I was in Kola kitchen cooking when I received the first call. The gas was on, soft music was playing on the stereo which was connected to my phone Bluetooth, I was in comfy clothes which usually means one of Kola oversized t-shirts that look big on him and practically drowns me, I was dancing along to the song in a beat that made no sense, something I wouldn’t have done if Kola was present, as far as he is concerned, me and the music is one so I never go off beat… well, a girl has to keep some secrets.
The music was suddenly cut off, then the automated female voice called out a number slowly, I quickly cleaned my hands as I went to pick my call.
“Hello”
“Good eve
I was still upset at Stella, I mean why would she just snap at Tomi that way, I get that I might be spending a lot of time around Tomi and her friends these days but it was what I did then and I told her she could trust me, it’s not like I am going to cheat on her with any of Tomi’s friends. I would never to that to her.Liar, you would totally cheat on her, not with Tomi friends but Tomi herself, in fact if you are honest with yourself, you are already cheating on Stella. My mind whispered to me but I shoved the words out of my head, the thoughts were wrong, I was not cheating on Stella, I am just spending time with my best friend. I rubbed my hands across my face in frustration as I battle with myself, should I call her or not. If I call her, I will give her the impression that I am apologizing for a wrong I didn’t commit and that she has the upper hand, if I don’t call and she does, it is basically Stella apology on a golden platter.
Of course Kola would bounce back from my words swinging, ready to fight. While I was telling Ivy that we would have to stay in a hotel, he just entered the car after locking the door of my apartment and told me that if I insist on the hotel that I am insisting on us being over. And so he guarantee me keeping quiet and not protesting at his words, as soon as we got to his house, he showed Ivy where she would sleep and went to his room, I wanted to share a bed with Ivy but when he called my name from his room I decided not to risk increasing his ire. We didn’t cuddle that night and I didn’t sleep well, the next morning, I woke up early to see his part of the bed empty and when I moved to the sitting room, I saw him lying on the couch with his eyes closed.“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to drive you from your room.” I snapped at him, angry with myself for allowing tears to fill my eyes because I was hurt by his action.“I couldn’t slee
I was feeling like the biggest liar on earth, I turned my conversation with Stella to her fault mean while it was clear that the fault is completely mine, I didn’t want to hurt Stella, not like this. I’d correct my steps and give Stella the respect she deserves. I leaned back in my chair as I thought about a way to spend time with Stella in a good restaurant or doing something which she would really like even if I was not comfortable with it, I would be apologizing to her with my actions because I knew without being told that if I mistakenly let her know of my feelings for Tomi even if they no longer exists, she is going to feel betrayed and wouldn’t want anything to do with me.That was when I felt fear. If I had to choose between Tomi and Stella, I wouldn’t be able to because Stella means just as much as Tomi does to me and it wasn’t as if the intensity of my feelings for Tomi has reduced, it just mean that Stella own ha
Me and Kola got to the party by 9 and I won’t say it was my fault at all. It was both of us fault. Kola was dragging his feet and I was busy making sure my makeup was on point, Tomi friends will certainly be there, I know that I won’t outshine that girl, she must have employed the services of a face beater(make up artist) so she would look extra stunning, that girl does not do anything half way but still I wanted to try and made sure that the people would see Kola is not lacking, at the partner aspect. Kola didn’t need to mention it for me to know that maybe tongues would have wagged that he was the one still holding on to his brother girlfriend, acting like a love sick guy over a girl who was not his. My presence will put those rumors to rest and God help them if they tried to talk trash about Kola, they would not know what hit them.“Why is it that anytime, we go out, you always want to give me a heart attack eh.”
Since Tomi’s engagement, 13 days to Stella birthday, I have been acting weird to Stella and she was certainly giving me space although it happened just two days ago, I needed to get myself together because if Stella put two and two together and recognized why I am feeling this way, she will certainly leave me but she didn’t have the strength to figure out what has been up with me, she has been trying to help Ivy anyway she could, the night that Tomi got engaged was also the night Ivy got raped, it wasn’t even up to an hour after we left that Stella got the teary call from Ivy. That night, Stella and I didn’t sleep and we spent most of it in the hospital, the next day for Stella was spent in a police station so she could try to follow up their investigation. I was busy hiding and if I am being honest with myself, Tomi’s engagement isn’t the only reason why I was hiding, I am not that much of a bastard. When Stella was with Ivy, following Iv
I got to the hospital about an hour after my discussion with Tomi, even though it was rush hour, Stella moved Ivy to a hospital that was on the island instead of mainland so she could easily access Ivy. The traffic on the island is better that the one on the mainland, the one of third mainland bridge was the worst.“Thank God you are here.” Ivy cried out when she saw me. “Can you please take Stella away from me before I press my call button to tell the nurses that Stella is disturbing me? She is practically dead on her feet.”“I need to make sure that you are okay.” Stella voiced but Ivy shook her head.“You need to take care of yourself and stop feeling guilty. It wasn’t your fault.” Ivy said to Stella taking a hold of her hand.“Yes it is. You were raped because I left you alone, if I was around this wouldn’t have happened.” Stella protested.“And if I had done wha
My days flew by between ending my internship, taking care of Ivy, meeting up with my lawyers, getting security personnel to protect Ivy and preparing everything for me to equip myself with when I go to A.I. Andrews International, the base for all my family ventures, my family legacy, a legacy which some bastard was slowly running to the ground.As soon as Ivy came home… well Kola place, I started to go over the documents I requested from the company, someone has been siphoning from the company and running the company to the ground. After a week of explaining to Kevin why I had to go, getting extra documents to read, reacquainting myself with the law firm that handles my family business and making sure that Ivy is on the road to healing from the incident and being fine. Kevin promised to cover up for my missing days at Internship from my university and I still have a month to go before we end first semester and second semes
The next day started out well, I got to Ikeja with Ivy and a body guard. We marched to the top floor where the emergency board meeting was holding.“Who are you people and what are you doing here?” the manager of one of the dying sub company under A.I. started to say, already calling security.“Sit down, face your front and don’t get on our nerves.” Ivy replied him with a sweet smile that didn’t get well with her hard tone. The girl and her mixed signals are legendary. The man did what she asked before he even realize it, he was one of the persons who will be given sack letters to later in the day.“Who are you people?” another asked, this one more respectful and closer to our age, I narrowed my eyes at him because I didn’t see his information on our employee database.“What’s your name?” I asked him as I took a seat at the head of the table while Ivy turned off the projector and pla
“Who is it?” I shouted as I stood up, a little woozy from my excessive drinking even though my head was clearer now. I opened the door without looking. “What?” I screamed into the face of the person.“Gross. Try that again and I will hurt you.” Stella threatened from my door step as I blinked a couple of times to determine that she was real. “So are you going to let me in or am I going to force my way in?” she demanded and her words broke me out of my stupor, I stopped blocking the doorway so she could enter.“Stella what are you doing here?” I asked her as I shut the door behind her and followed her to the sitting room.“If you are not happy to see me just tell me now so I can leave?”“What’s the point, you are leaving either way.” I tell her not referring to her leaving my house. Her sa
“I can’t believe that you are leaving me in Nigeria. This is not fair oh.” Ivy complains as she tries another of my shoes on.“Madam, shey you supposed to dey help me pack.” I glanced at her but continued to zip my luggage up.“Eh en, wetin you think say I dey do so?” Ivy commented as she smiled at the shoes she had on. “Dash me this one na, you will see beta ones to buy in Georgia.”“Ivy.” I complained.“Alright.” She removes the shoes. “I still think that I need it more than you though.”Before I could reply her for her statement, my phone rang, I saw it was an unknown number but I picked the call without hesitation. It could be Bode, he recently lost his phone and has been using different numbers to call. Buy phone in Nigeria like a normal person but no, he has to order one
“I can’t believe that you are leaving me in Nigeria. This is not fair oh.” Ivy complains as she tries another of my shoes on.“Madam, shey you supposed to dey help me pack.” I glanced at her but continued to zip my luggage up.“Eh en, wetin you think say I dey do so?” Ivy commented as she smiled at the shoes she had on. “Dash me this one na, you will see beta ones to buy in Georgia.”“Ivy.” I complained.“Alright.” She removes the shoes. “I still think that I need it more than you though.”Before I could reply her for her statement, my phone rang, I saw it was an unknown number but I picked the call without hesitation. It could be Bode, he recently lost his phone and has been using different numbers to call. Buy phone in Nigeria like a normal person but no, he has to order one
Today was the day. I breathed out heavily, hoping to release the tension I was feeling but it didn’t help. I was going to attend Tomi Traditional marriage, the white wedding was tomorrow but I wasn’t sure I could get the chance to have a private chat with Kola then.“Are you sure you want to do this?” Bode asks.“Of course, she will so be worried about my presence, I want her to feel uncomfortable a little bit.”“But it is Kola brother who is getting married, why will the bride feel that way?” Bode asked again as I smiled at him. He doesn’t know the full story and no matter how much I was upset with Tomi and Kola, I wouldn’t tell another soul what happened since it can affect her happily ever after. I didn’t get mine because of her but that doesn’t mean that I will repay evil with evil.“Okay oh, let’s go.” Bode said as I smiled and came down from his car the same time he did and rou
Uncle Tony made good of his threat, he left jail the next day after posting bail. He also sent men to kidnap me but the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crime Commission) swooped in and arrested him. Apparently, according to the small information that I could hear while I was still bundled up in the kidnappers nest when everything had gone down, Uncle Tony was being investigated, had been for a while and that someone tipped them off that something was going to happen to me so they watched me too and used this to pin Uncle Tony down.“… Chief Anthony decided to confess his crimes for a reduction in his sentence, from NTA, I am Aisha Yusef reporting.” Bode clicked the TV off in my hospital room.“We need to celebrate.” Bode turns with a flourish and a grin so wide, you could probably count his thirty two teeth.“Alcoholic beverages please.” Ivy added after letting out a whoop and a shocking waist roll that
“You asked to see me Kola?” Tomi asked as she entered my office, she must have gotten my text the night before, I sent it the night before and I couldn't care less when she got it. It didn't matter to me if she had to rush here. Somehow she must know that this is our last time together.“Have a seat.” I tell her.When she sat down she started to talk but I didn’t call her here to listen to her talks, I called her here for her to listen to me. “I never meant for you to be unhappy Kola, believe me…”“Stop, I am not in the mood for your apologies. Why did you do it? That’s all I want to know, why on earth were you convinced that you like me or that I liked you, yeah sure, I might have liked the idea of us being more but that was because you were a safe place for me, why did you have to ruin it?”“Because I thought we would be more.” Tomi
Days turned into weeks and still I remembered Kola as if he was right beside me, it didn’t get easier, I just got used to the absence. A very good way which I used to keep myself busy and away from thinking about him was A.I. the company had years of rot on it and I was taking care of it one at a time but this time… I was going after the big one.“You are fired and the police downstairs will like to see you.” I said as I dropped the sack letter I had drafted on Uncle Tony table.“What do you think you are doing little girl?” he asked, removing his glasses and dropping the newspaper he was reading on supposed office hours.“Removing the person who tried to ruin my cooperation from the inside out.” I returned with a glare, I was a little bit scared but I won’t let it get to me, I needed to see his face as I checkmated him.“You can’t do anything Stella, go do a beauty
“Are you sure that, that is what happened?’ Ivy asked gently but still annoying. This is the sixth time she was asking that question within the hour that I have gotten home, Bode is still in the sitting room while I was changing, and he wanted to see me calm first before he leaves.“Yes Ivy, how many times do you want me to say it. Kola was in a lip lock with Tomi when I entered his office. And no I didn’t imagine it and neither was my mind playing tricks on me.”“Brother Kola is not the type of person to do this.”“He lied before… I am not surprised, I would have never trusted him.” I brushed my face angrily, I hated the tears that kept falling. They needed to stop. Princess was right, Kola was not worth my time or tears if he is the half decent human that he tried to convince me that he was.“Okay oh. Let me leave you to pull yourself together while I keep Bode company.” Ivy paused
I don’t know where I was driving to. All I knew was that I had to get away from Kola before I would run him down and I needed to get as far away from him as possible. A police checkpoint was ahead of me and when I stopped in front of them, I tried to clean my tears.“Ma’am are you Okay?” he asked as I smiled through my eyes that were watery again.“Sure officer.” I lied as I collected the driving license from my car and passed it to him.“The particulars of the car.” He added and I passed it to him too, when he saw it he nodded. “Can you park the car to the side ma’am?”“Okay.” I said confused but I parked the car any way and he took his sweet time in joining me where he told me to park the car.“I need you to call someone, every of your documents is in a good shape but you are not.”“You cannot make that assumption, I am perfectly fine.”&