intently at each other Dayo rested his forehead on mine before he kissed lips gently. I didn¡¯t open up to him. He didn¡¯t give up so I kissed him back, more tears streaming down my cheeks. I know this would be thest time I would ever be close to him. And I will only get to see him on his wedding day. We expressed everything we needed to say in the kiss before he pulled away from me. ¡°I love you.. and I seriously do.¡± He whispered before he turned and I stopped him. ¡°Dayo?¡± I sobbed. ¡°I love you too.¡± He nodded. ¡°I know¡­ please take care of yourself.¡± He walked out of the kitchen. I stood there for several minutes just crying. And it took me about an hour before I could pull myself together. And I ended up getting to workte. *FLASHBACK ENDS* Busayomi let out a loud sigh. ¡°So your baby father is out there on a honeymoon sponsored by his father inw while you are here crying about finding out that you are pregnant. I am speechless.¡± If I had bought the pills Dayo googled for me then maybe all this wouldn¡¯t be happening now. I med myself. ¡°What¡¯s the next thing you want to do?¡± She asked. I shut my eyes trying to think but nothing urred to me. ¡°You¡¯re definitely not aborting this baby.¡± She said and I nodded in agreement. ¡°You should tell him about the baby.¡± She added. What?! I opened my eyes Immediately. ¡°No! No! No! I am not telling him about the baby!¡± I panicked ¡°What?! Why?¡± She asked with a confused look. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to know.¡± I answered. She frowned. ¡°He deserves to know you¡¯re carrying his child!¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°What are you scared of? His father? Shalewa? Huh! Tell me.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to lose everything.¡± She hissed. ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about him? Think about yourself for once.. for the sake of the baby.¡± I ced my hands on my belly. ¡°No.. if they find out then I would be the bad egg for sleeping with him knowing that he already has a wife.¡± ¡°Oh well madam, you should have thought about this before giving yourself to him!¡± She blurted out Her words hit me badly. ¡°I know.. I know¡­ it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have slept with him.¡± I cried. Her expression soften. ¡°Come on¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I am sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to protect him. He¡¯s already been through a lot because of his marriage to someone he doesn¡¯t love. And I don¡¯t want to be a burden to him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ stop crying.¡± She wiped my tears. Deep down in my heart, I was scared of what his father would do to him and to me. I have nobody, I am not rich enough to stand against Mr Awosika if he decided to take my child away when I give birth. Then I would end up losing on both sides ¨C the man I ever loved and my child too. ¡°We can¡¯t tell him.¡± I said. ¡°Arike¡­ your child needs a father.¡± ¡°No.. please we have to keep it a secret. I beg you.¡± I pleaded. If I can¡¯t have Dayo, at least I can raise his child. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to take my baby away from me.¡± ¡°Okay.. okay¡­ but what about the bump when the baby starts growing?¡± ¡°I.. I.. will think of something when the timees. Moreover I won¡¯t be seeing HIM.¡± She sighed. ¡°What about Bamidele?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Can¡¯t things just get easier for me? Now I have to deal with Bamidele. ¡°I will talk to him.¡± ¡°And what will you say to him?¡± ¡°I am just going end the rtionship.¡± Busayomi shook at head. I agreed to date Bamidele not because I like him but to distract myself from thinking about Dayo. If I had known I was pregnant I wouldn¡¯t have said yes to Bamidele. Now I feel bad for using him. ¡°Will you tell him about the baby?¡± ¡°No.. it will remain a secret between us. I will just tell him the truth that I don¡¯t love him.¡± ¡°Ah!! No! That¡¯s harsh for someone like him! And why agree to date him when you don¡¯t love him?¡± If Bamidele asked the same question what would be my response? I thought deeply. ¡°This is all my fault.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°I pushed you to get to know him and date him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Please let¡¯s not talk about it now.¡± ¡°Okay. I am sorry.¡± She came closer and hugged me. ***** It has been two days since I found out I was pregnant. And today being Tuesday, I decided to visit the hospital for a proper test and check up. I turned in sick at the office on Monday and my boss gave me one week off to rest since I have no case to handle. I have refused to pick up Dayo¡¯s call neither did I reply his text messages plus I have been avoiding Bamidele too. I was feeling guilty and I need to figure out what I would say to him. The doctor confirmed that I was pregnant and gave me advice on what to eat and what to do away from. He handed me a pamphlet titled ¡°Tips for awaiting mothers¡± and he rmended a book to read as a first timer mother ¨C ¡°Motherhood¡± he said that I could get it online. On the very day I found out I was pregnant, I knew I was going to keep it. Abortion never crossed my mind because I didn¡¯t want an innocent soul to pay for my mistake. Moreover sleeping with Dayo wasn¡¯t a mistake, it was what I wanted. I sat in the Uber I had ordered, with the pamphlet and scan result in my hand, I knew my life was going to change. Though it hurts to know that I have to deal with everything alone. You might say I have Busayomi but I wasn¡¯t nning on being a burden to her. She has her life to live. Everything¡¯s going to change from now on. And I just need to figure out a way to keep the baby a secret from Dayo and everyone associated with him. Chapter 21 My Baby鈥檚 Secret Arike¡¯s POV I sat on my bed with a pillow popped up behind my back to make mefortable. I have been in this position for about two hours, only getting out of bed whenever I needed to pee. I was too tired to even wash my dirty clothes in myundry basket. I was too engrossed in browsing online about ¡°pregnancy symptoms, how to stay healthy, how to be a good mother. I have read so much about being pregnant and motherhood.¡± I already embraced the fact that I would be a mother soon. Busayomi had called like five times to check up on me. Her mind was on me and she promised toe with me. My phone beeped next to me. Maybe Busayomi was calling again. I thought. I checked the caller¡¯s ID only to see ¡°Big Mommy¡± on the phone screen. Uncle Badejo¡¯s wife was calling. ¡°Hello Ma.¡± I greeted when I picked the call. ¡°Arike -¡± her voice trailed off. I leaned forward and dropped myptop next to me. ¡°Ma? Ki lo sele ma?¡± I asked, knowing something was wrong. (What happened ma?) She sounded like she was crying. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ your¡­ dad¡­¡± She sobbed. My heartbeat fastly. She was talking about Uncle Badejo. ¡°What happened to him?¡± I asked in a worried tone. She sniffed. ¡°Actually he was involved in a car ident.¡± ¡°What?!¡± I gasped out. But soon tried to rx when I remembered my condition. I have been advised not to stress myself too much. Tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°He¡¯s really in a bad shape, unconscious and¡­ying lifeless. I don¡¯t know what to do, I am so scared right now.¡± She cried. ¡°You have to calm down, when did it happened?¡± I asked ¡°I got a call from the cops yesterday so I have been at the hospital sincest night. And I just called to inform you about it.¡± ¡°Oh my God..¡± I breathed out heavily. ¡°Look Arike, I know you have a life of your own but you really have toe and see your dad. I am sure he will want to see you once he regains consciousness. Pleasee I don¡¯t mind to talk to your boss to give you some time off and I will pay for your flight too.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that..¡± she interrupted me. ¡°I just need someone to be with me right now, I can¡¯t bear this alone.¡± She cried. ¡°I understand and I will call you soon. Please just take care of yourself Ma.¡± ¡°Okay.. okay.. I will be expecting your call.¡± She disconnected the call Dear God, please protect uncle Badejo.. my Dad. Don¡¯t let anything be happen to him. He¡¯s the only family I have left and I don¡¯t want to loose him. Please heal him. I prayed loudly as I paced the room. I searched for my passport in the drawer I had dropped it. I have to leave the country to be with him. Uncle Badejo and Aunty Sade relocated to America some years back, after I gained admission into University. They don¡¯t have a child of their own but two adopted children. Their love for children made them established a Foster home and also running a Daycare services too which was going well. I don¡¯t have much time left. I have to travel out before I regret not leaving. I prayed against every bad thought. Dear God I can¡¯t lose Uncle Badejo now. After much thinking, I realized that perhaps this could be the answer to my prayer. Busayomi came over after I called her up to inform her about Uncle Badejo and my n to leave the country. ¡°So you¡¯re going to leave me?¡± She repeated for the umpteenth time. I sighed. ¡°This is the only way to hide my baby¡­ that way Dayo won¡¯t have to know.¡± ¡°No there must be another way.¡± She whispered. A sad look on her face. I could see the tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave.¡± ¡°I have to -¡± She held my hands. ¡°Listen.. you can go to Uncle Badejo for a while and then when you return we will move to another state where Dayo will never find us. I promise to help you raise your child.¡± I shook my head in disagreement. ¡°This is my problem so I have to deal with it. You have your life and¡­ I want you to be happy.¡± ¡°I want to be happy with you by my side.¡± ¡°No.. it pains me too but I have to go.¡± She embraced tightly. I am already missing her. ¡°I have to ask you for a favor.¡± I pulled away from her. ¡°What is it? Tell me¡­ I will do anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about Dayo.¡± I replied. ¡°I promise to never tell him about the baby. I will keep your baby secret forever.¡± She said. ¡°Thank you but aside that don¡¯t tell him I am leaving the country.¡± She dropped my hands ¡°You know.. it¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t see you then he won¡¯t let me rest and I¡¯m afraid that I might spill the whole truth.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t tell him about the baby.¡± ¡°Sure.. but you have to inform him you are leaving the country.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°And you need to talk to Bamidele too.¡± ¡°Sure.. I will talk to him.¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°When?¡± She asked ¡°Tonight.¡± I answered. ¡°That¡¯s good. I will go ahead and prepare dinner for us while you talk to the traveling agent.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I carried her bag to the room and settled to talk to the agent who booked my ticket thest time I travelled to America. I made it apulsory vacation to visit them during December. That¡¯s the only time I get to see them. I spoke to my agent and some minutester he called to inform me that I should be ready to travel in a week time. I texted Aunty Sade, _uncle Badejo¡¯s wife_ the way my mom used to call her. I told her when I would being over to America and she in turn promised to take care of Uncle Badejo, that I shouldn¡¯t worry too much. A whatsapp message notification from Dayo popped up on my screen. I decided to open all the messages he had sent over the past few days. (I know you are busy that¡¯s why you haven¡¯t replied my messages. I am back to Nigeria now.) That was thest messages he sent about two days ago. (How have you been? I just wanted to tell you that I resumed work today as the CEO. Daddy stepped down so I am running things at the office now. I hope to see you soon.) He sent this one on Monday. (I miss you) The message that just came in now. I closed the message and scroll down to look for the chat with Bamidele. (Hi, we need to talk.) I sent it to him. I went back to Dayo¡¯s message to reply him. (Hi, sorry for thete replies, I haven¡¯t been onlely.) I texted him. (I understand. How are you?) he replied me immediately. I wasn¡¯t expecting one from him soon. (I am fine. But isn¡¯t the CEO supposed to be working?) (I am a bit free now. I am Just waiting for my secretary to bring some files I can sign and then close from work.) He responded. (Okay I hope you enjoyed your honeymoon?) (Not really but it would have been better if it was with you.) I heaved a sigh after reading the message, not knowing what to believe after everything I saw on Shalewa¡¯s Instagram. I read all the caption under each photos she posted until I got tired. I thought they¡¯ve settled their differences and decided to be happy together. Dayo looked really happy in those pictures, making hard for me to believe him. No one would ever detect that he doesn¡¯t want the marriage. A beeping sound from my phone jolted me out of thought. It was an iing video call from Dayo. I declined it. I can¡¯t let him see my puffy face. I was afraid he would see through me and I would end up talking about my baby.. our baby. (I can¡¯t pick up right now, still at the office.) I sent a message to him. It was lie. (I just want to see your face.) (Maybe some other time.) (My schedules are tight but I will always make out time for you whenever you want to see me.) We won¡¯t be seeing each other anytime soon. I wanted to type back but I stopped myself. (Okay) I replied instead. (I have to go. Talk to youter.) I didn¡¯t know a tear had dropped while I was chatting with Dayo. And I found myself crying that I had gotten myself into a situation no one can save me from. Though at the same time I was happy for Dayo. He got what he wanted ¨C to be the CEO of Awosika Empire. I wiped my face and headed out of the room. Chapter 22 I don鈥檛 love you Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Are you okay?¡± Busayomi asked when I entered the kitchen. ¡°Yes.. I am fine.¡± ¡°Rice or swallow?¡± She asked. ¡°Rice¡­ no.. I¡¯d prefer swallow.¡± I answered. ¡°Okay.. I will prepare Eba.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool. Thank you.¡± I brief her about the agent response and all she did was heave out a huge sigh. She wasn¡¯t happy. I grabbed an apple from the refrigerator. ¡°Have you thought about the gender of your baby?¡± She asked. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t given it a thought.¡± ¡°A boy would definitely look like Adedayo.¡± She said. ¡°I don¡¯t want a boy.¡± I resorted Immediately. Sheughed. ¡°So no one would know the truth.¡± ¡°I want a baby girl.¡± I whispered. ¡°Any gender is fine by me as long as I get to be called big mommy.¡± She said. Weughed. I would definitely devote my life to raising my child. ¡°Will you be needing a new box?¡± She asked ¡°Oh Yes! The zip of the old one has worn out.¡± ¡°Okay.. we¡¯ll go probably on Friday or Saturday to get a new one.¡± I nodded. ¡°I will text my boss to let him know I want to resign.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be happy.¡± ¡°I have to go anyways.¡± I shrugged. The doorbell sounded. ¡°Are you expecting someone?¡± She asked. ¡°No, I am not expecting anyone. But -¡± I paused. ¡°I had a chat with Dayo and texted Bamidele too.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s Bamidele.¡± She said. ¡°What if it¡¯s Dayo?¡± I panicked. ¡°Is it obvious that I am pregnant?¡± I touched my face. ¡°Do I look different?¡± She eyed me. ¡°See if you don¡¯t stop acting like this everyone will know that you¡¯re pregnant.¡± She hissed. I rx a bit. ¡°It can be Bamidele.¡± ¡°I will get the door while you pull yourself together. Rx okay?¡± I nodded and Busayomi walked out of the kitchen.N?velDrama.Org holds this content. ¡°I aming!¡± She shouted to calm whoever was at the door. Dayo won¡¯t be stupid enough to leave work ande here. I just hope he is not the one at the door. I am not ready to face him. ¡°Arike, Bamidele is here!¡± I heaved a sigh of relief. Oh thank Goodness! Now I have to deal with Bamidele. I went into the sitting room to meet Bamidele smiling brilliantly at Busayomi as they talked. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here,¡± he said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you too.¡± She replied with augh. ¡°How is work?¡± ¡°Stressful.. but I have no choice.¡± Heughed. ¡°ABI o.. we have to work to put food on the table.¡± Busayomi answered while Bamidele and I exchanged nces. ¡°I am preparing dinner, would you like some food?¡± She asked. ¡°Well.. I am not sure. I am okay for now.¡± ¡°Okay so.. I¡¯ll just leave you two to talk.¡± She shot me apose yourself look before walking away. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes.. I am fine. Please take a seat.¡± ¡°Thank you. I finished up my work at the office so decided to drop by since you wanted to talk.¡± He said. I rubbed my palms together. ¡°Ahm.. I am leaving the country.¡± I announced. He shot me a shocked look. ¡°Why? And how long have you been nning it?¡± ¡°I received a call from my Aunt today. My uncle was involved in an ident.¡± He came to sit beside me on the couch. ¡°Is that why you texted saying we needed to talk?¡± I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You have to go and see your uncle.¡± He held my hands. ¡°I can help with the flight ticket.¡± ¡°No.. it¡¯s all sorted out.¡± ¡°So when will you be back?¡± He asked Now here is the main issue! I withdrew from his touch and stood up from the couch. ¡°The truth is that¡­¡± I paused. ¡°What truth?¡± He asked. ¡°I am noting back. I will be staying for a really long time.¡± He raised his eyebrows. ¡°Why do you have to relocate abroad? Is it something that serious?¡± He came to me. ¡°I just want to be with my dad.¡± I responded without looking up at him. ¡°No.. no.. you can¡¯t leave like that. What about me? What about us?¡± I breathed out heavily. ¡°That¡¯s why I think we should break up.¡± I blurted out. ¡°Just like that?¡± He gasped out. I could see the hurt in his expression. I should have been more careful with my words. ¡°Our rtionship isn¡¯t even up to a month and you just want to end things just like that?¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°Tell me the truth¡­ Arike this is not just about your dad!¡± I turned away from him. ¡°It¡¯s.. It¡¯s about him.¡± I lied ¡°No¡­ we¡¯re not ending things like this. Look -¡± he swirled me to face him. ¡°I aming with you.¡± What?! My jaw droppedpletely. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for my papers and then.. we can leave together.¡± He is Insane! Definitely! He is funny to think that I would allow that to happen. ¡°No, Bamidele you can¡¯te with me.¡± I objected. ¡°Why not?¡± He cupped my face. ¡°My girlfriend is relocating abroad so why can¡¯t I do the same?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t -¡± He interrupted me. ¡°There¡¯s no point in staying back when you¡¯re moving out.¡± ¡°You have a work here.¡± ¡°I can get one over there too. We are not breaking up.¡± He said seriously. What do I do? ¡°Why would you want to relocate abroad without talking to me about it? Don¡¯t you care about me?¡± He asked. ¡°I care about you.¡± I answered. He sighed and rubbed his face with his palms. ¡°I need you to be honest with me..¡± he stopped. My heartbeat elerated. Does he know I am pregnant? ¡°Do you truly love me?¡± He asked. ¡°Why are you asking me?¡± ¡°Because you can¡¯t just make a decision to relocate abroad without telling your boyfriend? If you truly love me.. then you would have waited for my say before even booking a ticket.¡± ¡°My dad is ina!¡± ¡°Not an excuse to want to leave just like that!¡± He said defensively. Wepsed into silence for some seconds. ¡°Do you love me, Arike?¡± He asked again. This is the point! I can¡¯t continue deceiving him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t love you.¡± I said honestly. He turned away from me. ¡°I knew it.¡± He snorted under his breath. ¡°I am sorry.¡± ¡°No.. don¡¯t be please.¡± He forcrd a smile to appear on his face. ¡°I really tried to but-¡± ¡°Nothing worked.. you possibly can¡¯t feel the same way I feel because of who I used to be.¡± ¡°No.. no.. that¡¯s not true.¡± I countered. ¡°Stop lying to me. I could tell you doubted me when I said I wasn¡¯t gay anymore.¡± He said. ¡°No! That¡¯s not true! I swear.. I never really cared about your sexuality.¡± I said sincerely. ¡°So why can¡¯t you love me?¡± ¡°Bamidele -¡± ¡°Oh! Ouch! I think I know -¡± he hit his forehead. How do I exin things to him without involving Dayo or my baby. ¡°It must be because of him. Dayo is the one you love.¡± He gritted. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t deny it. I have my reasons for concluding that it¡¯s him. Aside from being his best friend, you feel something for him. And you and I both know the truth.¡± I dare not utter a word. I just let the tears flow freely. I know Bamidele was deeply hurt and angry but he was trying to act cool and calm. ¡°From your silence.. I guess am right. So which means you only got along with me to distract yourself from whatever you¡¯re feeling for Dayo.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± I tried to deny but he cut me off by raising his hand up. ¡°Okay you find it easy to leave because you don¡¯t think about me. Arike, for a moment, I thought we were real. I thought I was finally having this happiness I have always wanted but -¡± he paused and shook his head. ¡°I was wrong.¡± Hepleted. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, it¡¯s my fault. I will assume that I was too forward with you. And I should have respected your decision to remain just friends.¡± He said ¡°Bamidele?¡± Busayomi called him Thank Goodness, maybe she could help me talk to him. Chapter 23 Goodbye Arike¡¯s POV Bamidele turned to face her. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think¡­¡± She added. ¡°So what should I think?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± She said. I looked up at her. Now she wants to take all the me. ¡°I was the one who pestered her to give you a chance..¡± ¡°So it was against her will to date me?¡± ¡°Kind off..¡± she scratched her neck. That was partly untrue. He shook his head. ¡°You know what? I think this is where I have to ept the break up.¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± I mumbled again. ¡°Can you stop saying sorry?!¡± He snapped. ¡°Calm down Bamidele¡­¡± Busayomi cautioned him in a soft tone. ¡°I know you are hurting but -¡± He interrupted her. ¡°Well.. I hope you have a good life abroad, Arike.¡± Onest look at me and then he was on his way out. Bamidele was heartbroken but he did a great job at hiding it. Busayomi hugged after he left. ¡°Don¡¯t worry everything will be fine.. soon.¡± I hope everything will be fine soon. FIVE DAYS LATER I would be leaving Nigeria tomorrow, and I haven¡¯t gotten the courage to tell Adedayo about it. I wanted to leave without informing him but Busayomi kicked against it. I haven¡¯t heard from Bamidele ever since he left my home. I tried to text him, apologizing for my wrong deeds but he read the messages but never replied. I knew that I had lost a very good friend though I wished things didn¡¯t turn out this way between us. Busayomi went out to buy some items which Aunty Sade asked me to bring along. And everything would be set for me to leave. I picked up my phone to get things done once and for all. An iing video call came in as soon as I switched on my data connection. Talking of the Devil ¨C Dayo. I declined butter switched to Voice Call.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Hi Adedayo,¡± I said ¡°Hi Arike, how are you?¡± He asked. ¡°I am good. What about you?¡± ¡°Bored¡­¡± He grumbled. ¡°And Shalewa?¡± I asked. ¡°Shalewa isn¡¯t home.¡± He replied. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Working on a new movie.¡± He replied ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I just finished up some files and decided to call to check on you.¡± ¡°I was just about to call you too.¡± I muttered. ¡°Sounds like we were thinking about each other.¡± He said ¡°I need to tell you something.¡± I said after breathing in and out heavily. It¡¯s gettingte, why hasn¡¯t Busayomi returned from the store? I thought within as my gaze flickered to the time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked. ¡°I am relocating abroad.¡± ¡°What?! Are you serious?¡± He sounded surprised. ¡°Yes..¡± I exined the reason to him. Uncle Badejo was still ina. ¡°Listen.. why relocate when you can just be with them for some time and then return?¡± ¡°No¡­ I think it¡¯s better to stay there with him. It¡¯s the less I can do to repay him for everything he has done for me.¡± ¡°Okay.. you¡¯re right. And if that¡¯s what you want, no problem. So do you want me to arrange the private jet for you?¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary. I already booked a flight.¡± I answered. ¡°When are you leaving?¡± ¡°Tomorrow morning. My flight is at 7:00am¡± ¡°Tomorrow? How long have you been nning it?¡± He gaped. ¡°Almost a week.¡± ¡°Wow! Seems like you were nning to leave without telling me.¡± I thought of what to say without him thinking I didn¡¯t want to tell him about it. ¡°I have been busy arranging things.¡± ¡°Arike?¡± He called after a few seconds of silence. ¡°I know things has been really awkward between us since we got intimate sexually. But I don¡¯t want think that you¡¯re relocating because of me or what happened between us.¡± ¡°No it¡¯s not -¡± He cuts me off. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard¡­ I mean to see me married to someone else.¡± I am leaving because I am carrying your child. I said within. I sighed. ¡°Dayo, I am not leaving because of what happened. I Just want to be close to my dad. And now that he¡¯s sick, his wife would need extra help running the Foster Home.¡± I exined calmly so he won¡¯t detect that I wasn¡¯tpletely honest with him. ¡°Okay.. I understand. I will call you tomorrow.¡± And with that he disconnected the call. I fought the cry to break down and cry as I ced my hands on my belly, caressing it gently. NEXT MORNING At 6:00am, I was set up to leave for the airport. ¡°Have you taken your diary?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°Yes, I already packed everything into the box.¡± I pointed out. ¡°Good, the Uber driver is almost here.¡± ¡°Maybe we should bring the bags outside.¡± I suggested. ¡°Yes so we won¡¯t keep him waiting when hees.¡± She agreed. I grabbed one box while she took the other one. We made our way out of the apartment. Busayomi checked her phone. ¡°Let¡¯s bring it outside the gate, he¡¯ll be here in two minutes.¡± She said. I locked the doors and handed her the keys before we motioned towards the gate. My heart beat skipped beats at a time when Dayo stepped out of the car. I wasn¡¯t expecting to see him before leaving the country. Busayomi and I exchanged nces. Is Dayo the Uberman? I wanted to ask but she was surprised as I was. ¡°Good Morning, Dayo.¡± She greeted. ¡°Good Morning.¡± He answered. ¡°I just thought that I should take you to the airport.¡± He added. ¡°Thanks but there¡¯s no need. We already booked Uber sincest night.¡± Busayomi replied. The Uberman was Busayomi¡¯s course mate in school. So it was easy to talk him into driving us to airport very early today. A car horn caught our attention. ¡°Oh! He¡¯s here!¡± Busayomi announced. She took the boxes from me. ¡°I¡¯ll put the boxes in the car.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°So¡­ this so where I have to say goodbye.¡± He huffed. ¡°Text me your address and phone number when you get there. So I can always check on you whenever I am out for a business trip.¡± He added. I nodded but in my mind I won¡¯t be doing anything of what he asked of me. I already envisioned a farther apart as I decided to cut ties with Dayopletely. It¡¯s the only way to protect my baby. ¡°I am going to miss you.¡± He stepped close to me. I forced a smile on my face. ¡°Likewise.¡± I muttered. Then he embraced me. ¡°I am still going to keep to my promise.¡± He whispered into my ear. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask too much. I love you, Arike.¡± He added. I love you too. I wanted to say it out but I kept my words at Bay. I withdrew from the hug. ¡°You take care of yourself okay?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Stay Safe. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± I said before walking towards the car. Onest nce at Dayo, he waved and I did the same too before entering the car. The engine roared into life as the driver made a u-turn. I let down the tears that had threatened to spill in front of Dayo. I felt Busayomi touch on my hands. I looked up to see her arms spread for me to hug her. And I adjusted into them. ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t cry.¡± She Pat me. I hoped that I was doing the right thing. I am just doing everything from my unborn child. Chapter 24 He is awake Arike¡¯s POV UNITED STATE OF AMERICA ¡°Arike!¡± I heard a familiar voice that didn¡¯t call my name the right way. I whipped around in the airport, a smile spreading across my face as I saw aunty Sade and Daniel waving at me. Daniel was the designated driver working at the Foster Home. I have known him for four years now and he was pretty close to my uncle. ¡°I missed you so much!¡± Aunty Sade said with an half smile. ¡°I missed you too!¡± I hugged her. I exchanged pleasantries with Daniel who was about my age. ¡°Good to see you again, Arike!¡± Daniel grinned as he collected my boxes. ¡°Likewise Daniel.¡± I replied. We made it out of the airport to the car. I hopped into the back seat with Aunty Sade while Daniel loaded the boxes in the booth. ¡°You must be really tired.¡± Aunty Sade said. ¡°Not really ma, I am okay.¡± I am more concerned about my uncle who was still unconscious in the hospital. ¡°What about Busayomi?¡± She asked ¡°Oh she¡¯s good! And she sent her greetings too.¡± ¡°I am sure she won¡¯t be happy about youing over.¡± I shook my head. ¡°She promised to visit soon.¡± I responded. Daniel started the car. ¡°What about Adedayo?¡± My heartbeat elerated at the mention of his name. I fiddled with my fingers trying to keep calm. ¡°I heard he got married.¡± She added. I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing and I am happy for him.¡± My hands were shaking. ¡°He¡¯s gonna miss you too!¡± She let out a softugh. ¡°Ah! Dayo the troublesome boy! yful Dayo is now a married man!¡± She called him troublesome Dayo when we were little. Whenever hees over to say hi at our home, he was always everywhere, talking to my uncle and his wife, keeping theirpany while I spend my time doing our homeworks or helping him with his notes. Those moments came crashing into my mind ¨C Days I had spent with him as a best friend. I reopened my eyes when I felt a touch on my hand. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked. ¡°Me? Yes! Yes¡­ I am fine.¡± I withdrew from her. ¡°You don¡¯t look too well. Are you sick?¡± She examined my palms with a worried look on her face. ¡°I am okay¡­ let just worry about dad.¡± I said ¡°He¡¯s going to be fine.¡± She gave me a reassuring smile. Aunty Sade doesn¡¯t know that I wasn¡¯t returning back to Nigeria. She thought I was here for a vacation like I used to. But sooner she would find out because I have to tell her I am pregnant. ¡°Is there something bothering you?!¡± We exchanged nces. I know I looked distracted and disturbed and distant. I was lost in thought. ¡°Talk to me¡­¡± She smiled. ¡°Actually¡­ a lot of things happened back home.¡± I mumbled. ¡°What is it?¡± She asked looking straight in my eyes as if she was starting into my soul. I broke the eye contact and looked out the window. No! I wasn¡¯t ready to tell her about it. She already had so much to handle. Definitely not with Daniel here¡­ maybeter I¡¯ll summon the courage. ¡°I will tell you everything when we get home.¡± I noticed Daniel looking at me through the mirror but I didn¡¯t pay attention to him. ¡°You look tired.¡± He said. ¡°I will like to visit daddy before going home.¡± I said ignoring Daniel. ¡°No, you need to rest we can check in tomorrow.¡± I shook my head in agreement. ¡°You need to rest too.¡± I pointed to the dark circles beneath her eyes. No doubt, she hasn¡¯t had a good rest since Uncle Badejo got admitted. Finally we reached the house. The children rushed towards me, screaming my name. ¡°Miss Arike!!¡± ¡°Hello Babies!¡± Iughed, hugging each one of them. I noticed new faces amongst the children and was ready to get to know them. ¡°Miss Arike, it¡¯s good to have you back here again! The children really missed you!¡± Isabe, one of the workers around said excitedly. ¡°I missed you all too!¡± Aunty Sade Introduced the children and two new staffs to me. ¡°Miss Arike, what about your best friend?¡± A five years old girl named Danie asked. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± She tried to remember. ¡°The one that was herest year!¡± Steven pped his hands. ¡°Miss Bu-Bu-¡± Danie stopped with a sigh. I decided to help her out after seeing the look of frustration on her face. ¡°My friend, Busayomi is doing okay!¡± ¡°Is sheing tomorrow?¡± Another girl asked. ¡°No but she promised to visit us soon!¡± I replied. The children screamed, excitement on their faces. ¡°You should rest now.¡± Aunty Sade whispered to me after I have spent a good time with the children. I nodded in agreement. I was tired. She beckoned to two staffs to help me with my boxes into my room. ¡°Take a shower while I ask someone to prepare something for you.¡± ¡°Thank you ma¡± I went into my room, searched for the line I always switch into whenever I was here. It was still intact as I had kept it in the drawer. I would change the number so that Dayo won¡¯t be able to reach me. And I had warned Busayomi to never share it with him. It is so sad that I didn¡¯t get to see Bamidele before leaving Nigeria. He must be really angry at me for using him. I slipped out of my clothes after fixing the line into the phone. I deleted Dayo¡¯s number, promising myself that I would never call him even though I know his number by heart. I sent a text to Busayomi to let her know I was home. I went into the bathroom to shower and did my thing. As soon as I finished wearing my nightie, knock sounded on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± I said. Aunty Sade walked in with a tray in her hand. ¡°Dinner,¡± she said I went to collect the tray from her. ¡°Thank you ma.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Then she walked away. ******************* I woke up to feeling nauseous and sick. I managed to get out of bed before I messed up the whole ce. I threw up in the toilet. God! This feeling is sickening! Tears pooled up in my eyes. ¡°Arike! Arike! Are you in the bathroom?!¡± I heard Aunty Sade¡¯s voice in the room. ¡°Yes Ma!¡± I responded. I rinsed my face and flushed the toilet before moving out to meet her. ¡°Good morning ma,¡± I greeted. ¡°Bawo ni? Se o sun dada?¡± She asked in our nativenguage. How are you? Did you slept well? ¡°Yes Ma.¡± ¡°Breakfast is rea -¡± she was interrupted by a beeping sound. I looked around. ¡°Oh sorry¡­ it¡¯s my phone.¡± She reached for her apron where she kept her phone.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Hello¡­ yeah.. I am Mrs Sade¡­.¡± She looked at me. ¡°I am his wife.. is everything okay?¡± I moved closer to her, my heart pounding hard against my chat. It must be a call from the hospital. ¡°Please¡­ how¡­ is my husband?¡± She asked shakily. Soon a smile broke out on her face. ¡°He is awake!¡± She said. Relief rushed through me. ¡°Yes¡­ I will be on my way!¡± Then she disconnected the call. ¡°Your dad is awake!¡± She said, tear dropped down her cheek. Chapter 25 I Quit My Job Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Thank God!¡± We said in unison as we hugged each other. ¡°I aming with you.¡± I said when she pulled away from me. ¡°Yes¡­ I am sure your dad would be happy to see you. Get dressed while I change too.¡± ¡°Yes Ma.¡± She rushed out of my room. I had the quickest bathe, feeling excited to see my uncle and thankful that he had made it through. I could see the smiles on everyone faces when I stepped out of my room. They are definitely happy the boss was awake. ¡°Let¡¯s go..¡± she gestured to me. ¡°Isabe, take care of the kids. We won¡¯t stay too long okay?¡± ¡°I understand ma¡¯am.¡± She replied. We got into the car and made the trip to the hospital. ***** Aunty Sade hurried to the reception desk. ¡°Please, I am here to see my husband who has been in ICU for some days now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the patient name?¡± Thedy asked. ¡°Mr Badejo Thompson.¡± ¡°Oh! He has been moved to ward 206. Just go down the corridor and look -¡± Aunty Sade didn¡¯t wait for the receptionist to finish giving directions. I tried to keep up with her but she was moving too fast. ¡°Walk fast Arike.¡± Finally we got to the ward where the doctor was just stepping out. ¡°Excuse me, doctor.¡± Aunty Sade stopped him. He stopped to look at us. ¡°Oh ma¡¯am¡­¡± A look of recognition registered on his face. ¡°Your husband is awake.¡± ¡°How is he doing now?¡± I asked. The daughter gave me a who-are-you look. ¡°She¡¯s my daughter.¡± Aunty Sade said. ¡°Oh! Miss! Your dad is doing just fine.¡± ¡°Oh.. thank goodness.¡± I mumbled. ¡°He should be discharged In few days time.¡± ¡°Thank you doctor. Can we go in to see him?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes¡­ you can go in.¡± We both thanked the doctor again before he walked away. I was relief by the doctor¡¯s words. I was thankful to God for giving my uncle a chance to live again. ¡°I am so happy he made it. ¡± She said happily. I looked at the face of the woman who treated me like her own child. I don¡¯t have a memory of her maltreating me when I was little. I could remember the day she said that I was the child she never had. And I don¡¯t know if I would ever be able to repay them for their kindness. I saw the tears in her eyes when she pulled away from me. I could imagine how she had felt this past few days. She must have been scared of losing her husband. You can only understand this feeling if you¡¯ve had a loved one who was at the point of death or that pain of losing a loved one to the cold hands of death. ¡°Let¡¯s go in -¡± she held the knob of the door and opened it for me to walk in. A shocking look appeared on his face when his eyes fell on me. ¡°A¡­ ri.. ke¡± he called me in a low tone, stretching his forward for me to hold him. He was in a bad shape. Bandage wrapped around his head stitches on face and bruises on some part of his body. ¡°Dad¡­¡± My voice trailed off as I held his hand, tears dropping down my cheeks. His wife adjusted the bed for him to sit up. ¡°Honey.¡± He managed to smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ I know you asked me not to pester her about visiting us this year but I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°Dad, she did the right thing by letting me know about your situation.¡± ¡°And the next thing you did was fly over. What about your work?¡± He asked. ¡°Darling it¡¯s not time to scold anybody.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°Everyone is happy that you survived the crash.¡± I added. He squeezed my hands gently. ¡°I am so happy to see you.¡± He smiled. ¡°See you now o¡­ father and daughter aren¡¯t you d that I called her.¡± ¡°Please mommmyyy.¡± Iughed. ¡°Always acting stubborn¡­ Let me tell you something, he nned to visit you in Nigeria since he couldn¡¯t reach you for a while.¡± Sheughed out. ¡°Is that true?¡± I asked him. ¡°I was just worried about you. Thework was so bad.¡± He stopped. ¡°I missed you.¡± He admitted. ¡°Oh.. someone is emotional now.¡± She teased. ¡°Please I am talking to my daughter.¡± We allughed. It was a good one. I watched aunty Sade being touchy with her husband. ¡°Ouch¡­ this stitches has spoiled your handsome face.¡± She said soberly ¡°I am still going to heal..¡± He mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t care about the scars as long as you are with me.¡± She kissed him. I smiled when he looked at me. ¡°Hey.. haven¡¯t you been eating well?¡± He asked me. ¡°Ermm.. I have been -¡± ¡°You look pale, are sick my dear?¡± His eyes examined me. ¡°No, I am not sick.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s work stress.¡± Aunty Sade added.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. I was sure this wasn¡¯t the right time to talk about my condition. In thest few days, my mind has been on what their reactions would be if I told them I was pregnant. What would they say when I break the news that Dayo was the father of my child? Would they ept my decision to keeping my baby a secret? Series of questions has stomped my mind. To be honest I wasn¡¯t ready to tell them. ¡°Arike, how long would you be staying?¡± He asked. ¡°Ahm¡­ the truth is that -¡± I paused to study their expression ¨C happy. ¡± I will be staying for a long time.¡± I added, still looking at them. Now their expressions wasn¡¯t happy anymore. It was filled with mixed emotions. Confusion and surprise. ¡°Why? But you didn¡¯t tell me you would be staying for a long time,¡± Aunty Sade said. ¡°What about your work?¡± Uncle Badejo asked. I avoided making an eye contact with them. ¡°I resigned at work too.¡± ¡°What?!¡± They both said in unison. ¡°Why? Is it because of me?¡± Uncle Badejo asked. A hint of guilt in his tone. There¡¯s something else but I bit back my words. ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t have done that, being awyer is what you¡¯ve ever wanted. Why quit now?¡± He argued. ¡°I am sorry. I.. I.. just thought it would be best to be with you.. that¡¯s all¡± I mumbled. It was partly true. Then wepsed into silence for some seconds before uncle badejo spoke up again. Tears flowed down my cheeks as I fiddled with my fingers. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ you can stay.¡± He said. ¡°Thank you sir.¡± ¡°Now stop crying¡­¡± Aunty Sade rubbed my back to calm me down. TWO WEEKS LATER Uncle Badejo was discharged from the hospital about a week ago. Some stitches on his face has been taken out leaving minor scars on the surface. He doesn¡¯t look sick with the energy he is giving to the children at the home. He was back to working at the home. I need to talk him. I can¡¯t keep hiding forever and my mind was made up to tell them everything. At this point I don¡¯t mind what they would say, how they would feel or what they would think of me. I can¡¯t hide my baby from them forever, moreover they are the only ones who can help me. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re awake!¡± Uncle Badejo beamed when he saw me. ¡°Yes sir.. where is mom?¡± I asked. He looked around to find her but she wasn¡¯t anywhere near. ¡°I saw her with Juan not quite long, maybe she¡¯s in the kitchen now.¡± He said. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± He asked as he studied my face. ¡°Yes¡­ we need to talk.¡± He gave the toddler he was carrying to one of the female staffs. ¡°Take care of him.¡± ¡°Okay sir.. I¡¯ll put him in the crib.¡± Thedy responded. ¡°Very good¡­ Let¡¯s talk in my office.¡± ¡°Breakfast is ready!¡± Aunty Sade announced as she came walking towards us. ¡°I¡¯ll eat after I talk to Arike.¡± ¡°Is everything alright?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I just need to talk to the both of you.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ let me just drop this in the kitchen.¡± She removed her apron and motioned towards the kitchen. ¡°Meet us in my office.¡± He shouted behind her. We went into his office and it didn¡¯t take long for Aunty Sade to join us. ¡°You can talk now.¡± He said. ¡°I have done something wrong and I know you¡¯ll both be angry once I tell you what this is about.¡± They exchanged nces. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything wrong since you got here.¡± Aunty Sade said. ¡°Except that you resigned without consulting me.¡± Uncle Badejo added. Chapter 26 My Decision Arike¡¯s POV ¡°I am sorry about that.¡± I apologized ¡°Speak¡­.¡± he gestured to me. I swallowed hard to get rid of the lump that has formed in my throat in a short while as I ced my hand on my belly. ¡°Arike?¡± He called. ¡°I am pregnant.¡± I blurted out. I expected to hear gasps of shock from them but nothing came from them. I looked up hoping to see a surprised or disappointed look but their expressions was normal. What¡¯s going on? Why aren¡¯t they screaming at me? Didn¡¯t they hear me clearly? ¡°I am going to have a baby.¡± I rephrased my words. Nothing changed. Uncle Badejo sighed. ¡°We know.¡± ¡°What?¡± My jaw dropped slightly. ¡°We know you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Aunty Sade said My heart beat elerated. ¡°Howe? I haven¡¯t mentioned it to anyone since I got here.¡± ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t know? I raised you so I practically know so much about you. Since you got here, you¡¯ve been acting sick, throwing up and looking pale -¡± she paused. ¡°Those are the symptoms of pregnancy. I know everything about pregnancy though I don¡¯t have a child of my own.¡± She said soberly. ¡°We figured it out already since you told your mom many things happened in Nigeria. So we just put two and two together¡­ and decided that we would wait for you to tell us about it.¡± Uncle Badejo said. ¡°I am sorry for not telling you before now.¡± I looked down. ¡°I was working up the courage-¡± Uncle Badejo interrupted me. ¡°Who is the father?¡± At this point my heart skipped two beats at a time. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°Oh! Arike don¡¯t tell us you don¡¯t know the father of your child.¡± Uncle Badejo said. ¡°Come one darling, we raised her well. I am sure she wouldn¡¯t give herself to just any man.¡± Aunty Sade countered. I feel like I have failed her. ¡°I do know the father of my child.¡± ¡°Tell us who he is¡­¡± ¡°Da¡­ it¡¯s Adedayo.¡± They both exchanged nces before looking back at me. Now that expression I was expecting was right there. Uncle Badejo came close to me, cing his hands on my shoulder. ¡°Dayo? Do you have¡­ another Dayo or still the same Dayo?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Dayo.. my best friend.¡± I replied. He gave my shoulder a small squeeze. ¡°Are you dating him?¡± He asked. ¡°Dating? You can¡¯t be serious Arike! Dayo is married!¡± Aunty Sade reminded him. He shook his head as the squeezed got harder. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­.¡± heughed. ¡°How did he be the father of your child? Have you been dating him before he got married andter found out you¡¯re pregnant? Tell me how it happened!¡± He snarled as he released me. ¡°I¡­ I slept with him¡­¡± I stopped to blink back tears. ¡°Few¡­ days to his wedding.¡± They both gasped in shock. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious..¡± he turned away from me.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± ¡°You should be sorry for yourself!¡± He snapped. ¡°Calm down darling¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to calm down! She slept with-¡± he stopped. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening!¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± I whispered. More tears dropping my face. He breathed out heavily as he looked at me. ¡°What¡¯s he saying about the baby?¡± He asked ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± Aunty Sade asked too. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know I am pregnant.¡± ¡°Now¡­ this is serious.¡± He mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell about it¡­¡± I sobbed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want him to know.¡± I replied ¡°Why?¡± He asked again. Would they ever understand my reason for wanting to keep my baby a secret? ¡°I am¡­ just scared.¡± ¡°Of what?¡± He asked but I didn¡¯t reply. ¡°We¡¯re here for you, Arike.¡± Aunty Sade said. ¡°He¡¯s married¡­ and¡­ I don¡¯t want to get into any trouble with his father because of me.¡± I cried as I exined my reason. ¡°So you want to hide it from him? That¡¯s why you moved her permanently?¡± He asked. I nodded Yes. ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t given it a thought¡­¡± I answered. ¡°But you know that your child will need a father. When the timees your child will want to see him.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of my baby.¡± ¡°No¡­ I won¡¯t support this your decision¡± he objected ¡°Dad.. please¡­¡± I pleaded. ¡°You should have thought of the consequences of sleeping with Dayo!¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± Aunty Sade tried to caution him. ¡°I am talking!¡± He snapped. ¡°You have to tell him you¡¯re carrying his child! He deserves to know!¡± ¡°No he doesn¡¯t have know. He can¡¯t leave anything because of us! Nothing is going to change if I tell him about it! And I don¡¯t want to see him lose everything¡­. dad¡­¡± ¡°Get out!¡± He said. ¡°Dad¡­¡± ¡°I am disappointed in you! I didn¡¯t raise you to end up like this Arike!¡± ¡°I said I am sorry..¡± I cried. ¡°Arike! Get out of my office!¡± He said angrily. ¡°Dad¡­ don¡¯t push me out¡­¡± I begged him. He turned away. ¡°Just leave now!¡± He spat. Aunty Sade gestured to me to leave and I did as he wanted. He was angry. He has every right to be disappointed and angry at me because I have failed him. Uncle Badejo was never the type to express his anger especially towards me. Over the years he had been careful of everything he said to me. All he ever did was show me so much love and care. He never yelled at me like he did today. ¡°Darling, you can¡¯t treat her like that..¡± I heard aunty Sade¡¯s voice. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant without a husband or even a fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°At least she knows who the father is.¡± She said. ¡°But she doesn¡¯t want him to know. How would you feel finding out that your child is somewhere growing without you knowing.¡± ¡°Arike needs us now¡­ more than ever. She¡¯s our child. We can¡¯t push her away because she made a mistake. Moreover who says having a baby is a mistake?¡± I couldn¡¯t stand to hear anymore of their words. I ran back to my room and fell on the bed. I cried my eyes out before drifting off to sleep with just one prayer on my lips. ¡°I hope he forgives me.¡± ********** I woke up to hearing hushed voices in my room. Slowly I opened my sleepy eyes only to see uncle Badejo and his wife in my room. I sat up quickly, resting my head on the headboard immediately I felt a little bit dizzy. ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for so long.¡± Aunty Sade said. I nced out the window, it was already so dark. ¡°We brought you dinner.¡± Aunty Sade said as she dropped a tray she was carrying on myp. I looked at Uncle Badejo, he wasn¡¯t smiling. ¡°Eat up.. you need to be healthy for the baby.¡± He said. Is this a good news? I thought. I nodded and picked the spoon to eat. ¡°I already spoke to my doctor and she asked us to bring you to the hospital tomorrow for check up.¡± He added. This is the answer to my prayers. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the expenses, we¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± Aunty Sade added. ¡°Tha.. thank you very much.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank us. You¡¯re our child. And we have to take care of our grandchild too.¡± She smiled. ¡°I am still against your decision of keeping the baby from Dayo.¡± Uncle Badejo cuts in. Aunty Sade shot him a re. ¡°Darling we already talked about it.¡± ¡°Yes.. okay.. I¡¯ll pretend like I have epted her decision to keep the baby from the father but don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡± He left. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to him. I am sure he woulde around soon.¡± She patted my back. Well I hope so too. I can¡¯t stand him being angry at me. Chapter 27 She is getting married Arike¡¯s POV FIVE YEARS LATER ¡°Seems like my little princess still needs to get some sleep.¡± Uncle Badejo carried sleeping Iteoluwa from the couch and swirled her around to keep her awake. ¡°Grandpa! Grand¡­ pa!¡± She giggled. ¡°Wake up! Wake up! It¡¯s time for school!¡± He tickled her. Sheughed. I handed some of the kids backpacks to them as I call the names on each tag. ¡°She didn¡¯t sleep early!¡± Uncle Badejo red at me. I went to him. ¡°Yes dad.. she didn¡¯t get enough rest.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She was up talking to her godmother and won¡¯t let me have a chat with her.¡± I exined. ¡°Is that true princess?¡± ¡°Yes Grandpa¡­ big mommy promise to.. to.. to buy me a big teddy bear!¡± She pped her hands in excitement. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s so sweet! But you have lots of teddy bears princess.¡± She nodded. ¡°Zoe wants a sibling too.¡± Weughed. Iteoluwa did a great job at naming all her toys. So a pink teddy named Zoe was thest one her grandpa bought for her. ¡°Okay¡­ Zoe is gonna get a sibling¡­ definitely. But it¡¯s now time to go to school.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better for her to stay back and rest?¡± Aunty Sade asked as she tried to carry Iteoluwa but he refused. These old people will never stop fighting over who would carry my child. I have to deal with them each day. ¡°You have her now but I am going to feed her today.¡± He handed her Iteoluwa to have a good bargain with his wife. ¡°That¡¯s not a deal.¡± She winked. ¡°Really? I think it¡¯s better for princess to decided who she wants to feed -¡± Iughed. ¡°Please it¡¯s time to go to school.¡± I don¡¯t want to stand them arguing or neither putting my child in a situation to choose. Thest Iteoluwa was made to choose who would feed her she ended up crying because none of her grandparents wanted to agree to her terms. ¡°Let¡¯s go princess.¡± Uncle Badejo matched out of the house singing along with other kids to the school bus. ¡°Bye.. bye grandma.¡± She waved ¡°Such a lovely girl..¡± Aunty Sade said with a sweet smile. I don¡¯t need to tell you how much they both love their grandchild. ¡°Arike, are you heading out too?¡± ¡°No, I won¡¯t be going anywhere today.¡± I replied. ¡°Okay.. then you can help me with some work in the store.¡± We started back into the house. ¡°Okay, no problem ma.¡± ¡°I need to bring out the Christmas tree and some other decorations,¡± Aunty Sade said. I breathed in and out heavily. ¡°Christmas is here.¡± ¡°And the children wants to see Santa.¡± ¡°Who is going to be our Santa this year?¡± I asked.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Daniel is offers to help. He doesn¡¯t want us to hire someone to do it.¡± I let out aughter at the imagination of Daniel in a Santa outfit and all I could do wasugh. ¡°This year¡¯s Christmas is gonna be hrious.. I guess.¡± Iughed. ¡°Why?¡± She asked. ¡°Daniel is gonna be Santa us!¡± Weughed. ¡°I know¡­ it¡¯s sounds funny.¡± She added. ¡°But is he not visiting his family this year?¡± I asked. ¡°I was surprised too when he asked me to let him to be Santa this year. I feel something is wrong with him but he doesn¡¯t want to share with anyone.¡± ¡°Family issues?¡± I suggested. ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°That must be the issue.¡± I shrugged. And Aunty Sade nodded in agreement. ¡°Daniel never missed thanksgiving and Christmas with his family.¡± We give vacation at December to all workers who are willing to visit their families in other states or countries. Most times, some workers like celebrating Christmas at the Foster Home. So we all spend the seasons with the children whose parents aren¡¯t around to celebrate with them. Daniel was one of the workers who never missed celebrating Christmas with his family. He always traveled out of America, all the way to Australia to be with his mother and siblings. So it¡¯s kinda strange to hear him wanting to be Santa this year. Christmas was just some weeks away. ¡°Arike?¡± Her voice jolted me out of thought. ¡°Yes Ma,¡± I said. ¡°You need to talk to Daniel.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t talk to me. But obviously he will open up to you.¡± I scratched my neck. ¡°I am not sure.¡± ¡°Come on! Remember thest time, he was down about not having enough money to send him for his brother¡¯s treatment? He told you about it.¡± ¡°Okay.. I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± ¡°Miss Arike?¡± A voice called behind us as we made our way to the store. We turned to see Miranda. ¡°Your phone?¡± She said. I gazed down at the phone in her hands. ¡°Sorry¡­ I heard it ringing when I passed by you room.¡± She exined as she handed it to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said. Five missed calls from Busayomi. ¡°It¡¯s Busayomi.¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to herter.¡± ¡°No.. no¡­ she might have something important to say. Go ahead and talk to her.¡± ¡°What about the store and -¡± ¡°Miranda wille with me.¡± Aunty Sade smiled. ¡°Go ahead and answer your call. I will help ma¡¯am.¡± Miranda replied. ¡°Okay.. thank you.¡± I said before walking away. I dialed Busayomi¡¯s line and she picked almost immediately. ¡°Babe! Why didn¡¯t you pick up my calls?!¡± She shouted. Busayomi sounded excited over the phone. ¡°Sorry¡­ I wasn¡¯t with my phone.¡± ¡°Okay.. you¡¯ve forgiven. Please how is my goddaughter?¡± ¡°She¡¯s at school.¡± ¡°Oh! Okay!¡± ¡°Calm down¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°See, God has finally butter my bread!¡± She screamed. ¡°Okay.. how? In what way?¡± ¡°Please let¡¯s switch to video call! I have something to show you! Guess it!¡± I made my way towards my room. ¡°You got your dream car?¡± ¡°More than a car.. try again!¡± ¡°You¡¯reing to visit us?¡± I asked. ¡°We already-¡± I was interrupted by a familiar voice. ¡°Arike?¡± I looked back to see Daniel. ¡°Oh Daniel -¡± I mouthed to signify that I was on a phone call. ¡°Okay.. we¡¯ll talkter.¡± He walked away. ¡°Sorry.. it was Daniel. Can youe again?¡± ¡°Hmmm Daniel again? That guy seems too -¡± ¡°I will switch to video call now!¡± I hang up and swiped to WhatsApp. I dropped on the bed and settled to make the video call with Busayomi. ¡°Please no more guessing game, just show me what it is.¡± I said when the video call connected. ¡°Okay¡­ close your eyes.¡± She instructed. I raised my eyebrows. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do as I say o!¡± Shemanded. ¡°Ahh! okay o!¡± I did as she instructed. ¡°Now open it¡­¡± she said. ¡°Tada!!!¡± Her face wasn¡¯t showing anymore. A shinning object grazed the screen. I gasped out in shock. There was a ring on her finger! ¡°I am getting married!¡± She shouted happily. ¡°Wow! wow! This is so beautiful!¡± She moves her fingers back and forth before revealing her face which had tears in them. ¡°Mr workaholic propose not too long!¡± She sobbed with a smile in her face. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting it.¡± She added. ¡°I am so happy for you.¡± I whispered, a tear slide down my cheek. Mr workaholic? Guess who the lucky man was! Her Boss! The man that was always asking her toe to work during weekends! Well it turned out that Mr Workaholic was in love with Busayomi. All that bring the files over to my ce and office early andte times was just a facade to always see her and be close to her. And they stated dating about three years ago, so Busayomi had to resign about a year after they got together since the rumor was flying around the office that she was sleeping with her boss. Mr Workaholic got her a managerial job in one of his friend¡¯spany! So lucky! Being happy for Busayomi was an understatement not after what she went through in the hands of her ex boyfriend. That doucheface wasn¡¯t ready to have a forever with her. He just wanted a bedmate even though Busayomi was deeply in love with him. Chapter 28 She is in love Arike¡¯s POV Being happy for Busayomi was an understatement not after what she went through in the hands of her ex boyfriend. That doucheface wasn¡¯t ready to have a forever with her. He just wanted a bedmate even though Busayomi was deeply in love with him. ¡°It feels good to see you happy like this. You deserve it.¡± I smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s plenty.. The CEO¡¯s wife.¡± I teased her. ¡°That¡¯s me o!¡± Sheughed. ¡°So very soon you¡¯ll join Lagos CEO wives group.¡± I teased her again. ¡°Which kain yeye group? Abegi! abegi! I want a private wedding not this borate one you watch on TV.¡± ¡°So have you discussed it with him?¡± ¡°No we haven¡¯t discussed yet but I am sure Paul will only do what I want.¡±she responded. ¡°Annnnn! I go love o!¡± Weughed before my face turned serious. ¡°So you won¡¯t visit us this year because of Mr Paul.¡± ¡°I am sorry. But you know that I have to meet his parents. We are going to his hometown to celebrate Christmas and New Year.¡± ¡°So where would you be staying?¡± I asked. ¡°At the house he built there now.¡± She answered. ¡°Just be prepared to meet his family.¡± ¡°His whole family! Omo! I am nervous o! But seriously I wish you were here so you¡¯ll go with me.¡± She said. Iughed. ¡°I am serious o so you can defend me if any matter arises.¡± ¡°Madam you are safe as long as Mr Paul is there with you.¡± I replied. ¡°I hope so too. You know how scary those Igbo elders can be and being that I am not from their tribe again.¡± ¡°Abegi! You have watch Nollywood too much!¡± Weughed. ¡°Mr Paul must have nned something before deciding to take you home to meet his people.¡± ¡°Babe! I am scared jare! What if they don¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°You worry too much.¡± A masculine voice sounded over the phone. ¡°Oh baby¡­ I¡¯m just saying-¡± Mr Paul showed his face on the screen. ¡°Hi Arike,¡± he greeted but Iughed because he hasn¡¯t mastered how to call my name properly. But believe me when I say he calls his wife¡¯s name better. ¡°Good morning, and congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you. And help me thank her for saying yes too.¡± ¡°Please let me have my phone.¡± Busayomi¡¯s face appeared again. ¡°See Arike, talk to your sister. She¡¯s working herself too much about meeting my family. I wasn¡¯t even nervous the day I went to see her parents.¡± ¡°My parents are nice plus they have always wanted and waited for me to bring a man home.¡± She said ¡°My parents are nice too and they want me to bring someone home too.¡± He added. ¡°I am meeting your entire n!¡± She emphasized. ¡°True but it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that -¡± I interrupted her. ¡°No excuse me, Mr Paul will be there with you so don¡¯t be scared.¡± I said. ¡°Exactly! I owe you 200 thousand for these words, Arike.¡± He said and weughed. ¡°I¡¯m serious send me your details.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± I saluted him. ¡°Wait what if there¡¯s a bride waiting for you at home?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°What? After I already informed them about you? You must be kidding!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­¡± she shrugged. ¡°Come on we Igbos are not that bad. Moreover my parents are far more educated than you think. They just want to meet you at my hometown because it¡¯s Christmas.¡± Mr Paul exined defensively. ¡°Okay.. okay if you were awyer and you are this defensive, I am sure you¡¯ll never lose a case.¡± Busayomi teased him. ¡°Then my firm will be 100% win.¡± Weughed. ¡°That¡¯s would be great!¡± Imented. ¡°Arike, I am sorry for not asking for your permission before putting the ring in your sister¡¯s finger.¡± He joked. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s true! Should I give it back to him?¡± Busayomi passed the phone to him and tried to slid off the ring. ¡°Come on! You don¡¯t need my permission! I am happy it¡¯s you anyways.¡± ¡°Yeah it¡¯s me or no one else. And now that we are getting married¡­ you know what that means right?¡± I raised an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°You won¡¯t miss our wedding right?¡± He asked.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Miss keh? She dare not!¡± The smile on my face dropped. ¡°She is my bestdy!¡± She said happily but soon her happiness faded and she stopped talking. A knowing look registered on her face. ¡°You have toe home and n the wedding with your sister once the date is set.¡± Mr Paul said. ¡°Ye¡­ Yes¡­ sure. I will¡­ definitely help her.¡± I stuttered. He doesn¡¯t know the truth. ¡°Baby can you excuse us for some minutes? I need to talk to my baby sister alone.. Girls talk.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°Sure.. no problem. Arike, extend my greetings to Iteoluwa.¡± He waved before disappearing off the screen. ¡°I am so sorry¡­ he¡¯s only talking like that because he doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Yes I know but -¡± ¡°You won¡¯te right?¡± She asked with tears at the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡­ I ¨C this is hard for me. And I have to protect -¡± ¡°No¡­ I will give you sometime to think about it.¡± She disconnected the call before I could say my next words. I called her back but she declined the call. ¡°Please pick up your call.¡± I texted her. She read the message but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°I won¡¯t miss your wedding.¡± I messaged her again. An iing call came in after she read it. ¡°I know this is about Dayo.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯s not -¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! You can¡¯t possibly miss my wedding because you don¡¯t want to see Dayo. I haven¡¯t seen him for years now. We don¡¯t talk and he doesn¡¯t even know anything and he may never find out you have his child.¡± She said with anger in her tone. Chapter 29 Home Call Arike¡¯s POV I haven¡¯t heard from Dayo since I left Nigeria. He tried to get in touch with me through uncle Badejo but he was told that I wasn¡¯t in the same state with them and I haven¡¯t been in contact with them too. To him, I made it look like I lied about my dad involved in an ident just to leave the country. I deleted his contacts, deleted my social media ounts (not like I was that active) and I did my best at cutting him out of my lifepletely. It was really hard but I did my best at not giving in to the urge to call him cause I know his number by heart. There are times when I wanted to just pick the phone, call him and tell him everything. Those moments when I had craved for intimacy, to share happy moments with him especially when I found out I was going to have a baby girl, when my baby kicked in my belly and down till the day I had my baby. To be honest it wasn¡¯t easy because I hadplications during pregnancy. I was diagnosed of Hyperemesis Gravidarum, a condition of extreme, persistent nausea and vomiting during pregnancy which led to dehydration. It was caused by a rapid rising serum levels of hormones such as HCG which means Human Chroionic Gonadotropin and estrogen. It had urred during the first trimester of my pregnancy. I vomited more than five times a day so much that I lost so much weight and I had to spend a long time in the hospital under strict supervision of doctors. I had to fight for our lives. I was contantly in and out of hospital. At some point my dad was tempted to call Dayo up but I pleaded with him with the promised that I would scale through and be fine. Later on he told me that my mom had the sameplications during pregnancy and it really affected me as a baby. Being dehydrated, scan results detected that there wasn¡¯t enough water for my baby to survive. So they had to operate me and brought out my child months before the due date. She was premature. Those months waiting on my child to survive seemed to be the longest of my life. It was a 50/50 chance but I hoped not to lose my baby. She spent months in an Incubator also trying to survive with an oxygen. I could clearly remember the day a doctor announced that I could go home with my child. They did series of test on her and she was healthy. I gave her a name which I have in mind before her birth after she was discharged from the hospital. ¡°Iteoluwakishii.¡± Meaning ¡°The Throne of God can¡¯t be removed.¡± She has other names from her grandparents and Aunt who is her godmother. Uncle Badejo gave her ¡°Inuoluwadunsimi¡± God is happy with me. Aunty Sade named her ¡°Ayomidesiree¡± My joye with fortunes While Busayomi gave her ¡°Bright¡± which happens to be her English name. She truly brightened my world since her birth. ¡°Iteoluwakishi Bright Awosika.¡± I decided that she takes on her father¡¯s name unlike me who bears my mother¡¯s family name. It was the least I could do to Dayo for keeping his child away from him. My baby turned out to be what I expected her to be. Bright as her name implies, smart and brilliant. She does and says things you will never expect of a four years child. She was outspoken and never shy and I guess she got that from her father because I was never the type who talks a lot. She is my world!N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Arike¡­.. You can¡¯t miss my wedding.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯d love you to bring Bright but I know that¡¯s thest thing you want to do.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± I mumbled. ¡°I want her to be my little bride but it¡¯s impossible right?¡± ¡°We can talk about this¡­¡± ¡°I am sure her grandparent can take care of her.¡± She added. ¡°I can¡¯t be away from my daughter. She needs me by her side all the time.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ll bring her along?¡± She said hoping to hear a Yes from me. I could tell she was praying silently that I agree to bring Iteoluwa to Nigeria. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I will talk to her grandparents about it.¡± I replied. ¡°I know this is hard for you but I need you by my side this time.¡± ¡°Can I get back to you?¡± She asked. ¡°Okay.. we¡¯ll talkter.¡± She answered I ended the call. Chapter 30 Black Woman Arike¡¯s POV I walked out of my room and made my way to the garage where I could find Daniel. He was alone but the on phone with his back against me. I stopped to not attract his attention, hoping to find out the reason why he wasn¡¯t going home to his family. ¡°We already talked about this..¡± he said. ¡°I am noting home this Christmas¡­ I have a lot to do at the foaster home.¡± I couldn¡¯t hear what the other person was saying because the phone wasn¡¯t on speaker. But Daniel was lying to whoever he was conversing with. ¡°Mom can you just forget about the ck woman? It is not about her.¡± ck woman? Who? I haven¡¯t seen him with any ck woman and I am not sure Daniel has been seeing any woman. We are a bit closer enough for him to tell me about it if he has one in his life. ¡°This is none of your business. Whether it is a ck woman or not.. I am not going to do what you are asking. I have to get going now.¡± He concluded. I should get going too. But it was toote. My eyes met his when I looked up. Geez when did he make the turn?! His mouth dropped slightly. I waved with a half smile on my face. I hope he won¡¯t think I was eavesdropping on his call. ¡°I will talk to youter.¡± And with that he ended the call. ¡°I.. I.. wasn¡¯t -¡± ¡°Eavesdropping.. I know.¡± hepleted my intended word. I shook my head. ¡°I just came here to ask -¡± He cut me off again. ¡°Yeah.. I wanted to ask if you still want to go to the mall to buy gift for Bright so I could drive you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± I itched my ear. ¡°That would be in the evening when shees back from school. And you don¡¯t need to drive us¡­ I can manage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming with you. I promised to get Bright the new Barbie collection.¡± He smiled. ¡°Daniel that won¡¯t be necessary.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s-¡± ¡°I am offering to buy it as a Christmas gift.¡± ¡°Oh okay.. you can drive us if she still wants to go.¡± I agreed. Daniel lips curled up with a smile. ¡°I just need to drive this to the auto shop for repair.¡± He wiped the white luxurious bus used in transporting children to school. ¡°I heard you want to be Santa this Christmas.¡± I toyed with my fingers. Danielugher. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ve never missed thanksgiving with your family.¡± I reminded him. But no response came from him. ¡°Daniel?¡± I called him. He looked at me. ¡°I¡¯m listening¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± He shrugged. ¡°I just want to celebrate Christmas with the children.¡± He got into the bus and tried to change the topic. ¡°This bus really needs cleaning. I¡¯ll definitely drive it to car wash after fixing it at the auto shop.¡± I stood at the door side of the bus with my arms crossed in front of my chest. ¡°Daniel, do you want to tell me about it?¡± I asked. ¡°What? About what?¡± He stoped wiping the wheel and looked at me. ¡°You can talk to me.¡± I shrugged. ¡°This whole thing about not going home.¡± I settled down next to the driver seat. Daniel sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to bother you, Arike.¡± He said. ¡°Okay¡­ but I am asking you to tell me.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ I¡¯m getting married.¡± He blurted out. I gasped in shock and at the same time it was as if my heart stopped beating for a second. Why? I remember thest time I heard that word. Dayo. I managed to revive myself. I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about him. ¡°How long have you been nning? No wait.. something is not right¡­ no.. I think I am confused.¡± Daniel gave me a confused look as I bbed. ¡°Breathe in.. breathe out.¡± I did as he instructed. ¡°Don¡¯t get things mixed up.¡± He added I nodded my head in response. ¡°My mom picked a bride for me. She wants me toe back him and get married.¡± ¡°Now I get it.. you don¡¯t want to get married?¡± ¡°Lucy is not thedy I want to settle down with. Like.. I don¡¯t see us bing husband and wife even though we are friends. My mom is just trying to y the role of a matchmaker because she wants a grandchild.¡± He exined. ¡°So Lucy? What¡¯s wrong with her? I mean since you are friends why can¡¯t you marry her?¡± I asked. ¡°We grew up together because her mom is my mom best friend. And we are just friends nothing more¡­ though my mom thinks I have slept with her.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ my mom just saw us in bed. Not my fault.. I was asleep when Lucy came to my room and just slept beside me hugging me like we meant something. I tried exining to her that nothing happened but she wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡± He rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I think Lucy likes you more than being friends.¡± He looked at me. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So in a nutshell¡­ you don¡¯t want to go home for Christmas to avoid getting married to Lucy.¡± ¡°You got it¡±. He nodded. ¡°And I don¡¯t know what to do, I can¡¯t hide away from my family forever.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just talk things out with Lucy?¡± I adviced him. We exchanged nces. ¡°Lucy wants this marriage, so I don¡¯t think she will ever listen to what I have to say. She¡¯s in love with me.¡± ¡°Hmmmm.. what else can you do? She should be able to understand that you don¡¯t love her.¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s kindaplicated.¡± ¡°Because of the ck woman?¡± I spilled without thinking. Ouch! I shouldn¡¯t have said that to him. Heughed. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t eavesdropping on my call?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry..¡± Iughed. Daniel got out of the bus and I followed swiftly. ¡°What ck woman are you talking about?¡± Heughed. ¡°Come on Daniel, I heard you over the phone. You can¡¯t run forever.¡± ¡°From who? My family or the ck woman I love?¡± ¡°Everything.. I guess..¡± He sighed and his smile disappeared. ¡°She¡¯s someone..¡± he paused. ¡°Come on¡­¡± I smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t be with her.¡± He added. ¡°Why? Have you told her how you feel?¡± I asked. ¡°No, she has too much to handle. So I don¡¯t want to be a burden to her.¡± He replied and went ahead to the next car. ¡°Burden? Did you just call love a burden? Come on Daniel! Everyone wants to love.¡± I countered. ¡°I¡¯m not sure she¡¯s ready for that.¡± He said without looking at me. ¡°You should at least tell her how you feel. You might be her lucky man.¡± I tried to y a rtionship advocate. He stopped what he was doing. ¡°Okay¡­ if you think it¡¯s right then I will tell her.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°That¡¯s good! You must act like a man that you are¡­¡± ¡°Come on¡­ I¡¯m just scared of getting rejected.. that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°At least try..¡± I smiled. ¡°Okay I will give it a try now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± I said. Daniel came to stand in front of me. His gaze was so intense that I had to look away. What was that?! Chapter 31 His Confession Arike¡¯s POV I tried to move away. ¡°I should get going..¡± but he stopped me. ¡°You just asked me to confess to the woman I love.¡± ¡°Okay.. so you want to practice on me?¡± ¡°Can you love me, Arike?¡± He asked with a serious. It took seconds for me to realize that I was the ck woman. My eyes widened in shock and surprise as realization hit me straight in the face. This must be a joke! ¡°Wha¡­ wh.. at.. are.. you.. saying Daniel?¡± I tried tough it off as I stuttered. ¡°I want to make a love confession like you adviced.¡± He shrugged with a serious face. Then I knew he meant it and wasn¡¯t joking. I avoided making an eye contact with him. ¡°You are the ck woman I love.¡± He added. I moved away from him. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Daniel.¡± I tried to hit his upper arm yfully but I stopped myself. I shouldn¡¯t be joking in times like this one. Daniel was indeed serious. Then I began to think about everything he has done for me and Iteoluwa. To be honest, Daniel always act like he was Iteoluwa¡¯s father. I remember when she was so little, he always help in changing her diaper whenever he was less busy and he also helped in putting her to bed. He has never done that with the other babies. I didn¡¯t see it as anything aside the fact that he was trying to help or that he felt pity for us knowing a bit of my story that I couldn¡¯t be with the father of my child for some reasons unknown to everyone except my parents. I never thought that he had feelings for me though Busayomi always make sure to remind me that she could tell he likes me but I always shut her up or wave it off as one of her usual matchmaking jokes. ¡°So.. all the gifts.. and care.. it was because of what you.. feel for me.¡± I stuttered slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t really.. know. Bright is a good kid and I just love her.¡± He answered. I swallowed hard. ¡°Your mom..¡± ¡°I told her about you.¡± He nodded. ¡°Oh! So she thinks you don¡¯t want to marry Lucy because of the ckwoman ¨C me.¡± I said to clear up the misunderstanding in my head. ¡°That what she thinks. I don¡¯t want to marry Lucy because I don¡¯t love her.¡± ¡°And because you love me too.¡± I added. ¡°She¡¯s just Lucy, my friend. And I am not going back home until she epts that I don¡¯t want to get married to Lucy.¡± ¡°Daniel?¡± ¡°Arike, I know you don¡¯t have any feelings for me. Yes.. you see me as just a worker in your father¡¯s house. And I understand that you are not ready formitment.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°My daughter means the world to me.¡± ¡°I know and I love Bright too.¡± I like Daniel, but not the way he loves me. ¡°You¡¯re a nice man, Daniel but I don¡¯t -¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, just forget about what I said. I am also not ready to be with any woman.¡± He faked a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded. ¡°So if you will excuse me, I need to clean out the trash in the next bus.¡± ¡°I will go inside.¡± I turned to walk away. I made my way back to the house still thinking about my discussion with Daniel. I felt bad for him. I am sorry, Daniel. I saw Aunty Sade dragging two heavy boxes to the living room so I went to help her. ¡°We already picked out the important decorations for the house and Christmas tree.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Okay but do you still need more items because I would be going to the mall in the evening.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think -¡± she paused to look at Miranda who just dropped some bags. ¡°Please get me scissors.¡± ¡°Okay ma.¡± She went away. ¡°Oh! Light! we need to buy more Christmas light!¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± I asked as I added Christmas light to the list I made on my phone. She sat down on the couch. ¡°Since today is thest day of school, some workers are leaving this week. So I will need you to write the names of those that will be around for Christmas party. I need to get gifts and then prepare for the party.¡± ¡°Okay ma.¡± ¡°You can ask Alexa to help you.¡± She added Alexa was in charge of the foaster records, more or else like a secretary. ¡°Busayomi is still noting around this year!¡± Aunty Sade asked as she tapped on her phone. ¡°She¡¯s noting.¡± ¡°Iteoluwa would be really disappointed. She didn¡¯t stop talking about Busayomi yesterday.¡± Iteoluwa always looked forward to seeing Busayomi every December. ¡°Busayomi is getting married.¡± I said. Aunty Sade adjusted her sses as she looked up at me. ¡°This is great news! I am so happy for her.¡± Miranda brought the scissors. ¡°Please tell Alexa toe around whenever she¡¯s less busy.¡± ¡°Okay ma¡¯am.¡± Miranda left. ¡°Have they fixed the wedding date?¡± ¡°Not so fast.¡± Iughed. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t dy o.¡± ¡°She¡¯s meeting his family this christmas.¡± ¡°Ehn let¡¯s say early next year.¡± She said ¡°Hmmmmm¡­ I am so happy for her.¡± She sighed. ¡°Wo wa joko si egbe mi.¡± Come sit beside me. She tapped on the space next to her on the couch. I am sure she knows what it means for Busayomi to be getting married. Chapter 32 You can鈥檛 hide forever Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Busayomi needs you more than ever now.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°And it means you have to travel to Nigeria.¡± ¡°Yes ma, but she wants Iteoluwa to be her little bride.¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°But mommy.. do you think it¡¯s a good idea to bring iteoluwa to Nigeria?¡± I asked. ¡°Why is it not a good idea? Oh because of Dayo?¡± Sheughed. ¡°Yes what if we run into him?¡± I asked, panic almost rising within me. ¡°And so? Is he not the father of your child?¡± She snorted. Why is she acting like she doesn¡¯t know the consequences of Dayo finding out about his child. ¡°So you think Iteoluwa will let us rest if she doesn¡¯t see her mom? Or you have forgotten thest time you traveled to Connecticut for a week, you need to see the way your daughter was disturbing every soul here. She doesn¡¯t even remember that we are her grandparents. You have to take her with you.¡± ¡°But mommy -¡± ¡°Wo! Wo mi Omo -¡± she tapped me. Look at me, child. ¡°Ki lo de?¡± We heard uncle Badejo¡¯s voice.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. What¡¯s wrong? ¡°Ekaabo.¡± We greeted him wee. ¡°Alexa asked me to give it to you.¡± He handed her a file. ¡°Seems like the list of workers that would be traveling this Christmas.¡± ¡°Yes I asked for it.¡± He replied. ¡°Have you reached out to our sponsors?¡± He asked me. ¡°Yes sir, I already called a few. They promised to get to us. And I have sent broadcast to parents too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. So what is going on?¡± ¡°Omo yin ti gba ring.¡± Aunty Sade announced that a child of his is engaged. ¡°Ewo ninu won?¡± He asked which of his child as he looked down at my fingers. ¡°Busayomi.¡± She answered. ¡°Oh really? She¡¯s engaged! What¡¯s that her boyfriend name?¡± ¡°Mr Paul.¡± I reminded him. ¡°Oh that¡¯s nice. So have they fixed a date?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Aunty Sade replied ¡°So that means she¡¯ll be needing your help with wedding ns.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°You can go back to Nigeria, don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll take care of Iteoluwa.¡± He said. ¡°Ahhh what are you saying? She should go with her child.¡± Aunty Sade said. ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°Firstly Busayomi wants her to be the little bride and you know how disturbing Iteoluwa can be if she doesn¡¯t see her mother.¡± ¡°Is it wise to take her with me?¡± I asked him. ¡°And you think Busayomi will be happy or Iteoluwa will want to stay here without you? Remember your trip to Connecticut.¡± ¡°I told her o.¡± Aunty Sade added. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything bad in taking her with you except you are thinking about Dayo.¡± He said. ¡°That¡¯s the bone of contention.¡± Aunty Sade said. ¡°You see? You see what I have been saying? I told you it is not good to hide her away from her father. You can¡¯t hide forever, some day she would grow up and demand to know her father. Even if she is too young now, some day she will ask.¡± He said Tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°She already asked me if she would get to see him soon.¡± ¡°Can you see?¡± He shrugged. ¡°But Dayo can¡¯t find out about her.¡± I responded ¡°So you intend to get married to another man and make him her father?¡± He asked with a deep frown on his face. ¡°No dad-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a selfish mother, Arike!¡± ¡°I am not selfish dad.. everything I have ever done is to make my child happy.¡± I replied at the verge of tears. ¡°If you want that child to be happy then let her meet her father.¡± He said. ¡°Darling, you need to calm down.¡± ¡°I am calm.. I am calm.¡± He nodded. ¡°We¡¯ve good without him.¡± I muttered. ¡°So you want to miss your sister¡¯s wedding?¡± He asked ¡°No dad¡­ I am not -¡± Mom interrupted me. ¡°Let¡¯s not argue. Arike, you have enough time to think about what you want to do.¡± ¡°What I am sure of is that you can hide Iteoluwa from her father forever. So it¡¯s better you deal with it.¡± He stood up and went away. The tears that had threatened to spill dropped down my face. I hate it whenever he¡¯s angry. ¡°You can¡¯t be sure that you¡¯ll see Dayo.¡± She held my hands. ¡°I will go and talk to your daddy.¡± She let me go and went ahead to meet her husband. What do I do if we see Dayo? No! I won¡¯t let that happen! Dayo can¡¯t find out about Iteoluwa. Chapter 33 Home Sweet Home Arike¡¯s POV TWO MONTHS LATER It was on a Saturday morning, we were all set up to travel back to Nigeria for Busayomi¡¯s wedding which was just in few weeks time. I had made the decision to return to Nigeria even before the date for the wedding was set. I didn¡¯t want to miss Busayomi¡¯s wedding, neither do I want to be the selfish mother who purposely kept her child away from her father. This is the time Busayomi needed my help as a sister and I also have to repay her for the good deeds. I actually don¡¯t care if we run into Dayo whenever we return back to Nigeria. I am ready to face him at least for my child who needed to know her father. ¡°Grand¡­ pa..¡± Iteoluwa¡¯s voice jolted me out of thought. ¡°Yes.. princess..¡± he nced at her before focusing back on the road ¡°I am gonna miss you and grandma.¡± She said ¡°And we are gonna miss you too princess.¡± He replied. Finally we arrived at the airport and waved goodbyes to uncle Badejo and his wife before heading towards departure section. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Iteoluwa called. ¡°Yes my love,¡± ¡°Do you think the knight is gonna kidnap the princess from the castle and take her somewhere far away?¡± She asked. ¡°Well -¡± I paused to give our passports and papers to thedy at the desk. ¡°I don¡¯t really know-¡± ¡°You should know mommy!¡± She jumped. ¡°You always read the story to me at night.¡± ¡°Yes I know..¡± ¡°Answer now¡­ will the knight-¡± I interrupted her. ¡°I think.. the king is gonna ask his royal guards to protect the princess and then-¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡± She countered and I rolled my eyes. ¡°You are good to go!¡± Thedy announced. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said to her. ¡°The knight is gonna love the princess?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes! The king will have no choice.. and the knight will be the king and they will both live happily ever after.¡± She narrated her favorite bed time story which her grandpa always reads to her. Believe me when I say she doesn¡¯t get tired of that story. She knows everything line by line. Iteoluwa slept on the ne and I have to wake her up at the checkpoint. She grumbled when I dropped her down. ¡°Mommmmyyyy¡­¡± she cried. ¡°Sorry my love,¡± she continued to cry. ¡°I want to sleep¡­¡± she was already making a scene. ¡°Look big mommy is waiting for us.¡± I said to make her stop crying and she did. Iteoluwa looked around to find Busayomi. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Come on! Stop crying-¡± I heard her hand and drag our box behind us. ¡°Mommmmyyyy-¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you y with your teddy when we get home.¡± I threatened her and she stopped crying immediately. ¡°You can¡¯t do that..¡± ¡°Then stop crying now.¡± She sniffed. ¡°I won¡¯t cry anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good my love.¡± ¡°Will you let me y with my toys?¡± She asked. ¡°Sure.¡± I dialed Busayomi¡¯s number and she picked immediately. ¡°Babe, we¡¯ve arrived at the airport.¡± ¡°I am there too. Where are you?¡± ¡°Close to the exit..¡± my eyes searched the area. ¡°Found you! Just look back!¡± I did as she instructed and saw her waving at us. Then I hang up the call. ¡°See big mommy.¡± ¡°Big mommy!!!!¡± Iteoluwa screamed as she let go of my hand and ran to meet Busayomi. ¡°Oh look at my baby!¡± Busayomi carried Iteoluwa and swirled her around. She giggled happily. ¡°Oh wow! Good to see you!¡± ¡°See I am a big girl now.¡± Iteoluwa said. ¡°Oh yeah! You are a big girl now. But do you still suck your thumb?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°I hope she stops it soon.¡± I answered. ¡°Oh no!¡± Busayomi gasped. ¡°You still suck your thumb to sleep,¡± she tickled Iteoluwa. ¡°No.. not anymore¡­¡± sheughed.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°That means you are still a baby.¡± Busayomi tweaked her nose. ¡°Come let¡¯s go, the driver is waiting for us.¡± ¡°A driver?¡± I asked. ¡°Of course, Paul won¡¯t let me driver anymore.¡± She replied. ¡°Wow! That¡¯s great. He¡¯s really taking care of you.¡± Weughed. We got to the car where a man dressed in ck suit was waiting to take my box. Busayomi got into backseat with Iteoluwa and I followed. ¡°Mommmmyyyy is this our Nigeria?¡± Iteoluwa asked and we couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Yes this is our Nigeria.¡± Busayomi answered. ¡°She¡¯s so funny!¡± She added. ¡°Wow! I like Nigeria.¡± She pped her hands in excitement. ¡°Are we gonna watch a movie today?¡± She asked. Busayomi¡¯s phone beeped at the same time so I was left with no choice but to answer Iteoluwa. ¡°We are not going to the movies today.¡± ¡°So where are we going?¡± ¡°Home so we can rest.¡± ¡°So when are we gonna see a movie?¡± She asked again. ¡°Very soon my love.¡± She leaned into me as we listen to Busayomi¡¯s conversation about wedding ns. And it didn¡¯t take long for Iteoluwa to fall asleep again. ¡°Oh she¡¯s asleep.¡± Busayomi said after disconnecting the call. ¡°Yes she must be really tired.¡± I replied. ¡°That reminds me I bought the slippers you asked.¡± ¡°Oh thanks and have you packed your stuffs?¡± ¡°Yes Paul hired someone to help me pack and move it to his ce. I have just few clothes left at my apartment. And don¡¯t worry you will really enjoy your stay in Nigeria.¡± Busayomi smiled. Chapter 34 Thinking about him ARIKE¡¯S POV ¡°Well I hope so too.¡± I heaved a sigh. ¡°Come on, I know what you are thinking.¡± She said as our gaze locked. ¡°It¡¯s about Dayo right?¡± She added. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to think,¡± I said sincerely. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry -¡± ¡°I am just worried about Iteoluwa.¡± I sighed. Even though I had decided to face whatever will happen during my stay here, I am still worried about my child. I don¡¯t want her to me me or see me as a bad mother. I don¡¯t think I will be able to take it if my child decided to hate me for keeping her away from her father. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. And even if he finds out about her, I am sure he will understand your reasons.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°I know so.¡± She responded. ¡°I can thank you enough for everything you have done for us, your support and care for Iteoluwa, I owe you a lot.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t owe me any -¡± ¡°Of course I do,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°Okay you are repaying me bying to Nigeria to attend my wedding.¡± She pointed out. ¡°Come on! I would regret not attending your wedding.¡± ¡°The bride spirit will hunt you forever.¡± She joked and Iughed. Ever since I decided toe back to Nigeria, the thought of Dayo has been on my mind. Being away from him all these years without talking or seeing or knowing anything about him still bothered me a lot and I don¡¯t know why. I am not sure if Dayo would have the time to keep searching for me but I am sure he would have given up on reaching me. He would have moved on. I don¡¯t want to be indecisive or selfish but a part of me wished we don¡¯t get to meet him during our stay in Nigeria. I was scared of how I would face him if he found out about Iteoluwa. Busayomi did a great job at distancing herself from Dayo. First, she changed her apartment and then her numbers and it was a coincidence that she quit her job too. So it would have been really hard for Dayo to ever find me since I also deleted my social media ounts. I wondered how his marriage with Shalewa turned out though they are still together but I knew he never loved her. But what if things was different now and he had grown to love her and ept her as his wife? A voice questioned in my mind. Well I wouldn¡¯t know since I haven¡¯t followed up on Shalewa¡¯s social ounts neither did I followed up on Dayo¡¯s because I wanted to move on and not think about him. A small squeeze on my hand jolted me out of thought. I looked down and saw Busayomi holding me. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± She asked. I managed to smile. ¡°Nothing really,¡± ¡°Whatever it is I want you to know that I will always be here for you and Iteoluwa.¡± Tears welled up in my eyes but I fought back the urge to let it drop. I am just pained because my daughter has to be the one to suffer for my selfish deeds. I knew how it felt to live without a father, now my daughter has faced the same fate. The main reason why uncle Badejo still held a grudge against me. The tears flowed. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She whispered.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. I shook my head. ¡°Thank you.¡± I wiped my tears. Iteoluwa stirred in her sleep and I patted her back gently. I sniffed. ¡°So what are we doing tomorrow?¡± ¡°We¡¯re meeting all thedies of my bridal train to try out the dresses.¡± ¡°I hope it wasn¡¯t hard getting our measurements?¡± I asked. ¡°Ah no and I am sure there won¡¯t be a problem.¡± She answered. Chapter 35 Welcome to Nigeria Arike¡¯s POV When we finally reached Busayomi¡¯s house, her mom and husband to be were present at the ce. I had to carry Iteoluwa inside because she was still asleep. ¡°Wee back to Nigeria!¡± Mr Paul eximed as I exchanged pleasantries with him. ¡°My baby must be really stressed out from the flight.¡± He added. ¡°Yes she tends to sleep after a flight.¡± I smiled. ¡°Awwnnn¡­ she¡¯s so cute whenever she sleeps too.¡± Heplimented. ¡°Good afternoon ma.¡± I greeted Busayomi¡¯s mom, kneeling a bit. ¡°Arike, how are your parents?¡± Busayomi¡¯s mom asked. ¡°They are fine ma, how is daddy too?¡± I asked ¡°He¡¯s doing well.¡± She stood up from the couch, redoing her wrapper tightly to her waist. ¡°It¡¯s really good to see you again, Arike.¡± ¡°You are leaving?¡± Busayomi asked. I rocked Iteoluwa when she stirred in her sleep. ¡°Yes Busayomi, your dad called not too long.¡± She said. ¡°Oh tell him I will transfer the money to him soon.¡± She replied. ¡°It¡¯s not about the money, your Aunt Tito is on her way to our home.¡± She exined. ¡°And so? Is that why you want to leave early?¡± Busayomi snorted. ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, picking up her bag. ¡°I didn¡¯t invite her to my wedding o.¡± Busayomi said. Her mom shot her a re. ¡°She¡¯s your Aunty so she has every right to attend your wedding.¡± ¡°Is it her wedding? During her own time did she send invitation to you to attend her wedding?¡± Busayomi hissed as she gestured to me toy Iteoluwa on the couch. ¡°She didn¡¯t invite me because she was told not to have a loud party.¡± Her mom resorted. ¡°Nonsense talk, see you better stay till the time you nned to y with Iteoluwa.¡± Busayomi pointed out. She was so used to talking to her mom like they were mates. No doubt Busayomi was really close to her mom, and sometimes I envy their bond and wondered if I would have been like that with my mom if she was alive. ¡°Look I have all the time to y with her. I must get home before your aunt arrives at our ce.¡± ¡°Is she the only oneing or it is full house?¡± Busayomi asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°She¡¯sing with her four kids.¡± Her mom answered. ¡°They want toman finish our party jollof rice and drinks abi?¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh at Busayomi¡¯s word. It was obvious that she didn¡¯t like this her Aunt Tito. ¡°Ahh Busayomi what¡¯s wrong about your aunt attending our wedding?¡± Mr Paul asked. ¡°I don¡¯t like her, period.¡± She answered. ¡°See don¡¯t mind her, she has always been like that towards her aunt because she once asked her to pocket money in school and her aunt didn¡¯t send it to her.¡± Her mom exined in full details. ¡°It is not the money she didn¡¯t send to me. I don¡¯t like her because naturally she¡¯s stingy but like to take things from people.¡± Busayomi countered almost immediately. I and Mr Paul couldn¡¯t help butugh at Busayomi. ¡°Why are youughing? You think it¡¯s funny?¡± Busayomi shot is a re. ¡°It¡¯s funny. My love, I think you are really mad at her for not sending you pocket money in school.¡± Mr Paul teased her. ¡°I said I am not angry because of that!¡± Busayomi defended.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her, I will extend your greetings to your aunt.¡± Her mom said. ¡°I didn¡¯t send you such message o. If she sees me on my wedding day she should not even think of talking to me.¡± She handed her mom some money from her wallet. ¡°For what?¡± Her mom asked. ¡°It is not for you o, help me give to Demde.¡± Busayomi responded. My eyes followed the notes as her mom counted it. It was a sum of ten thousand naira. ¡°For what?¡± Her mom asked. ¡°She wants to buy a new heels.¡± Busayomi replied. ¡°Heels ten thousand?!¡± Her mom gasped out. ¡°Why? is it too much?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°This is way too much.¡± She nodded. A phone beeped and it turned out to be Mr Paul¡¯s. ¡°Please excuse me,¡± he said, walking off to a side of the room. ¡°Woh! See mommy things are expensive these days, just give her the money and tell her that I will send the money for clutch purseter provided shees early to the fashion home tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ahh okay o, money that she is supposed to save in her ount for school. She will go and spend it on ordinary heels.. a whole ten thousand naira.¡± Sheined. Busayomi and Iughed. Africa mothers will never change, Busayomi¡¯s mom was a typical one. ¡°I will give her money if she¡¯s going back to school¡­ ah Ijebu woman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just thinking-¡± She interrupted her mom. ¡°Don¡¯t be thinking, pleasee and be going now. Your husband is waiting for you at home.¡± Mr Paul came back. ¡°Babe are you okay?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°Yes, I need to get to the office to sort some things out.¡± ¡°Is everything fine?¡± She asked again. ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡± He answered. ¡°Okay if you say so. But call me if you need anything.¡± She said. ¡°I will drive mommy home before heading to the office.¡± He offered. ¡°Won¡¯t that be stressful for you? I can order Uber to take her home.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°I will take her home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Busayomi went to him and ced a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Arike, call me if you need anything.¡± He said. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Ese jeje o.¡± Her mom said. (Be of good manners) Busayomi apanied them out while I crouched down next to the couch to take a look at my child. My little angel was soundly asleep. Chapter 36 Gist Lover ARIKE¡¯S POV I began to sing her one of the lubies the nannies at the home sings to the babies all the time to put them to sleep. You Are My Sunshine My only sunshine You make me happy When skies are grey You¡¯ll never know, dear How much I love you Please don¡¯t take my sunshine away.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. My gaze fell on a ck mark on her nose and remembered where I had always seen it. Dayo has the same mark on the same spot. One of the things to prove that she was his child but I didn¡¯t want to think about it right now. ¡°Arike-¡± Busayomi stopped halfway when she saw my position. I stood up and faced her. ¡°I was just singing to her.¡± I said. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s alright.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Why did you tell me your mom and Mr Paul were at your ce?¡± I asked. ¡°It was meant to be surprise.¡± She crashes down on the couch with a sigh. ¡°They both insisted oning because she wanted to see Iteoluwa.¡± ¡°I feel bad that they didn¡¯t get to y with her because she is sleeping.¡± I said. ¡°Mom had nned to spend the night here but Aunt Tito ruined everything. Oh! I even forgot to give her the small bag she brought along.¡± She sighed. ¡°We can go and say hi to her tomorrow.¡± ¡°No, not with aunty Tito at our ce.¡± Busayomi objected. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She will start marriage lectures like a pastor that is about to join couples together In holy matrimony..¡± ¡°Is it that bad?¡± I asked. ¡°It is very bad. Thest time we talked on phone she spent close to one hour lecturing about marital life.¡± ¡°At least it was her airtime.¡± Iughed. ¡°Which stupid airtime? She shed me at first asking if I had enough airtime and I said no. She pestered me that she had something important to say. Lass, I recharge her one thousand naira airtime.¡± I couldn¡¯t stopughing. ¡°At least you have an aunt.¡± ¡°Aunt Tito is a very bad aunt. If all aunties are to be like her, I would rather not have any.¡± Iughed again. ¡°Pray to have a Jehovah Witness as an aunt in your next life.¡± I said. ¡°Ahhh! Aunt Tito is a Jehoval witness.¡± Sheughed. ¡°No wonder -¡± ¡°She talks like a parrot and she¡¯s never tired.¡± Busayomi shook her head. ¡°Just keep an eye on her at the wedding, you¡¯ll see that she will want to be in charge of food.¡± She added. ¡°I think I know enough of Aunt Tito, I can¡¯t wait to meet her in person.¡± ¡°Abegman freshen up.¡± She walked over to carry Iteoluwa to the bedroom while I followed closely with our box. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you guys are here with me.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°Missing your wedding would haunt me forever.¡± ¡°Definitely!¡± Sheughed. Busayomiy Iteoluwa on the bed gently but opened her eyes slightly. ¡°Mo¡­. mmy-¡± Busayomi paved way for me to pet her back to sleep. ¡°Shhhssshhh.. sleep now my love.¡± I whispered. ¡°Oh¡¯ let me switch on the fav.¡± Busayomi whispered. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said when the fan came on and started its movement in full speed. ¡°Is she asleep?¡± She asked in a low tone. I shook my head yes. ¡°You should rest too, I will prepare dinner for us.¡± ¡°No, I am alright let me join you in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Arike I can-¡± ¡°I have gist o.¡± I cut her off knowing that Busayomi never rejected gists. ¡°You want to use that get me, abeg rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡± I pushed her gently out of the room. ¡°I told you to rest, tomorrow is gonna be a long day.¡± ¡°I will sleep after dinner.¡± ¡°Okay, just gimme the full gist of whatever you want to tell me.¡± She said. Iughed. I said it! She will never say no! Chapter 37 The Wedding Dresses Arike¡¯s POV We woke up as early as six to prepare ourselves for the nned visit to the fashion home to try out the wedding outfits. Busayomi as the bride, Iteoluwa as the little bride and I, the bestdy with some otherdies that belonged to the bridal train. After that we would all head down to the dance center to rehearse for the couple entrance show. Everything was nned out by the event nner. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Iteoluwa called. ¡°Come on, it is bad to talk while eating.¡± I cautioned her. ¡°I am sorry, mommy.¡± She mumbled before getting back to eat her food. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ open your mouth.¡± She did as instructed and I scooped golden morn into her mouth. ¡°Are we ready?¡± Busayomi walked in.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Almost ready¡­¡± ¡°Wait will that cereal be enough for her? We will be out for too long o and might not return until night time.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already packed food into a bag for her.¡± I showed her the bag on the table. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s good.¡± She said. I spooned thest portion of cereal into Iteoluwa¡¯s mouth before letting her slide off myps. ¡°Yes! We are ready!¡± She said in excitement. ¡°Wow! You are so pretty.. baby.¡± Busayomi pinches her cheeks gently. ¡°Thank you.¡± She pouted. I went ahead to the kitchen to wash the cup in the sink beforeing back to the living room where I didn¡¯t see Iteoluwa again. ¡°Iteoluwa¡­¡± I called out to her. ¡°She went to get her teddy bear.¡± Busayomi replied. ¡°No.. not again.¡± I went after her. I bumped into hering out of the room and she quickly hid the teddy Busayomi bought for her behind her back. ¡°I said you should not take any teddy out today.¡± ¡°Why? I just -¡± I interrupted her. ¡°We have a lot to do today and you won¡¯t have the time to y with your teddy. ¡°But I promised to let her see my dress.¡± She said in a low tone. Teddies don¡¯t talk so why does she think they can hear her and see what she wanted them to see. She treated her toys like humans and they are like her best friends. ¡°Mommy please¡­.¡± Her eyes pleaded. Oh no don¡¯t give me that face, I won¡¯t be able to resist her. ¡°Please¡­¡± She pleaded at the verge of crying. ¡°Okay.. okay..¡± ¡°The driver is here!¡± Busayomi screamed from the living room. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± I carried Iteoluwa in my arms to meet Busayomi. ¡°Thank you mommy.. for letting me take my teddy.¡± She shed me a smile. ¡°The event nner just called now, she is at the fashion home.¡± Busayomi informed me as we all moved out of the house. ************ We arrived at the fashion home owned by Mr Paul¡¯s elder sister. She had offered to take on the expenses of the bridal dresses as well as being the designer for the little bride and bridesmaids. Busayomi has given me the full gist about Mrs Chidinma, how she had been cold towards her at first meeting. Mr Paul had his own history too. He had been married once but his wife cheating on him took a big tow on his health. He was depressed for a few months before he could move on and be his normal self again. Long story short, Mrs Chidinma thought Busayomi would turn out like Mr Paul¡¯s ex wife but after spending some time with Busayomi she realized that she was totally different from the other woman. She was impressed by Busayomi true love for Mr Paul which made her promise to take on the expenses for the dresses. ¡°Omde!¡± Busayomi called out at ady who was holding a boy of about Iteoluwa¡¯s age. ¡°Oh Good Morning, we have been expecting you now.¡± Omde said. ¡°There was traffic¡­ please meet my sister, Arike and her daughter Iteoluwa.¡± Busayomi introduced her to me. ¡°Oh.. I am Mrs Omde Kokomo and this is my son, Jeffrey. I shouldn¡¯t have brought him but his nanny is not well.¡± She exined to Busayomi. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± I said. ¡°Your daughter is pretty..¡± sheplimented. ¡°Thank you Ma.¡± Iteoluwa answered. ¡°Please Omde, are thedies ready?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°Yes.. they have all tried their dresses and it fits them perfectly.¡± Omde replied. ¡°I can¡¯t see¡­ Temitope now..¡± Busayomi said. Thedies around greeted her while I paid attention to Iteoluwa who whispered into my eyes. ¡°Is this boy four years old like me?¡± She whispered. ¡°I think so..¡± I mouthed. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he have like Martins hair?¡± She asked again. ¡°Because.. he is a Nigerian, Martins is a white child.¡± I answered. ¡°Oh¡­.¡± she shook her head. ¡°But why is he trying to hide his face?¡± ¡°I guess.. Jeffrey is a shy boy.¡± I whispered. ¡°Oh! Just like¡­ Roberto.¡± She said. I shook my head. ¡°Roberto doesn¡¯t like being friends with anyone.¡± Iteoluwa said without whispering. ¡°That¡¯s because he is a shy boy.¡± ¡°You are right.. mommy.. I really miss the children at our home.¡± She sighed. ¡°Why? Do you want to go back already?¡± I asked. ¡°No.. I want to stay.. and -¡± she was interrupted by Omde who announced that it was time for us to try out our clothes. Two attendants helped me and Busayomi into the changing room and handed us our dresses. One of them offered to help Iteoluwa with her dress and I thanked her. ¡°How is it?¡± Busayomi asked when I came out of the cubicle. She was so beautiful in her wedding dress and it almost brought tears to my eyes. She was finally getting married, it was a dreame true for Busayomi. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful.¡± I smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is too revealing?¡± She pointed to her cleavage. ¡°I think it is fine..e on you are the bride! You have to look¡­. what¡¯s the word?¡± Omde thought. ¡°Stunning!¡± Iteoluwa screamed. ¡°Oh that¡¯s right! You are such a bright child!¡± Omde gave Iteoluwa a high five. ¡°Elena looked bright and stunning on her wedding day.¡± Iteoluwa talked about one of her story books, Princess Elena. That was where she got the word stunning from, she never ceased to amaze me. ¡°Okay.. if you say it is fine like.. but do you think Paul will like the dress? Doesn¡¯t it make me look too big? Or too tight? Won¡¯t they say the paparazzi on the dress is too much?¡± Busayomi bbed. ¡°You worry too much about just a dress!¡± Omde eximed. ¡°Yes she is right, to be honest the dress fits you perfectly.¡± I said. ¡°Yes godmother! You¡¯re so pretty!¡± Iteoluwa stood beside Busayomi in her own white dress. ¡°So what do you think?¡± Busayomi asked her. ¡°I think¡­ we.. make a perfect brides! Just like the Simpson sisters!¡± She giggled. Busayomi gave me a who-are-the-Simpson-sisters look. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her. ¡°Oh what can I do with this child? She knows too much.¡± Busayomi pinched her cheeks. ¡°Mom.. you should stand with us too.¡± She dragged me to her side. ¡°Wow!!! A bride, little bride and bestdy!¡± She pped. ¡°But¡­. what about the grooms?¡± She asked. Busayomi rolled her eyes. ¡°Temitope ought to be here by now to check out her son¡¯s suit.¡± She hissed. ¡°Rx, maybe she is stuck in traffic¡­¡± I said. ¡°Alright.. is your dress okay?¡± She asked. ¡°I think it is too tight..¡± I tried to raise my arms up but failed at it. ¡°I am sorry about that, we will make adjustments.¡± One of the attendants said. Chapter 38 Nosy Woman ARIKE¡¯S POV ¡°Our wife! Our wife!¡± Ady in her fourties walked into the room. It wasn¡¯t hard to tell that she was Mrs Chidinma, the one Busayomi had given me a full gist on. ¡°Good afternoon ma.¡± Busayomi greeted. A phone beeped. ¡°Sorry it is mine¡­ oh It is Temitope.¡± Omde said. ¡°I hope nothing is wrong.¡± Busayomi huffed. ¡°I will just go out and talk to her.¡± Omde moved out of the room. ¡°Wow! Your dress is beautiful. I hope you like it?¡± Mrs Chidinma asked. ¡°Oh yes ma and I really appreciate your help.¡± Busayomi answered. Mrs Chidinma looked at me. ¡°Oh, she is my sister.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°I am Arike, and this is my daughter, Iteoluwa.¡± I did a brief introduction. ¡°Oh.. I must say you have a beautiful daughter.¡± Sheplimented Iteoluwa. ¡°Thank you ma.¡± I said. Iteoluwa was too carried away with her dress that she didn¡¯t even pay attention to us. She was doing several poses in front of the mirror. ¡°So funny and cute.¡± Mrs Chidinmaughed. ¡°I think your dress is tight.¡± She said. ¡°Oh yes.. but they promised to amend it.¡± ¡°Okay.. you should have all the dresses by next week. I will have them delivered to your apartment.¡± She said. ¡°Thank you very much ma.¡± Busayomi gestured to me to help her unzip the dress. ¡°I am sorry I have to go now. If you need anything please don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± Mrs Chidinma said. ¡°Okay Ma.¡± We said in unison before she walked away. ¡°She is nice?¡± Busayomi asked as my eyes trailed on Mrs Chidinma as she finally left the room. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what to think.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wrap things up here and then head to the dance center.¡± She said. ¡°Ite,e here let me help you take off the dress.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She came to me and while I was busy helping her out Omde voice echoed in the room. ¡°Finally she is here o.¡± Omde announced.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. I peered up to look at the person, it was Temitope an old friend to Busayomi back in school days. She was holding an albino boy. I wasn¡¯t surprised because she was an albino herself. ¡°Ore mi!¡± She screamed and ran towards Busayomi. (My friend) She embraced Busayomi. ¡°I know you must be really angry at me for turning upte.¡± She said. ¡°Yes I am angry, you should keep to time now. You kept us waiting for too long.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Temitope apologized. ¡°Just don¡¯tete on wedding day or else we will fight.¡± Busayomi warmed her. ¡°I won¡¯tete.¡± Sheughed ¡°You did not see Arike..¡± Busayomi said. ¡°Arike,¡± she called. I straightened and face her. ¡°Wow!¡± She gasped out. ¡°Wow! Long time Arike! America must have been really good to you!¡± She eximed as her eyes did a slow crawl on me then to Iteoluwa. ¡°It is nice to see you again.¡± I smiled. ¡°Your child?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes..¡± the resemnce was very clear. ¡°Oh my God, I didn¡¯t know you had a child. Busayomi didn¡¯t tell me that you even got married!¡± She turned to Busayomi. Busayomi and I exchanged nces. Was it necessary for me to let her know that I wasn¡¯t married? ¡°But I don¡¯t see a ring on your finger.. Perhaps you didn¡¯te with it.¡± Temitope examines my fingers closely. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Busayomi came back from the cubicle where one of the attendants helped her pull off the dress. ¡°I am just surprised, what¡¯s your name? And how old are you baby girl?¡± She asked. ¡°My name is Iteoluwa and I am four years old.¡± She answered. Somehow I was happy and relieved that Iteoluwa didn¡¯t say her surname together with her name this time around. ¡°Oh that¡¯s good.. my son¡¯s name is Richard but you can call him Richie and he is five.¡± She said to no one in particr. ¡°Please can you bring his suit?¡± Busayomi requested from one of the attendants. ¡°Yes ma.¡± ¡°Let me go and prepare thedies, so we can all move after Richard has tried his suit.¡± Omde said before leaving us again. ¡°Hi Richie.¡± Iteoluwa waved at the boy. He waved back with a boyish smile. ¡°Wow! I really love her ent.¡± ¡°What do you expect from a child that grew up abroad?¡± Busayomi replied her. ¡°Anyways.. that¡¯s true.¡± Temitope nodded. ¡°So tell me why did you relocate to America?¡± She asked. Busayomi and I exchanged nces again. ¡°Temitope, can you please tell Omde to find out if the caterer will meet us today?¡± Busayomi said just to dismiss her and so I wouldn¡¯t have to answer the question. ¡°Oh.. oh sure.¡± She walked away. I heaved a sigh of relief. That was close to revealing the truth. I don¡¯t even know what I would have said if Busayomi had not helped. Iteoluwa was busy chatting with Richard while Busayomi dragged me away from them. ¡°She is still nosy! Always poking nose in others business! I am beginning to regret asking her son to be a little groom.¡± She said furiously. ¡°Calm down..¡± ¡°Well I can¡¯t.. I would have smacked her head if she asked about your husband! How can somebody be so -¡± ¡°Our bride.. can you please rx?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Okay. Just avoid answering her questions.. no.. I will find a way to make her leave, she doesn¡¯t have toe with us to the rehearsal.¡± How long will I have to keep avoiding such questions from people? Everyone has always been curious as to why I have a child without a ring on my finger. It was really ufortable for me. I love my child but being a single mom was never what I nned for myself. My past was beginning to catch up with me. Chapter 39 The singing doll Arike¡¯s POV ?????SOME DAYS LATER????? It was a Saturday morning, Iteoluwa had looked forward to this day ever since we got to Nigeria. Our ns was to either watch a movie or buy few things from Shoprite mall, and Iteoluwa had picked going to shoprite so she could buy a singing doll after Busayomi told her about the special pink singing doll that most of the children came to buy the day she went to the mall.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. Iteoluwa was anxious about the singing doll, she has never had a singing doll except for teddy bears. And it seemed like my baby was obsessed about teddy bears if the word ¡®obsessed¡¯ is not too much for her age. ¡°Mom, can we go now?¡± She asked with excitement clear in her tone. Iteoluwa woke up before anyone else, she had even picked out her outfit and shoes from the box andid it on the bed. ¡°Why are you in such an hurry?¡± I asked. Her eyes filled with obvious happiness and excitement glistened as she peered up at me. ¡°I don¡¯t want-¡± she paused. ¡°What if the children pick all the singing dolls and there is none left for me?¡± Shepleted her sentence. ¡°We will buy another beautiful doll.¡± I answered. Her happy expression faded and was filled with disappointment. ¡°But.. I want a singing doll.¡± She folded her arms and went ahead to sit on the bed. I focused on applying my make up and after it was done perfectly, I stood up before the full length mirror and checked myself. I was dressed in a blue jeans that showed off my curves, a red off shouldered top and I paired it with a silver block heels. ¡°Baby, how do I look?¡± I asked my daughter who had a sad look on her face. I knew she wasn¡¯t happy for the fact that my make up had taken longer than expected plus my response to her about the doll was way out of her expectations. ¡°You look fine.¡± Shemented without even looking at me. Iteoluwa toyed with the hippopotamus teddy in her hands. I sighed and went to her. ¡°Iteoluwa,¡± I called out her name but she didn¡¯t look at me. ¡°Ma,¡± She continued to toss her toy around on herps like she was punishing it. Iteoluwa was never the type of child to throw tantrums or cry whenever she was angry or if she wanted something instead she would rather be quiet and choose not to talk to anyone. And if she was close to her toys, she would pick one out and punish it on herps. Over the years I have watched her raise the unlucky toy hands up or poke at the eyes or press the belly till she started to feel pity for the toy. That was her way of expressing her anger or disy whatever mood she was in at that moment. I crouched down before her. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I apologized. She shook her head. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Iteoluwa mumbled as she lowered her head. ¡°My make up took longer than expected.¡± I held her clenched fist and collected the hippopotamus from the other hand. ¡°Perhaps.. are we meeting someone?¡± she nced up at me. ¡°No my love, I just want to look good. Listen we have the whole day to ourselves so let¡¯s enjoy it okay?¡± She nodded in agreement. ¡°You are pretty.¡± Sheplimented. I smiled and stood up and helped her up from the bed. ¡°What do you say to the hippo?¡± I gave the toy to her. ¡°I am sorry happy baby hippo.¡± She kissed it. ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± I kissed her forehead. Iteoluwa went ahead to keep the hippopotamus toy in her toy bag. She looked up at me with a bright smile on her face. ¡°I love you mommy.¡± My daughter has the most beautiful eyes and whenever she smiled it shined. ¡°I love you too. Let¡¯s go and get the singing doll.¡± ¡°Yes! Can I get ice cream too?¡± We motioned out of the bedroom. ¡°You can have anything provided you stick to my side at the mall.¡± I answered. ¡°Yes, I will hold your hand like this-¡± she wrapped her little fingers around mine. ¡°I am with you.¡± We walked out of the room. ¡°Ready to go?¡± Busayomi walked out of the kitchen with a tray in her hands. ¡°Yes we are ready to go to the mall!¡± She answered happily. ¡°Okay my dear.¡± ¡°But are you expecting someone?¡± Iteoluwa asked as her eyes was focused on the tray. ¡°Yes, the event nner and caterer areing around.¡± Busayomi responder. ¡°Oh.. okay.¡± ¡°We have to go now the uber is here.¡± I said. ¡°Say me hi to Jeffrey.¡± Iteoluwa waved. ¡°Sure enjoy your day too.¡± Busayomi replied. ************ Finally we arrived at shoprite and I was beginning to regret my decision to bring iteoluwa to the mall because it was a bit packed with people in thepound. A fun fair was ongoing, and oh my God! I should have listened to Busayomi¡¯s advise of taking my child to a cinema or a nice restaurant where she could have mince pie and ice cream like she had asked two days ago. ¡°Mommy.. why are there too many people here? Is today children¡¯s day in Nigeria?¡± Iteoluwa asked as she held on to my hand tightly. ¡°A fun fair is going on.¡± I assumed it was to advertise a brand or something. ¡°Oh! Like Charlie¡¯s funfair!¡± She screamed. I nodded in agreement. The children at the home always visited the children park for Charlie¡¯s funfair every children¡¯s day. ¡°Can I get a face painting?¡± She jumped in excitement. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. There are way too many people waiting to paint there faces.¡± I pointed to a long queue. ¡°Oh that¡¯s right.¡± She said. ¡°Let¡¯s just go inside to get the singing doll.¡± I held her close to myself. I would have loved to carry her but I was wearing a heels, I can¡¯t risk spraining my ankles. ¡°Mommy.. let¡¯s have a nice treat too.¡± She said at the top of her voice. Geez! The music was loud. We pushed our way through and managed to get to the entrance leading into the mall. We saw a young teenager handing out fancy balloons to some cheerful children. ¡°Look mom! The balloons are pretty!¡± Iteoluwa pointed. People weren¡¯t too much in the hallway, just few walking in and out of several stores in the mall. ¡°Excuse me..¡± an unfamiliar voice said behind us. We looked back to see the teenager holding balloons. ¡°The balloons are free gifts from our store to the children.¡± She gave iteoluwa a yellow balloon with ¡®pretty girl and lots of stars¡¯ imprinted on it. ¡°Thank you.¡± Iteoluwa swirled around and the balloon went flying in the air but she held on to the tiny thread attached to it. ¡°Wow! This is so pretty!¡± ¡°You can visit our saloon.¡± The girl handed me a flier. ¡°Okay.. and thanks for the balloon.¡± I said. ¡°You are wee.¡± She replied and walked back to her spot. We walked into shoprite and went straight to the children session. Thank God it wasn¡¯t too packed. ¡°Oh mommmy! That¡¯s the doll!¡± Iteoluwa let go of my hand and ran to the toy aisle. ¡°Careful my -¡± I was interrupted by my phone ringtone. ¡°Look mom! It is so pretty!¡± Her New York ent echoed in the section. Her face brimmed with happiness. Why is she so loud in a public ce. I reached out for the phone in my bag. ¡°Pick whatever you want while I answer this call.¡± I said. ¡°Okay mommy.¡± The caller was Uncle Badejo and I picked up. ¡°Hello Sir.¡± ¡°Arike, how are you doing?¡± he asked. ¡°I am fine sir and what about you?¡± ¡± I am okay too. Is everything alright over there? How is Iteoluwa doing?¡± He asked. ¡°She is fine. We are at the mall, Iteoluwa wants to buy a singing doll.¡± I answered. ¡°That¡¯s good, please make sure she visits many fun-filled ces so she can be familiar with Lagos.¡± He said. ¡°You can visit the beach or go on a boat cruise.¡± I heard Aunty Sade¡¯s voice over the phone. ¡°Okay ma.¡± ¡°And how is the wedding preparation?¡± She asked. ¡°It is going well too.¡± I responded. ¡°Thank God, please let me talk to Iteoluwa.¡± Uncle Badejo said. ¡°Iteoluwa,¡± I mumbled, turned to the doll area but she wasn¡¯t there anymore. My heart skipped beat when I didn¡¯t see her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Uncle Badejo asked. ¡°I can¡¯t find her¡­ I will call you back when I see her.¡± I disconnected the call in a rush. Chapter 40 Lost but found Arike¡¯s POV My eyes scanned the area and panic set in about two minutes after realizing that my daughter was gone. At first, I told myself that it was no big deal. Iteoluwa was probably over in the children book section checking to see if there would be an interesting princess book or if Barbie collection has been updated. When I got to the book aisle, she wasn¡¯t there so once again I thought she would have wandered to the teddy bear collections. Iteoluwa was a sucker for teddy bears. And when she wasn¡¯t there either, I became concerned. My heartbeat elerated but I told myself to calm down and not overreact. But I couldn¡¯t calm down, the shoprite mall was big with lot of people in it so I was scared even though I had warned her to never talk to strangers to and stay in one ce if perhaps she got separated from me in a public ce though it had never happened before. I walked away from the teddy aisle. ¡°Iteoluwa!¡± I went to the food section but she wasn¡¯t there either. ¡°Where are you Iteoluwa?¡± I started running passing many sections and she wasn¡¯t there. Has she wandered out of the mall? ¡°Iteoluwa?!¡± I looked down at every area. People stared at me and whispered but I didn¡¯t acknowledge them. Finding my daughter was my concern. She wasn¡¯t even at the ice cream aisle too, Where could she be? My eyesbed the area for my daughter¡¯s pink gown. I had bought it for herst Christmas and Iteoluwa had decided to bring it along to Nigeria so she could show Busayomi. Oh my God! If the call hadn¡¯te in my eyes would have been on her but at the same time how far did she go? I wasn¡¯t even on phone for too long! One of the mall attendants came to me. ¡°Hello madam, is everything okay?¡± The young man asked. ¡°No.. no.¡± ¡°Are you looking for someone?¡± He asked again. ¡°Yes please¡­¡± I breathed out. Oh my God why didn¡¯t it ur to me to ask the attendants I had passed by instead of running around the mall like a womanpletely out of her mind. ¡°A little girl.. she is four dressed in a pink gown, she had a yellow balloon in her hand and probably the singing doll. She was with me in the children section but then I had to receive a call¡­ after that I couldn¡¯t find her.¡± I bbed. ¡°Rx madam, you are looking for a little girl of about four years old, dressed in a pink gown with a balloon and singing doll in her hand.¡± He described. ¡°Yes.. Yes please.. did you see her passing by?¡± I asked. ¡°I am not sure but let me ask my colleagues.¡± He went away to speak to the other attendants. My eyes continued to search the area. ¡°Madam did youe along to the mall with your husband?¡± The attendant asked. ¡°No I don¡¯t have a husband. I only came with my daughter.¡± I replied in a rush. ¡°Okay ording to the your description you gave me, my colleague saw a little girl with a man who had a little boy on his shoulder.¡± He exined. ¡°She was on a pink gown?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes she had balloon and singing doll in her hands.¡± He replied. ¡°No I don¡¯t have a man, someone must have abducted my child.. oh my God..¡± I panicked. ¡°No that can¡¯t happen here. You can check the provision section, the bakery she must have wandered there to get a cake. But if she is not theree back here so we can check the CCTV in the security department to find your daughter.¡± he said calmly. ¡°Okay.. thank you.¡± I hope to find my daughter at those ces he mentioned. I prayed silently.N?velDrama.Org owns this. I started running towards the provision section but she wasn¡¯t there either, I was at the edge of losing my mind. ¡°Iteoluwa!¡± I screamed her name as adrenaline coursed through my shaky body. I was approaching the bakery section and if Iteoluwa wasn¡¯t there, I don¡¯t know what would happen next. I didn¡¯t even spend too much time on phone and how could my daughter have possibly disappeared in just few minutes. My heartbeat pounded against my chest as I approached the bakery section, suddenly I spotted the familiar pink gown. ¡°Iteoluwa.¡± This time it wasn¡¯t a scream instead I exhaled a sigh of relief. I rubbed my eyes to see if I wasn¡¯t hallucinating ¨C she was there, standing with a little boy, he had the balloon in his hands as they stood on the queue. I blinked rapidly to clear my vision of tears that had almost flooded my eyes. How did she get here? Who is this little boy with her?¡± I didn¡¯t rush towards her to hug her instead I took slow steps as she stood ying with the little boy. My legs had suddenly grew weak and I could feel slight pain in them due to the running around I had done. I didn¡¯t want to cry so I controlled myself because for a moment I thought I had lost my daughter. ¡°Iteoluwa.¡± I called out her name when I got closer. She turned and looked up at me. Her face lit up at the sight of me. ¡°Mommy!¡± She embraced me. ¡°Look there are cupcakes, can I get it?¡± She asked. I pulled her away from me. I forced myself to not scold or scream at her in a public ce. Slowly I crouched down to her size as I checked if she was okay. ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± I whispered. Her expression told that she knew I was angry but was trying not tosh out at her. ¡°Mommy-¡± ¡°You wandered away from me in a public ce and you yed with a little boy you don¡¯t even know.¡± I said in a sternest voice I could muster. Iteoluwa bowed her head in shame. ¡°Look at me.¡± Imanded and she raised her head up. ¡°I am sorry mommy, you asked me to buy anything I want.. so I saw a girl eating cupcake and I wanted it too. I wanted ice cream too but¡­ I couldn¡¯t find you.¡± She exined. ¡°I only told you to buy whatever was at the children store.¡± I made myself clear. ¡°I am sorry mom, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± She apologized in a remorse. I want to keep on the hard face but her remorseful expression calmed me. ¡°Please don¡¯t do it again. I was so worried about you.¡± I hugged her tightly after making sure that she was fine. ¡°I was scared when I couldn¡¯t find you and I ran screaming through the mall.¡± She stepped away from me. ¡°Oh mommy I am sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.. where are the things you picked?¡± I stood up not taking my gaze away from her face. ¡°His dad picked a basket for me and helped put my things in it.¡± She pointed at the boy. There was ice cream, doll and cookies in her basket. ¡°Where is his dad?¡± I asked. ¡°Good afternoon madam.¡± A masculine voice greeted. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was meant to be a familiar voice or not but I didn¡¯t want to think too much. Why do I still find myself thinking about him? How do I still recognize his voice in my head? ¡°Oh mom! It¡¯s him! He helped me try to find you.¡± Iteoluwa said. ¡°I am d you found your mom.¡± No! Am I imagining things again in my head? No I have to be sure. The knowledge came as a surprise when I looked away from my daughter and nced up at the man who had helped my child. And suddenly my jaw droppedpletely, a gasp escaped from my mouth and all I could do was stare at the man. He was shocked as I was to see him. Chapter 41 I am sorry Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Mom meet Mr Bamidele and his son, Adebanjo.¡± Iteoluwa introduced And it was kind of funny because of the way she pronounced their names due to her New York ent. I would haveughed but it wasn¡¯t a good time to joke. All I did was stare at the man standing in front of me. ¡°Arike¡­¡± he called out. ¡°Do you know my mom?¡± Iteoluwa asked. ¡°Yes.. Yes..¡± he closed the gap between us. ¡°Mom is that true?¡± She asked. My voice failed me as I stared dumbfounded. ¡°Oh my God! Arike it is you.¡± Bamidele eximed.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. I didn¡¯t think Bamidele was going to be this happy seeing me. I thought he was going to pretend to not know me being that we didn¡¯t end up together the way he had wanted things to go between us. And to crown it all, I had used him and ended up breaking his heart. I contemted what to say to him. I started to say something but I stopped. ¡°It is nice to see you again.¡± He said and then did what I never expected him to do. Bamidele embraced me. ¡°Oh my God! It is really nice to see you again, Arike.¡± He pulled away from me immediately. ¡°Oh! I am sorry.. I shouldn¡¯t have done that.. I got too excited.¡± Heughed heartily. Then I started to say something. ¡°Long time-¡± ¡°Mom you really know him! He found me at the ice cream aisle and offered to find you so I gave Banjo my balloon in return.¡± Iteoluwa exined. ¡°When did you return back to Nigeria?¡± He asked. ¡°Next please-¡± A feminine¡¯s voice said. ¡°I am here.¡± Bamidele replied. It was his turn to pay for his items. ¡°Iteoluwa is this everything you wanna get?¡± He asked, dropping the cupcake she wanted into the basket. ¡°Yes sir.¡± She answered. I went to Bamidele. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I will pay for it.¡± I said. He removed my hand from the basket and my gaze flickered on the ring on his finger. He was married. ¡°I will pay for everything please.¡± He said to the female attendant at the pay desk. ¡°Okay sir.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t have to pay for everything we can-¡± He cuts me off. ¡°Why? Can¡¯t I buy something for your child? Don¡¯t tell me you are still thatdy that doesn¡¯t like receiving help from men.¡± Bamidele whispered. I tried to argue but Iteoluwa interrupted me. ¡°Mommy just let him pay next time you can repay him.¡± She said. Bamidele smiled at her. ¡°She is really smart.¡± Heplimented. He lifted up the little boy that was begging for his attention. ¡°Banjo meet my old friend, Arike.¡± The little boy shed me a toothless smile. ¡°Tah.. Tah.. dada.¡± ¡°My son is just one year and few months.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Excuse me, how should I pack the items?¡± The female attendants asked. ¡°Separately please.. ording to how it was in the baskets.¡± Bamidele answered. Thedy hummed a response. ¡°I don¡¯t have much cash on me, can I pay with my card?¡± He asked. ¡°Sure you can pay with you card.¡± Thedy responded. The little boy spread out his hands towards me and I reached out and carried him. ¡°Wow.. my son recognizes a beautiful woman whenever he sees one.¡± Bamidele joked. I could help butugh, Banjo was so cute and Bamidele doesn¡¯t need to run a DNA test on his son. They looked so alike that one could envision Banjo as the younger version of Bamidele when he was little. ¡°So I must say that America has been good to you although I didn¡¯t know you got married and had a child. I tried reaching out to you through your social media ounts and even called your lines but it failed. Even Busayomi¡¯s line didn¡¯t go through and I had no idea where she lived so I could ask her about you.¡± Bamidele said. I had deleted my social media ounts, stopped using my sims and even Busayomi had moved out of my apartment so Adedayo won¡¯t try to find out anything about me through her. When I tried to talk the attendant interrupted. ¡°Card please..¡± she requested. Bamidele handed her the ATM, she inserted it into the POS machine and gave it to him to punched in his pin. ¡°We have a lot of catching up to do because you left me hanging five years ago.¡± He said. ¡°I am sorry about that.. seriously Bamidele, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡± I apologized to him. ¡°Transaction approved.¡± The female attendant announced and handed the card and payment slip to Bamidele. Bamidele packed the nylons filled with everything we bought but Iteoluwa insisted on carrying the nylon with her singing doll in it. ¡°I got hurt but it is all past now. How time flies fast, I can¡¯t believe it is five years already.¡± Bamidele said as we started out of the mall. ¡°Mom are we going home?¡± Iteoluwa asked. I didn¡¯t even think about it and I was following Bamidele. I hadpletely forgotten about my ns to have a nice time with my daughter. I guess that will be all for today after running around the mall trying to find my child. Suddenly I remembered the male attendant. ¡°Oh please I will be right back.¡± I dropped Banjo gently on the floor and he clung on to his dad¡¯s leg. I rushed off to find the male attendant who told me where I could find my child. I found him at his duty post. ¡°Oh madam, you haven¡¯t found your child yet?¡± He asked with a worried look on his face. I smiled. ¡°I found her.. thank you so much for your help and kindness.¡± He heaved a sigh. ¡°That is part of our work around here.¡± I opened my bag and brought out three thousand naira and offered it to him. ¡°Please help me manage this..¡± ¡°No ma, it is not necessary.¡± He rejected. ¡°Please ept it for trying to help me find my child.¡± I slipped the money into his front pocket before he could say the next word. ¡°Ma-¡± I walked away before he could reject it again. ¡°Thank you ma.¡± He shouted behind me. Chapter 42 My old friend Arike¡¯s POV I came out of the mall to find Iteoluwa conversing with Bamidele and as I watched from afar it seemed like Iteoluwa had known him for a long time the way she was in a deep conversation with him. I walked up to them. ¡°We can go now.¡± I said. ¡°Mom, where did you go?¡± She asked. ¡°I just went to say thank you to the man who helped me find you.¡± I answered. ¡°Okay.. it is good to always say thank you anytime someone helps you.¡± She stated what I have always told her. I reached out to take the nylons but Bamidele gestured to me to carry Banjo from his shoulders and we started off towards the mall exit. ¡°Your daughter said you didn¡¯te with a car, so I am going to drop you off at your ce.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°No.. that won¡¯t be necessary, I will just order a ride online.¡± I objected. ¡°Why order one when I am offering to help?¡± He scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stress -¡± ¡°I am only trying to help.. but if it makes you feel ufortable, then you can pay me for the ride.¡± He smiled. We managed to move out of the less crowdedpound. ¡°My car is over there.¡± He pointed to a ck Lexus car parked outside the mall. He unlocked the car and I helped the children into the car while Bamidele dropped his items into the boot. I belted Iteoluwa to the back seat while Banjo satfortably in his carrier. ¡°So where is your ce?¡± He asked. I gave him the address to Busayomi¡¯s apartment. ¡°We are staying at Busayomi¡¯s ce till the wedding is over.¡± I said. He started the car and it glide into motion. ¡°So she is finally getting g married.. that is good to hear.¡± I hummed a response. ¡°So if it wasn¡¯t for your sister¡¯s wedding you won¡¯t have returned back to Nigeria.¡± I nodded in agreement. ¡°I never nned toe back to Nigeria.¡± I said. ¡°And why is that?¡± He asked. ¡°It is nothing.¡± I answered. Wepsed into silence for some minutes before Bamidele spoke up. ¡°You are not married.¡± He stated and it wasn¡¯t meant to be a question. I looked at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have a ring on your finger.¡± He added and I looked away from him feeling embarrassed. I regretted not listening to my mind¡¯s advice of wearing a ring to disguise in order to avoid times like this. ¡°I-¡± He interrupted. ¡°Iteoluwakishi Bright Awosika.¡± Bamidele called out my child¡¯s full names. ¡°How.. how.. did you know her full names.¡± I stuttered in sheer surprise. ¡°I told him my names when he asked me.¡± Iteoluwa said. Oh! Why didn¡¯t I think about it before asking such question? I face palmed myself. ¡°I was about to report a case of a missing child to the security department so they could make an announcement.¡± Bamidele exined. She shouldn¡¯t have added her surname to her names. ¡°Awosika sounds familiar.¡± Bamidele mumbled. I rubbed my palms together, feeling nervous. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for Bamidele to figure out the truth. ¡°Your child is four years old, so I think¡­ I have a clear understanding of why you left the country five years ago.¡± Bamidele said. I looked back at Iteoluwa, she was widely awake ying with her singing doll while Banjo was fast asleep in the carrier. ¡°Bamidele.. can we not talk about it now?¡± I requested. ¡°Okay.. fine, more reason why you should do this?¡± He picked up his phone and handed it to me. ¡°Your number-¡± he said, unlocking the phone. ¡°Okay.¡± I punched in my number, saved it and dialed it. My phone rang and I saved his number too. ¡°Arike, I hope it is notte to say that I am sorry for misunderstanding you. If I had known it was for this reason I would have supported you and epted your decision without a fight.¡± He said in remorse. ¡°It is alright.¡± I controlled the tears that pooled up in my eyes and managed to sh him a small smile. ¡°I bet he doesn¡¯t know.¡± He said. I shook my head. ¡°Yes, he doesn¡¯t know about her.¡± ¡°Perhaps did you get to see him before you left the country?¡± He asked. I shook my head. ¡°Yes.. he had even offered to drive me to the airport but I declined.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe he was so dumb and insensitive. How could he not know?¡± Bamidele scoffed. ¡°You didn¡¯t know too..¡± I whispered. ¡°You did a good job at hiding it but I am surprised it is him.¡± We exchanged nces before he focused back on the road ahead. ¡°Wait.. I didn¡¯t tell you it was him.. so how did you-¡± ¡°How can I not know that surname? Moreover he was your one and only friend plus he was head over heels for you.¡± He answered. He was right. Dayo loved me and I loved him too but we couldn¡¯t ept our feelings until it was toote. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you tell him?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°He was getting married.¡± I reminded him. ¡°Oh! That is true.¡± He shook his head. ¡°I am sure that it wasn¡¯t easy raising her alone.¡± He said. ¡°I didn¡¯t raise her alone, we have good people in our lives who has really helped us. My uncle and his wife, everyone at the foster home¡­ I enjoyed every moment of it.¡± I said sincerely. ¡°But it would have been better-¡± he paused and looked back. I did the same thing too and Iteoluwa has fallen asleep too. ¡°It would have been better if he was there with you.¡± Hepleted his statement. ¡°Maybe..¡± ¡°So do you n to meet him during your stay here?¡± He asked. It took me a while to answer him. ¡°I want to meet him for her sake but I can¡¯t go and find him because I want to avoid troubles with Shalewa.¡± I answered. ¡°So let us say that you are waiting for destiny to bring him your way just like how you met me coincidentally.¡± He said. ¡°Maybe..¡± I stuttered. ¡°Have you read the news about them?¡± He asked. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any social media ounts.¡± I sighed. ¡°Geez.. you practically cut yourself out of the real world.¡± He mouthed. ¡°I just wanted to keep my baby safe.¡± I muttered. ¡°You should check the news about them before you leave the country.¡± He said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to¡­ I am sure they are doing fine.¡± I nodded my head slowly. ¡°You think so?¡± He asked. Our gaze locked for a second before I looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well I hope you see him soon.¡± He sighed. ¡°Let us talk about you.¡± I tried to change the topic. Bamidele smiled contentedly. ¡°Sure.. I am married but there is nothing much to talk about.¡± ¡°How long have you been married?¡± I asked. ¡°Three years.. and to be honest getting over you wasn¡¯t easy but I did well.¡± He smiled.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°I guess you made good use of my advice of finding the woman that would love you for who you are, Bamidele.¡± I reminded him. ¡°Sure.. and my wife reminded me of you. She didn¡¯t hate me when I told her that I was gay. I wanted to find true love so I decided to just tell her my sexuality without the whole story.¡± He exined. ¡°So what did she say?¡± I asked curiously. ¡°Like I said she was curious to find out why? I kinda gave her a hard time but after some months when she wouldn¡¯t let me be, I opened up to her and my love for her bloomed for epting me for who I used to be.¡± He smiled heartily. ¡°That is nice and seeing you smile like this means you really do love her.¡± I said. Bamidele chuckled. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± He asked. ¡°It is written all over your face.¡± We both bursted intoughter. ¡°Your daughter is-¡± he paused. ¡°What word should I use?¡± He chuckled. ¡°Friendly?¡± I suggested. ¡°Something more than that.. unique? and she loves you so much.¡± ¡°You barely even know her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to know her for years to figure that she loves you. She didn¡¯t stop talking about you, she even corrected Banjo when he hit my face.¡± He chuckled. ¡°My mom said that it is not good to hit an adult, my mom loves this, my mom would love that.. I must say that you did a good job at raising her.¡± He smiled happily. I sniffed and blinked back tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. ¡°Are you crying?¡± He asked. ¡°Of course not.. I am just happy.¡± I managed to smile. Chapter 43 Good Manners Arike¡¯s POV Finally we reached our destination, Bamidele pulled up in front of the gate. ¡°I shoulde in to say hi to Busayomi, but I am runningte and my wife must be worried about us.¡± He said. ¡°That is not a problem, you cane in to see her next time.¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send me the wedding invitation online.¡± He reminded me. ¡°Sure.¡± I said. ¡°Mr Bamidele, thank you for everything.¡± Iteoluwa said. ¡°You are wee Iteoluwa and I hope to see you soon too.¡± He smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry we will talk over the phone. Take care.¡± I answered. I got out of the car to help Iteoluwa open the car door. ¡°Bye bye Banjo.¡± She waved at him Then car horn sounded before Bamidele drove away. ¡°Mr Bamidele.. is very nice just like Mr Daniel.¡± Iteoluwa said. ¡°Yes he is very nice.¡± I muttered. ¡°And it.. is a good thing that you know him.¡± She said. ¡°Why did you say that?¡± I asked. ¡°Bad friends.. corrupt good manners.. that is what you always say so since.. Mr Bamidele is a nice man and he is your.. friend-¡± she paused. ¡°So?¡± I waited for her toplete her sentence. ¡°He won¡¯t corrupt your good manners.¡± She giggled. ¡°You are too smart.. where did you get that from?¡± I tickled her as we got closer to the entrance leading to Busayomi¡¯s apartment. She giggled. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear my doll singing.. I didn¡¯t y it in the car.. I just looked at it so I won¡¯t disturb Banjo.¡± ¡°Do you like the doll that much?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes I love it!¡± She shed me a girlish grin. ¡°More than you love me?¡± I teased. ¡°No! I love you more than my toys!¡± She giggled. ¡°I love you more than anything else in the world.¡± I bent down and kissed her cheeks. I pressed the doorbell to let Busayomi know of our presence before I made use of the key to open the door. ¡°Big mooommmmmyyy!¡± Iteoluwa rushed to embrace Busayomi. ¡°Wee, I hope you enjoyed the day?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°Yes it was fun and -¡± she paused. I went ahead to sit on the couch and pulled off my heels. I leaned into the couch and closed my eyes. What a relief. I sighed. ¡°Why did you stop talking?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°I got lost at the mall, a man helped me and he turns.. out to be mommy¡¯s friend.¡± She said in a low tone. I reopened my eyes to see remorse in her expression. Busayomi shot me a What-is-she-talking about look. ¡°My love, why don¡¯t you go into the room and y with your singing doll.¡± ¡°Okay mom.¡± She raced off to her room. ¡°Madam who is the friend?¡± She sat beside me on the couch.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Bamidele.¡± I answered. Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Are you for real? What a coincidence.¡± Busayomi covered her mouth. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see him too.¡± I said. ¡°Abegi give me the full gist about what happened? How did she get lost in the mall? How did you meet Bamidele?¡± She flooded me with questions. ¡°Won¡¯t you let me rest?¡± I asked. ¡°Han sheybi you are already resting on my couch? Start talking or else I will put my fingers into your throat.¡± She joked. ¡°Okay.. I will tell you everything but please I need water.¡± I breathed out. ¡°Water is in the kitchen now, go and drink.¡± She said. ¡°Haba please help me now you can see I am tired, I won¡¯t tell you about anything o.¡± I poured. Weughed. ¡°So because of gist now you want to send me on an errand?¡± Sheughed. ¡°I am only asking for help.. please.¡± She stood up from the couch. ¡°See that your head like volley ball..¡± she motioned towards the kitchen but soon came back with a chilled bottle water. ¡°Thank you.¡± I opened the cap and gulped down half of the bottle. ¡°You better tell me everything and don¡¯t leave out any detail.¡± She folded her arms. ¡°Sure but please can you massage my ankle?¡± I gave her a puppy face. She eyed me. ¡°Your ankle again?¡± ¡°Please now, I went running around the mall and I think I have sprained it.¡± I faked being in pain while I massage my right ankle. ¡°Does it hurt that much?¡± She asked in a worried tone. ¡°I will be fine after a massage.¡± I mumbled. ¡°Oya sha bring it lemme massage it for you.¡± She said. I faced her and adjusted my position before stretching out my right leg on herps. ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled. ¡°I am listening.¡± She said. I narrated everything that happened from the mall till when Bamidele dropped us off. After the whole narration, we had dinner and retired to sleep in our respective rooms. Iteoluwa kept ying with her singing doll and didn¡¯t stop pressing the button the doll¡¯s back to enable it to sing. She did it over and over again until she fell asleep hugging it tightly to her chest. Chapter 44 Now or Never Arike¡¯s POV I heaved a sigh of relief when the doll stopped singing. I tried taking the doll from her as Iteoluwa as shey on the bed, holding the singing doll to her chest but she grumbled in her sleep and held on to the doll. Then I just let her be and covered her and the doll with a duvet. My gaze flickered to the wall clock, the time was 11:35pm, I should be asleep right now because we have a lot to do tomorrow but I wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy and at the same time I was bored. I stared into space as I got lost in thought. My mind reminisce on the coincidental meeting with Bamidele at the mall. I never expected him to be the first person as an old friend that I would see during my stay in Nigeria. Who was I expecting to bump into? Adedayo. It seemed like everyone wanted me to see him even Bamidele because during our conversation he had hoped for me to see Adedayo soon. I heaved a sigh. I knew right from time that it wouldn¡¯t be easy to see Adedayo. He was probably busy with loads of work at thepany. His responsibility was to monitor and oversee his family business as the CEO of thepany. I sat up and got out of the bed and began to pace when series of questions flooded my mind. What if it was Dayo I had met at the mall? What would I have done? What if he has a son? What if his marriage to Shalewa was doing well now and they have grown to love each other? No doubt, he would be able to tell that Iteoluwa was his child because she would have introduced herself as Iteoluwa Bright Awosika, making it easy for him to find out the truth just like how Bamidele has found out she was Dayo¡¯s child. The idea of warning my child to stop telling people her surname urred to me and I bantered internally to see if it was the right thing to do but in the end, I kicked against the idea. ¡°You can¡¯t hide Iteoluwa from her father forever. She is bound to ask of her father someday.¡± Uncle Badejo¡¯s words echoed in my mind. He was right. Even thought Iteoluwa wasn¡¯t asking about her father now, someday she would grow up to need a father in her life. To be honest,ing back to Nigeria was a hard decision to make. And I won¡¯t deny that I was nervous about seeing Dayo. I have tried to envision the look on his face, the words he would say and what he would do when he finds out about his child. Would he ept her? What would people say ? His mom, dad and his sisters? These things bothered me so much. Tears stirred up in my eyes as I went back to the bed and I knelt down beside Iteoluwa. I looked closely at my child, my hands reached out to caress her cheeks. A tear slipped down my right cheek as I held her hand and kissed it. She was my world, the reason why I lived and why I gave up everything because I wanted her to live too. I closed my eyes and sobbed quietly. ¡°I.. am.. sorry..¡± I whispered. I was sorry for many things, for having her out of wedlock, for not giving her a father that she deserved, for holding back in bringing her to Nigeria knowing that it would be a great chance to meet her father¡­ I cried. I lowered my head. ¡°I.. am.. so.. sorry.¡± I muttered. ¡°Mom.. my.¡± Her voice called out in a rasp. I peered up at her. ¡°My.. love.¡± She stared at me with sleepy eyes. ¡°Mommy.. are you crying?¡± She asked. ¡°No.. no.. I am not crying.¡± I let go of her hand and wiped my face. ¡°Yes.. you are crying and you look sad too.¡± She tried to sit up but I pushed her back gently. ¡°No.. I am not sad. You should get back to sleep, it iste.¡± I sniffed. ¡°Are you okay mommy?¡± She asked with a disturbed look. ¡°Yes I am fine.¡± I covered her with the duvet but she sat up immediately before I could stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t act.. like you are fine.¡± She muttered. Then tears flowed again and I couldn¡¯t control it. Why was I feeling bad for my child? ¡°You have never cried like this..¡± her hands reached out to my face. ¡°I.. am.. sorry¡­¡± I sobbed. ¡°Mommy please don¡¯t cry.¡± Her voice pleaded with me. She moved closer and wiped my tears with her ring fingers. ¡°Mommmy,¡± she called. I sniffed and looked up at her. ¡°Tell me why you are crying?¡± She said. ¡°It iste..¡± ¡°I want to know why you are cryingte at night.¡± She said. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I replied. ¡°Why do you keep saying sorry?¡± She locked our hands. ¡°Because¡­ I have done something really bad to you.¡± I answered. ¡°What did you do? You have never done anything bad to me.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I have done so many bad things that has affected you.¡± I managed to look into her eyes even though I felt embarrassed to do so. ¡°No-¡± My body shook vehemently as tears flowed continuously. ¡°I lied to you.¡± I said. ¡°Mom-¡± I cut her off. ¡°Iteoluwa-¡± I paused trying to control my tears. ¡°I will.. tell you everything..¡± I cried. I pulled her into my arms for a warm embrace. ¡°I will tell you everything.. you have to know everything but promise me that.. you will never hate me for hurting you.¡± I begged her. ¡°I can never hate you mommy.¡± She said. ¡°But mommy has done something bad to you.¡± I pulled away from the embrace to look into her eyes. ¡°I can never hate you.¡± She repeated. And I could see the sincerity in her eyes and read it in her words. ¡°Thank you.¡± I sniffed and wiped my tears. We satfortably on the bed with the duvet covering us while Iteoluwa head rested on my chest with my arms wrapped around her. It was now or never. It was better to tell her the truth myself than for Dayo to show up out of the blues. She would be really disturbed and shocked if we bump into Adedayo without her knowing the truth and my reason for not making her meet her father before now. Chapter 45 The story of us Arike¡¯s POV Iteoluwa would be really disturbed and shocked if we bump into Adedayo without her knowing the truth and my reasons for not making her meet her father before now. I sighed. ¡°Iteoluwa-¡± I called out her name in a tight whisper. ¡°Yes mom.¡± She looked up at me. Then I remembered the day my mom had me in her arms this way, telling me about how she had me without any support from the man who fathered me. And it felt like I was looking at my younger self. ¡°Mommy-¡± her tiny voice jolted me out of thought. ¡°Yes..¡± I mumbled. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± She asked. I repositioned her head to rest on my chest. ¡°Iteoluwa, do you remember the day you asked me about my dreams?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes mom.. when teacher Brianna asked us to talk about our dreams with our parents.¡± She answered. ¡°Yes sweetie.¡± That wasst year, it was close to career day at her school and teacher Brianna had asked every kid in the ss to talk about what they would like to be in the future and dress the same way to school for the career day. ¡°Yes.. and you said that you wanted to be an author who writes children books.¡± I reminded. ¡°Yes mom, I want to write stories children can read at bedtime and have a good night sleep with big smiles in their faces.¡± Iteoluwa replied with excitement as she peered up at me. ¡°I know.. my love.¡± I kissed her forehead. ¡°You said that.. you didn¡¯t have a dream.¡± Her face turned sad. I had a dream which I fulfilled but I had to give up everything for her. I shook my head. ¡°I am sorry, but I lied to you.¡± Her forehead creased. ¡°Why mom?¡± She asked. ¡°That is why I want to tell you everything.¡± I replied. ¡°Okay.. I am listening.. and I won¡¯t hate you for lying to me.¡± She said with a childish smile. ¡°Thank you, sweetie.¡± I kissed her forehead again. I held her tiny hands in mine. ¡°I was born in Nigeria and as a little girl I wanted to be awyer.¡± I said. ¡°Oh wow! Awyer! That¡¯s supercoool! But mom, did you get to be awyer?¡± She asked. ¡°Yes I was awyer before I had you in America.¡± I answered. ¡°Were you awyer in America?¡± She asked. ¡°No, I was awyer in Nigeria.¡± I answered. ¡°So why did you relocate to America?¡± She nced up at me, curiosity clearly written on her expression. ¡°Iteoluwa.. the thing is-¡± I paused. ¡°Is it because of my dad?¡± she blurted out. My eyes widened in sheer surprise. ¡°I heard you.. talking about him.. with Mr Bamidele.¡± She said in a low tone. I thought Iteoluwa was asleep that day and I couldn¡¯t stop thinking how much she must have heard. ¡°Iteoluwa?¡± ¡°Tell me the truth.. mom.. I want to know about him.¡± She said. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes. ¡°Please.. don¡¯t cry.¡± I whispered. ¡°I just.. want to know about my daddy.¡± She admitted and wiped her face clean. The only time Iteoluwa asked me about her dad was when teacher Brianna informed them to bring their parents to school for family day. Prior to this day, she had asked me why she didn¡¯t have a dad like other kids in her school when even the children in the foster home had fathers. And somehow I had managed to tell her that her father was somewhere far away making money for us. So I never attended family day at her school except when Daniel offered to act like a father, and we had won gifts as a family.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°Iteoluwa.. your daddy-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me.. he doesn¡¯t want to see me.¡± She mumbled with a sad look on her face. ¡°No.. no.. that is not the case.¡± ¡°Then what.. is it?¡± She asked. ¡°Your daddy.. was my best friend. We were so close that I loved him but didn¡¯t realize it until I lost him.¡± I narrated everything to her only leaving out details that wasn¡¯t suitable for her age till when I relocated to America. ¡°So daddy.. doesn¡¯t know about me yet?¡± She asked. I shook my head. ¡°I was scared of what would happen if he finds out about you.¡± ¡°Mom, what about you?¡± She asked. And it took me a while to understand her question. ¡°Are you.. ready to see him?¡± She questioned with a pleading look on her expression. ¡°I am sorry.. it took long.. to open.. up to you.¡± I stuttered, knowing that that my response didn¡¯t answer her question. She nodded. ¡°Mom, it is alright if you don¡¯t want to meet my dad.¡± She managed to sh me a small smile. And awkward silence spread as I struggled for something else to say. I was so locked up in my thought that I didn¡¯t notice Iteoluwa¡¯s head was already off my chest and she wasying on the bed with her singing doll close to her chest. ¡°Sweetie-¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t.. matter mom, it has been me, you, grandpa, grandma and everyone at the home-¡± she paused and continued after some seconds. ¡°I don¡¯t.. need a dad.¡± She said shakily. ¡°I am sorry, sweetie.¡± I apologized. Iteoluwa gave me a small smile as let go of my hand and covered herself with the duvet. I tried to help her but one look and then I knew she was avoiding me. She had promised not to hate me but the action was more than anything. Her words was spoken quietly but too mature for her age. And the pain in her smile convinced me that my child missed having a father far more than I have ever known. Chapter 46 A failed marriage Arike¡¯s POV Iteoluwa was a cheerful child and so full of life. And she was always silent like this only when she was badly hurt. I love her more than anything in the world and I would do everything in my power to make up for the fact that I didn¡¯t let her meet her father when and I always thought I had done a great job of fulfilling both roles of a father and mother in her life.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. The knowledge of knowing her father was near but couldn¡¯t meet him must be hurting her right now. She was just a child, close to five year old, and definitely she had missed having a father around. But Iteoluwa was trying to act mature and smarter than her age by trying to hide her pain just to protect me. She could tell that I wasn¡¯t ready to meet her dad so she didn¡¯t pressure me about it so I wouldn¡¯t get hurt. My child was starting to protect me when it was my job to protect her. So how was I going to make her open up to me and me her feelings? ¡°It was all my fault.¡± I admitted to no one in particr. I took the whole me knowing that Adedayo wouldn¡¯t have cut us out if he knew I was carrying his child. He would have supported and protected us because he loved me. I knew Adedayo wouldn¡¯t have acted like I never existed if I had told him I was going to have his child five years ago. I should have made connections with him but I didn¡¯t, which had resulted in hurting my child when I didn¡¯t even want her to be caught in this situation from the start. I had cut Adedayo outpletely for five years. Obviously I have been an idiot to think that we were going to be fine without him. I was horribly sorry that my child has been caught in the middle of my selfish affairs. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I mumbled. I peered down at Iteoluwa, her eyes were close so I couldn¡¯t tell if she was asleep or pretending to be asleep. I slide out of bed and went out of the bedroom. I needed to drink water and clear my head. I can¡¯t keep hurting my child, I have to decide on what is best for my daughter. On getting to the kitchen, I saw Busayomi in the dinning area. She gestured to me toe over. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asleep? It iste.¡± I asked. She shook her head. ¡°It is past midnight, let us say that.. I am worried.¡± She answered. I raised my eyebrow. ¡°Hold on let me get water.¡± She nodded and I walked into the kitchen. I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge and went back to the dinning area. ¡°Why are you you worried?¡± I handed her a bottle of water. ¡°Thank you.¡± She muttered. We drank from our bottles of water respectively and set it back down on the table. ¡°So tell me why are you worried?¡± I repeated the question. ¡°Is it because of the wedding? I guess you must be really stressed from the wedding preparation.¡± I said. She shook her head in disagreement. ¡°It is not about the wedding. I am just worried about you and Iteoluwa.¡± She said. ¡°Why are you worried about us? Can¡¯t you see that we arefortable, alright and also looking forward to the big day.¡± I put on a fake smile. ¡°Arike, I have known you for years now, so don¡¯t pretend like you are fine.¡± She said. ¡°Seriously-¡± I tried to assure her that I was alright but then she broke the ice. ¡°I overheard you talking to Iteoluwa.¡± She said. My false smile faded and was reced with a sad look. ¡°I wasn¡¯t eavesdropping but it happened that I was passing by at that moment.¡± I swallowed the bitterness that welled up inside of me. ¡°I told her everything.. the truth and now I think she hates me because I am not ready to meet Dayo.¡± ¡°Arike-¡± she reached out to hold my hand. ¡°It must have been hard for you to return to Nigeria and Imend your courage to be able to tell Iteoluwa the truth.¡± ¡°I am worried about her.¡± I admitted sincerely. ¡°If you are truly worried about her, you need to let her meet Adedayo.¡± ¡°But that would stir-¡± Busayomi interrupted me. ¡°Dayo¡¯s marriage is not what you think it is, Arike.¡± She said with a sigh. My forehead creased. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°It is a failed marriage.¡± She blurted out. ¡°What are.. you.. talking about?¡± I stammered. ¡°I am in no position to tell you anything.¡± Busayomi replied. ¡°You have to tell me what-¡± She cuts me off. ¡°You have to meet Adedayo if you want to know anything.¡± She stood up to leave but I grabbed her wrist. I was confused as to what she was saying. ¡°What is going on with Adedayo?¡± I asked in a concerned tone. ¡°I can see that you still care so much about him. If you want to know peace, find him so you won¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± She let go of my hand. ¡°Check the news.¡± She said before walking away. ¡°The news? What news?¡± I asked but no response came from her. The news? Bamidele has mentioned something about the news too. What are they hiding about Adedayo¡¯s marriage? A failed marriage? What had happened in five years? I needed to know. Chapter 47 Domestic violence Arike¡¯s POV I rushed to the room to find my phone and it was thereying on the bed side drawer. I walked out of the room so as to not disturb Iteoluwa with a scream in case I find a shocking news I can¡¯t hold internally. I settled on the couch and switched on my data. I thought about Instagram but I failed at logging in because I don¡¯t remember my log in details and so I swiped to google. I clicked the search engine and typed ¡®Awosika Adedayo¡¯ the results showed different names from LinkedIn. I erased it and typed ¡®Nollywood actress Shalewa¡¯ and her information popped out immediately. I scrolled down and my gaze flickered at a news headline. ¡°Awosika Adedayo allegedly charged for domestic violence and assault.¡± My jaw droppedpletely and tears welled up in my eyes at the shocking news. I shakily clicked the link and saw pictures of Shalewa and Adedayo on the inte ¨C they were both in bad shapes. Domestic violence?! Oh no! Adedayo wasbeled ¡°a wife beater¡± and several other bad names and it has even affected hispany¡¯s reputation that he had been voted out of thepany by the board of directors with no legal back up. It was stated that Adedayo has refused to see, talk to anyone while he was in the police custody while Shalewa was in the hospital. I was also surprised to find out that they have a child, baby Jamal who was just two years old. Over the years, it has never urred to me to search about them. I only asked about him when Iteoluwa clocked one and Busayomi said he was doing fine. So she knew about it all these while and she didn¡¯t tell me. Why on earth did she hide such big situations from me? Knowing that I was returning back to Nigeria and there was a possible chance that I would meet him. My heart went out to Adedayo and all I could think about was that he would never do it. I hurried to Busayomi¡¯s bedroom and knocked on the door. ¡°Busayomi-¡± she opened up. ¡°Keep it down¡­ Iteoluwa is asleep.¡± She cautioned me. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± I asked with tears burning down my cheeks. Then she pulled me into her room and closed the door. She folded her arms and stared at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ know.. he was -¡± my voice trailed off and I broke down in tears. ¡°Domestic violence. And assault.¡± She said. ¡°Dayo.. would.. never do such a thing.¡± I defended. ¡°I know Dayo can be mean but he would never raise his hand to hit someone.¡± Busayomi said. I nodded in agreement. ¡°Which leaves is to the option that something is fishy and I am sure it is Shalewa¡¯s doing.¡± She added. ¡°We can¡¯t be so sure.. she is in a bad shape in the hospital.¡± I said. ¡°Why? Are you doubting Dayo?¡± She asked, annoyance clear in her tone. ¡°No.. no..¡± I countered. ¡°Shalewa is not the only one suffering but Dayo is the only one getting all the me. Domestic violence my foot!¡± She snorted. ¡°Dayo would never do such a thing.¡± I said. ¡°Listen Dayo is refusing to talk to anyone and people areing up with the ideas that he is guilty that is why he isn¡¯t saying anything to the police.¡± ¡°That¡¯sme.¡± I whispered. ¡°But that is what they think, you need for help him.¡± She crouched down to ce her hands on my shoulder des. ¡°What should I do?¡± I asked. ¡°Now do you want to find him?¡± She asked in return. I nodded. ¡°Yes.. Yes¡­ but what do I do?¡± ¡°Tomorrow I will look after Iteoluwa while you go out and find Adedayo.¡± She answered. ¡°Where? I don¡¯t know anything about his again.¡± I said. ¡°He is back to the apartment that you know.¡± She responded. ¡°His ce.. you mean like where he used to stay before he got married?¡± I asked to be sure. ¡°Yes.. his ce.¡± She muttered. ¡°Come here.¡± She led me to her bed.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. I sat on the bed and closed my eyes allowing more tears to flow. ¡°I thought.. he was having a blissful life with Shalewa.¡± ¡°All these problems started few months ago, I don¡¯t know much but Adedayo needs help. And I think he might open up once he sees you.¡± She said. ¡°I.. am not sure.. we have been part for five years now.¡± I doubted. She sat beside me. ¡°Meet him.¡± Busayomi hugged me and I sobbed in her embrace deciding that I would do everything to help Adedayo even though he was guilty which I know he can¡¯t be guilty of the crime he was used of. Chapter 48 The Arrest Arike¡¯s POV I couldn¡¯t bear to close my eyes after finding out about what was happening to Adedayo. And when I managed to take a nap around 3:00am, I was already up by 5:00am again as I was really finding it hard to sleep because I couldn¡¯t get my mind off Adedayo¡¯s case. The fact that he was suffering this much bothered me a lot. At exactly 6:34am, I was already fully dressed up to leave home and I impatiently waited for the break of the day. I paced to and fro in the living room, wishing I could fasten the hands of time but It was only a wish that would nevere true so I am left with no choice but to wait. ¡°You need to calm down.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°I can¡¯t calm down..¡± I paced. ¡°I have some pills that can help you rx, do you want some?¡± She offered. ¡°No thanks, I will be fine.¡± I replied. Busayomi sighed. ¡°I think you should ask Bamidele for help.¡± She suggested. ¡°Why?¡± I stopped pacing to look at her. ¡°Isn¡¯t the reason obvious? Bamidele is awyer who is really good and not just that he owns aw firm, so Dayo might be needing his help.¡± She exined. ¡°Sister Mi, you of all people should know that Adedayo has always been against Bamidele. No doubt, he would reject Bamidele as hiswyer.¡± ¡°I am not sure, Adedayo is all the verge of going to jail for assault, a crime I am not even sure hemitted. Who will care about what happened in the past? So asking Bamidele for help is necessary to solving this case. He is one of the bestwyers in the country.¡± She said. I sat on the couch slowly when realization hit me straight in the face. It would have been me stepping in to help Adedayo if I hadn¡¯t left the country. I hated this feeling of being helpless for the fact that I have been out of practice for five years now. ¡°I wish¡­ I was still in.. practice.¡± I admitted sincerely. I was heartbroken and deeply hurt for not being able to defend Adedayo in this situation. And once again, I regretted my decision of running away to America just to keep my baby¡¯s secret. Busayomi clearing of throat jolted me out of thought. ¡°Listen, this is not the time to express regrets about past actions. Let us face the present situation and find a solution to it.¡± She said. I shook my head in agreement. ¡°You are right.¡± I wiped the few stray of tears that had dropped down my face. My phone beeped and I reached out to take it from the table. It was an unsaved number but I figured it was the number of the driver for the ride I had ordered online. I picked up the call. ¡°Hello.¡± I said. ¡°Good morning ma, you ordered for a ride.¡± The masculine voice said. ¡°Yes, I ordered for a ride about ten minutes ago.¡± ¡°Yes, so I will be at your location in five minutes.¡± The driver said. ¡°Okay I will be expecting you.¡± I answered before disconnecting the call. ¡°Mommy-¡± My head snapped up and found Iteoluwa walking into the living room with the singing doll in her hands. ¡°Oh you are awake!¡± Busayomi expressed in a disappointed tone. We had hoped she would be still be asleep till I left home so she wouldn¡¯t cry or suggest following me. Busayomi has warned me never to tell Iteoluwa I was going to meet with her father. It was best for Iteoluwa not to know the situation her father was in and I agreed to it. Even though Iteoluwa was smarter than her age, she doesn¡¯t have to know about the charges levied against her father. Adedayo was in a bad shape which wasn¡¯t a good condition for Iteoluwa to meet him. But once all these are over, I would definitely bring her to meet him without minding the consequences ¨C whatever his family would do or whatever Shalewa would do doesn¡¯t bother me anymore. I was determined to make my child happy. ¡°Sweetie-¡± I called but instead of Iteoluwa toe to me, she went ahead to Busayomi. ¡°Good morning.. big mommy.¡± She sat beside Busayomi on the couch. ¡°You are up so early, I hope you slept well?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°Yes big mommy.. I had my doll with me.. the whole night.¡± She gave her doll to Busayomi. ¡°Awwnnn, you have such a nice doll.¡± Busayomiplimented. A car horn honked outside and my phone rang at the same time. ¡°I think my ride is here.¡± I stood up to leave. My child didn¡¯t even greet me or make an attempt to question me about my whereabouts. Instead she rested her head on Busayomi¡¯s chest. ¡°Sweetie I am going out, make sure you don¡¯t disturb big mommy okay?¡± I said. ¡°Big mommy.. I want to watch Sofia the first.¡± Iteoluwa mumbled. Busayomi gestured to me to leave. ¡°I will talk to her.¡± She mouthed. I walked out of the apartment to the gate where the Uber driver was already waiting for me. ¡°Good morning ma,¡± he greeted cheerfully. ¡°Good morning sir.¡± I slide into the backseat and gave him the address to Adedayo¡¯s apartment. I sighed and brought out my phone to text Bamidele. It was kinda weird to ask him for help being that he and Dayo weren¡¯t on good terms before I left the country five years ago. I could still remember the words Dayo had said to him that night we had nned to have dinner. Who would tell that Bamidele would be the one helping him someday? I could just give it a try. Bamidele should do better than anyone else because I trusted him and I know how capable he was as awyer. ¡°Good morning Bamidele, how are you doing with your family? I should have called but it is way to early. I checked the newsst night and found out things about Adedayo. Right now I am on my way to see him and I hope that he opens up to me.¡± I sent the text to him and waited for a response. Several minutes passed before Bamidele¡¯s call came in on my phone and I picked immediately. ¡°Arike, where are you?¡± He asked in a concerned tone. ¡°On my way to see Dayo.¡± I answered. ¡°You can¡¯t go to his apartment.¡± He rushes out his words. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Listen I have been following up on Dayo¡¯s case and this is a very crucial one being that he has been charged to domestic violence, assault and attempt murder on his wife.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°He was released on bail three days ago but Shalewa¡¯s father already ordered for his arrest again because the medical results showed that Shalewa had miscarriage after Dayo pushed her down the staircase during their argument.¡± Bamidele exined in full details. Tears streamed down my cheeks. ¡°So you can¡¯t go to his apartment to see him because the police are probably outside his home now to arrest him.¡± ¡°This is deeper than I thought.¡± I covered my mouth in shock. ¡°I am sure they have filed a murder case against him for the loss of the child due to the miscarriage.¡± Bamidele added. ¡°Is it true?¡± I found myself asking. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean.. you have been following up the case, did Dayo really did these things to Shalewa?¡± I tried to control the tears but I failed at it. ¡°Arike, I don¡¯t know what to think, every evidence they gathered proves that Dayo did these things.¡± He answered. ¡°No, Dayo would never do such thing. He can¡¯t even hurt a fly.. something must have happened. Something is just not right.¡± I cried.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 49 The psychologist driver Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Dayo has refused to talk to anyone even hiswyer. His silence is beginning to stir an uproar that he is really guilty of the crimes.¡± He said. ¡°Close to four count charges..¡± I repeated. ¡°It might be more..¡± ¡°What is the.. sentence for.. the ones charged against him?¡± I asked shakily. ¡°Maybe a life sentence or serving his jail terms for each count charge against him.¡± Bamidele replied. ¡°No.. no.. Adedayo can¡¯t go to jail. We have to do something, Bamidele.¡± My voice pleaded. ¡°Arike, calm down.. there is nothing I can do because I am not hiswyer.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Bamidele.. can I ask you to take up his case? Even if he is guilty, there must be a reason.. please you have to help me.¡± I pleaded tearfully. ¡°Arike, I am not sure Adedayo would want me to defend him.¡± ¡°Bamidele, it is me making a request for you to take up the case. Please forget about about what Dayo might think, I will pay you whatever amount you want just make sure Dayo doesn¡¯t go to jail.¡± I pleaded. ¡°This is not about the payment. Don¡¯t worry I will try to get in touch with hiswyer to see what I can do.¡± He said. ¡°What do I do now?¡± I asked. ¡°Let me find out the address of the police station they will take him in for questioning.¡± He replied. ¡°Okay.. thank you.¡± I hang up the call. I cried for a few minutes before I calmed down and cleaned my face. ¡°Madam, I am sorry and I don¡¯t mean to prey.. please are you rted to Mr Adedayo Awosika the husband of that Nollywood actress?¡± The driver asked. ¡°I know him.¡± I mumbled as I looked down at Adedayo¡¯s picture on my phone. ¡°This case is just getting bigger day by day, different news everywhere that we don¡¯t even know what to believe. Mr Adedayo doesn¡¯t seem like someone who wouldmit such crimes. And to me, I feel the wife is the beater in this case.¡± He said. I torn my gaze away from the picture and looked at the man. ¡°Why did you say so?¡± I asked. ¡°Come to think of it, there was time we heard the rumor that she cheated on her husband with one uing actor. Now my instinct tells me that Mr Adedayo must have heard about it too and probably asked for a divorce, you know no man will ever stay calm under such situation. And over the years we have heard news of people seeing her in hotels with actors she has acted with in films.. many scandals about her. So what if he had asked for a divorce but she refused and one thing led to another.. and she tried to hurt herself.¡± He exined. And somehow I found myself reasoning with everything he just said to me. Shalewa was always known for cheating even before she got married to Adedayo. That sly hasn¡¯t even changed, she still goes about sleeping with co-actors. ¡°I don¡¯t take his silence as someone who is guilty or remorseful. Madam I have a degree in psychology, one look at a person then I can tell what is going on in the person¡¯s life. Each time I look at Mr Adedayo Awosika¡¯s pictures in the news, all I see is pains in his eyes.. like he is not happy, whereas I can also tell that Mrs Shalewa is trying to y victim. I don¡¯t know maybe you understand what I am trying to say.¡± ¡°Yes.. I understand.¡± ¡°But this country, police only follow whatever evidence they find and punish innocent citizens. Hmm.. that was how they almost put my brother to jail two years ago for a crime he didn¡¯tmit, if not for connection. See my sister, it is only God that will save us in this country.¡± The driver prayed. What if he was right? What if Shalewa has really tried to hurt herself when Adedayo asked for a divorce? It would have been a shame om her and confirmation of the rumor that she had cheated on her husband. I thought deeply as I kept reading articles about Shalewa. ¡°Nollywood Actress suspected to be cheating on her husband with an uing actor, Dele Balogun.¡± And this had only happened some months to when this case started. A message came on my phone from Bamidele. It was the address to the police station Dayo was taken to be questioned. ¡°Excuse me sir, I won¡¯t be going to that address again.¡± I said.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked. ¡°Idiagbon police station.¡± I replied. ¡°Oh! I know that ce, is that where Mr Adedayo was taken to for questioning?¡± The driver asked. ¡°Yes sir.¡± ¡°Eh! I wish that I could be of any help o, ah it is only God that can save him now o.¡± The driver made a turn. Another message beeped on my phone. ¡°I already contacted Dayo¡¯swyer so we will work together on the case.¡± ¡°Will they let me see him?¡± I texted back. ¡°No but don¡¯t worry I will be on my way soon, just wait for me outside the station.¡± He said. ¡°Okay, Bamidele.. thank you very much.¡± I said. ¡°Madam, I am not sure you will be able to see him.¡± The driver said. ¡°Hiswyer is on the way.¡± I muttered. ¡°Very good if it is Lawyer Bamidele, he hardly lost a case.¡± He rattled on about popr cases Bamidele had won in thest five years while I texted Busayomi to let her know about my whereabouts. Chapter 50 The Brutal Police Station Arike¡¯s POV When we arrived at Idiagbon police station, there were some representatives from media houses which would make it hard for us to push our way through. Everyone was interested in the case simply because Adedayo Awosika was a wealthy businessman while Shalewa was a popr famous actress. ¡°Omo! All these busy bodies are here again, they don¡¯t get tired of feeding citizens with false news.. look at them.¡± The uber driver scoffed. A man I suspected to be the Assistant Commissioner of Police was talking to the representatives from media houses as they questioned him. I should wait for Bamidele¡¯s arrival, it would be easier to get in with his influences. ¡°Sir do you mind me waiting in your car till my friendes around? I will pay you an extra fee for waiting.¡± ¡°Madam that is not a problem, I can¡¯t even leave you to go in there all by yourself. The police in this station are merciless which makes me feel bad for Mr Adedayo Awosika. I hope they don¡¯t torture him till he confessed to crimes he didn¡¯tmit.¡± The man said in a pitiful tone. I became extremely worried and scared that I found it hard to sit still in the car. I reached out for my phone to call Bamidele. He needed to be here on time before the police does something bad to Adedayo. I dialed Bamidele¡¯s number and he picked on the third ring. ¡°Bamidele, where are you?¡± I asked. ¡°I went to see a colleague of mine concerning Dayo¡¯s case.¡± He answered. ¡°You have toe now, Bamidele.¡± ¡°Why is everything alright? Are you safe?¡± ¡°Dayo is not safe, I heard the police at this station are brutal and I am afraid that they might do something bad to him.¡± I said.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Arike, calm down they won¡¯ty a finger of him.¡± He said in a soft tone. ¡°How sure are you?¡± I asked in a worried tone. ¡°Hiswyer is there with him.¡± He answered. I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Should I call thewyer toe and take you in to see him?¡± ¡°No.. no.. the media houses are here.¡± ¡°Ehn yes themissioner of police wants them to vacate the station so Adedayo won¡¯t feel pressured.¡± Bamidele exined. ¡°I just hope he is fine.¡± I mumbled. ¡°Everything will be alright.¡± He said in an assuring tone. ¡°Okay.. I will be waiting for you.¡± I said before hanging up the call. I prayed silently that Bamidele should find something that would help Adedayo out of this case. ********************* Bamidele arrived one hours after I called him. The police station was free of media houses now. I watched Bamidele slide out of his car and looked around the environment. ¡°I have to go now.¡± I said. ¡°Oh! Lawyer Bamidele is here.¡± He pointed out. I brought out six thousand naira from purse to pay the driver. ¡°Thank you for waiting.¡± I said. ¡°Ah no madam this is too much, your fare is just four thousand naira.¡± He counted two thousand out of the money. ¡°Yeah I am paying you for waiting for me.¡± I slide out of the car. ¡°Madam you don¡¯t need to pay me, as a matter of fact I am happy I waited because I get to see Barrister Bamidele plus you are trying to help a man I like so much.¡± He offered me the two thousand naira. ¡°Please ma, take it from me.¡± He begged sincerely. I reached out to collect the money from him. ¡°Thank you sir.¡± ¡°Madam, God will shed more light to this case.¡± The driver prayer before he drove away. ¡°Bamidele?¡± I called as I walked up to meet him. ¡°I am sorry for keeping you waiting.¡± He apologized. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize, I am just d you epted to help Dayo.¡± Then we started the walk into the police station. ¡°Maybe this would help me make up for everything I did to him. I hope he forgives me.¡± Bamidele sighed. I pat his back. ¡°Did you find anything that might help with the case?¡± I asked. ¡°I am not sure if what I find will help us.¡± He responded. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. ¡°Dayo tried filing a divorce against his wife because she cheated on him. But I don¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t push through with the ns of divorce.¡± Suddenly I remembered the drivers words. ¡°Bamidele-¡± I stopped walking to think again. What if everything the man said was actually what had happened. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°Yes.. yes.. but I think-¡± I paused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What if Shalewa tried to hurt herself after Dayo asked for divorce?¡± I said. Bamidele sighed. ¡°I have thought about it too and it is possible being that Dayo was the one who took Shalewa to the hospital after she got hurt. But at the same time we can¡¯t be sure of anything until we hear from Dayo. I nodded in agreement. ¡°I hope that is the case.¡± I muttered. Chapter 51 The Plan Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Arike, I have requested for an audience with the suspect so you have to brace yourself up for the next few days till we can solve this case.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Thank you, Bamidele.¡± ¡°You are going in with a recording device but the police must not know about it.¡± He said. ¡°Sounds like a n¡­¡± ¡°At this point we can¡¯t trust anybody.. even the police, I am afraid that they might be working to favour Shalewa¡¯s father. So the n is to go into the interrogation room and make sure Dayo tells you the whole truth. That is the only way to get him out of this mess.¡± He exined. ¡°Okay that won¡¯t be a problem.¡± I said. ¡°Arike, if perhaps Dayo did all these things to Shalewa then we have no option than to plead guilty in the court so they can reduce his sentence andter file in an appeal.¡± Bamidele¡¯s expression conveyed the message of his words that I should prepare for what was toe. ¡°Let us hope for the best, Bamidele.¡± I said. ¡°Okay.¡± Then we walked into the station. ¡°Mr Bamidele-¡± a tall man dressed in a fine ck suit approached us. ¡°Barrister Prosper,¡± Bamidele exchanged pleasantries with him. ¡°Arike meet Barrister Prosper, Dayo¡¯swyer.¡± Bamidele introduced us. I shook hands with thewyer. ¡°Thank God you are here, they have refused to let me see my client.¡± Barrister Prosperined in anger. ¡°I have a court note that will allow us see him.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°They even apprehended him without an arrest warrant.¡± Barrister Prosper added. Bamidele went ahead to request for a presence with the Commissioner of Police and a sergeant left the counter to help us after he screened the court note. We discussed as we waited for the sergeant to get back to us on our request. Barrister Porpser moved closer to us. ¡°Shalewa¡¯s dad is the force behind all these, I have tried to let us settle out of court but he has refused saying that my client must pay for hurting his child.¡± Barrister Prosper said in a whisper. Looking at him, one wouldn¡¯t doubt his ability as awyer ¨C he was good just like Bamidele had painted him but I needed to to be sure if he trusted his client. ¡°What do you think about your client?¡± I asked cutting him off his intended sentence. A muscle in his jaw tightened. ¡°Do you also think that Dayomitted the crimes charged against him?¡± I asked again. ¡°Why did you ask?¡± He sounded like he was offended by my question. ¡°I just want to know¡­¡± I said and he purses his lips. ¡°My client is innocent.¡± He answered. But that doesn¡¯t answer my question, in court cases all clients are always innocent and it is the duties of awyer to defend his or her client even when they are guilty. ¡°So why try to settle out of court when you should have worked on finding evidences that would prove his innocence?¡± I requested. Barrister Prosper jaw went ck before he cleared his throat. ¡°Are you trying to doubt my job?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± The corners of my mouth turned up. His mouth set up in a hard line. ¡°So I am not too enough.¡± ¡°Well it seems you also think Dayo is guilty.¡± I said. I was starting to feel annoyed by his negligence and neglect of duties as awyer. ¡°He has refused to talk to me or anyone.¡± Barrister Prosper said. ¡°So that makes him guilty?¡± I said in a slightly raised tone. His eyebrows drew together. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, it was his dad who asked me to request for a settlement. He was willing to pay about forty million to Shalewa.¡± I sighed in frustration. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± ¡°He thinks that his son is capable of doing these things just to get out of the marriage because my client never wanted to marry Shalewa in the first ce.¡± Barrister Prosper exined. I nodded in agreement. ¡°It was an arranged marriage.¡± Tears shimmered in my eyes. ¡°Which turned out sour.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°So you only did what Mr Awosika asked you to do?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes on the condition that he would let me do my work as an attorney if settlement doesn¡¯t work. I am also doing my best.¡± Barrister Prosper pointed out.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°At this point, let us just stick to our n of -¡± ¡°Barrister Bamidele,¡± a voice interrupted Bamidele and we all turned to face the person. I recognized themissioner of police. He looked at me trying to figure out where he had met me. ¡°I think.. I know you. We have met before right?¡± His brows snapping together as he waited for a response. ¡°Yes five years ago on a murder case of a senator¡¯s daughter.¡± I answered. He worked as an assistantmissioner of police back then in another station when I took up the case of a senator¡¯s daughter who was murdered. Recognition dawned on his face. ¡°Barrister Arike! I can never forget your face! You kept all of us on our toes at the station I worked that time.¡± Commissioner Akpanughed. He had been really good to me and he even pressured his boys to work and cooperate with me because he was also determined to find the killer too. I guess that case got him to where he was now ¨C amissioner of police. ¡°Good to see you again, Barrister Arike.¡± His eyes burned with happiness. ¡°Likewise sir.¡± I managed to smile. ¡°So what happened? I didn¡¯t see or hear from you again.¡± He asked. ¡°I relocated to America.¡± I responded. ¡°Oh so you have been out of practice?¡± He asked and I nodded yes. ¡°Nigeria Judicial system has lost a very skilled barrister. I am not happy o because we need morewyers like you who are always hungry for justice for citizens. Please how may I help you?¡± His eyes flickered with sincerity. ¡°I have taken on Mr Adedayo Awosika¡¯s case, so I am going to work hand in hand with Barrister Prosper.¡± Bamidele exined. ¡°Oh that is very good but the suspect is refusing to see anyone even hiswyer.¡± Commissioner Akpan said. ¡°I thought it was an order from you.¡± Barrister Prosper said. ¡°No, I never gave out such order but I am only following the suspect decision.¡± Commissioner Akpan said. ¡°That is because he doesn¡¯t trust anyone with the truth.¡± I said. ¡°But I have a letter from the court ofw that allows me to see my client.¡± Bamidele handed themissioner the letter in a brown envelope. He read it and sighed. ¡°Well I was just on my way out for a meeting. You can go ahead to see your client.¡± He said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Bamidele said. Commissioner Akpan instructed one of his boys to take us to Adedayo. ¡°Please let them see Mr Adedayo, and treat them well.¡± The sergeants then countered saluted him before he said his goodbye to us and walked away. ¡°Now I know the reason for your questions.¡± Barrister Prosper said to me. ¡°You should have met her when she was in practice.¡± Bamidele chuckled. ¡°I know about that senator daughter¡¯s case, you should indeed get back to practice.¡± Barrister Prosper said as we made our way towards the interrogation room. ¡°Arike, don¡¯t forget to try to get him to talk to you about everything.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Okay.¡± I nodded and rubbed my palms together. I have to admit that I was feeling nervous but I have to do this not only for Adedayo but also for the sake of my child. I ced my hand on the knob and twisted it before opening the door. ¡°Good luck.¡± They both mouthed before I stepped into the room. There was only a dim light that provided brightness in the room. Then I saw a figure, he had his head bowed on the table. My heartbeat elerated as I moved closer to him. I can do this! I told myself. I dropped the recorder into my handbag and left the zipper opened so it could take everything we would be discussing in this room. Chapter 52 He searched for me Arike¡¯s POV I cleared my throat hoping to gain his attention but he didn¡¯t raise his head up. ¡°I have nothing to say to anyone.¡± My breathe caught at the sound of the voice I was once used to hearing always. It has been so long. Slowly I started towards the table only the sound of my footsteps echoed in the room. I was focused on his figure and finally reached the spare chair and I pulled it backward before settling on it. Adedayo didn¡¯t raise his head to see me. ¡°Hello Dayo.¡± I said. His shoulder moved as acknowledgement of my voice registered to him. Slowly Dayo raised his head, I leaned forward resting my elbow on the table so he could see my face. Recognition dawned on his face, the woman sitting in front of him was his best friend and his expression appeared stricken. Adedayo closed his eyes, he must have thought that he was hallucinating my presence in the room. For a second, my mind checked all the difference between the man in front and the man I had remembered. His images had been locked up in my mind for years. He was hearing a ck tshirt that showed off his well built chest, his face was thinner but he hasn¡¯t changed much from the man I knew. ¡°Dayo, it is Arike.¡± I reached out to touch his hand on the table. Adedayo reopened his eyes and his face went nk at the realization that I was truly there, touching him and talking to him. I heard his breathe caught as his eyes gleamed with shock. He reached out to touch my hand and our gaze met with an unflinching stare. I was ready for this, for one long undefinable minute it was as if we were back to how things was in Juniors school, high school and university days when it has been only the two of us. My eyes swan with tears but I controlled it. Dayo started to say something, stopped, he tried again and stopped again. Then the moment was gone when I broke the silence. ¡°How have you been?¡± I asked only to realize that it was a stupid question. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t fine, a bandage around his head and left wrist and ster on his right cheek to probably cover up bruises under his skin. He was just in a bad shape the same way I had seen it on tv. Sadness clouded his features. ¡°I.. I.. can¡¯t believe you are.. really here.¡± Tears filled his eyes. ¡°Yes.. yes.. I am here.¡± I said shakily. His eyes flooded with tears followed by an outcry as he lowered his head. And I couldn¡¯t control my tears either, I let my tears that had threatened to spill flow uncontrobly. I have known Adedayo for close to twenty years now but I have never seen him break down and cry this way. Twenty years? The realization was a blow and it made me weak as his eyes bored into mine. ¡°A.. rike..¡± he called out my name. And I won¡¯t deny that I missed him so much. He drew his lower lip between his lips. ¡°Where.. have you been.. all these years? I tried to find you.¡± ¡°Dayo¡­¡± I pressed my lips together not knowing what to say to him. ¡°I did everything I could to find you.. I contacted your uncle when your number wasn¡¯t going through, and few months after you left.. your uncle said you didn¡¯t meet him and he doesn¡¯t know where you are¡­¡± his voice trailed off. My mouth fell open to say something but words failed me. He sniffed. ¡°Two years.. I tried calling him gain but he told me you were in Arizona. And foolishly I traveled to Arizona and asked a friend to try to find you but everything I did failed. Then your uncle Badejo¡¯s number stopped going through, I couldn¡¯t find Busayomi too.. it was as if you purposely avoided me or didn¡¯t want me to ever find you.¡± He cried. ¡°I am.. sorry, Dayo.¡± I bit my lips. He nced up to the ceiling. ¡°Arike.. I have suffered. I have been through terrible moments without having anyone to talk to or share it with.¡± I gave his hand a small squeeze. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. His jaw tightened. ¡°If only you have been here, all of these wouldn¡¯t have happened to me.¡± ¡°I am sorry.¡± I reached out to touch his face, caressed his cheek tofort him. ¡°Now.. I have lost everything and I feel so ashamed to even look at you. I am in a big mess.¡± He said in the lowest tone he could muster. ¡°Dayo.. listen to me.. I saw the news and I believe.. I believe you didn¡¯t do it.¡± My eyes sparked with sincerity. I have to be strong for him, we have to scale through this problem together for the sake of my daughter ¨C our child.N?velDrama.Org owns this. His eyebrows drew together. ¡°You believe that I can¡¯t do such right?¡± He asked. I shook my head. ¡°Yes.. yes I know you.. Dayo you can be mean but I also know that you can¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± I said. He nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes.. Yes..¡± his eyes bored in mine. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it but no one will ever believe me.¡± He said. ¡°I believe you.¡± I said. ¡°But I am going to end up in jail.¡± Tears filled his eyes again. ¡°¡±No.. no.. Dayo please don¡¯t say that. I will do everything to get you out of here.¡± ¡°But-¡± I cut him off. ¡°Dayo.. please tell me what really happened because Barrister Bamidele is working on your case.¡± His eyes sparked with shock. ¡°Bamidele?¡± I nodded. ¡°The same Bamkdele and he is willing to help.¡± ¡°What about mywyer?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°He is going to work with Bamidele from now on.¡± I answered. ¡°Arike.. I don¡¯t have any money to pay Bamidele. I lost everything because my dad seized my assets.¡± ¡°Dayo, I hired Bamidele for you so don¡¯t worry about the payment. I just need you to tell me the truth, everything that happened before that day and on that day.¡± My eyes pleaded with him as I held him hands, assuring him that everything will be fine. Chapter 53 The Perfect Actress Arike¡¯s POV My eyes pleaded with Dayo as I held on to his his hands, assuring him that everything would be fine. ¡°Dayo, I need you to trust me and thewyers with the truth. We can¡¯t do anything if you choose to remain silent.¡± I said. He gave me a doubtful look, I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be easy getting him to spill the truth but we needed whatever truth he knows to get him out of police custody. ¡°If you truly didn¡¯tmit these crimes then let us prove it to them. And I will do everything I can to get out of here.¡± I mustered in my most sincere tone. Adedayo¡¯s face crinkled with hope as he ced his other hand on mine. ¡°Arike..¡± he pursed his lips. Tears welled up in my eyes again. ¡°Please.. talk to me Dayo.. please¡­¡± my voice trailed off. I fought the urge to spill it that his child was patiently waiting to see him. He must get out of here to meet our daughter who has longed to meet him. I wish I could tell him about Iteoluwa but this wasn¡¯t the right time to talk about it even though I was desperate to make things up with my child. Dayo gleamed with sorrow in his eyes. ¡°The truth is that I didn¡¯t do these things on the news. It was Shalewa who tried to hurt herself.¡± He said in a low tone. I sniffed, a bit relieved that he was starting to open up. ¡°Why did she try to hurt herself?¡± I asked. He lowered his head and sniffled loudly. ¡°Arike¡­¡± he paused. ¡°Yes.. Dayo.. I am listening.¡± I rubbed his hands gently. ¡°Shalewa didn¡¯t change even after I saw her cheating on me right before we got married.¡± He stopped talking again. I locked our hands, urging him to continue. ¡°Few months ago, a scandal broke out on the news that she was having an affair with an uing actor she was paired with in a movie.¡± ¡°Yes.. Dele Balogun, I saw it in one of the articles I read online.¡± I nodded. Adedayo shook his head. ¡°Arike, to be honest.. I knew of other men she was meeting but the scandal with Dele Balogun.. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Tears streamed down his face. ¡°Then.. I decided to ask for a divorce.¡± I leaned forward. ¡°So everything started because of the divorce?¡± I asked. He sniffed. ¡°No.. it wasn¡¯t only the divorce that stirred up all these problems.¡± He answered. ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. Our gaze met. ¡°I have a son, Jamal and he is just two years old.¡± Dayo stared intently at me. I shook my head. ¡°Yes I saw it in the news.¡± I said, looking away and my gaze drifted to our locked hands. ¡°But you know what?¡± Dayo rubbed my hands, causing me to look up at him. ¡°What?¡± I muttered. ¡°I received a message which stated that¡­¡± he paused and I watched him take in deep breathe. ¡°Jamal is not my son.¡± He blurted out. I lifted up my eyebrows. ¡°What?!¡± My jaw went ck almost immediately. He shook his head. ¡°Jamal is not my son.¡± He repeated. ¡°But.. howe?¡± I asked in a surprised tone. ¡°Well.. I should have known¡­¡± his voice trailed off. The fact that Shalewa was so used to sleeping around, there should be doubt that Jamal was Adedayo¡¯s son. One of the men shalewa has slept with must be the father of Jamal. And it wasn¡¯t hard to figure that the man who messaged Adedayo must be Jamal¡¯s father. How could she do such a thing?! ¡°I ran a DNA test without Shalewa knowing and the result showed that Jamal is not my child.¡± He said. ¡°So who is the father?¡± I asked, despite knowing that the sender of the message was definitely the father but I wanted to know his identity. ¡°Do you remember the actor I saw with Shalewa five years ago?¡± He asked. ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°That night I came to your apartment, remember I said that Shalewa was seeing the actor she was paired with at that time. You even watched the trailer of the movie.¡± He said. I tried to remember and after some seconds it clicked in my head. ¡°Charles Adams?!¡± I gasped out. ¡°Yes Charles Adams is the father of my supposed child.¡± He confirmed. I closed my eyes, anger stirring within me. I felt Dayo rubbing my hands to calm me from clenching my fists. ¡°I confronted Shalewa about it but she denied it. So I had to show her the message Charles sent to me and the DNA result.¡± He said in a low tone. My face crinkled in bewilderment. ¡°Dayo¡­ if Shalewa only met up with Charles Adams five years ago, howe he is Jamal¡¯s father? I mean Jamal is only two years old.¡± I said. ¡°I had the same thought too, but Charles Adams cleared my doubts. He made it known that he and Shalewa didn¡¯t stop seeing each other. He admitted that they have been together for so long whereas Shalewa told me that she doesn¡¯t have anything to do with him anymore.¡± He had a painful expression on his face. ¡°This is unbelievable!¡± I let go of Dayo¡¯s hands. ¡°How could she hide such a big secret from you?!¡± My raised tone expressed disgust. ¡°She was trying to bury up the scandal with Dele Balogun when I told her everything I found and asked for a divorce. Shalewa refused and threatened to kill herself if I ever tell anyone that Jamal wasn¡¯t my child.¡± He exined. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it that she fooled you to believe that Jamal was your child.¡± I spat, annoyance clear in my tone.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°When she was pregnant.. she changed a lot. She took a break from acting and only stayed at home. She fooled me to think that she had changed but I should have known Jamal wasn¡¯t my child being that I knew she had other men in her life. But she kept telling me that those scandals are not real, she would always have something to say, a reason for meeting at hotels¡­. she was just a perfect actress.¡± Dayo gave a grimaced of pain and disappointment. Yes! Shalewa did a great job at fooling Adedayo. Chapter 54 The Truth Arike¡¯s POVC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Dayo, how did you incur all these injuries?¡± I asked. ¡°That day I told Shalewa that I was going to reveal the truth to our parents if she doesn¡¯t ept the divorce. We argued until she hit me with a wine bottle out of anger and she even tried to stab herself after she saw that I was bleeding and badly hurt. I managed to get the object from her and tried to leave to get to the hospital but she outsmarted me.¡± Adedayo narrated with a deep frown on his face. ¡°what do you mean?¡± I asked. ¡°Shalewa figured my injury would get her into trouble, so she tried to fall off the stairs. Believe me.. Arike, I held her hand to save her but when she knew I couldn¡¯t hold on for too long because I became so dizzy, so she intentionally threw herself down the stairs.¡± He rubbed his palms over his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she was pregnant if not I would have avoided a fight with her.¡± He added. ¡°You called the hospital?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes I put a call through my friend who works at the hospital and the ambnce came to our home before things got worst. And I am just d that she didn¡¯t die.¡± He sniffed. Yes if Shalewa had died no one would ever believe the truth. They would pin her death on him and won¡¯t waste time sending his to jail for murder. ¡°Where was Jamal when you had a fight with Shalewa?¡± I asked. ¡°He was at my family home to spend the weekend with my parents.¡± He answered. ¡°So how did it turn out that you tried to kill her on the news?¡± I questioned. ¡°Her father was too quick to make up things in his head without asking me what really happened.¡± He responded. ¡°And didn¡¯t Shalewa exined things to her father?¡± I asked. ¡°No Shalewa didn¡¯t tell him the truth, she made up a story that I tried to kill her because I was angry she cheated on me. She told the police that I got my injuries when she tried to defend herself against me.¡± He exined. My eyebrows snapped together. ¡°She lied to cover up her shameful act and made it seem like she is the victim in this case.¡± I said. Adedayo shook his head in agreement. ¡°It was her way of getting back at me for asking for a divorce and for wanting to reveal the truth about Jamal.¡± Adedayo said. ¡°Does anyone else know that Jamal is not your son? And about what happened at your home?¡± I asked. ¡°Charles Adams, Shalewa and my doctor friend who did the DNA test. I told him everything during my stay at the hospital.¡± He answered. ¡°Good it is clear that Shalewa framed you so we will use all these things you just told me to defend you in court.¡± I said. ¡°Arike, are you sure that I will be able to get out of here and won¡¯t go to jail?¡± Adedayo asked with his eyes pleading with me. ¡°Yes it will help but we need more evidences like the messages from Charles Adams, DNA results and if your doctor friend can bear witness in court since you revealed the truth to him.¡± I said. ¡°Yes I still have the messages and I even shared it with my doctor friend.¡± Adedayo said in a rush. ¡°What about thewyer who wanted to help you file a divorce?¡± I asked. ¡°He is currently out of the country but I can give you his contact.¡± He replied. ¡°Okay Dayo¡­¡± I reached out to hold his hands. ¡°In case you remember anything-¡± ¡°He interrupted me. ¡°One more thing, the miscarriage Shalewa had, the baby wasn¡¯t mine.¡± He said. My eyebrows drew together again in sheer surprise. ¡°Again?!¡± Adedayo looked up and sighed. ¡°Few days ago I got a call from Dele Balogun, he said that Shalewa¡¯s baby was his and that they didn¡¯t stop seeing each other even after the news has it that they were having an affair. I don¡¯t know if what he told me was true because he asked for a huge amount of money.¡± He exined. ¡°Money? For what?!¡± I asked. ¡°He offered to reveal to the police that the child was his thinking it might help reduce the charges against me.¡± He said. ¡°Do you have the number he used to call you?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes I have everything you need on my phone but the police took everything. But you can meet my doctor friend, he has everything too.¡± He answered. ¡°Can I have his number?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know it by heart but his name is Ajibade Nelson and he works at Bradjos Hospital.¡± He gave the information about his doctor friend. ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t feelfortable giving us any information we need?¡± I asked. ¡°Go with mywyer and tell him that I asked to give the sh drive with him.¡± He responded. ¡°sh drive?¡± I repeated. ¡°Yes everything you need to solve this case is on the sh drive.¡± Adedayo said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I will make sure thewyers make good use of the truth you just revealed.¡± I shed him a small smile. ¡°Thank you, Arike.¡± He squeezed my hands gently. ¡°I have to go now.¡± I said. He nodded. ¡°Okay¡­ will youe around again?¡± He asked. I shook my head. ¡°I will be here tomorrow.¡± He managed to smile. ¡°I will drop my number at the counter so if you need anything call me okay?¡± Adedayo shook his head. ¡°Sure.¡± I let go of his hand and stood up to leave. ¡°Arike, it is good to see you again.¡± He said. And this time I didn¡¯t miss the gleam of happiness on his face. ¡°Bye Dayo.¡± I smiled back at him before stepping out of the room. Chapter 55 The recording Arike¡¯s POV Tears welled up in my eyes again as I twisted the door knob and stepped out of the room. Bamidele and barrister Prosper leaned your against the wall waiting for me. They rushed towards me at the sound of me closing the door. ¡°Arike?¡± Bamidele pursed his lips when he saw the tears in my eyes. Barrister Prosper mouth quirked up. ¡°Didn¡¯t he open up to you?¡± He asked. I shook my head. ¡°He.. did.. Dayo told.. me.. everything.¡± I answered shakily. ¡°Arike, what about the recording?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°I have it in my bag.¡± I answered. Barrister Prosper heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Let us step out of here and listen to the recording.¡± He said. ¡°Yes we don¡¯t have much time.¡± Bamidele agreed. Then we started the walked out of the police station but I stopped when we got to the counter. ¡°Please go ahead, I need to talk to the sergeants.¡± I said. Bamidele and barrister Prosper exchanged nces. ¡°Will you be fine alone?¡± Bamidele asked. I nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please be careful.¡± Barrister Prosper said. ¡°Okay we will be waiting in the car.¡± Bamidele added before walking away with Barrister Propser. I turned towards the sergeant after the men¡¯s departure. ¡°Good afternoon madam.¡± The sergeants greeted me at the same time. ¡°Good afternoon, please I need your help.¡± I said. ¡°How may I help you ma?¡± The fair and tall sergeant with the name tag Banjo answered. ¡°It is about the man in custody.¡± I said. ¡°Oh the rich businessman?¡± The dark sergeant with the name tag Idris said with a raised eyebrow.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes.. Adedayo Awosika.¡± I replied. The sergeants exchanged nces. ¡°What do you want madam?¡± Sergeant Idris asked. ¡°I want to drop my number so he can always give me a call whenever he needs anything. Can I?¡± I asked. ¡°The rich man didn¡¯t drop anybody¡¯s number while he was filling the statement form.¡± Sergeant Idris snorted. Doesn¡¯t the rich man have a name? I don¡¯t like this sergeant Idris. Sergeant Banjo nudged sergeant Idris side, trying to caution him. ¡°Madam how are you rted to him?¡± Sergeant Banjo asked. ¡°Well I am like a family to him. A.. distant rtive.¡± I answered with a forced smile. ¡°Okay.. that is not a problem. We just need someone to stand in for him aside thewyer.¡± Sergeant Banjo exined. ¡°Yes.. I understand.¡± I said. He passed a big record book to me. ¡°You can write your name, phone number and address here.¡± Sergeants Banjo instructed. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I did as instructed before passing the book back to him. Sergeant Banjo shook his head. ¡°This is okay.¡± He said. ¡°Please.. is it okay to leave him some money just in case he wants anything?¡± I asked. The men exchanged nces again. It was no news anymore that police stations don¡¯t give out good food to the people in custody. And I don¡¯t want Adedayo falling sick before court day. ¡°Madam you can leave some cash for him.¡± Sergeant Idris answered. I reached into my bag and took out my wallet. I counted five thousand naira. ¡°Please he is kinda picky when ites to food.¡± I gave three thousand naira to sergeant Banjo. ¡°This is for him, just buy him catfish pepper soup and probably a good food from the eatery across the station.¡± I said. I had seen on fast food across the station when I was about toe in. And it was funny how much I still know about Adedayo. ¡°Okay.. madam.¡± Sergeant Banjo said. ¡°And this is for you..¡± I gave a thousand naira note to the sergeants. ¡°No madam.. you don¡¯t need to-¡± I interrupted sergeant Banjo. ¡°This is not a bribe.. I am just appreciating your efforts around here.¡± I made it clear to them with the hope that they would be nice enough to Adedayo since I heard that that they brutal at this station. ¡°Thank you madam.¡± Sergeant Idris said. Sergeant Banjo looked at his colleague, shook his head before epting the money from me. ¡°Thank you ma.¡± He said. ¡°You are wee.¡± I forced a smile on my face before walking away. I met Bamidele having a conversation with barrister Prosper. ¡°Sorry for the dy.. I had to drop my number in case Dayo needs anything.¡± I said. ¡°I offered to stand in but they gave me a separate note to sign as hiswyer and asked me to call his family.¡± Barrister Prosper huffed. ¡°Did they let you sign it?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°Yes.. I told them that I was his distant rtive.¡± I answered. ¡°I really feel bad for mr Dayo because I called his dad but he refused toe and see his son.¡± Barrister shook his head in pity. ¡°Let us listen to the recording before deciding our next move.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Yes¡­ you are right.¡± Barrister Prosper added. ¡°You look tired, are you okay?¡± Barrister asked in a concerned tone. I shook my head. ¡°Yes I am alright.¡± I wasn¡¯t happy, felt really weak after finding out the truth Adedayo¡¯s situation. ¡°I will drive you home.¡± Bamidele unlocked his car. ¡°Can you give me a ride too? My car broke down yesterday and I haven¡¯t gotten a call from the auto repair shop.¡± Barrister Prosper asked. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem, we can listen to the recording on our way.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Okay.¡± Barrister responded. I sat in the backseat while barrister Prosper sat next to the driver seat. We hit the highway after driving out of the police station street and I handed recording device to barrister Prosper. Barrister Prosper pressed the red button on the device and the recording started to y with my voice at first and then Dayo¡¯s voice was heard too. Several minutes passed before the recording ended. And I couldn¡¯t control the tears that streamed down my cheeks but I wiped my face clea. I could feel my heart breaking every single time I think about what Dayo has been through while he was with Shalewa. ¡°I have always known that there was more to this story.¡± Bamidele hands gripped the steering wheel. ¡°Can you just imagine?! My God! How can she be so selfish and shameless?! The actress is pure evil! And everyone has been ming me Dayo in this incident!¡± Barrister Prosper expresses his disgust and anger towards Shalewa. ¡°We have the evidence that will retake the truth, all we need to do is edit the recording and y just the important part in the court.¡± Bamidele said. And all of a sudden a bothersome question struck my mind. Chapter 56 False Evidence Arike¡¯s POV A bothersome question struck my mind and I couldn¡¯t hide it. ¡°Bamidele, what if the court says the recording is staged?¡± I asked. The menpsed into silence. Gosh! Why didn¡¯t I think about it?! Shalewa¡¯swyer could counter our evidence with the im that it was staged and falsified to favour Adedayo. ¡°You are right.. but at the same time we have a witness.¡± Bamidele muttered. ¡°I have an idea.¡± Barrister Prosper said. ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. He adjusted his sitting position and turned to face me. ¡°It is dangerous but I believe we can do it.¡± Barrister Prosper stared intently at me. ¡°As long as it is legal, then we can consider it.¡± Bamidele said as he focused on the road ahead. ¡°My first question is who will meet doctor Ajibade Nelson, our only witness?¡± Barrister Prosper asked. ¡°I will visit the hospital tomorrow to talk to doctor Nelson and get the sh drive.¡± Bamidele answered. ¡°I aming with you.¡± I said. ¡°Arike, you don¡¯t need toe along. Let us do our job or have you forgotten that you have so much to do for Busayomi¡¯s wedding?¡± He asked. ¡°Bamidele, this is about Dayo and I am sure my sister will understand me. So I aming with you and don¡¯t tell me otherwise.¡± I countered. ¡°Very good.. you have to go with him and the reason is not to meet doctor Nelson.¡± Barrister Prosper said. My eyebrows drew together in confusion. ¡°If I am not going to meet doctor Nelson then who am I meeting?¡± I asked. ¡°Shalewa.¡± Barrister Prosper answered. ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Yes.. I think meeting Shalewa is the only way for the court to believe this recording.¡± Barrister Prosper said.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. My frown deepened. ¡°How?¡± I asked. ¡°Good question, all you need to do is make Shalewa confess that she did these things Dayo said in the recording.¡± Barrister Prosper exined. My mouth fell open. ¡°Shalewa might tell herwyer and they will use it against us in court.¡± Bamidele said after a moment of silence. ¡°You don¡¯t understand my idea, I am not saying that you should force Shalewa to agree to anything.¡± Barrister Prosper said. ¡°So what are you insinuating?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°You already know the truth, just put up an act of concern and self pity that would make Shalewa believe that you are on her side. You can as well let her know that you know the truth and then if she plead guilty in the recording, we can settle the case without going to court. Either ways, our work is to get mr Dayo out of police custody and probably have a settlement for him.¡± Barrister Prosper said. ¡°No, Shalewa must pay for everything she has done to Dayo.¡± I grimaced. ¡°Either ways.. I think Dayo would be the one to decide if he wants to settle out of court after she admits that she is at fault. If he wants to go to court to plead not guilty and with good evidence if he is really found not guilty you the court then Shalewa would be asked to pay a huge sum of money to Dayo for defamation of character and public humiliation.¡± Bamidele exined. ¡°We would win on both sides is mr Dayo is found not guilty.¡± Barrister Prosper said. ¡°Well barrister Prosper¡¯s idea is actually not bad, if I make Shalewa admit that it was her fault then Dayo can be free.¡± I said. ¡°Can you do that?¡± Barrister Prosper asked. I shook my head. ¡°Yes, I am willing to do anything to help Dayo as long as it is legal.¡± I answered. Barrister Prosper gave me a thumps up. ¡°You guys should meet up with doctor Nelson and Shalewa while I meet some contacts who can help on this case.¡± He turned and faced the road ahead. ¡°Okay.. good what time should we meet?¡± I asked. ¡°Is 9:00am okay with you?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°Let us make it by 8:00am.¡± I answered. ¡°Hospital visiting time starts by 9 and ends by 12, so you should be there within that period of time.¡± Barrister prosper said. ¡°Arike, I wille and pick you up tomorrow.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Thank you, Bamidele.¡± ¡°You should hold this¡­¡± Barrister gave the recording device to Bamidele. ¡°You will need it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Please drop it in my safe.¡± Bamidele said. Barrister Prosper did as instructed. ¡°I am certain we will win this case.¡± I said within. ************* Bamidele dropped me at home before turning to leave for his ce. Busayomi had called twice in the car to check if everything was fine and I told her hat I would be home soon. She was definitely waiting for me toe and deliver the full gist of what happened at the police station. When I stepped into the house Iteoluwa was watching cartoon while I didn¡¯t see Busayomi in the living room. I expected the cold attitude from Iteoluwa so I didn¡¯t want to bother her sweet moment as she sang along to Sofia the first theme song. ¡°I am finding out what being royal is all about¡­ Sofia the first.¡± I took just few step ms to head straight to the kitchen then I heard her voice. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Iteoluwa said. And I turned around to face her. ¡°My love..¡± She reduced the volume of the television. ¡°Wee mommy.¡± She started towards me. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to disturb you.¡± I forced a smile on my face. ¡°Oh Arike¡­ you are back!¡± Busayomi cane out of the kitchen. ¡°Yes I came in just now and I was about toe and see you in the kitchen.¡± I said. ¡°It is alright. I have prepared dinner so go inside and have a bathe thene out to eat.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°Okay.¡± I muttered. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Busayomi cuts her off. ¡°Go ahead and watch your cartoon, your mom needs to get changed.¡± ¡°Okay.. big mommy.¡± Iteoluwa mumbled, sadness clouded her features as she walked back to the couch. Chapter 57 She wants to meet daddy Arike¡¯s POV I snapped my eyebrows together. ¡°Did she do something wrong while I was away?¡± I asked. ¡°Maybe..¡± Busayomi muttered. ¡°What did she do?¡± I asked again. I know my child well, Iteoluwa preferred to report herself after doing what she has been told not to do instead of having someone to talk about her offenses. ¡°What did she do? She gave you a hard time? Did she cry too much? Or did she break anything around the house?¡± I bombarded Busayomi with questions. She answered me with a sigh. ¡°You look tired, go ahead and have a shower before our food gets cold.¡± Busayomi pushed me towards the direction of the bedroom. I became so worried and anxious to know what Iteoluwa has done to Busayomi. Iteoluwa had looked really sad after Busayomi spoke to her. I had the quickest bathe, changed into my night gown and grabbed my phone before walking out of the room. My phone beeped on getting to the dinning area where dinner has been served by Busayomi. It was Bamidele calling my phone. I hoped for good news as I epted the call. ¡°Hello Bamidele¡­¡± I said, moving away from the dinning area to the living room. ¡°Arike, how are you feeling now?¡± He asked. ¡°I am alright.¡± I replied. ¡°Good to hear¡­¡± He said. ¡°So what is the news?¡± I asked. ¡°Barrister Prosper managed to get a contact who knows doctor Nelson.¡± He said. ¡°Okay.. that is nice¡­¡± I muttered. ¡°I spoke to doctor Nelson and he agreed to see us.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Oh this is great news.. so did you mention the sh drive to him?¡± I asked. ¡°No I didn¡¯t want to be too forward.¡± Bamidele responded. ¡°Okay¡­ that is good.¡± I muttered. ¡°Doctor Nelson said he has something to give us, I am sure it must be the sh drive.¡± He said. ¡°Yes¡­ that must be it.¡± I said. ¡°So let us meet at that time because doctor Nelson said he would only be able to meet with us during visitation hours.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°And we will find out about Shalewa¡¯s condition from him before you meet her.¡± Bamidele coughed. ¡°Oh sorry¡­¡± ¡°Thanks.. I just choked on water.¡± He said. ¡°Okay¡­ just keep me updated and give me a call whenever you are about to leave home.¡± I said. ¡°Alright please get enough rest.¡± Bamidele coughed again. ¡°Thanks for your concern, take care Bamidele.¡± ¡°You are wee, have a good night.¡± He said. ¡°And you too.¡± I replied before ending the call. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Busayomi asked when I walked back to the dinning area. ¡°Yes¡­ everything is fine.¡± I answered. My gaze flickered on Iteoluwa, she wasn¡¯t eating. Busayomi gestured to me to sit down, she handed me my food, I offered to feed Iteoluwa but an eye contact from Busayomi stopped me. ¡°Iteoluwa, your mom won¡¯t be able to feed you today, so eat yourself.¡± She said. Iteoluwa looked at me. ¡°Come on eat.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°Okay.. big mommy.¡± She muttered and took her spoon to eat. ¡°So let us all eat.¡± Busayomi said and we all ate in silence. Several minutes clicked by and we finished our meal with no one uttering a word. I stood up and reached out to take Iteoluwa¡¯s te. ¡°Leave it.. let her take it herself to the kitchen.¡± Busayomi said. I looked at her with a confused expression on my face. ¡°Iteoluwa, take your te to the kitchen.¡± Busayomi instructed. ¡°Okay¡­ big mommy.¡± She got out of the chair quickly and walked off to the kitchen with her te. Busayomi stood up and collected the dishes I had assembled and she also walked away to the kitchen.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try to interfere because I am doing this for your sake.¡± She said. She and Iteoluwa came back together some secondster. ¡°Go and prepare to sleep¡­¡± Busayomi said to her. ¡°Okay big mommy¡­¡± she looked at me before walking away. I became confused as to why Busayomi was making Iteoluwa do things herself. I stood up to follow my child but Busayomi grabbed my upper arm and pulled me back on the chair. ¡°You better sit down there before I hit your face.¡± She grimaced. ¡°What is going on? You know Iteoluwa can¡¯t put herself to sleep¡­ she needs me.¡± I said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Iteoluwa can¡¯t put herself to sleep.. she needs me.¡± Busayomi mimicked me. I ced my curved palm under my chin. ¡°She will learn to do it today,¡± Busayomi answered with a shrug. ¡°Why? You know she is just five.. not even five yet.¡± I said. ¡°In few months time but does it matter? Do you want to kill yourself, you are thinking about Dayo.. you are thinking about Iteoluwa, you have been out all day! And why are you so worked up about me telling Iteoluwa to do little things herself when I am just trying to show her the importance of having a mother in her life?!¡± She snapped at me. I understood her reason immediately and I began rub my temples. ¡°I know why she is so spoilt that she can¡¯t do little things herself. It is because you raised her where they do all the things for them. She wants to wee, she wants to poop, she wants to eat, she wants to do anything.. you are the one doing it for her. Assuming she was raised here in Nigeria, she would be doing these little things herself. Her age grade are already washing tes in some houses.¡± Busayomi exined. ¡°Alright.. I understand but you know.. I am only trying to make herfortable. She is all I have.¡± ¡°Are you the first mother on earth? I am not saying Iteoluwa is not a good child but try to make her do some things herself. Did you see how she fed herself without dropping any bit of food on the table?¡± She asked. I shook my head. ¡°That shows that she can do these things herself.¡± ¡°What did you say to her?¡± I asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her anything about Adedayo but I only made it clear to her that you are doing your best to reunite her with her father.¡± Busayomi answered. ¡°She doesn¡¯t know what I am trying to do for her that is why she is mad at me.¡± I said. ¡°She just wants to meet her daddy, but I am sure she understands you now.¡± Busayomi gave my hand a small squeeze. I heaved a sigh. ¡°She will meet Adedayo once everything is over.¡± ¡°Actually she is feeling guilty for acting cold towards you in the morning that is why she wanted to apologize.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to feel that way.¡± I whispered. ¡°I am sure she will get over it once you talk things out with her.¡± I nodded my head in agreement. Chapter 58 Evil wife and greedy father Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Actually she is feeling guilty for acting cold towards you in the morning that is why she wanted to apologize.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to feel that way.¡± I whispered. ¡°I am sure she will get over it once you talk things out with her.¡± I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°So how was the meeting with Dayo?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°It went well¡­ I guess.¡± I nibbled on my bottom lip. ¡°Did Adedayo tell you what really happened?¡± She asked curiously. I shook my head and heaved a sigh. ¡°So who is guilty?¡± She asked again. ¡°ording to what Adedayo told me, It is Shalewa that is guilty.¡± I answered. ¡°I knew it!¡± Busayomi snapped her finger. Then I narrated everything Adedayo told me and our ns of meeting the doctor who has the sh drive and also Shalewa. Busayomi fell mouth open. ¡°Jesus Christ of Nazareth! Oh my God! Shalewa is a terrible woman o! Omo! I fear who no fear our gender o! How can she do such a shameful act and still pretend to me a victim just to protect her career and reputation!¡± Busayomi gasped out in shock. ¡°I was surprised too o especially the part that Jamal is not his son.¡± I said. ¡°Mr Awosika should be med, he is just concerned about money. He doesn¡¯t even care about his only son!¡± Busayomi gritted her teeth. I rubbed my slightly aching temples. ¡°And I don¡¯t know why he is like that to his children.¡± I muttered.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Arike make sure you get the truth out of Shalewa even if you have beat her up for it. See if she wants to be saying rubbish just grab her hair, make her go bald and punch her face really hard.¡± Busayomi demonstrated how I should treat Shalewa on our next meeting. ¡°Ahh that is violence now and it will onlyplicate the case even more. It is not -¡± Her mouth set in hardline. ¡°Who cares? When she was doing her shit and got Dayo into this whole mess, didn¡¯t she think about violence? Woh let us just scatter everything.. leak the recording to social media and let everybody hear about it and know that Shalewa is evil. And let Dayo charge her to court for humiliation and he should demand 50 million naira as settlement andpensation.¡± She said. I couldn¡¯t help butugh at her dramatic nature. ¡°Thank God you are not awyer, you would have been a very violentwyer in court.¡± I said. ¡°I wish I was one.. see all these ones you are finding evidence, I will just go to judge house and y him the recording, leak it everywhere on media, send to reporters.. abi should Ie with you to see Shalewa?¡± She asked. ¡°Ah no I can handle it.¡± Iughed. ¡°See if you need help beating her up if she doesn¡¯t talk don¡¯t just hesitate to call me. One beep and I wille rushing to that hospital, who is she? How can she treat Adedayo like that? Ahh I feel like going there right now and go and deal with her.¡± She hissed. I giggled. ¡°Please why are you acting like a war freak?¡± I asked. She stood up abruptly. ¡°Woh! I don¡¯t mind to be a woman of violence just to deal with Shalewa. That woman needs someone to teach her a big lesson¡­ ahh I feel bad for Adedayo, if mr Awosika was my father I would have disfather him a long time ago.¡± She hissed out again. ¡°Disfather? Which one is that one again?¡± Iughed out. ¡°I will disown him if he was my father¡­¡± she answered. ¡°Let us be calming down o.¡± Iughed. Busayomiughed too. ¡°Woh.. this Dayo¡¯s case is really on my mind, I wish I could help him.¡± ¡°We will do our best to help me.¡± I said. ¡°I will keep on praying to God to shed more light into this case and I am sure everything will be fine. Adedayo Awosika will be free again.. and this time he will be free forever from the grip of that devious woman and a greedy father.¡± She prayed. ¡°Amen!¡± I said heartily. Busayomi yawned. ¡°I am feeling sleepy but I still need to wash the dishes.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just leave it?¡± I said. ¡°No¡­ those ant and cockroaches will just appear from no where and start feeding on the left overs.¡± She yawned again. ¡°Okay.. I will wash it.¡± I stood up. ¡°No I don¡¯t want to stress you, save up your energy for Shalewa.¡± She started towards the kitchen. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± I asked. ¡°Please go and have a good rest, you need all the whole strength to deal with Shalewa tomorrow.¡± She answered. ¡°Okay¡­ goodnight.¡± I said. ¡°Goodnight.¡± She answered before walking into the kitchen. I motioned towards my bedroom, when I walked in Iteoluwa wasying in bed, ying with her singing doll. ¡°Mom¡­¡± she sat up abruptly. ¡°My love¡­¡± I got into bed and pull the bed covers over our bodies. ¡°Why are you still awake?¡± I asked. Iteoluwa nestled closer to my side and rested her head on my chest. ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± She mumbled. ¡°Why? It is reallyte you should have gone to sleep.¡± She intertwined our hands. ¡°I want to say.. sorry mommy, I shouldn¡¯t be mad at you¡­¡± she stopped talking. ¡°Iteoluwa-¡± I called her name but no response came from her. All she did was cuddle me tightly and she sniffled. ¡°Sweetie are you crying?¡± I tilted her head to look up at me and she has tears in her eyes. ¡°Yes mommy¡­ I feel so bad for ignoring you this morning and for getting mad at you after promising that I won¡¯t be angry with you.¡± She sobbed. ¡°I am sorry mommy.¡± ¡°It is alright.¡± I ced a kiss on her forehead. ¡°You have always been there for me.. you have been doing everything for me.. I am sorry mommy.¡± Tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°Please stop crying, I understand that you want to meet your daddy so badly right?¡± ¡°Yes mom.. I really want to see him.¡± She admitted. ¡°Okay.. okay.. you will soon meet him, please just give me a little time. Once everything is sorted out then I bring you to see your daddy.¡± I said. She stared intensely at me, a look of disappointment on her face. ¡°Please..¡± I muttered. ¡°Okay.. I will wait.. mommy.¡± She sniffed. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry my love¡­ I am sorry you have to go through this¡­¡± I embraced her tightly. ¡°Okay mommy.¡± She said in a tight whisper. ¡°I love you so much.¡± I said with a kiss on her forehead. ¡°I love you too mommy.¡± She replied. Then I started singing her favorite luby and soon I heard a small snore from her. She was asleep. Chapter 59 Doubting Barrister Prosper Arike¡¯s POV It was a very cold morning because there had been a huge downpours in the middle of the night. I woke up around 6:00am and did the necessary things in the house before getting dressed, ready to face whatever the day has in store for me. Busayomi yawned. ¡°Oh you have prepared breakfast for us¡­¡± she grumbled. ¡°Yes.. I know you will be very busy today with the stuffs you want to put together for the wedding. And having to watch Iteoluwa, I don¡¯t want you to stress yourself out.¡± I said. ¡°So are you ready to leave?¡± She asked rubbing her sleepy eyes. ¡°Yes..¡± I answered. ¡°Is Bamidele here already?¡± She asked, yawning out loud again. ¡°No.. not yet¡­¡± I taped on my phone to send Bamidele a message. ¡°Wow! Omo this cold sabi freeze person o, is Iteoluwa okay?¡± She asked with concern in her tone. ¡°Yes she is fine, I already bathe her with hot water and she is asleep now.¡± I answered. ¡°Okay.. the rain is still drizzling, let me get a umbre for you.¡± She said. ¡°Okay.. thanks.¡± I mumbled. Busayomi walked off into her room while my phone beeped. It was a call from Bamidele. ¡°Arike, I am outside your home now.¡± He said. ¡°Oh I already sent you a text.¡± I grabbed my bag from the table. ¡°Yes I just saw it now, I couldn¡¯t reply your message because I was driving.¡± He answered. ¡°Okay¡­ I will be out soon.¡± I said and disconnected the call. Busayomi came back with an umbre and pull over jacket. ¡°Have it to prevent you from catching cold.¡± She handed the umbre and jacket to me. ¡°Thank you.¡± I took the stuffs from her and wore the jacket. ¡°I have to leave now, Bamidele is at the gate.¡± I hugged her. ¡°Okay¡­ please be careful, if anythinges up please don¡¯t hesitate to call me.¡± She said with a worried expression on her face. ¡°Alright but don¡¯t worry everything will go well.¡± I shed her a small smile. ¡°Okay.. bye bye.¡± Busayomi said as she walked me to the door. I walked out of the house, pulled the hood of the jacket over my head, opened the umbre and started towards the gate. Bamidele car honked to get my attention, he was three houses away from our gate. I walked to the car and slide into it after closing off the umbre. ¡°Good morning,¡± I greeted Bamidele. ¡°What a cold morning¡­ I hope you managed to get some sleep?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes I tried to sleep but when the case is over, I will definitely have my beauty sleep.¡± I heaved a sigh. ¡°Okay¡­ I guess we can leave now.¡± He said. ¡°Sure.¡± I dropped the umbre in the back seat and fastened my seatbelt. Bamidele started the car and it glide in slow motion. ¡°I think it is right for you to know that I sent a copy of the recording to barrister Prosper yesterday night.¡± Bamidele informed me. ¡°You sound funny.. it is like you don¡¯t want him to have the recording.¡± I said. Bamidele look at me for a second before focusing on the road ahead. ¡°You still have your reading mind spirit huh?¡± He asked. I managed tough at his joke. ¡°What reading mind spirit?¡± ¡°Arike should I be honest with you?¡± He asked. ¡°Sure.¡± I replied. ¡°I don¡¯t trust barrister Prosper.¡± He said. ¡°Why? He seems ipetent at first but I think he will do a good job with your help in court.¡± I said. He nodded his head in agreement.¡±I observe that he is easily swayed, and I am afraid that if our opponent find out about this evidence they might want to use him against us or what do you think?¡± He asked. ¡°Are you insinuating that they can bribe him?¡± I asked. ¡°Something like that¡­¡± he answered. Bamidele is an observant, for him to have said out his thoughts means that he was bothered about barrister Prosper. ¡°Bamidele I really don¡¯t know what to think but let us not jump into conclusions yet.¡± I said.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I am just thinking about the possibilities anyways.¡± Bamidele mumbled. ¡°Let us trust him this once because he is also helpful in the case.¡± I said. ¡°Alright if he is awyer who fight for justice for the people then I am definitely going to hire him to work in my firm.¡± Bamidele said. The drive to the hospital was filled with Bamidele telling me about his ns for hisw firm and how he intend to hire morewyers to work with him. Finally we reached Branjos hospital, Bamidele asked the nurse at the reception desk for the pathway leading to doctor Nelson¡¯s office. ¡°Sir do you have an appointment with him?¡± She asked. ¡°Not really but he is aware that we areing to see him.¡± I answered. ¡°Yes he sent me a message to let me know the time toe around to see him.¡± Bamidele added. ¡°Can I see the message please?¡± The nurse asked. ¡°Sure..¡± Bamidele brought out his phone and show the nurse the message. ¡°Okay.. I think he should be less busy since it is visiting hours.¡± She said. ¡°Yeah that is also what he told us.¡± Bamidele said. The nurse faced her colleague that was sitting next to her. ¡°Nurse Joy please take them to doctor Nelson¡¯s office.¡± ¡°Okay..¡± Nurse Joy stood up and came out of the cubicle. ¡°Pleasee with me.¡± We thanked the nurse and we followed nurse Joy. ¡°I hope everything works out as nned.¡± Bamidele whispered to me. We passed a long hallway leading into several wards and soon the nurse stopped in front of a door. ¡°This is doctor Nelson¡¯s office, please wait here I will let him you are here. What are your names?¡± Nurse Joy asked. Bamidele and I exchanged nces. ¡°Just tell him, barrister Bamidele and Arike.¡± I answered. She knocked on the door and only entered after she heard ae in. Nurse Joy stepped in closing the door behind her. ¡°I should have called him toe and pick us at the reception, all the waiting and questioning scheme is a waste of time.¡± Bamidele grumbled. ¡°You are acting like you are not awful person. You know how these things works, they have to be careful and strict with their policy of having people around here.¡± I said. ¡°Anyways.. you are right sometimes I forget my profession.¡± Bamidele chuckled. Nurse Joy came out with a huge smile on her lips. ¡°You can go in to see doctor Nelson.¡± She said. I heard Bamdiele heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you.¡± We both said in unison before the nurse walked away. Bamidele opened the door and let me into the office first before he followed in closing the door gently behind him. A middle aged man dressed in white shirt, a white doctor¡¯s coat over it with a pair of sses hanging on his nose. I didn¡¯t know we were meeting someone older than Adedayo. Doctor Nelson stood up to wee us and we exchanged pleasantries. Chapter 60 Doctor Nelson Arike¡¯s POV A middle aged man dressed in white shirt, a white doctor¡¯s coat over it with a pair of sses hanging on his nose. I didn¡¯t know we were meeting someone older than Adedayo. Doctor Nelson¡¯s stood up to wee us and we exchanged pleasantries. ¡°Please take your seat.¡± He offered. Bamidele and I settled in the chairs facing him directly. Doctor Nelson cleared his throat. ¡°First of all, I really appreciate your help to get Dayo out of police custody. It is a good thing that he has people like you guys willing to help out.¡± He said. ¡°We have some evidences but we just need what you have with you.¡± I said. ¡°A sh drive¡­¡± Bamdele added. ¡°Dayo told you about the sh drive?¡± Doctor Nelson asked with his eyes beaming with hope. ¡°Yes he told us everything that happened between he and Shalewa.¡± I answered. ¡°I am d that Adedayo came out of his shell and revealed the truth to you. I have the sh drive he told you about here.¡± He opened a drawer and brought out a brown envelope. ¡°Everything you need to win this case is in this envelope, test results, copies of messages he received and also the sh drive.¡± He dropped it on the table and passed it to us. Bamidele reached out to take it. ¡°Thank you doctor Nelson, but we still need your help.¡± I said. ¡°I am willing to testify as a witness in court. I know Dayo is innocent and I don¡¯t want him to pay for crimes he didn¡¯tmit. Shalewa should be the one in police custody.¡± Doctor Nelson said with a hardened expression. ¡°That is why we will still be needing your help.¡± Bamidele said after dropping the brown envelope back on the table. ¡°What else do I need to do? Please let me know, I am willing to do anything for Dayo. He has been a good friend to me over the years.¡± Doctor Nelson said. Bamidele and I exchanged nces before he spoke up. ¡°We need to see Shalewa.¡± He said. ¡°Shalewa?¡± The doctor leaned back in his chair. I leaned forward to talk to doctor Nelson in case anyone was outside trying to listen to whatever we are saying. ¡°I need to meet Shalewa, All we need now to back up our evidences is to make her confess that she framed Adedayo.¡± I exined to the doctor. Soon acknowledgement registered on doctor Nelson¡¯s face and he leaned forward. ¡°They have tightened the security outside Shalewa¡¯s room. There are police men always standing on guard at her ward, so it won¡¯t be easy getting in except you have an appointment with her.¡± Doctors Nelson exined. Geez! Why are there security outside her ward? To protect her? From who? Dayo who is in the police custody?! I thought deeply. Was this n of getting Shalewa to confess going to work out? ¡°What do we do?¡± Doctor Nelson asked. ¡°Doctor, meeting Shalewa is the only way to clear up Dayo¡¯s name if things works out as nned.¡± I said in a low tone.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°We know this is dangerous because of your profession but what we are about to do is not illegal. We are just trying to get evidences to prove our client innocence.¡± Bamidele said. Doctor Nelson stared into space, absolutely lost in thought. ¡°Doctor Nelson¡­¡± I called out to him. He snapped out of reverie. ¡°Oh.. sorry.. but I think I have a way to get you into Shalewa¡¯s room.¡± He whispered. ¡°What way?¡± Bamidele and I asked the same time. ¡°The only way to get into Shalewa¡¯s room is for you to act as a nurse.¡± He whispered. Bamidele and I exchanged nces, he gave me a ¡®are you okay with it? Look and I shook my head positively. ¡°It makes sense.. but how do we go about it?¡± I asked. ¡°Nurse Joy is the one in charge of Shalewa medications for this week, I can talk to her to let you take her time.¡± Doctor Nelson said. ¡°Will it be alright to involve her?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry she is one of Dayo¡¯s fan.¡± He answered. ¡°If it is going to work then I am in.¡± I said. ¡°Okay.. let me talk to her.¡± He grabbed his cellphone on the table. He put the phone on speaker after dialing the nurse number. ¡°Hello nurse Joy, please is there anyone visiting Shalewa?¡± ¡°No sir.. there is no one with her and even her guards are out for lunch too.¡± Nurse Joy answered. ¡°So she is alone.. perhaps have you gone to give her medications?¡± He asked again. ¡°No sir.. but it is due in five minutes.¡± Nurse Joy answered. ¡°Okay.. can you bring her medications to my office, I will like to check on her myself.¡± He said. ¡°Okay sir.. I will be there soon.¡± Nurse Joy said before cutting off the call. ¡°Are you going to her ward with me?¡± I asked. ¡°No you will be the one to give Shalewa her drugs. And like you said I don¡¯t think it will be alright to involve the nurse in this case.¡± Doctor Nelson said. ¡°Okay sir.¡± He stood up from the chair. ¡°I will be right back.¡± He walked out of the office. Several minutes clicked back before Doctor Nelson came back into the office with a tray in his hand and a white uniform in the other hand. ¡°I managed to get a uniform from the store.¡± He gave the uniform to me. ¡°You can go into the checking room to change your outfit into this uniform.¡± The room was demarcated with a curtain, I took it from him and walked into the room. Chapter 61 A meeting with Shalewa Arike¡¯s POV I was disguised as a nurse with a face mask to hide my identity. When I got to Shalewa¡¯s private ward, there were no guards at the entrance. Bamidele was nearby waiting to distract the guards in case theye back and I hope they are stupid enough to not suspect anything. I have just fifteen minutes to get Shalewa to confess that she framed Adedayo. I breathed in and out heavily before walking into the ward. The room was for VIP patients and it was quite expensive. And there she was sittingfortably in bed with a blue spiral binding book in her hand, one I assumed to be a script. Unbelievable! This sly female was ready to act again in a movie amidst all this chaos she created while Dayo was suffering in the police custody. Shalewa was selfish and inhumane. I held the tray tightly for some seconds before clearing my throat and Shalewa looked at me. She looked better than Dayo with only her bandage around her head. ¡°Oh nurse.. I was just about to ring the rm, I am feeling a bit uneasy.¡± She said. She feels uneasy but she is reading a script! I started towards the bed without saying a word to her. I did a good job at giving her the drugs Doctor Nelson had given to me. It was easy for me to give her overdose but I am not a bad person. And I have decided to fight her fairly.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Thank you.¡± She said after gulping down the drugs with water. ¡°Perhaps are you new here because I haven¡¯t seen your face. I mean all the nurses here always talk to me even before giving me drugs.¡± She said. She seemed proud of who she was ¨C the famous Nollywood Actress. I carried the tray to the couch, I ced the tray on it before settling in the couch. ¡°Oh you decided to stay after giving me drugs.. do you want an autograph too? Or you want me to also tell you the story of how my husband pushed me down the stairs?¡± She asked with a coy smile. Let us see if you will have this confidence after seeing my face. I reached out for the mask on my face and removed it slowly. Recognition registered on Shalewa¡¯s face immediately. ¡°Do I still look new to you? I asked. Her face expressed shock. ¡°What¡­ what.. are.. you.. doing here?¡± She stuttered looking outside through the transparent gap on the door. ¡°Your guards are still out for lunch and don¡¯t even think of pressing the rm to alert the nurses.¡± I shed her a faked smile. ¡°Are you a nurse now?¡± She asked in fear. ¡°I will be your nurse for today but¡­ why do you look so afraid? Have you done something bad?¡± I asked. She looked away from me. ¡°I am not afraid but only surprised to see you. It has been five years since I saw you.¡± She faked a smile to get rid of the fear in her eyes. I was angry but I have to calm down to make her believe I am on her side. If it works out as nned then we are good to go. ¡°Come on.. it is good to see you again, Shalewa.¡± I managed to sh her a fake bright smile. I have to act like I don¡¯t know what is happening and probably make her believe that I am on your side. ¡°Where have you been all these years, Arike?¡± She asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t Dayo tell you anything about me?¡± I asked in return. She shook her head with a frown on her face at the mention of Dayo. ¡°He only mentioned that you left the country without giving me a good reason.¡± Shalewa answered. ¡°Yes.. I have been in New York.¡± I said. ¡°Oh that is good.. but -¡± she pursed her lips. ¡°But what?¡± I asked. ¡°But let me be straight with you, when and why did you return and what are you doing at the hospital?¡± She asked . ¡°I got back to the country few weeks ago because my sister is getting married.¡± I answered. ¡°What is her name again.. I mean that your sister.¡± She said. ¡°Busayomi and I am here at the hospital because of you.¡± I said in a calm tone. Shalewa eyed me suspiciously. ¡°Why? You should have booked appointment with my PA if you wanted to see me.¡± She said. I was short of words. ¡°Perhaps have you met Dayo?¡± She blurted out and now the fear returned to her expression. ¡°No.. after I read the news.. I am not sure I know Dayo anymore. I am also not sure that I want to meet him.¡± I said. ¡°Oh really? And why is that?¡± She asked with a raised eyebrows. ¡°To be honest I am more worried about you.¡± I said in a feigned pitiful tone. Suddenly Shalewaughed out loudly throwing me into a state of confusion. Chapter 62 A right or failed plan? Arike¡¯s POV Shalewaughed out loudly. ¡°Do you think you can fool me, Arike?¡± She said. And I frowned at her words. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked. ¡°Do you think I will believe that you are on my side?¡± Sheughed. ¡°How can I believe that you are not worried about Dayo when I can read you clearly. You are in here, dressed in a nurse uniform just to see me. If you are truly worried about me then you could have booked appointed with my PA and walked in here without a disguise. Do you know how I feel right now? I feel like it a role I once yed in a movie.¡± Sheughed again. This n is not going to work. ¡°If anyone doesn¡¯t believe Dayo, I am sure you will believe him and also you used to be a very skilled criminal attorney who has never lost any case.¡± She paused with her eyes sizing me up. ¡°So stop pretending, I know you are here to use your tricks on me. You are probably here to make me admit that I am not the victim in this case. Ande on if my instincts are right, we can as well y the game of who will be the best actress.¡± Shalewaughed as if she was insane. I felt like dragging her out of bed and strangle her to death but I control myself. I am not a bad person. How can she detect that I was here to make her confess that she framed Dayo? Suddenly my mind went back to what Bamidele had said about barrister Prosper. Perhaps are did he meet up with Shalewa and told her about our n? No it can¡¯t be.. barrister Peosper was the one who brought this whole idea! My expression hardened. ¡°Fine.. I am on Dayo¡¯s side because I believe that he never did those things you used him of doing to you!¡± I gritted. Her expression lit up with a frown. ¡°Oh really?¡± She snorted. I stood up from the couch and started towards her. ¡°Yes.. you threatened to kill yourself because Dayo asked for a divorce. He found out that he wasn¡¯t the biological father of your son, Jamal.¡± I said. Terror over took her face. ¡°Oh I can see you already met Dayo. I was right.. I knew you would never be on my side!¡± She shook her head. ¡°What do you expect from me? To support your feigned campaigns of getting justice for you?¡± I said, my eyes zing with anger. ¡°What campaign? I never did anything wrong to Dayo!¡± She snapped at me. ¡°I swear to God, I will get Adedayo out of this mess. I will defend him in court with all the evidences we have gathered and I will put you behind bars for homicide, assault and attempted murder. You will rot in jail forever.¡± I grimaced. ¡°Jail? I will never go to jail!¡± She said. ¡°I will so that you go to jail.. you shameless whore.¡± I pointed at her. Fear crossed her face but was soon reced by confidence in God knows what. Shalewa eyebrows snapped together. ¡°You think that you can win against me in court? Fine if Dayo told you that I cheated, you should know that adultery is not prosecuted under the criminal code of Lagos state.¡± She seethed her teeth. ¡°And the samew sees adultery as a matrimonial wrong which can entitle a person to divorce if they find out that they can¡¯t live with the party whomitted adultery. And you refused to ept the divorce from him just to cover up your shameful act and to protect your reputation.¡± I said with confident.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She shouldn¡¯t act like she knows thew. Shalewa nced up to the ceiling for some seconds. ¡°You can¡¯t win against me.¡± She gave me a stern look. ¡°I will win against you.¡± I said. ¡°Come on, you should know better, thew of this country is always on the side of those who can pay their way through. Look, Dayo doesn¡¯t have anybody or anything¡­¡± sheughed wickedly. ¡°His family doesn¡¯t believe him, they think he is a killer or no..¡± she paused and continued after some seconds. ¡°Adedayo is actually a murderer. He tried to kill me by throwing me off the stairs and then our baby died.¡± Tears swanned up in her eyes. Here she goes again shedding crocodile tears. I am sure she would put up an act like this in court just to gain pity. ¡°You liar! You framed him!¡± I scrunched up my face. ¡°Did I? Why are so worked up? Oh! I almost forgot that you loved him but you couldn¡¯t be with him when I came into the picture.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I still love him.. and I had only let him go to you because I thought that you deserved him.¡± I said. She shook her head in disagreement. ¡°No.. that can¡¯t be the only reason why you let him go easily. His father chose me.. and you didn¡¯t stand a chance with him because you were poor.¡± Sheughed. I clenched my fist in anger. Control.. control.. control¡­ I told myself. ¡°And if you think Dayo will be with you after everything is over, then you are wrong. He will rot in Jail and I will see to that.¡± She gritted. A tears slipped down my right cheek at her words and determination in her eyes. I knew she meant what she just said. ¡°Why are you doing this to him knowing that he is innocent?¡± I muttered. Shalewa¡¯s hard heart and cruelty towards Adedayo amazed me. I thought she loved him but how could she do all these things to him and still im that he was guilty. ¡°Did you just say innocent? Adedayo Awosika is not innocent! He and his father connived to use to me to get what they wanted from my father. They knew as the heiress to my father¡¯s business, if Dayo married me then it would be easy for my father to help them. Ourpany would remain loyal to theirpany. I loved him but our marriage was just a contract he signed with his father!¡± She red in anger. So this was it? The reason why she was angry at Adedayo! ¡°Shalewa-¡± I called out to her. She shot me a re. ¡°Don¡¯t try to persuade me to drop this case. I am not backing out until I see him suffer.¡± She said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Adedayo¡¯s fault and I think you should be after his father not him?¡± I said, my eyes boring into hers. ¡°No.. no.. I won¡¯t go after his father.¡± She answered. I raised a brow in confusion. ¡°But why?¡± ¡°Dayo was in the best position to reject his father¡¯s offer but he chose to y me and my father.¡± Shalewa responded, her eyes sparkling with anger. ¡°This is why you are angry?¡± I asked. ¡°I was supposed to marry the man I love but my father thought it was best for me to marry into the Awosika family because he was close friends with Mr Awosika. But father and son deceived us!¡± She said. ¡°But you told me that you loved Adedayo.¡± I reminded her. ¡°Dayo was the first one to fool me into this marriage making me believe that he loved me after a few dates with him. I grew to love him in the process not knowing that it was a deceit!¡± she grimaced. More tears streamed down my face as I listened to her words. A part of me felt pity for her but another part reminded me the reason why I was in this room was to get evidence that would help free Dayo. Chapter 63 Who should be blamed! Arike¡¯s POV ¡°My father signed the billion naira deal with Adedayo after we got married. I got to know that they used me to get what they wanted from my father. Adedayo stopped paying attention to me, he barely cames home to sleep and when he was around, he never looked at me. Several times I had to get us drunk so we could make love as couples but for how long did I keep doing that? A long time and each time he wakes up ext day, he feels irritated by my presence. Dayo made me feel worthless, so I changed up too. I slept with few men just to hurt him. I felt abandoned and useless so tell me one reason why I shouldn¡¯t make him suffer?!¡± She grimaced, anger clear in her expression. ¡°So you also didn¡¯t ept the divorce because you wanted him to suffer?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes.. he can¡¯t back out.. never. We vowed forever at the altar.. so I am not going to ept to divorce him.¡± Her eyes flooded with tears and this time around I could see the pains in them. Both parties are both iming victims, now who should be med? ¡°So you framed him just to make him suffer too?¡± I asked hoping to get what I wanted from her. The corners of her mouth turned up. ¡°Yes.. he has to be the one to suffer while I be the victim!¡± I closed my eyes¡­ this was it¡­ she just confessed it! Shalewa had let her guard down because she was angry. I should still push through with my n to get more from her. Though I felt pity for Shalewa too for everything she went through in this marriage. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this¡­¡± I said my voiceing out in a tight whisper. She shot me a re. ¡°I will do everything in my power to make sure that Dayo ends up in Jail!¡± ¡°Shalewa there is still chance for you toe out clear and confess the truth. We can settle this out of court if you want..¡± I tried to persuade her. Her jaw clenched and expressed hardened even more. ¡°Settle? Settle what? This case? No.. Get out! Get out you imbecile! Get out!¡± She snarled. I felt insulted by her words! I don¡¯t really care if Dayo was also to be med for what was happening! Shalewa went to far! She should have devised another way to get back at Dayo for hurting her. And isn¡¯t lying about who the father of her child was enough to make him suffer? Dayo found out the boy he assumes to be his son wasn¡¯t really his child ¨C that was a huge blow for him. ¡°Get out!¡± She pointed towards the door. My mouth twitched. ¡°Justice will prevail!¡± ¡°Get out!¡± She reached out and pressed the rm on the door. ¡°I will see you in court.¡± I said before storming out of the room. I could hear footsteps approaching probably the guards meant to watch the door or the nurses on duty, and then I ran the opposite way to avoid them. I hope this doesn¡¯t stir up trouble for doctor Nelson. I rushed into doctor Nelson¡¯s office. Bamidele and Doctor Nelson were still waiting for me. ¡°How was it?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy.. she found out I was there for Dayo. But I am afraid that she might tell the nurses about me because she pressed the rm before I left. Won¡¯t it get you into trouble because you told the nurse that you want to give Shalewa her drugs?¡± I bbed in fear for Doctor Nelson. I was afraid that he was going to lose his job if they decided to investigate it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry¡­ I didn¡¯t meet up with Nurse Joy the other time because I knew this might happen. I told the nurse not to worry that I won¡¯t be able to attend to Shalewa.¡± He exined. ¡°So no one will think you are involved?¡± I asked. ¡°But why didn¡¯t nurse Joy go in to give Shalewa her drugs?¡± Bamidele asked.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Wait.. what if she saw me when I went into the ward and decided to listen to what we talked about?¡± I asked again, Bamidele and I exchanging nces. Doctor Nelson just watched us as we bombarded him with series of what ifs. ¡°Nurse Joy went out for lunch and please don¡¯t worry I will take care of things around here.¡± He said calmly. I was surprised by his calmness¡­ maybe he was right. Nothing would go wrong since everything had seemed to work out for us. ¡°Did she confess anything to you?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°I was able to get some truth from her¡­¡± I brought out the recording device attached to my trouser band and gave it to Bamidele. ¡°What do you think before I y the recording?¡± Bamidele asked. A knocked came on the door and I froze immediately. Doctor Nelson gestured to us to stay quiet by cing a finger on his lips. ¡°Yes.. who is that?¡± He asked. ¡°Doctor, it is me.. nurse Titi.¡± A feminine nurse said. ¡°Should we go and stay in that room¡­?¡± I mouthed. ¡°No.. stay.. I am consulting you as a couple.¡± He said and we nodded in agreement. ¡°Nurse Titi.. pleasee in¡­¡± Doctor Nelson said. Bamidele reached for my hand as soon as the door opened. ¡°Babe.. don¡¯t worry.. everything will be fine..¡± I sniffed in pretense. ¡°I hope our child is safe¡­¡± I sobbed. We acted like a couple in here with our doctor for consultation. ¡°Yes.. nurse¡­¡± Doctor Nelson said. ¡°Ahh Doctor¡­. your attention is needed in ward 305.¡± She said. Ward 305? Was that Shalewa¡¯s ward? ¡°Why?¡± Doctor Nelson asked. ¡°The nursing mother isining that she is having a hard time breathing.¡± Nurse Titi answered. Slowly I heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh okay.. I will be with you shortly.¡± Doctor Nelson replied. He gave her instructed on how to help the nursing mother. ¡°Okay Doctor.¡± She said and the left the room. ¡°That was close.¡± I breathed out. Doctor Nelson stood up from the chair. ¡°I have to attend to a patient.¡± He said. ¡°We will go ahead now too.¡± Bamidele and I stood up too. ¡°Please help Adedayo get out of this mess.¡± He said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry we will do our best.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Thank you for helping us, doctor Nelson.¡± I said while Bamidele shook hands with him. And we all walked out of the office. Doctor Nelson bid us goodbye before walking away while we started out of the hospital. Bamidele reyed the recording when we settled in the car, he reyed at every point Shalewa had said things against herself. ¡°Thew is always on the side of those who can pay their way through. I think they are nning to bribe the judge or something.¡± I suggested. ¡°You are right but all the things she stated here can be used as concrete evidence. Dayo is innocent and it is obvious that she framed him just to get back at him.¡± I said. ¡°And she doesn¡¯t feel remorseful about it. If Dayo wins this case then we can in turn sue her for defamation of character and public humiliation.¡± Bamidele said, his mouth set in a hard line. ¡°Intentional homicide on her child, how could she fall off the stair knowing that she was pregnant and she even hurt Dayo by breaking a bottle on his head. What if he had died?¡± I screwed up my face. ¡°If she is not careful.. she might get a long sentence.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°What do you think concerning what she said about Dayo and his father deeds?¡± I asked. ¡°In this case I think Mr Awosika should be med for all that is happening to Dayo. He must have pressured Dayo to marry Shalewa for the sake of the family business.¡± Bamidele responded. Chapter 64 Modern Slavery Arike¡¯s POV My phone vibrated in my purse and when I took it out to check, it was an unsaved number. ¡°Is it Busayomi?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°No.. the number is not saved on my phone.¡± I answered. ¡°Do you want to pick it or ignore?¡± Bamidele asked again. ¡°I will pick up the call, it might be one of those police men I gave my number to at the station.¡± Then I swiped the green button to ept the call and put it on speaker. ¡°Hello¡­¡± I heard a feminine voice over the phone. ¡°Yes.. please who am I speaking with?¡± I asked. ¡°Arike, it is Moyosoreoluwa.. do you remember me? I am Adedayo¡¯s sister.¡± The voice exined herself. Recognition registered in my mind. ¡°Oh Mrs Moyo¡­ how have you been?¡± I asked. ¡°I have been good and forgive me for calling you unannounced.¡± She apologized. ¡°It is alright.¡± I answered. ¡°How have you been too?¡± She asked. ¡°I have been well.. and alright too. I hope there is no problem ma?¡± I asked. ¡°There is no problem but I am calling to see if we can meet?¡± Moyosoreoluwa asked. ¡°Oh.. okay.. when do you want to meet me?¡± I asked. ¡°Can we meet now if it is okay with you?¡± Moyo asked. I exchanged nces with Bamidele and he nodded that I say yes. ¡°Alright.. I am less busy now so we can meet.¡± I responded. ¡°I will text you the address to my ce.¡± Mrs Moyo sounded happy over the phone. ¡°Okay.. I will be with you soon.¡± I said before the call got disconnected. ¡°I don¡¯t know why she wants to see me all of a sudden.¡± I said to Bamidele with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Maybe she has something important to say to you. It might be about Dayo.¡± Bamidele scratched his head with the car key. ¡°You maybe right because Moyo is the closest to Adedayo amongst his older sisters.¡± A message peeped on my screen. ¡°She just sent me the address to her home.¡± I showed It to Bamidele. ¡°Okay.. it is very close to myw firm so I will drop you off.¡± He gave me back my phone and started the car. **************** Finally we arrived at the address Moyosoreoluwa sent to me. I bid Bamidele goodbye before walking up to the gate. The gateman came to the gate. ¡°How may I help you ma?¡± He asked. ¡°Please I am here to see Mrs Moyosoreoluwa.¡± I said. ¡°Okay.. what¡¯s your name?¡± He asked again. ¡°Arike.¡± I answered. ¡°Oh okay.. she already told me someone with the name ising to see her so I just wanted to confirm if you are the one. Pleasee in ma.¡± He opened the gate to let me in. ¡°Thank you.¡± I said to the young man. I walked up the small stairs leading to the door and pressed the doorbell. I heard a voice screaming that she would be out soon. And some secondster the door opened revealing the woman I had known for many years but I haven¡¯t seen her for a very long time. Moyosoreoluwa was the second daughter of Mr Awosika. She left the country after she got married to a wealthy businessman when Dayo and I just finished secondary school. It has been over a decade now and I really don¡¯t know much about her. I don¡¯t even have the slightest idea if she was still married or divorced now. ¡°Good day Arike.¡± She greeted me with a cheerful smile on her face. ¡°Good afternoon Ma.¡± I managed to smile back at her. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± She stepped aside and opened the door wide for me to walk into her home. ¡°Thanks foring when I haven¡¯t even checked on you for years.¡± She said, walking towards a set of couches in the living room. ¡°No it is alright and good to see you again ma.¡± I replied. I wasn¡¯t close to any of the Awosika Sisters except for Adedayo. They were far more older than me so it wasn¡¯t even easy rting with them. ¡°Please take a seat.¡± She pointed to a couch facing her directly. I did as she instructed. ¡°What will you like to drink? Tea? Wine? Juice? Soda?¡± She asked. ¡°No.. I am alright ma.¡± I replied. ¡°What about water?¡± She asked. ¡°Okay.. that¡¯s fine by me.¡± I answered. She stood up and walked away to a part I assumed to be the kitchen. And she came back with a tray filled with a bottle of chilled water and a ss cup. ¡°No don¡¯t worry ma.. I can do it myself.¡± I stopped her from pouring me water. ¡°Alright..¡± she sat back on the couch.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°Thank you ma.¡± I poured myself a ss and drank little from the cold water. ¡°Arike, I am sorry for calling you unannounced.¡± Moyosoreoluwa apologized. ¡°It is okay.. I am sure.. that you must have called because it is important.¡± I said. She shook her head in agreement. ¡°Yes.. I have called you here because of Dayo¡¯s case with his wife. I went to see hiswyer yesterday so he mentioned your name and said that you are working with him together with a very goodwyer.. what is that his name again?¡± She tried to remember. ¡°Attorney Bamidele.¡± I helped her out. ¡°Yes.. so I got your contact from barrister Prosper.¡± She exined. ¡°Yes I hired attorney Bamidele to help with Dayo¡¯s case.¡± I said. Sadness clouded her features. ¡°I just found out about Dayo¡¯s issue with his wife. And I really appreciate your help, Arike you have always been there for my brother since you guys were little.¡± She stuck her nose in the air and sniffed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. When I found out about Dayo¡¯s case, I couldn¡¯t sit back and watch him go to jail for crimes he didn¡¯tmit.¡± I said. ¡°I went to see him at the station after I spoke to hiswyer. I know my brother very well even though he is hard hearted like my dad, still he would never hurt anyone.¡± Her eyes twinkled with sincerity. At least someone from his family believes Dayo is innocent. I thought within. ¡°We are working on getting his bail.¡± I said. ¡°Hiswyer told me that you have some evidences against Shalewa that would prove Dayo¡¯s innocence.¡± She said. Wow! Barrister Bamidele was such a loosed mouth. I thought we agreed not to tell anyone about this evidences we have against Shalewa. Wait up, was that the reason why he asked Bamidele to send him the recording. ¡°He told me that you have a witness that is willing to testify in court in favour of Dayo.¡± She added. I shook my head in response. Barrister Prosper has spilled too much to Moyosoreoluwa. ¡°This is all my fathers fault! And right now I am feeling ashamed to even call him my father!¡± Moyo stood up from the couch abruptly. ¡°All he cares about is his business! He used all his children to get what he wanted to favour his business¡­ very greedy man!¡± She said with a grit. ¡°I was surprised no one showed up to help Adedayo.¡± I mumbled as I fiddled with my fingers. ¡°I took the earliest fight back to Nigeria yesterday after my big sister told me about the case. Adedayo never mentioned it to any of us that he was in such a mess. If he had called me right after he found out Jamal wasn¡¯t his son, I would have helped him one way or the other.¡± Her face crinkled with bewilderment. ¡°Your dad knows about the case but all he did was ask thewyer to meet Mr Ori for settlement.¡± I exined. ¡°Can you see? Did the settlement work out? No!¡± Her eyes glinted angrily. ¡°What about your mom?¡± I asked without even thinking if it was necessary for me to meddle in the family issues. ¡°My mom kept mute all along! I don¡¯t even know why she is so blinded by fear of what my dad would do to her! We were all forced to marry men we never loved and my mom watched it happen with folded arms! So I am not surprised she didn¡¯t step in to help Adedayo.¡± She scowled. Her mouth set in a hard line. ¡°All of our husbands knew our fathers tricked them to marry us for business purposes, so they in turn treated us like we were sold to them. My ex husband called it modern very.¡± Her eyes flooded with tears. Chapter 65 No settlement except seeing in court Arike¡¯s POV Her mouth set in a hard line. ¡°All of our husbands knew our fathers tricked them to marry us for business purposes, so they in turn treated us like we were sold to them. My ex husband called it modern very.¡± Her eyes flooded with tears. Ex-husband? Moyosoreoluwa was divorced, my gaze traveled down to her hands and I found no ring on it. ¡°He wanted us to protect thepany that was the only reason why we all agreed to marry his business partners. We got blinded by our sense of responsibility but look at us now¡­ all divorced after being treated unfairly by our husbands.¡± She expressed her pains. And I didn¡¯t even know what to do or say to Moyosoreoluwa. I just sat there and listened to her. ¡°None of us had the chance to do what we wanted, our greedy father never gave us the opportunity to pursue our dreams. As his children, we let him do whatever he wanted to do with us. That is why I me him for everything that is happening to Adedayo now.¡± She screwed up her face. I didn¡¯t miss the pains and sorrow in her eyes, the Awosika sisters must have really suffered in their marriages. ¡°Arike, I warned Adedayo when he told me dad picked a bride for him. I warned him never to listen to our father and I even offered to help him leave the country. I divorced my husband five years ago, alone with my two kids and had no one so I asked Dayo toe to New York but he insisted on staying in Nigeria. Adedayo also let his sense of responsibility get over him, as the only son he thought he could handle everything because running thepany has always been his dream. To be honest, Dayo did a good job at running thepany. He did better than all of us so we thought he was also doing well in his marriage. I thought he had finally grew to love Shalewa but¡­¡± her voice trailed off. More tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°His Fate was worst than ours. We had children, they weren¡¯t taken from us, we gained custody of our children and we gotpensated after reporting our husbands in court for violence. Arike, we all faced the same ill fate and we fought our marital battles ourselves without involving our parents.¡± She nibbled on her bottom lip. Moyosoreoluwa spoke up after some seconds of silence. ¡°But Dayo¡¯s fate is even worst, he is close to going to jail and our father is not willing to help. I can¡¯t believe he kicked him out of the board andpany and even froze all his ounts after so much sacrifices.¡± Moyosoreoluwa sobbed out loudly. ¡°Now I feel so bad that I had left him to do things his ways. My brother is innocent and I don¡¯t want to see suffer this way.¡± She wiped her face. ¡°Well I me your father because he didn¡¯t give Adedayo the chance to exin himself and he just chose to believe that his son is guilty.¡± I said after Moyosoreoluwa was done cleaning her tears. She shook her head in agreement. ¡°You are right and I think Shalewa should be the one in police custody. She cheated, deceived my brother into believing that that boy was his child and she even tried to kill my brother. Is there a way to file a case against her?¡± She asked with a glint of hope in her eyes. ¡°The only way to clear Dayo¡¯s name is to make Shalewa confess that Adedayo didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Once we tender our evidences Dayo will be free and then we can file a case against Shalewa.¡± I answered. The corner of her mouth lifted. ¡°No.. Arike that is impossible, Shalewa will never agree to tell the court that Dayo is innocent. There has to be another way to put an end to this mess. And why on earth is she doing this to him?¡± Moyo rubber her temples. ¡°I met with Shalewa at the hospital.¡± I blurted out. ¡°You did what?¡± She stared at me in sheer surprise. ¡°Barrister Bamidele and I visited Brajos hospital where Shalewa was admitted.¡± I made it clear to her. ¡°Yes.. Yes Brajos hospital.. I think barrister Prosper mentioned something that a doctor there is willing to help.¡± She said. And how much did Barrister Prosper say to Moyosoreoluwa. Thiswyer doesn¡¯t have filter in his mouth. ¡°Is it true? Please tell me that you managed to get more evidences to prove my brother¡¯s innocence.¡± Moyosoreoluwa¡¯s voice jolted me out of thought. What else do I need to hide from her since barrister Prosper already told her about our ns. ¡°Shalewa framed Dayo because she found out that he only married her to get something from her father. She is making him suffer unfairly because she feels they used her for their own benefit.¡± I narrated everything Shalewa said to me. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is really happening to Adedayo. How could she think of getting back at him this way? She should at least understand that Dayo was just blinded by a sense of responsibility.¡± Moyosoreoluwa cried even more. ¡°She thinks that Dayo had every chance to refuse marrying her when his father suggested it. And Shalewa is really determined to send him to jail for deceiving her and her father.¡± I exined calmly. ¡°Arike.. please help my brother.. he can¡¯t go to jail.. please.¡± She pleaded with me. ¡°We will do our best to help Dayo clear his name.¡± I said. ¡°Can¡¯t we just settle things out of court? I mean I could arrange a meeting with Shalewa¡¯s father.¡± She asked. It was clear that Moyosoreoluwa was willing to do anything to help Adedayo. ¡°I am not sure settling things out of court will work out. Shalewa won¡¯t back out until she sees Dayo in jail. So let¡¯s do our best to face her in court and we will win.¡± I said confidently. ¡°Okay.. since court is the only way out.. then let us do it.¡± She sighed. ¡°Yes-¡± A vibration in my bag stopped my intended statement. I brought out my phone and saw that the number wasn¡¯t saved. ¡°Sorry.. can I pick this call?¡± I asked. ¡°Sure.. please pick up your call.¡± She answered. Then I turned sideways and epted the call. ¡°Arike,¡± I heard Dayo¡¯s voice over the phone. ¡°Dayo.¡± I looked at Moyosoreoluwa. ¡°Yes.. it is me.. one of the sergeants let me use his cellphone.¡± He said. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked in a worried tone. ¡°Yes.. I am alright and I just wanted to check if you have reached out to doctor Nelson.¡± He said. ¡°Yes we went to see him today and he gave us the file.¡± I answered. ¡°Are you sure things will work out as nned? I mean.. will I be able to get out of this ce?¡± He asked. Tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°Yes.. Dayo.. you will be free very soon.¡± I answered. ¡°Thank you very much, I really appreciate your help. Arike, my sister visited me yesterday and I told her that you are helping me. She promised to contact you but I don¡¯t know if she will really reach out to you.¡± He said. ¡°She called me.. and I am with her right now.¡± I sniffled. ¡°Alright.. alright.. and thank you for telling the policemen to get me good food.¡± He said. ¡°Dayo.. please make sure you eat well, you will enough strength to face Shalewa in court.¡± I grimaced. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to do this with her but she already started it. So I don¡¯t care about anything, I just want to get out of this ce and be free again.¡± He said shakily as if he was about to cry. ¡°You will be free very soon, Dayo. I promise you that Shalewa will pay for whatever she has done to you.¡± I gritted. ¡°Thank you, Arike.¡± He said in a tight whisper. ¡°I wille around to check on you tomorrow.¡± I said. ¡°Okay.. bye.¡± Then I disconnected the call. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Moyosoreoluwa asked anxiously. ¡°Yes.. he is fine. I have to go ahead now.¡± I stood up to leave.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°Arike.. thanks foring over and please keep me updated.¡± She apanied me to the door. ¡°Okay ma.¡± I answered. And then she bid me goodbye. Chapter 66 Dayo committed suicide Arike¡¯s POV ???Three Days Later??? A loud bang on the door snapped me out of my deep sleep. ¡°Arike! Arike! Arike! Wake up!¡± I heard Busayomi screaming at the top of her voice. What was wrong? Perhaps was the house on fire? Thieves? What could make her scream out like that?! Many possibilities flooded my mind in a rush. I got out of bed quickly and rushed to open the door. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?!¡± I asked with a worried look on my face. Busayomi has tears in her eyes. ¡°Arike.. it is Dayo.. it is Dayo¡­¡± she sobbed. My heart beat elerated. ¡°What is wrong with Dayo?!¡± I fridgeted. Cold beads of sweats broke out on my forehead and my breathe quickened at the thought of something bad happening to Dayo. ¡°The news.. I saw it in the news just now that he was found dead in the cell this morning¡­..¡± she cried. My mouth fell open and tears streamed down my cheeks almost immediately. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Adedayo..mitted suicide¡­¡± Busayomi cried. ¡°No.. no.. this.. can¡¯t.. be true.. no.. no..¡± I said repeatedly as I could feel my legs growing weak. ¡°This can¡¯t be true.. Dayo.. can¡¯t die like that.¡± I stuttered. ¡°Dayo is dead!¡± Busayomi cried. My vision became blurry then slowly I felt my system shutting down. ¡°Arike!¡± Busayomi grabbed me before I could hit the ground. ¡°Arike! Somebody help!¡± She screamed but her voice was so distant in my ears. ¡°Wake up! Arike.. please look at me..¡± she shouted. I lost consciousness. Suddenly I felt someone shaking me up and my eyes fluttered open. I saw Busayomi¡¯s figure over me. ¡°Dayo! Dayo! Where is Dayo?! What happened to Dayo?!¡± I sat up on the bed abruptly. Busayomi just stood there watching me as if I had grow two heads. ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked with a confused look on her face. ¡°Dayo.. no.. he can¡¯t be dead.¡± I slide out of bed in an attempt to get dressed and head straight to the station. ¡°Dead? Did you just have a bad dream or something?¡± She giggled. Did she just say a bad dream? I thought and look the room to be sure I was in the right ce. She pped her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you.. Dayo is fine.¡± She said. I stopped on track and turned to face her. Busayomi stood at an akimbo. ¡°Dayo¡­¡± my voice trailed off to think. ¡°Yes madam Arike.. what is wrong with Adedayo?¡± She asked. If something was wrong with Adedayo, she won¡¯t be here standing like this and she was smiling too. ¡°It is just a dream.¡± I heaved a sigh of relief when I realized that it was only a dream. Slowly I made my way back to the bed. ¡°Thank God.. it is only a dream.¡± I mumbled and wiped the sweat on my forehead with the back of my palm. ¡°Hey.. you look like you have just seen a ghost.¡± Sheughed. ¡°I had a very bad dream.. that Dayo died in prison.¡± I said. ¡°God forbid! I reject death for Adedayo Awosika.¡± She prayed. ¡°Amen.. and nothing bad will happen to him.¡± I prayed too. ¡°Please Arike.. put your mind at rest. I am sure you had this dream because you thought of Adedayo before going to bed.¡± She ced her hand on my shoulder. ¡°You are right.. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him.¡± I muttered. ¡°Arike, I believe Dayo will be free very soon.¡± She said. I shook my head in agreement. ¡°Where is my daughter?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh she is in the living room watching her favorite cartoon.¡± She answered. ¡°Alright.. I should get dressed to see Adedayo at the station.¡± I made an attempt to stand up but Busayomi pushed me back to the bed gently.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I came to wake you up to show you something important. You really need to watch this video.¡± She sat down next to me on the bed. My eyebrows snapped together. ¡°What video?¡± I asked. ¡°Just calm down¡­¡± Busayomi went straight to the Instagram app on her phone. She type in Moyo_Awosika in the search button. ¡°Why are you searching for Dayo¡¯s sister on instagram?¡± I asked. ¡°You body too Dey hot, I said that I want to show you a video.¡± She answered. ¡°No vex..¡± I replied. The search brought out Dayo¡¯s sister ounts. ¡°She posted a videost night which has gone really viral on all social media tforms.¡± Busayomi said. ¡°What? What is the video about?¡± I asked anxiously. ¡°Just calm down.. you will see it now.¡± She scrolled to the profile and click on a video. Moyo was talking but I couldn¡¯t hear until Busayomi increased the volume at the button by the side did her phone. ¡°Good evening my fellow Nigerians, my name is Moyosoreoluwa Awosika and I am an elder to Adedayo Awosika. The same man who was used of assaulting his wife, Actress Shalewa Ori. So I am making this video on my brother¡¯s behalf with the hope that this would clear his name and prove his innocence.¡± The video stopped ying and I couldn¡¯t help but exchanged nces with Busayomi. There was a picture of Dayo, Shalewa and Jamal pasted in the video too. Chapter 67 Viral Video Arike¡¯s POV The video stopped ying and I couldn¡¯t help but exchanged nces with Busayomi. There was a picture of Dayo, Shalewa and Jamal pasted in the video too. ¡°Oh¡­ this stupidwork has started nonsense now.¡± Busayomiined. Some secondster the video resumed ying. ¡°Everybody is ming Adedayo for a crime he didn¡¯tmit. My brother has never raised his hands to hit any woman before and everything Shalewa Ori told the police were all lies. We will be in court in two days time but before that I want to reveal the truth because I don¡¯t trust our country¡¯s judicial system. As it is now Shalewa is ready to do anything to send my brother to jail for some family rted reasons which I am going to tell you now. I am sure you watching this video must know actress Shalewa Ori, she is poprly known for all the scandals of sleeping with co actors. Some of her videos and pictures of hering out of hotels even got leaked to the media. Thest actor, Dele Balogun that she got involved with made my brother decide that he wanted to end things with her. My brother got a text from Actor Charles Adams that Jamal wasn¡¯t his son. Then my brother went ahead to run a DNA test on Jamal and the result showed that Jamal wasn¡¯t his son. Shalewa tried to deny but my brother showed her the text he got from Charles Adams who happened to be Jamal¡¯s father and the DNA test results. Adedayo asked Shalewa for Divorce but she declined it just to protect her reputation as a celebrity.¡± Moyosoreoluwa revealed the whole truth in the video. How Shalewa hurt Dayo when he threatened to tell her father and everyone that Jamal wasn¡¯t his son. How she threw herself off the stairs to make it look as if Dayo tried to kill her. The reason why Shalewa framed him and how she was bent on sending Dayo to jail. When she revealed the whole truth, Moyosoreoluwa was already crying in the video. Even I and Busayomi had tears in our eyes as we watched the video. ¡°My Brother is innocent, he didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If you don¡¯t believe me, then check my next post. There is a recording of where my brother was telling the whole story and what really happened on the day of the incident. Please Nigerians I need justice for my brother for the unfair treatment he has received from Shalewa.¡± Then the video ended with Dayo and Shalewa¡¯s and Jamal pictures popping up on the screen. ¡°A recording?¡± I said with a lifted eyebrow. ¡°I have listened to it, I think it is the same one you recorded the day you went to see Dayo at the station. I heard your voice in the recording.¡± Busayomi said. She clicked the next post and the recording started ying from where Dayo told the story of how he has suffered in the hands of Shalewa. ¡°How on earth did she get the video?¡± I pondered.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I have no idea¡­ see over 30, 000 likes and hundreds ofments.¡± Busayomi mumbled. She searched for Instablog Naija and indeed the videos has so many likes andments. ¡°Come and readments¡­ the video is hitting big on Instablog Naija!¡± Busayomi scrolled to thement down to the section. ¡°I never like Shalewa Ori, Tuah! What a shameless woman!¡± ¡°Why are you justing out to speak few days to court hearing? For me I never believed any of the stories Shalewa told to the police!¡± ¡°Finally someone came out from the Awosika family to defend him.¡± ¡°One would never know Jamal isn¡¯t Adedayo¡¯s son, Omo they look so good together. Father and son duo but all na wayo.¡± ¡°How can a woman be this heartless?¡± ¡°There is fire on the mountain.¡± ¡°Omo I fear women o! Maka why all these Shalewa? Because he agreed to marry you to get a deal from your father to support his business. Anybody in his position would have done that.¡± ¡°Wah wear koko shoe for this marital saga.¡± ¡°Justice for Adedayo.¡± ¡°I will be at the court¡­¡± ¡°Some people¡¯s mentor.. a cheat, a whore, a liar and a criminal. Chai! Wetin we no go see for this naija entertainment!¡± ¡°Stupiddy came out to talk and was even crying in the video she made and some people started raining curses on Mr Adedayo. Some people started campaign on actress Shalewa¡¯s behalf to send an innocent man to jail! I hope you can alle out now to talk.¡± ¡°God will punish this actress Shalewa, I was one of those supporting her. Chai! God forgive me!¡± ¡°The judge in charge of this case should better pass a fair judgment!¡± ¡°If I am mr Adedayo Awosika, I will request for 100 million as settlement for defamation of character.¡± ¡°Is there a way to bring Mr Awosika to court for causing this whole mess in his son¡¯s life? The old man is not even bothered about his son.¡± ¡°Please once you get out.. just leave the country and cut all ties with your father.¡± ¡°This is why parents shouldn¡¯t force their children to marry someone they don¡¯t love. Mr Adedayo is in this mess because he listened to his greedy father and got blinded by sense of responsibility towards the family business. And please who that woman¡¯s voice I heard in the recording? Is it hiswyer?¡± ¡°I like your courage Mrs Moyosoreoluwa and I pray God will heal you and your siblings hearts. You guys fell victims of modern very.. I suggest you file a case against your father.¡± ¡°I pray that they confine Shalewa to a psychiatric hospital. She is insane to have done something like this to a man she called her husband. No matter what.. she shouldn¡¯t have gone this far.¡± ¡°Jail.. Jail.. Jail! Omo this one off me o.¡± Those were the handful ofments words in thement section. Chapter 68 Who gave out the recording? Arike¡¯s POV The handful ofments by the viewers on Instablog naija still got me thinking if it was right for Moyosoreoluwa to have posted the recording online. A strong evidence we wanted to use to fight Shalewa in court and I also pondered on how she got the recording. ¡°Omo.. Arike.. seements we can¡¯t even read it. Jesus! This reactions are hot! I need to visit Shalewa¡¯s page.. that stupid sly. Arike, this is what I suggested to you the other day. I said leak the recording online and let everybody know the true criminal but you decided to do things in awful way. Omo! I love Mrs Moyosoreoluwa¡­ no dulling.¡± She scrolled up and down her phone. ¡°This stupid woman didn¡¯t post any video! Why can¡¯t shee out now and make another video to counter Mrs Moyosoreoluwa¡¯s video!¡± She hissed out loudly. And soon realization hit me! I remembered that Mrs Moyosoreoluwa had met Barrister Prosper few days ago. Perhaps it was barrister Prosper who sent the recording to her just to prove that Dayo was truly innocent. How could he give out a strong evidence like that to her?! It was meant to be a secret between us. ¡°Arike..e and see people are reallymenting under thest video Shalewa posted on her page.¡± Busayomiughed. ¡°Pleasee out and talk to us your fans.¡± She read outments. ¡°Can you just imagine! This actress has a very wicked soul!¡± Busayomi scoffed after reading this one. ¡°I pray that they sentence you to 20 years imprisonment or you should be confined to a mental home.¡± Busayomi snorted and pushed me closer to see thements. ¡°She is crazy! Your type shouldn¡¯t be living amongst humans.¡± Busayomi read outments and I listened but still thinking about how much help the posted recording and video would do in this case. ¡°This actress could have killed her husband and herself if he hadn¡¯t called the ambnce.¡± A beeping sound stopped me from reading morements. I stood up and went in search of my phone and I found it under the pillow. It was Bamidele. ¡°Hello Bamidele..¡± ¡°Arike, have you watched the news? Mrs Moyosoreoluwa posted a video revealing the truth about Dayo¡¯s case and it has gone viral. It has been showed on national tv and it is even getting massive reactions on all social media tforms. And as I speak to you now, people are outside the police station where Dayo is and protesting for his release.¡± Bamidele rushed out his words with excitement clear in his tone. ¡°Yes I have-¡± he interrupted me. ¡°I got a call from themissioner of police that we can process Dayo¡¯s bail!¡± He eximed. My jaw went ck immediately. We tried to process Dayo¡¯s bail but we were told that he can¡¯t be granted bail. ¡°Where are you?¡± I asked. ¡°I am at my office with barrister prosper preparing to go to the station.¡± He answered. ¡°Alright¡­ that¡¯s good news.¡± I said. I was excited about the news that Dayo could go home. ¡°We will finalize all of the evidences we have gathered and face Shalewa in court. And as it is now, I will suggest to Dayo to sue Shalewa. I am sure we will win the case and it is all thanks to the viral video.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Speaking of the video, I think barrister prosper gave Mrs Moyosoreoluwa the recording.¡± I said with a snapped eyebrow. ¡°She got the recording from him but without his knowledge.¡± He responded. ¡°And how is that possible?¡± I asked. ¡°Let me give the phone to him.¡± I heard murmurs before his clear voice came on the phone. ¡°Hello miss Arike¡­¡± barrister Prosper.¡± said. ¡°Yes.. barrister Prosper, I must tell you that you are being unprofessional. You spilled too much of everything we gathered to Mrs Moyosoreoluwa.¡± I said with annoyance clear in my tone.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°I am sorry about that.. but it wasn¡¯t my fault. It was Mrs Moyosoreoluwa who kept pestering me to tell her the whole truth. I just felt pity for Mr Adedayo that someone from his family was willing to help.¡± He exined. ¡°This is not enough reason to send her the recording, a strong evidence we intend to tender in court.¡± I countered. ¡°I didn¡¯t send the recording to her but I will assume that she took it from my phone.¡± He said. ¡°What? How is that possible? And what are you talking about?¡± I asked. ¡°Okay.. when I told her about the recording, she requested that I let her listen to it. I called barrister Bamidele and got the recording from him and yed it to her. Mrs Moyosoreoluwa asked if it was possible for me to send the recording to her so she could send it to her parents and sister abroad but I turned her down. I told her that it was a strong evidence.. that is meant to be a secret.¡± He exined. ¡°So how do you think she got the recording? How do you want me to believe that you didn¡¯t send it to her?¡± I snapped at him. ¡°Please rx, she must have taken it from my phone when I stepped out of my office to get water on her request. I didn¡¯t even know she had the recording until I saw the attachment to the video she posted.¡± He exined in a calm tone. Mrs Moyosoreoluwa must have nned it all along. I would assume that she went ahead with the ns to leak the recording after I told her that the only way to solve the issue was in court. ¡°Believe me.. I didn¡¯t know about it.¡± He said. I could sense the sincerity in his tone and I felt my tempered body rxing after my realization. ¡°I am sorry..¡± Barrister Prosper apologized. ¡°It is alright.. let us just make sure to win this case and please put in all your best tomorrow.¡± I said. ¡°We will win this case.¡± He said confidently. ¡°Arike¡­¡± I heard Bamidele¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes Bamidele.. so what do you intend to do now?¡± I asked. ¡°We are heading to the police station after I drop this call.¡± He answered. ¡°Alright¡­ I will be there too.¡± I said. ¡°No.. no.. Arike don¡¯t worry abouting to the police station, it will be too packed and remember that it was your voice that was in the recording. We have been receiving calls and text of well known people asking who owns the voice in the recording. So I think it is best you stay out of the case for now, I don¡¯t want you to get dragged into this whole mess.¡± He said. ¡°Bamidele¡­¡± he cut me off when I tried to protest. ¡°Please listen to me just this once..¡± he mumbled. Tears welled up in my eyes. ¡°Alright.. you are right but please make sure¡­ Dayo is safe.¡± I said shakily. ¡°Yeah.. sure and I will keep you updated. See you in court tomorrow.¡± He said before disconnecting the call. Chapter 69 He just wants to be free Arike¡¯s POV After Bamidele disconnected the call, I sat down on the bed slowly and reached out to wipe my face clean from tears. ¡°Hey.. what¡¯s up?¡± Busayomi asked. ¡°They can now process Dayo¡¯s bail.¡± I answered with tears threatening to spill again. ¡°Ah! Thank God! He will put our enemies to shame over this case!¡± She danced around. I just let the tears flow when I couldn¡¯t control it and a feeling of relief washed over me. ¡°Dayo would be free to go home.¡± Those words echoed on my mind. I was excited that we were getting close to rounding off this case. Tomorrow would be the day everything would end. If Shalewa believe that she has everything to fight Adedayo in court and thew was in her side, I am sure she would be terrified now. She doesn¡¯t know the power of social media was the court of this decade. We have so manywyers and judges who didn¡¯t studyw on the inte. If she has paid people to pass an uwful verdict on this case then she should be ready to face me in Supreme Court. I don¡¯t mind going back to practice just to win this case and make her pay for her crimes. I was willing to do everything for Adedayo. Another vibration from my phone jolted me out of deep thought. It was the number that called me from the police station ¨C Dayo. I stood up from the bed abruptly after picking up the call. ¡°Dayo.. are you alright?¡± I asked in a concerned tone. ¡°Yes.. Yes I am fine. Arike.. I am sure you have watched the video my sister posted. One of the police men here showed it to me and he said that.. there are so many people outside the station protesting for my release.¡± Excitement was so clear in his tone. And I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from flowing again. ¡°Yes.. Yes Dayo.. everyone is on your side now. Yourwyers are on their way to the station and you will be free very soon.¡± I sniffed. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry.. Arike I am.. just really happy right now..¡± He stuttered. And I could tell that he was crying too but at the same time trying to hold back his tears. ¡°I am going to be free.¡± He said. Hearing him sound like this made me happier because all I ever wanted was to see him happy. ¡°Arike.. I don¡¯t know what I would have done.. without your help.¡± He said. ¡°Dayo.. it is nothing.. you know that I am always willing to do anything for you.¡± I cried. ¡°Yes I know about that and¡­¡± his voice trailed off and I heard him sniffing over the phone. ¡°The good news is that my dad visited early this morning.¡± He said finally after some seconds of silence. ¡°Really?¡± I asked and he hummed a response. ¡°So what did he say? Does he believe you now?¡± I asked again. ¡°Yes.. I guess he watched the video and listened to the recording and he believed that I didn¡¯t do most of those things Shalewa used me of doing. My mom and dad have been asking me for forgiveness for not believing me and for neglecting me.¡± He sobbed over the phone. ¡°And what did you say to them?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t me my mom, she only followed my dad¡¯s order and you know it has always been like that. And for my dad¡­.¡± he paused again probably trying to put his words together. I have always known Dayo to be a good son to his parents. His admiration for his dad and endearment for his mom would never give him a chance to hold a grudge against them. He loves them so much and was willing to do whatever they asked of him. He would forgive them. ¡°I don¡¯t have any choice.. I forgive them. My dad is more annoyed that Jamal is not my son and right now he is willing to help me on this case. And he even said that thepany wants to pay me a huge sum of money for some damages.¡± He exined. Was this supposed to be a great news? I pondered. ¡°So does that mean you will return back to thepany as a CEO?¡± I asked. ¡°As a little child running thepany has been my dream, I wanted to be a good son and prove to my father that was capable that was why I agreed to marry Shalewa. But I don¡¯t think I want that life anymore. I already advices my dad to hire a business expert to run thepany. And once I am free¡­ I want to live my own life and be happy.¡± He answered. Live his own life? Perhaps would that involve having Iteoluwa in his life too? I thought but quickly discarded it. I reached out to wipe my face. ¡°Alright so you are ready to face Shalewa in court?¡± I asked. ¡°Now that everyone believes that I am innocent, I don¡¯t have anything to be afraid of and I am ready to face her in court.¡± He responded. ¡°Dayo.. you can decide to sue her¡­¡± I suggested. ¡°Arike, I have thought about it too but I don¡¯t think suing Shalewa will be necessary. I should also be med in this case because I only married her to get a deal from her father. So there is no point in dragging on this case, let me just be free and then I will talk to Bamidele to file in a divorce letter for me.¡± He said in a usual calm tone. I wiped my tears. Dayo was still the good man I have always known. Anyone in his position would have sued Shalewa but he took on the me and all he wanted was just his freedom and a peaceful life. And how I wish Shalewa was here to hear him say these things. ¡°Alright.. once Bamidele suggest you sue Shalewa.. tell him that you are not interested.¡± I said. ¡°Okay.. so will you be at the court tomorrow?¡± He asked. ¡°Sure.. I will be there to see you regaining your freedom.¡± I answered. ¡°Thank you, Arike.¡± He said. Some minutes after I ended the call with Adedayo, my phone beeped again but this time it was a message from Mrs Moyosoreoluwa. ¡°I am sorry it has to be this way. I got tired of readingments of people ming my brother, so leaking the strong evidence was the best way for me to prove his innocence before going to court. As it is now, my parents wants to reconcile with everyone of us once Dayo is free. I really do appreciate your help in proving Dayo¡¯s innocence. I hope to see you in court tomorrow and please don¡¯t take too long to tell my brother about his child.¡± My eyebrows snapped together at thest line of the message. ¡°What is that?¡± Busayomi snatched my phone from me. ¡°And you are looking like someone who just bumped into a Zombie.¡± Her gaze flickered to the phone. ¡°What?!¡± She raised her eyebrows after reading the message. ¡°How.. how did.. she find out about your child?¡± She asked. ¡°I.. have.. no idea.¡± I stammered and sat back on the bed with a dazed look. ¡°Perhaps did you mention it the day you went to see her?¡± She asked. ¡°We didn¡¯t talk about me¡­ it was Dayo all through the conversation.¡± I answered. ¡°So howe? Wait.. I hope it is not that she has been stalking you?¡± Busayomi paced to and fro.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°No.. it can¡¯t be.. I mean what if Dayo already knows about it?¡± I panicked. ¡°Hey rx¡­ the message says that don¡¯t take too long to tell my brother about his child. And that only means that Dayo doesn¡¯t know about Iteoluwa yet.¡± She exined. ¡°What do I do?¡± I asked. ¡°Are you asking me? Didn¡¯t you n to let Iteoluwa meet her father once all these mess is cleared?¡± She asked with a raised eyebrow. I shook my head in agreement. ¡°You are right¡­¡± I rubbed my palms together trying the calm myself down. ¡°Should I take her along with me to court tomorrow.¡± I asked. ¡°No.. never I don¡¯t agree to that idea and It will only stir up another rumor. I will stay with Iteoluwa tomorrow.¡± She said. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t attend the court, I mean I¡­ I can stay back and wait for Bamidele to call me about the judgment.¡± I said. ¡°Arike whatever choice you feelfortable with just do it. The aim is for Dayo to be free so Iteoluwa can get to meet him.¡± She rubbed my back gently to calm me down. I shook my head in agreement. ¡°Yes.¡± But I was still shocked to find out that my baby¡¯s secret was no longer a secret. And sooner I know that I have to bring Iteoluwa to meet Adedayo. Chapter 70 Court in session Arike¡¯s POV Finally the day to prove Adedayo¡¯s innocence was here. We all hoped and believed that he would be acquitted and dered not guilty. I left home as early as 7:00am with the n of meeting Bamidele and barrister Prosper at thew firm but I was dyed by a stand still traffic. Bamidele and Barrister Prosper had sessfully processed Dayo¡¯s bail yesterday and I was told that Mrs Moyosoreoluwa was around at the station to bring Adedayo to her home. I didn¡¯t get a chance to talk to Adedayo yesterday because I was nervous and a bit scared. I was also bothered if Mrs Moyosoreoluwa already told Adedayo about my child. I arrivedte at the court. The Lagos State Judicary High Court was full of reporters and spectators attracted by the sensational nature of this case. I managed to get into the courtroom and found an empty space at the back of the gallery. How I missed this profession. There were times when I stood in this same court to get justice for people and prove my clients innocence. I could proudly say that I never lost a case. The prosecuting attorneys and defense attorneys were seated in their positions. Adedayo sat in the used box and my eyes also found Shalewa sitting at the front roll with a dark sses on her face and she was dressed in all ck outfit as if she was mourning the dead. Shalewa still has a bandage on her head but I was pretty sure that her head was healed. She only has the bandage on to attract pity and sympathy from the judge. Amidst mor and heated discussion going on in the court the judge walked in. ¡°Order! Order! All rise.. the court is now in session.¡± The bailiff asked everyone to stand up and show respect for the judge, the court and thew. The female judge walked in, sat down on her bench and told everyone to be seated. ¡°Opening statements.¡± The female judge said. The prosecuting attorney stood up. ¡°My lord, the used stands in this court for a three count charges which I find him guilty. The used after finding out that his wife cheated and upon knowing that he wasn¡¯t the biological father of his son, decided to file in for a divorce which my client refused. The used threatened to kill my client out of anger-¡± ¡°Objection my lord!¡± Barrister prosper stood you to counter the prosecuting attorney. ¡°Over ruled.¡± The female judge hit on the gravel. ¡°Defensive counsel, let the prosecuting counsel tender his statement.¡± She said and barrister prosper sat back in the bench. ¡°A fight ensued between my client and the used which lead to him trying to kill my client. The injuries the used incurred during the fight was done by client but she was only trying to protect herself. My lord, this is a clear case of self defense.¡± He said. Now he was trying to prove self defense for his client. The prosecuting attorney tried to turn the case upside down by proving that Adedayo reacted out of anger. ¡°My lord, here are the medical reports of the injuries my client sustained after the incident.¡± He handed a brown file to the court clerk who passed it on to the judge to take a look at it. ¡°My client lost her unborn child and fought for her dear life. This is a case of self defense and my client, Shalewa Ori has made pain herpanion ever since the incident.¡± He pointed at Shalewa who was trying to wipe her face with a handkerchief. Shalewa Ori the actress! She better wake up to reality and know that this wasn¡¯t a movie scene! ¡°My lord, I hereby find the used guilty of all charges levied against him.¡± He gave a slight bow before walking back to his seat. ¡°Defense counsel statement.¡± The female judge said. Bamidele walked out of the defense bench to the center of the court room.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. ¡°My lord and people of this court I want us to know that revenge, this is what this case is all about.¡± Bamidele said. The spectators hummed in agreement at his point and the bailiff called the court to order. Bamidele went ahead to exin the whole truth about the case and reason why Shalewa wanted to take revenge on Adedayo. ¡°I present to you evidences to prove my points.¡± He walked back to the bench and collected set of files from barrister Prosper. ¡°I have here with me, test results, text messages which my client received from Jamal¡¯s biological father and also recordings.¡± Then he walked ahead to give it to the court clerk. They yed the part of the recording where Dayo was exining what really happened on the day of the incident. ¡°Most of us here have heard one of the recordings I just presented to the court.¡± He said. ¡°Objection my lord, the recording posted online was falsified and fabricated to favour the used!¡± The prosecuting attorney said. ¡°If you imed that the recording was falsified to favor my client then let us listen to Mrs Shalewa¡¯s Ori confessing that she did framed her husband.¡± Bamidele countered the prosecuting attorney. Bamidele pressed a button on the device with him and the recording stated ying on the projector. Shalewa¡¯s voice was heard just the part where she admitted to framing Dayo and the reason why she wanted to get back at him for using her. Bamidele also yed the part where she stated that thew was on her side because she has everything. Chapter 71 The Only witness Arike¡¯s POV A loud gasp was heard in the court from the spectators and even the prosecuting attorney was speechless. I was sure that Shalewa would be shocked to find out that I had recorded our conversation that day. ¡°It is clear that Mrs Shalewa framed her husband just to enact revenge on him and she doesn¡¯t feel remorseful about her deeds. My lord, with your permission I shall now call a witness to confirm the facts of text messages and test results. I call Doctor Nelson.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Doctor Nelson!¡± The court bailiff called out. Doctor Nelson stood up from where he was seated and went to the witness box. The court bailiff came to the front of the box. ¡°What¡¯s your religion?¡± He asked. ¡°Christianity.¡± Doctor Nelson replied. The bailiff handed him a Bible and Doctor Nelson took it in his right hand. ¡°Please repeat after me.¡± The bailiff instructed. ¡°I swear by almighty God, that everything I shall say in this court shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.¡± Doctor Nelson repeated after the bailiff before going back to his seat. ¡°Please tell this court your name.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°My name is Ajibade Nelson.¡± He answered. ¡°What is your upation?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°I am a doctor at Bradjos hospital.¡± He replied. ¡°Look at that man in the used stand, can you justifiably say that you know him?¡± Bamidele pointed Adedayo. ¡°Yes I know him.¡± Doctor Nelson nodded. ¡°And for how long have you known him?¡± Bamidele asked again ¡°I have known him for over a decade now.¡± Doctor Nelson responded. ¡°And what¡¯s your rtionship with him?¡± Bamidele requested. ¡°He is my very good friend. We went to the same university and he has really helped me a lot over the years.¡± Doctor Nelson replied. ¡°Have you ever by an chance see him treat any woman unfairly?¡± Bamidele asked looking straight at Adedayo. ¡°No.. Adedayo is a good man.¡± Doctor Nelson answered confidently. ¡°Doctor Nelson can you please tell this court what you know about his marriage.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°About two years ago, Adedayo came to the hospital to tell me about the problems he was facing in his marriage. Heined that his wife was cheating which didn¡¯t make him moved to make love with her. He thought that he wasn¡¯t active sexually but after listening to him I figured that he has a psychological problem. The fact that his wife has been a cheat even before they got married has made him less sexually attracted to his wife. He also told me of how his wife has to get him drunk just for them to make love as a couple.¡± He narrated. ¡°Tell the court what advice you gave to your friend as his consultant.¡± Bamidele requested. ¡°Adedayo suggested a divorce but I advised him to have a chat with his wife with a hope that things would work out. I even fixed him up for a therapy section to help him get better.¡± Doctor Nelson exined to the whole court with sincerity in his expression. I have never heard this part of the story about Dayo. ¡°And did he expressed any form of anger whenever he came to see you?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°No.. he was never angry instead he med himself for everything that was happening in his marriage.¡± He answered. ¡°And did he tell you the reason for ming himself?¡± Bamidele asked. ¡°Yes he did¡­¡± Doctor Nelson paused and focused on Adedayo. ¡°He stated that he only married her to help his family business and I also tried to motivate him to move pass that notion.¡± Hepleted. ¡°And how was the therapy section?¡± Bamidele asked again. ¡°He got better until his wife cheated on him with an uing actor. Adedayo stopped seeing his wife and only went home whenever he wanted to see his son. And there are times when Shalewa tried to get him drunk again so they could make love.¡± He said. ¡°Please tell this court how Dayo found out Jamal wasn¡¯t his son.¡± Bamidele said. ¡°Few months ago he came to my office and showed me the message he got from actor Charles Adams. So I suggested that he run a DNA test on his son and the results proved that Jamal wasn¡¯t his son. That is the reason why Dayo made up his mind to file a divorce. I was solely involved in every decision he made and on the day of the incident his n was to tell his wife to sign the divorce papers or else he would be forced to tell her family about the DNA results. The only call I got from him was to bring an ambnce to his home that his wife tried to kill herself by falling off the stairs intentionally after hurting him.¡± Doctor Nelson exined. The spectators made several sounds of disgust and contempt.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Order!¡± The bailiff shouted. ¡°No further questioning, my lord. Butstly I have with me another text message Mr Charles sent to me exining the reason why he decided to tell my client the truth.¡± He handed the court clerk the white sheet. ¡°My client¡¯s wife never stopped seeing her ex and the only reason why he texted my client was because Shalewa refused to grant him custody of his child.¡± Bamidele exined to the judge Another disapproving sounds from the spectators made the judge hit on the gravel. ¡°All evidences I have tendered to this court are enough reasons to prove my client is not guilty.¡± Bamidele bowed slightly before walking back to the defense bench. It was surprising how the prosecuting counsel didn¡¯t object or say a word before the judge announced a recess. Chapter 72 Victory at last Arike¡¯s POV ???15 MINUTES LATER??? ¡°All rise the court is now in session.¡± The bailiff announced. The judge entered the courtroom and sat at the bench and then she told everyone to be seated. She called out the counsels to give their closing statements. The prosecuting counsel pointed out that justice be served for his client while the defense attorney pleaded not guilty and asked the judge for a fair verdict for his client. The female judge cleared her throat. ¡°In all things, justice must be served. I have the statements of the counsels and I have also looked into the evidences presented by the defense counsel. And this is my verdict.¡± The judge paused and the whole courtroom was silent. She cleared her throat and spoke up after some seconds of studying Adedayo and then Shalewa before focusing on whatever was in front of her. ¡°I am dismissing this case forck of evidence from the prosecuting counsel. And I find you, Awosika Adedayo not guilty of the charges against you.¡± The judge said. And they was a loud cheer in the court room before the bailiff called everyone to order. ¡°The used is acquitted and for Shalewa Ori, you are to pay a sum of 50 million naira for defamation of character and public humiliation to the used within 48 hours.¡± She readjusted her eyesses.N?velDrama.Org owns this. ¡°This case would also serve as a lesson so many parents to never try to use your children for selfish purposes and amongst many other factors. This case is closed.¡± The judge hit the gravel again. ¡°Court¡­ Arise!¡± The court clerk screamed. We all stood up as the judge walked out of the courtroom. Tears welled up in my eyes as a loud cry of joy and cheers was heard among the spectators. Dayo was now a free man! Mrs Moyosoreoluwa and her parents went to meet Dayo where he stood wiping his face wet with tears. I watched as Shalewa pped her attorney which threw the courtroom in absolute silence. ¡°You should have told me that you are notpetent to defend me in court!¡± She screamed out in frustration. Everyone became to murmur to each other¡¯s ears. ¡°And you..¡± she pointed to Adedayo. ¡°This is not over!¡± She grimaced. ¡°It is over.. and don¡¯t forget you have to pay my brother 50million naira. You have just 48hours to credit him¡­ and you time starts now.¡± Moyosoreoluwa said with annoyance in her tone. ¡°Trust me.. this is not over!¡± She shouted before storming out of the court. The reporters filmed the whole scenario while some followed her outside the court room. Some reporters rushed to have a word from Adedayo as he moved out of the courtroom with Bamidele and barrister Prosper and his family guiding him. I stayed back in the court and listened to every bit of words people around memented on this case. ¡°I am happy for him o.¡± ¡°Serves Shalewa right.¡± ¡°No.. they should have confined her to a psychiatric home.¡± ¡°I came all the way from Ikorodu to witness this court drama.¡± ¡°Did you see her face when she realized that she lost the case?¡± ¡°She is a disgrace to womanhood.¡± ¡°My sister.. even motherhood join.¡± Peoplemented as they walked out of the courtroom until I was the only left in the room. I stood up and went to the center of the room with my gaze fixed on the judicial logo hanging in the wall of the judge bench. That seat has once been part of my ns but here I was standing without a hint of any of those dreams on my mind. Every dream I had died down because I wanted to be devoted to my child. And now what next? Finally Dayo was free and I was left with a promise to fulfil to my child. ¡°Arike¡­¡± a familiar feminine voice called my name. I turned to see Mrs Moyosoreoluwa there in the court room. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t attend until I saw you when I was about to leave with my family.¡± She folded her arms. I just nodded my head. Chapter 73 A disguised sponsor Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Arike¡­¡± a familiar feminine voice called my name. I turned to see Mrs Moyosoreoluwa there in the court room. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t attend until I saw you when I was about to leave with my family.¡± She folded her arms. I just nodded my head. ¡°Where is Dayo?¡± I asked. ¡°He is reconciling with barrister Bamidele, settling issues from the past.¡± She answered. ¡°Alright.. well I have been thinking -¡± she interrupted me. ¡°How I found out about your daughter.¡± Shepleted my intended statement. ¡°Yes.¡± I said. She walked closer to me. ¡°How did you find out about my child?¡± I asked. ¡°I think about two years ago.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa answered. My head snapped up to look at her. ¡°What?!¡± I gasped out. ¡°I saw you in New York at a children home precisely.¡± She said. My eyebrows drew together. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked. ¡°The first time I saw you in New York was at a children funfair in Charlie pack. You were with a little girl of about two years butter on I found out you came with other kids from a foster home. I researched about your foster home and donated a part of the money I got forpensation from my husband upon the order of the court.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa exined. I was still a bit confused. ¡°But I am in charge of records and I have never seen your name on the list of the foster home sponsors.¡± I said with a furrowed eyebrows. ¡°Mrs Joanna.¡± She blurted out. My eyes widened in shock. ¡°You are Mrs Joanna?¡± I gasped out in shock. She nodded her head in agreement. ¡°The anonymous Mrs Joanna who never showed up to see the children or even attend special events is me.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa said. Mrs Joanna was one of our top ten sponsors. Each time we send her an invite through the phone number she dropped in the information book, all she ever did was reply by crediting the foster home bank ount. I didn¡¯t know Mrs Moyosoreoluwa has been the home sponsor for over two years now. ¡°I had to hide my identity because I didn¡¯t want you to know anything about me. I thought revealing myself to you would make my parents know about my whereabouts. I had it in mind that you were still in contact with Dayo and I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him after he turned down my advice and help.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa exined in a calm down. Mrs Moyosoreoluwa still hasn¡¯t exined how she got to know I was carrying Dayo¡¯s child. ¡°Don¡¯t be confused.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa said as if she had read my mind. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that little girl was your child until three days ago. When I visited Dayo at the police station, we talked about a lot of thing and one of which was his regret of ever letting you go to be with Shalewa. And then he told me what happened between the both of you few days to his wedding.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa narrated. I looked away from her as tears streamed down my cheeks. ¡°So I put two and two together and fixed things up in my head. Arike.. to be honest, I have always thought you would end up with Dayo but when he informed me that he was getting married to someone else I scolded him for letting you go.¡± She said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen.. I know it was wrong of me to have slept with him knowing that he was soon getting married but -¡± I pursed and nibbled on my bottom lip. ¡°Arike-¡± i interrupted her. ¡°I love him.. so much.¡± I said shakily. ¡°I know.. I have always known that you felt something towards my brother.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa said as she covered the gap between us. ¡°It had hurt me to watch him date other girls and even get married to someone he doesn¡¯t love just because he wanted to fulfill a responsibility to thepany. And after I found out I was pregnant.. I couldn¡¯t tell him about it because I never wanted him to get into trouble with his father.¡± I cried as I rushed out my words. Mrs Moyosoreoluwa pulled me in for an embrace. ¡°Everything you have ever done is to make my brother happy. I can¡¯t thank you enough for everything you have done for him.¡± We embraced the each other for a while before she pulled away from me. Mrs Moyosoreoluwa had tears in her eyes too. ¡°You don¡¯t know how happy I am to find out that you have Dayo¡¯s child. Thank you, Arike.¡± She hugged me again. And I couldn¡¯t control my tears as I kept wiping my face. ¡°I will tell him about my child.. she has longed to meet him but I kept postponing her. I promised her that I would bring her to meet her father once everything is settled.¡± I sniffed. ¡°So I guess.. this is the right time for you to be happy with Dayo. You deserve to be with him together with your daughter.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa said as she gave my hand a small squeeze. ¡°Arike, I am hoping that you will give Dayo a chance to make things right and be the father your child deserve.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa said as she reached out to wipe her face. I shook my head in agreement before she hugged me again.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024. Chapter 74 EPILOGUE (1) Arike¡¯s POV Mrs Moyosoreoluwa and I walked out of the courtroom. I met Dayo exchanging a handshake with Bamidele and then he moved on to barrister prosper. No doubt, Adedayo must have made up his mind to forgive Bamidele for what he did to him in the past. And I was d to see them reconciling after all these years. Adedayo¡¯s eyes met mine and he shed me a smile that was filled with happiness and endearment. Slowly he started towards me while I walked at a close run and threw my hands around him for an embrace. ¡°Arike¡­¡± he embraced me tightly. Tears streamed down my cheeks as we stayed hugging for several seconds before Adedayo pulled away from me. He had tears in his eyes when I looked up at him. ¡°Adedayo¡­¡± my hand shot out to his face. ¡°Please don¡¯t cry¡­¡± we both said in unison. Adedayo reached out to wipe my face. ¡°I can¡¯t thank you enough for what you have done for me. I will forever be grateful to you.¡± He embraced me again. I should let him know! I should tell him about our child. There was no need to hesistate anymore. ¡°Thank you.. thank you.. and I am really sorry.¡± He said. This time I was the one who withdrew from the embrace. ¡°Dayo¡­¡± I called out his name after a sniff. ¡°Dayo.. there is something you should know.¡± I nibbled on my bottom lip to control my tears. ¡°What is it, Arike.¡± He took my hand in his. ¡°Remember that night we had something together that-¡± Adedayo interrupted me. ¡°Yes.. Yes I can never forget such a day. It was thest day I ever felt happiness up until now.¡± He said. I wasn¡¯t happy after I left Nigeria too but after I had my child in my hands, she filled my life with immeasurable happiness. ¡°Dayo.. I.. I actually left the country because I was pregnant.¡± I said looking straight into his eyes. Mixed emotions, confusion.. surprise transferred on his face. ¡°I gave birth to your child.¡± I said. Dayo¡¯s jaw went ck. He started to say something but stopped. He started again and stopped. Another wave of tears flowed from his eyes as I narrated what really happened throughout the time of being without him. ¡°I am sorry¡­ I know I shouldn¡¯t have hide the fact that I was carrying your child. I should have stayed back, I should have called you and let you know about her.¡± I bbed about so many I should have possibilities. Adedayo didn¡¯t say a word instead he turned away and began to walk away slowly. He was angry? Why didn¡¯t he say anything? ¡°Dayo.. I am sorry.¡± I apologized but he didn¡¯t stop walking. Alright he has ever right to be angry and I was going to give him the chance to make a decision about our child. He stopped where his parents stood. ¡°She has my child!¡± He shouted. ¡°Mom¡­ dad.. she just told me.. that she has a child for me.¡± Adedayo said unsteadily. Then he realized that he wasn¡¯t angry instead he was shocked by the news that he has a child. Shock and surprise transformed on his parent¡¯s face. They gestured to me toe close and I went to them. ¡°Mom.. my child grew up without my knowledge.¡± Adedayo cried. ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± I apologized. ¡°No.. no.. don¡¯t be sorry.. I should be the one apologizing to you. I pushed you away instead of taking the bold step to be with you.¡± He sobbed as we embraced each other again. ¡°Thank you once again.¡± He kissed my forehead. ¡°Where is your child?¡± His father asked. ¡°She is with my sister.¡± I answered.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°I want to see her.¡± Dayo blurted out. ¡°No.. no.. no.. we want to meet her.¡± Mrs Moyosoreoluwa corrected. ¡°I am so happy¡­ I can¡¯t wait to meet my daughter. Can Ie with you to see her?¡± He asked. ¡°No.. I will bring her to you¡­ tomorrow.¡± I smiled. ¡°God! I have a child.¡± Dayo eximed as he looked heavenward. Bamidele and barrister prosper congratted him. Chapter 75 EPILOGUE (2) Arike¡¯s POV ¡°Mommy.. you haven¡¯t told me who we are seeing today?¡± Iteoluwa jumped by my side as we made our way toward Dayo¡¯s apartment. ¡°Iteoluwa, I told you that we are meeting someone special to us.¡± I answered. ¡°Perhaps is it grandma? She promised to attend big mommy¡¯s wedding.¡± She said. Iteoluwa refused to let me help her up the staircase. My child has really changed ever since Busayomi made her realize the essence of having a mother. She was starting to do things herself without needing much of my help. We were meeting her father but I didn¡¯t mention it to her. Busayomi had suggested that it would be fun to surprise her. ¡°Mom.. is this the ce where they sell ice cream?¡± She asked. Iteoluwa was really anxious to know. ¡°Baby.. you will find out very soon.¡± I clicked the door bell. ¡°Alright.¡± She mumbled in resignation. Adedayo had sounded thrilled at the chance to finally meet his daughter. He had texted me severally yesterday to remind me not to turn upte for the meeting. We were meeting his whole family. Mr and Mrs Awosika and Mrs Moyosoreoluwa. The door opened revealing Mrs Moyosoreoluwa. ¡°Good afternoon, Arike.¡± She greeted with the brightest smile I have ever seen. ¡°Good afternoon ma.¡± Iteoluwa greeted with her obvious New York ent. Mrs Moyosoreoluwa eyes flickered to Iteoluwa. ¡°Wow!¡± She mouthed. ¡°Good aftermoon.. beautiful. How are you doing?¡± She said to Iteoluwa before looking back up at me. ¡°I am fine.¡± She answered. ¡°Moyo.. don¡¯t keep them waiting at the door!¡± I heard Mrs Awosika¡¯s voice. ¡°Pleasee in..¡± she stepped aside and opened the door wide for us to step into the furniture apartment. I could see Dayo¡¯s heart beat way too fast as his eyes trailed on Iteoluwa. Dayo has promised to make a good first impression on his daughter though he didn¡¯t have the slightest idea of how to do it. Everyone focused on Iteoluwa with every ounce of concerntration. Then Iteoluwa broke the awkward silence. ¡°Good afternoon..¡± she greeted ¡°Good afternoon.¡± Mr and Mrs Awosika smiled at her. I looked up at Dayo, he was soaking every detail of Iteoluwa. ¡°Mommy.. why are we here? And who are they?¡± My daughter asked. I looked at her to see the look of confusion on her face. ¡°Listen my love.. let me introduce to you.. your new family. This is your grandpa, your grandma and your aunt.¡± I introduced respectively. ¡°But.. grandpa is in New York and grandma promised toe for the wedding.¡± She said with a more confused look.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. She still doesn¡¯t understand my words. I was beginning to think that it was a bad idea to make this a surprise. I crouched down to her size. ¡°These people are also your family.¡± I said. ¡°And who is he?¡± She pointed to Adedayo. ¡°He-¡± I stood up and walked her over to Adedayo. ¡°He is your daddy, the same one you have longed to meet.¡± I said to her. ¡°Daddy?¡± She mumbled. I watched Adedayo froze at the sound of the nervous little voice, a millions of emotions rushing to his expression. He was surprised that his daughter had called him -Dad. ¡°So you are my daddy.¡± Iteoluwa eyes glistened with happiness as she called out to him again. Adedayo crouched down into front of her. ¡°Yes.. Yes..¡± his voice broke and he cleared his throat and tried again. ¡°Yes.. I am your daddy.¡± He said. ¡°Mom said she would bring me to you soon, so I have.. been really waiting to see you.¡± Iteoluwa said. ¡°I have also been really anxious to see you.¡± Dayo held her small hands. An awkward silence spread in the room as father and daughter struggled for something to say. Dayo threw me a look of desperation expecting me to join the reunion. Then he just pulled Iteoluwa into his arms and hugged her tightly. ¡°I am so happy to see you¡­ daddy.¡± Iteoluwa threw her small hands around his neck. ¡°I am more than happy to see you too.¡± Adedayo carried her up in his arms and brought her closer to me. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± He pulled me to his side. ¡°Thank you so much for having her.¡± He reached out to wipe teary face with his fingers. ¡°Remember the promise I made to you on that night, I will fulfill it now. Arike, I will give you the happiness you have always wanted and I will be a very good father to our child.¡± He leaned in and kissed my forehead. The time seemed to fly, they got to know so much about Iteoluwa from me. Adedayo concerntrated on learning so much as he could about his daughter. And the more he learned, the more he was impressed and they thanked me for having Iteoluwa. I had deprived Dayo of his daughter for close to five years I have deprived him of getting to know Iteoluwa as she changed from a baby to a toddler to the amazing, smart and intelligent girl sitting on hisps now. Now we would finally get the chance to be together ¨C hopefully forever. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!