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**Andrea's POV**

I have not had a lot of wild imagination as an adult because my life turned out to be a mess when everything seemed to be perfect. Everyone thinks my nonchalance attitude caused me terrible problems. I am that one person that usually doesn't get serious with things. I wasn't like this before but something happened, it caused me great pain and changed me. 

When I was much younger I met him. I was just 23,  having gained admission into Oregon State University. The school is known for its acceptance of very smart and purposeful students. It wasn't just a privilege I got to be admitted into the school, I earned it! but what I cherished when I earned it soon left a sour taste in my jaws. 

He is rich and handsome. Surely a dream man of every lady. I was naive. I imagined us raising kids together and the girl will look so much like him and she will love him more than me and whenever she gets me upset. I will just tell her to go and meet her look alike.

These thoughts started after our first date when he asked me a simple question, "What is your name, beautiful?" 

I felt a tingly sensation. My pulse skipped. I could hardly catch a breath.

It didn't stop overnight. I imagined us having unstoppable sex back to back and truthfully(chuckles) two days back I imagined him seriously caressing my soft spots( Chuckles). I imagined us going to Church together but it is seven years now, We are fighting a divorce with two kids. I was raised in a religious home. My Mom never warmed us of anything more than she did about divorce. She hates the experience and thought. She had made it clear to all her daughters that any day she heard about us divorcing she will seize to be our Mother. 

My mom will always remind us about what happened to Madeira, her first daughter. When we heard about the assault she was going through in her marriage. We all wanted her to end it but Mom refused until Madeira got hit the fifth time on her head. We rushed to the hospital to see her but as soon as we got there the doctor broke the news to us about the severe head injuries as a result. Mom persuaded my eldest Sis, Madeira,  to leave the marriage.

It is exactly a month ago we did Madeira's death memorial. She passed away. She couldn't deal with the emotional trauma of leaving her marriage and she never had a child. So when Mom heard I was pregnant for a man she danced all day. I was told, "My marriage will be blissful," she said to everyone but Dad didn't move a cheek. He only called me on the phone one afternoon and said I wouldn't bring him shame. I thought about his words all night. How was I going to bring him shame? I didn't commit murder either. That was the last and only conversation I had with my Dad after everyone knew I was pregnant.

I had just clocked 23 when I was pregnant for Morgan's first child, Melvin,  for Morgan.  I couldn't concentrate in school with the pregnancy. He promised to be everything loving a husband will be, so I dropped out of school to spend my gestation period with my loving husband. My sweet cheeks and Chava.

Before Melvin was nine months old and ready to be pushed through my uterus in this delightful union. He proposed to marry me. That was all I ever wanted. Before anyone would say jerk, I said YES. 

My Dad was furious.

The wedding wouldn't hold immediately due to my parent's pack culture would never allow any man to pay a dowry for a lady who is pregnant. That was when I found out I had messed up. I had surely disgraced my family.

Morgan thought it is wise to postpone the dowry payments which is like an official payment for the union with the man I love with all my life. I adored his 6ft height and muscular broad chest. I would lay on it all night listening to his heartbeat.

Morgan Freeman would never hurt a fly. His silvery voice was made in heaven, It makes me fall asleep when I lay in his arm. He assures me everything was going to be fine and we would be mates and my dowry was going to be paid as soon as I give birth.

*I had to forfeit my education.* I didn't care, love had mattered to me. I had found fulfillment. My parents had a small owned home with nine siblings. Seven are girls, two boys, and I am the 7th girl. I didn't like the unending house chores. I was always looking for a way to run away from it, at least one-two months.

Everyone wanted me to stay back home until I give birth then Morgan can do the dowry payment as custom demands. I refuted. I didn't think I will survive staying away from Morgan. He didn't reject either to have me in his home so we lived together.

One year after the delivery of our son, Melvin. We were planning for the dowry party, The big setback was another pregnancy again. I and Morgan felt we were running behind time and we needed to seal our mate union.

*I agreed we forfeit my dowry.* That was the second thing I would be forgetting in my whole life in as much as I cherished them. I thought it would be the last.

I'm not a heavy drinker I can only get tipsy, I don't get drunk. But I'm very sexy and highly romantic when I get tipsy or a little bit drunk. Every time we went to the bar he bought me enough liquor. I took it nonetheless. I love him. 

We were now planning for our white wedding. I called my sibling to join me in our home for the preparation. We had a lot of people in our duplex that I never met. I didn't like the number of persons in our home.

Morgan saw the look on my face, he walks up to me, "They are all my business partners" he said. I felt honored to have his business partner in our home after he made me understand. 

I heard disturbing arguments from the balcony. I would have ignored but it didn't seem to be ending soon. I was going to help settle whatever difference it was. 

The door was slightly open and Morgan was amidst three ladies who had a piece of paper in their hands. I tried to lean my ears against the door.

Part of me wanted to run, yet I knew that I hadn’t come this far to flee just yet. They had their pregnancy test reports. I couldn’t scream. I could only open my mouth to find that even words had deserted me. I left and went back to my room.

One month later I had found out Morgan was very unfaithful and he is impregnating ladies everywhere because he is wealthy. You know women like money. He is a Liar, you can never know his truth. His business was something I couldn't pinpoint from the onset because I was always feeling it's shady.

He accommodates irrelevant people a lot in the house. 

he's always suspicious of me despite that I don't keep friends, maybe he's just insecure. And thinks I'm flirting around like him.

I love Morgan so I endured his excessive. I didn't know where else to go if I leave, my parents would disown me.  Moreover, I had a child for him already and I know the struggle single mothers go through to raise a child. But I have two kids now. I forgave him and we lived on.

So, the straw that broke the camel's back was when he said He had a dream that I was having an affair with his brother. 

It was funny and annoying but before it happened I had already made up my mind to leave because I could no longer handle his arrogance. Every bad person has a good side. So Morgan equally. He is good too but we are better apart.

He stopped begging me last year to come back when I told him that if he continues he won't see his kids again. I knew  

He wouldn't want that because he's aware of the stress he had gone through and he loves his son, Melvin.

That year he took my matter to the Oregon police station and Human rights that I was denying him access to his kids. But anytime I got there, he'll change the topic that he wants me back.

So the people involved will just tell him to do the right thing.

Right now we moved on he's already married and I'll get married too, maybe. I don't know when that would happen because I have given up on love.

My mind is empty right now because I'm not even carrying his annoyance at the moment. He comes to my parent's house most times to see his kids and I talk to him, we laugh, he takes his children out and he leaves. My Mom wouldn't stop nagging at me to go back to him. She doesn't want to lose me I know, like my late eldest Sis Madeira.

*I had forfeited the third thing I had cherished in my whole life. I didn't see it coming.* I lay on my bed most times all through the night doing nothing other than weeping till my eyes are dry. I thought I wasn't going to recover from it so I took a job at the bar after I left the city. I just wanted to stay away from any time that would make me remember him. It didn't seem better.

The doctor had lately diagnosed me with heart disease. He said I have 2 years to live. I knew I won't survive it but at least I was being distracted by the attendance of customers.  I was drinking a lot now but It kept my mind far from those hurting thoughts and past experiences. 

I was done with love. I was certain I would never love. I would spend my remaining years and energy nursing my two kids, Melvin and Chloe. I don't know when death will come but I will wait for it.

 

But then I  thought I was done. I thought I was done with love. I believed it but my heart didn't, something wasn't going to allow me to end my life...

"Young lady, can I help? You seem to look familiar to me?" The man behind the bar table asked me.