Chapter Eighty-six Travis_ I couldn't get Annabelle off my mind till I got home. I knew getting her back would be harder especially because Samantha is now back. I could not understand Samantha either. She has been cold since she got back. Just while I was sitting in my study thinking, she walked in and began questioning me. “What have you been doing about the building that got burnt or aren’t you going to do anything about it?” I was happy she took interest in it because since she got back she had just neglected me and she seemed to be angry all the time. “Come and sit, let me show you what I've been up to.” I felt things might get better if I showed her what I've been up to with the new project and it would help us talk better. She came and sat beside me, though she left a little bit of space. I opened my laptop and several files showing her the projects I've been working on as well as the project plan and the income it will generate. “I see. So you are the owner of this ri
Chapter Eighty-seven Annabelle_ I held Johnson as he cried while Brooklyn was driven out of my house. Nana, I and Johnson stood in front of the door and watched her leave. It felt like a part of us was going away. I knew it hurt Johnson more because she was always around with him whenever I missed the nights he and I were supposed to spend together. I had never seen him cry for anything or anyone. He was always a strong boy. “Mum, why does she have to go? Why are you not stopping her?” I bent down to look at him in the face, “She has to find her place. She's an adult. We will see her again. She will come to visit. You can also go and visit her whenever you want.” “No, Mum!” He yelled and ran off into the house. I stood up and looked at Nana. She just stood still staring at me. “Can you please help me explain this to him?” I don't know but Nana gets him better. She nodded and went after him. I was also hurt that Brook had gone. I didn't realize how much space she filled in
Chapter Eighty-eight Annabelle_ “Can I come in?” I opened Johnson's door later that evening so I could speak to him. With a smile, I stood by the door and peeped at him. He was reading a novel. He sat up and nodded his head. He still had a sad gait while I walked into his room. I sat beside him and wrapped him in my hands. “My boy, you know I don't like seeing you sad. It breaks my heart.” He shrugged and kept mute. “Brook just had to leave us and you have nothing to worry about. I am here for you, always.” After I said that, he pulled away from me and sat still by himself. “What is wrong?” I asked him and touched his hand. He shook his head insinuating nothing was wrong. “I need you to speak, Johnson. Talk to me. I'm your mum and you're my most priceless possession. I live for you. I know we don't get to talk that much but I want you to know that I love you so much.” He sighed and in his sweet little voice, he said. “I know you love me, Mum. But you are just never there fo
Chapter Eighty-nine Annabelle_ “Why isn't he picking?” I had called Henry's number several times and it kept going to his voicemail. “Maybe he is still angry about what had happened earlier.” “Oh well, I have called him. Whenever he's ready he will call me back.” I said to myself. Just then my dad's call came into my phone. I knew I was in trouble because I had left his house without telling him I was leaving or anything. I picked up the call and kept mute. I planned to remain quiet while he scolded me for how I behaved earlier. “Annabelle. You did not deem it fit to tell me before leaving my house. Is that how insignificant I have become to you?” He asked. Funny enough, he didn't sound as angry as I anticipated. He just spoke in a concerned manner. I kept mute and listened to him as he complained. “Are you not going to answer me?” I cleared my throat before I spoke. “I just needed to leave. I wasn't feeling too well.” “I can see that. Have you heard from Henry since he l
Chapter Ninety Annabelle_ I was very sensitive to the cars that drove past my car and the vehicles that followed behind mine all through the ride because of the letter. I couldn't wait to get Johnson to Travis's home safely. I had left him a message about what happened and why I needed to drop him off at his place. I didn't even check to see if he had seen it or responded. I kept watching Johnson as I drove. He was reading one of his story books and I just loved how he gave the book his undivided attention. “What's the title of the book you're reading?” I couldn't help but ask because he was so engrossed in it for a young boy. “The Lion King.” He responded gazed at me with a swift smile and turned back to his book. “I see. It must be so interesting. You won't mind sharing the story with me would you?” “Oh mum, I'm sorry. I won't be able to tell you all the story because I'm not done reading them myself.” He sounded like a young professor. I was still very cautious of my env
Chapter Ninety- one Annabelle _ Travis looked at me and looked back at Samantha. “Don't worry, I'd handle it,” He whispered before walking closer to Samantha. “Can we speak inside please?” He asked her gently and held her hand. I hated the fact that I had to see him be so lovely with her. I mean, did he have to hold her hand? “No. I need her gone this instant.” She insisted and forced her hand out of his hands. I walked boldly over to them and faced Samantha. “Look, save this drama for when the kids and I are not present. I'm not spending the whole day here. I will leave soon.” I called out to Johnson and Norah, “Let's go inside.” They walked slowly to us, looking at Samantha as they got closer to us. I followed after them and we made our way inside. “I'm not going to take this. You can't bring your mistress to my house and expect me to remain quiet…” I could hear Samantha as she yelled at Travis. I wasn't bothered by her empty threats. I knew Travis was not going to let he
Chapter Ninety -Two Travis_ I wondered why Samantha was behaving the way she did in front of Annabelle. Couldn't she just understand that this is a critical situation and has nothing to do with her for once? Annabelle sat still on the chair ignoring her but I knew she was disgusted with the way and manner in which Samantha spoke. “This has nothing to do with me choosing you or anyone else. Just sit down and listen.” “No, I wouldn't. Make your decision now!” I couldn't understand why Samantha was being so irrational. “Make my decision about what? I'm not making any decision. Annabelle is in a critical situation and she just has to stay here.” “Oh, I see. I see it now. You want your ex-wife to stay in this same house with me? She doesn't have other houses to go to? She doesn't have her Father's large empire to go to? It has to be my matrimonial home?” “Oh, stop being dramatic! Just let it be.” I stamped my feet on the floor and stood up. “What? I'm being dramatic? Now listen to
Chapter Ninety -three Annabelle _I couldn't stand the back and forth. More than the fact that it made me uncomfortable, it nauseated me that it seemed like I was at the mercy of Samantha. I'm far above that and she had nothing to offer me. That house would have been mine if she hadn't stolen Travis from me in the first place.Walking out in the dark made me a little scared but It was better I was walking alone. I ordered a ride so I stood by the road and waited for it to come.I stood under a boarding vehicle to wait for the arrival of the ride. After a little while, I saw two cars, one coming from my right and the other from my left.I prayed that the one coming from my left, which meant it was coming from outside the community, was the car I ordered and not one that would kidnap me. I had a knife in my bag and pepper spray just in case things ever got haywire. I held the pepper spray in my right hand as both cars drew nigh. I wasn't so bothered about the vehicle coming from my ri
Epilogue Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Six Annabelle_ Months after the nightmare I had with Henry. I woke up in my new home with the perfect peace of mind I had always wanted. My life was in a better shape and even though It wasn't perfect, I was living the future I had always dreamed and hoped for. I stood in front of the large windows in the parlor, looked out of it and took a very deep breath. “Come back here! If I catch you, I will eat all your candy.” “You won't catch me then!” Johnson was running after Norah. It was not going to be my first time experiencing such as they have both been best of friends since we all moved in together. “I've told you two. No running around.” I said and shook my head. Travis was the one handling the major companies owned by my dad. He and my dad had become very close following the incident with Henry. Travis held his suitcase, walked down the stairs of our new home and said, “Anna, do you know where my car keys are? I couldn't find them
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Five Annabelle_ The tunnel led to one of the trees in the compound. I walked out of it and snuck to the back of the several police vans that were parked in the compound. I was on the lookout for Alex because I wasn't sure of who to trust. I saw Henry and hid behind the car. I couldn't afford him to see me and then come up with another lie that he wasn't the one behind my kidnap. Someone touched me from behind and I lost my breath for a while. I turned back slowly towards the person and found that it was Alex. I took a deep breath of relief and hugged him. “What happened?” He asked, concerned. I was still trying to get my breath, when he yelled, “Medics, medics.” And the whole attention drifted towards us. Immediately, I could see them putting handcuffs on his hands and leading him into the car like the criminal that he was. “Travis, Travis is badly injured. He has lost a lot of blood.” Those were the first words I said to Henry so they could go a
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Four Annabelle _Henry went out of the basement he kept us in. He went out through a different door this time. I saw him but I was not fully conscious.I didn't know what to do to get us out of his place but I knew that if we did not try to get help from the cops or whoever was around, things would get worse for us all and Travis could die.“Travis,” I called out to Travis who lay in his blood on the floor with his eyes swollen. I wasn't even sure if he was still alive. “Travis, can you hear me? Travis!” I yelled. I couldn't afford his death.“Yes, I can hear you.” He said in a very low voice. I knew he was losing a lot of blood and he was in severe pain.“Can you loosen me? I know it's hard for you to get up but if you can try, it would help us out. We can't stay here. Now is our time to get out of this house because I can hear people walking back and forth in his house. I'm sure they are looking for us.” I said to him to encourage him to get up. Travi
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-ThreeAnnabelle_All I saw was the blood of Travis spilling on the floor like someone had made an incision on a bottle.I picked a cloth that I saw in the room and used it to tie around his arm. I was very displeased with Henry as he stood and watched me take care of Travis' hands unremorsefully.“What has gotten into you? Why are you doing all this?” I asked with so much pain in my heart. I couldn't understand how Henry became the way he was all of a sudden.“Get back to your seat and tie yourself at this moment, Annabelle.” He yelled at me. “You should not have pushed me to the wall all these years. You are the reason why I'm like this. Yes, it's all your fault.”Travis tried to help himself up from the chair I sat him on so that I could help him with his hand and reduce his bleeding. The cloth I had used to tie his hand was filled in no time and I could see that Travis was losing a lot of blood at that time.“Let's take him to the hospital. You know he
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Two Travis_I broke into the house through Henry's kitchen window after I was sure he had gone out of the kitchen.I walked to the slap where knives were kept and I picked one very sharp one.“This should do a good job,” I said and hid the knife behind my back.“What you don't understand is, I'd catch a grenade for ya!” I could hear Travis as he sang in his voice to the song he played out. I used that opportunity to search around the room for any sign of Annabelle and Johnson.“Annabelle! Annabelle!” I whispered as I entered every part of the room downstairs.Then while walking on the corridor, I walked on a part of the floor that felt like something was beneath it.I went back to look at the stairs to be sure I could still hear Travis playing his song, which he was before I went down to check what it was.“This very strange man. Heaven knows where he kept Annabelle.” I tried to open the thing but I couldn't get how it was being handled. It had a complex
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty OneTravis_I received a call from an unknown number. It was very late at night. I had thought it was probably Annabelle because I had been expecting her to call me but I did not receive any calls from her.When I saw that it was unknown, I did not take the call because I was still hurting from the fact that Henry was playing the hero when he did not help to find Johnson at all from the onset. “He's my son. She's supposed to allow me to come along irrespective of what Henry was going to say or do. Don't I deserve to see him too?” I said to myself inwardly.Norah had slept off on my leg. We sat together in the parlor watching a movie.My phone kept ringing and ringing so I became forced to pick up the call. I did not say anything after picking up the call.“Can you hear me?” The person whispered and it made me curious. I placed Norah's head properly on the chair and stood up to receive the call in a place where she would not be disturbed.“Who is this?” I
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Annabelle_ I was scared that Henry might hurt me so I began to yell at him before he got closer to me, “Henry, what is wrong with you? Do not try anything funny. I'm warning you. You know how this will end. It will surely end badly for both of us. Just let me leave peacefully.” “You are not leaving through that door. Not today and not until you sign the wedding document.” He said and got closer to me. He pulled me with force to himself and began to kiss my body against my will. “Get off me! Get off!” He disgusted me but he held me so strong. It was very hard for me to move my body away from him. It was as though he wasn't the same Henry I had known. “Stop it, now!” I continued to shout at him but he would not let me go. I stretched my hand to reach the vase that was used to decorate his parlor. I was able to reach it and I slammed it on his head with all the force I had. I didn't know what to do next and he did not give me any option. All that was
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty NineAnnabelle_Brooklyn and I got to Henry's place very late at night. We had to drive for a long time for us to get to Henry's place. “Why does it look as if Henry is not around?” We were able to get into the house because the gate was not locked. “It's very strange that Henry's gate is open. He never opens his gate.” I said to Brooklyn who was driving the car.“Just be patient. It's late already and he was expecting you. So why wouldn't he leave his gate open?” I knew Brooklyn was tired of hearing all my complaints.“I don't feel good about this honestly. Something is wrong somewhere.” I said to Brooklyn, “Don't drive to the front of the building itself. Park around here.” Henry's compound had some gardens and big trees that one would go through before one would get to his house. I just wasn't comfortable with the way I felt.She sighed but did as I said.“I'd go in by myself alone. You should stay in the car in case anything bad happens.”Brooklyn ga
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty EightAnnabelle_Travis drove us into a very nice apartment that he said belonged to Samantha. It was a more beautiful apartment than the one that he lived in. “This apartment is nice. You guys could have lived here instead of where you're presently living though.” Brooklyn said. I was surprised she said that out loud so I turned to look at her.Travis smiled and said, “Well, Samantha loves her things to be perfectly the way she likes them. She fixed it several times, that's why it looks as good as this.” We got out of the vehicle and we could tell that Johnson was not in that building because everything there was so calm but we walked into it irrespective of how the environment felt, leaving Brooklyn and Norah alone in the car.Travis unlocked the door and led me into the room. “I don't think anyone is here at the moment but we can search the apartment to see if there might be any lead in the house,” Travis said to me as he walked into the living room