CHAPTER 4

**Franklin Howard:**

"Okay," Amelia replied, and we started eating the chicken pepper soup that the waiter had earlier served us.

We didn't speak to each other while eating, as the pepper soup was spicy. After finishing, and after a few drinks, I began to feel a light headache, so I smiled at Amelia and told her, "I have to go home now. How about we meet up tomorrow, Sunday, again? Do you go to church?"

"Um, yes, Frank. But I would like to spend some time with you today. You know, just you and me," Amelia touched my hand, and I quickly withdrew it, understanding what she wanted.

"No. We cannot do anything silly right now. I'm still married to your sister, and my family isn't aware that I want to divorce her," I told Amelia, starting to sweat despite the air conditioning unit in the private parlor.

Amelia frowned and tried to touch me again as she said, "No one would know, Frank. I have always wanted you, and now that I'm back, we will be together, and you will send Natalie away."

I wanted to give in to the idea of what Amelia was saying. My parents didn't like Natalie either, and they only had me marry her to hide our family shame, as my father wouldn't want the news to spread that I slept with a young woman in her father's house.

I had vague memories of how Natalie and I had sex, and each time I tried to think about it, I developed a headache.

"No." Rising to my feet, I told Amelia, "We will do all that later. I promise you, I'm not sleeping with your sister. After she set me up, I have been living next to her, and we haven't done anything intimate, like making love."

"Really?" Amelia's eyebrows shot up as she looked at me in shock.

"Yes. We have separate bedrooms, though sometimes we use the same room, and she knows not to cross boundaries with me."

"But you've seen her naked."

"No." I quickly waved off the topic of seeing my wife naked. It was something I did not want to think about.

Natalie was more beautiful naked than when she wore clothes. What did I expect from the daughter of a prostitute? Thanks to the fact that she didn't know how to dress, she mostly wore loose-fitting clothes that weren't of good quality.

I wondered who had advised her to learn fashion when she wasn't fashionable at all.

I would have preferred to open a supermarket for Natalie, but what if she seduced her male customers and drugged them?

She was still my wife, and I'm very famous in this part of the city. I wouldn't want my wife to drag my name down with her wayward life, especially since I hadn't touched her since we got married. So it was best that she stayed home.

Although I enjoyed Natalie's cooking skills, I didn't want to acknowledge that I liked anything about her.

Once I divorced her, I would hire a chef to take care of my meals, as I don't like eating fast food. I would also hire a dry cleaner to take care of my laundry.

That way, Natalie wouldn't be of any use to me.

"Come on, let's go home. I will drop you off, as it's already getting late. Tomorrow, we'll hang out again," I told Amelia as I saw her frown.

She stood up, hugged me, and said, "I really want to spend the night with you."

"Don't worry; we can meet later." I carefully pulled Amelia away from me as I was beginning to feel sick and sweaty.

"Waiter!" I called, and soon cleared our bill with my debit card. Once we left the restaurant, I drove back to the Jackson residence, knowing it was a short distance away from my home.

I arrived at the front gate and parked my car while I unlocked it from within, unable to get out and pull the door open.

"Frank, you promise that we will hang out together tomorrow?" Amelia asked me once more as she looked at me with her lovely eyes.

"Yes," I replied, and Amelia got out of the car.

"Take care, sweetie!" She waved at me as I watched her walk back to her father's house.

I locked the car door properly and felt hornier than usual as I wanted a warm body at that moment.

"What's wrong with me? Was I drugged?" I wondered and quickly started the car engine to drive home.

In the three years that I had been married to Natalie, I hadn't patronized a prostitute. I didn't want to go there now, so I drove home, hoping that once I got there, I would feel alright.

It was my habit to fall sick each time I ate out, as I didn't like it.

I arrived home late, drove into my compound, and parked my car.

I staggered as I got out of the car and dragged myself into the house. I didn't know what time it was, but I was certain that it was already late.

As I arrived at the front door, I knocked, but there was no response. I banged on the door, and when it finally opened, Natalie was standing there wearing a light green gown.

"Welcome back," she greeted me as she moved away from the door for me to enter.

I stepped inside, and as she locked the door and turned to face me, I couldn't hold it back anymore, so I grabbed her and yelled at her, "What did you do to me?"

"Huh! What did I do wrong?" Natalie asked, her eyes welling up with tears.

I looked at her face, unable to believe that I was beginning to find her attractive. As I tried to look away from her chest, my eyes kept drifting downward to stare at her huge bosom.

"You drugged me again, didn't you? Can't you accept that I don't love you and that our marriage is fake?" I yelled at her again, trying to suppress my desire, but my body was overheating, and I didn't know how long I could endure this.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Aren't you the one who just left the house with Amelia? What did she do to you that you came back home accusing me?" Natalie sobbed, and I refused to believe that Amelia would drug me.

"Shut up. We have been at home since morning. I ate your food before going out with her. Was that why you refused to let Amelia eat your food? Because you put a love potion in it?" I shouted, not wanting to believe that now that I had finally made up my mind to divorce Natalie, she dared to use a charm on me.

"No! I cannot do that! I know that you do not like me, but I cannot stoop so low as to drug you. I want us to end our marriage peacefully and go our separate ways. I will get the divorce papers ready by Monday," she said.

"And you want me to believe that? I have spoken to you several times about getting a divorce and for you to leave, but you refused. Now you have drugged me again just because you saw me laughing with your sister. Well, guess what? It worked, and I cannot help but desire to have you tonight."

"What??" Natalie struggled to break away from my grasp on the door as she yelled at me, "No, Frank! I don't want you! Once you wake up tomorrow, you will lie and say that I used you. Let me go!"

I ignored Natalie's screams as I carried her up in my arms and took her back to our room on the top floor.