Charles drove aimlessly across the city for three hours. He was pondering over his actions for the past few days. And the words of his friends kept ringing in his head.
"I dare say that you are to be blamed for everything that happened, Charles. And I'm not saying this to make you feel bad, but to let you see how unwise you have been." He recalled Albert's words.
"Albert does have a point, Charles. You caused all this. Don't take our words out of context. But Tracy has been an epitome of wife material." Chris' words also echoed.
For a second, he thought his friends had a point. He had been foolish and threw an asset out the window.
It was midday and Charles was still haunted by his friend's words. The words of his father and Mrs Briggs equally took over a part of his brain.
It was as though pandemonium had broken out in his brain. He may be tough and stubborn, but the damage his actions have caused had him in a tight corner and now he wanted to escape from everything.
But having no particular place to go, he thought to go to the office or go to Fiona's place. However, his goal at this point was to disappear from the people he knew and move away from all the Tracy drama.
Then it occurred to him to go to the beach. Besides, the sun was already up and he could use some sea breeze to calm himself down.
So he changed course and drove straight to the popular Purple City Beach.
Charles arrived at the beach and was greeted by an awesome view. There were trees along the coast with beach cabins spread across the shore.
Some people were sunbathing while others played mini golf. Children of school-going age could be seen building sand castles and having the time of their life.
The joy and excitement that beamed off their faces melted Charles' heart. And he wished he could join them, but his heart was heavy.
He wore a cap to hide his face because he didn't want to be recognized. He was widely known in Purple City. Then he took off his shoes and walked along the shore
The many events happening distracted him for a second and it was as though his troubles had vanished.
He went to a cocktail stand to grab himself a drink and there he bumped into Fiona.
"Fiona, what are you doing here?" He asked surprised.
"Charles! Is it not obvious? I'm here to have a good time just like any other person here," she responded.
"Of course," Charles said in agreement with her remark. "I just did not think I would see you here. Besides, you have never been to the beach ever since you came to Purple City." He added.
"I guess there is always a first time for everything. And I'm glad my first time here is with you." Fiona remarked as Charles grabbed a glass of margarita. And Fiona got pina colada.
He paid for the drinks and the two walked off to an empty beach tent. And Charles revealed, "Fiona, I'm lost. I need help and counsel."
Fiona placed her drink on a table in the tent and sat comfortably to respond to him.
"Oh my dear Charles, what could be troubling your soul?" She asked.
She scowled and probed further, "Did you fight with your wife? Look, I do understand that any lady in her place would fight to keep her love. And I perfectly understand why she came over to my place to clarify certain rumors she had heard. But I told her there was nothing between you and me.
I promised her I'd stay out of your way and apologized for the troubles my frequent interaction with you may have caused your marriage." Fiona revealed.
Fiona was moved to tears and accidentally spilled her drink on the table.
"That's fine. I will get you another one." Charles said as he wiped the table with a tissue he had taken from the cocktail stand.
"We are no longer united in holy matrimony," Charles revealed.
"What?" She surprisingly asked.
"I divorced Tracy a few days ago. After my father stepped down from the company, I had a deep reflection and finally came forward and asked for a divorce. I thought my father stepping down gave me the power to do whatever I wanted, but there have been consequences after the divorce."
He said as he ordered another glass of Pina colada for Fiona.
"Seriously?" She asked with her eyes wide open.
Charles looked over Fiona's shoulder as he watched the bartender approach them with Fiona's drink and said, "Fiona, it was long overdue. I was not happy in that marriage."
Fiona looked at Charles feeling sorry for him and patted him on the back.
The bartender served her drink and as she took a sip, she said, "It can be frustrating to be in a situation where you are helpless. Like how I was helpless years ago till you came into the picture."
In a soft tone, she said, "When the heart is willing, it finds its way. You deserve to be happy and if cutting ties with Tracy is what will ensure that then I support you on your decision."
Charles found her words soothing and comforting. He thought she had a point and smiled at her.
He thought Fiona was patient and a great listener. Her words had comforted him and he felt some weight lifted off his shoulder.
This reminded him of his first encounter with Fiona.
Charles was in the final years of his universe days. He had stayed up late at night to complete a project for his final thesis.
As his stomach began to make funny noises, he knew it was about time he ate.
He drove off to get something to eat, but he could not return to campus.
He accidentally hit a lady who was crossing the road from a coffee shop.
Having spent days by her side at the hospital, Charles finally heard her voice and she gave her name as Fiona.
Fiona was patient and was not mad about the turn of events. She asked Charles to not blame himself for the accident and opined that accidents do happen and that day was probably just one of those bad days.
Her words comforted him and he was calm that she was not going to press charges against him since he had flouted the road traffic regulation.
Days passed and Fiona was recuperating. She had suffered slight bruises and minor scratches on her left arm.
Charles took to liking her and was drawn to her after he heard her story.
Fiona was an orphan who had lost both her parents in a fire outbreak that razed down their house. She grew up in a foster home but was forced out when she was eighteen years old.
Charles felt sorry for her and was always in her company. Fiona was living in a shelter that was closer to Charles' school. So anytime he had some time to spare he would go and check up on her.
The two casually dated and when Charles was done with studies, he offered to go to Purple City with her.
And since he was going to take over the company from his father, he thought he was in a better position to help turn her life around.
He was unsure of his feelings for her, but he thought having her closer would eventually ignite a genuine feeling for her. So he rented an apartment for her in Purple City.
Days later he introduced her to his family as a friend. But his father did not like how he looked at her.
Mr Parker could tell that his son had eyes for Fiona. So to handicap his son, he arranged for him to marry Tracy. And that was the only way he could inherit the company.
Charles finally heaved a sigh of relief and said, "It was great bumping into you after all. Talking to you has been therapeutic. My head is cleared now."
"I think we should get going now." He suggested and they both grabbed their drinks and walked towards Charles' car.
The sea roared in the background as the two walked away.
Charles opened the front door for Fiona and hopped into the driver's seat. Fiona tried to kiss Charles but he pulled back.
Then she reminded herself that he had just been divorced and needed some time to indulge in such romantic flings.
As he was about to start the ignition, he saw a man in the company of two German shepherds. Immediately, he got out of the car and approached the man.
"Excuse me, sir, those German shepherds are lovely," he said as he tried to pat them on the back. But then the dogs got aggressive and one of them bit him on the left leg.
The bite was so deep that he started to bleed. Fiona screamed when and jumped out of the car.
The dog owner was confused as Charles asked him to not worry and leave. But he couldn't leave. He was still confused and started to rebuke the dogs, but in a slow voice, Charles asked him to stop shouting at the dogs.
Minutes later the man finally left with the dogs and Charles was getting cold.
Fiona struggled and put him in his car. But she did not know how to drive.
She stretched her hand to reach her phone from the front seat. Her hands shook while she dialed a number. But the call went straight to voicemail.
"Hi, you've reached Leonardo. I'm sorry I couldn't answer your call. I'm either on another call or away from my phone. Please leave your name and reason for calling and I will get back to you ASAP.
"Leonardo, Charles is dying and I can't drive." She left her voicemail message.
Charles’ left leg was swollen due to the bite. The excruciating pain made him bite the pillow on his bed when the doctor attended to him. Initially, the doctor had wanted to administer anaesthetics to kill the pain, but he opposed it. Thus, the doctor warned that he could not scream since that could increase the stress levels of other patients. Hours passed and he was feeling much better. And that got him thinking he was fit to walk again. But before he could put his right foot ahead of the left, he was down on the floor.“Charles!” Fiona screamed. She had been sitting in the visitor's area for hours. And so when the doctor announced that she could see him, she wasted no time in going to his ward. “What were you trying to do?” she asked while helping him get back onto his bed. “You are not fit just yet,” she added. And finally helped him to lie back on his bed.Charles gazed at her for a moment and forgot about his pain. But when his father walked in, his senses were realigned and
Tracy had arrived much earlier for her appointment with the doctor. The news of Charles’ accident left her helpless and restless the previous night. She had hoped for the faster break of dawn. And so when she sighted the rise of the early morning sun, she wasted no time in getting ready for her appointment. Louisa accompanied her. The two had left in a cab since they both did not have a car of their own yet.Before Tracy got married to Charles, Mr Parker suggested on so many occasions for her to choose any car of her choice and it would be bought for her. But Tracy always said it was pointless since there were many cars in the Parker house and many drivers who were at their beck and call. Mr Parker insisted once more when she got married to Charles. But her stance had not changed. She would rather go to the office or other places seated in the back seat while one of the many drivers took the wheel.When Mr Parker realized she did not care for a personal car, he advised that the le
“My child, you deserve every pint of happiness in this life. You have fought a good fight and in my estimation, you won. So cry no more” Mrs Briggs said.And hugged Tracy who was tearing up uncontrollably. “He was my world. And I loved him with every fibre of my being. How I wish we had not ended up this way” Tracy told Mrs Brigss in a trembling voice, but she cut her, “Your happiness is equally paramount my child. Like I said, you fought a good fight and you won.”“He does not deserve you,” she added. Her remarks came after Louisa had narrated everything that happened at the hospital to her. Tracy was calm and took Mrs Briggs' words to heart. She had indeed fought a good fight. Everybody knew she had wanted to be with Charles despite his lack of interest in their marriage. As Tracy paced about in the room, Mrs Briggs who had her right finger on her right chin said, “My child, enough of Charles. It is about time you put yourself in the spotlight”“I have watched you grow from a lit
“Gracious morning to the love of my life. Charles, you make me happy.”Charles wore a smile in his dream. The sound of those words from Tracy’s lips felt soothing in his ears. Tracy never missed a chance to make him know how she was in love with him. Charles did not return Tracy’s show of affection for him in his dream but kept smiling.At once, the alarm clock went off. It was his call to wake up. “Tracy, snooze the alarm. Tracy, did you hear me? Please, snooze the alarm. I want to sleep a little longer today, it’s the weekend.” Charles sobbed in his sleep. “Tracy!”Charles opened his eyes and realized he was calling Tracy’s name. Immediately, he got up from the bed and sat in a chair at the tail end of his bed. He began wondering why he was calling Tracy’s name and asking her to snooze the alarm clock. Besides, the only time they both shared the same bed was during the early days of their marriage when they had to pretend and sleep in the same room just to make everyone believe
Charles was about to leave for the house when a call came through. He had been left confused over the separation from Tracy. He still could not fathom that Tracy had said nothing about him when Rupert went to hand her the divorce certificate. But he was the one who wanted a divorce, a voice echoed in his head.In his confusion, he felt his frame of mind would not yield a productive day so he packed to go home. Besides, in his absence, his assistant, Rupert and Stacy had instructed the other workers to work in line with his commands. So there was not much to be done at work.“Hello, hello,” Charles said, but the caller was not responding.He ended the call and went back to clearing his desk before going home. The call came through again and this time the caller said something and revealed his identity. It was Chris who had called with a different number. He told Charles he wanted to meet him at his house. The tone of Chris' voice sounded like a father who was scolding his son.“Co
Charles had spent the night at the veterinary clinic. Two of his German shepherds had suffered from a food allergy. And were sick as a result.For weeks, a lot had happened in the Parker house that his attention had been shifted away from his dogs. He thought the dogs would be fine since they were in the care of one of their many aides whose only job in the house was to take care of the dogs.But someone had mistakenly fed the dogs chicken and that had left them under the weather. "Pray nothing happens to them," Charles furiously told Theophilus, who had gone to the veterinary clinic with him. He kept pacing about in the clinic as others who had gone to the clinic to also have their dogs checked kept staring at him. Some of them recognized him. Who did not know the famous Charles Parker of Purple City? Almost everyone knew who he was, but he did not care about the looks people cast at him. At this moment, all he cared about was his dogs. "But how stupid can you get?" He fired Theo
It was already a new day. Charles got out of bed and glanced at the wall clock, it was 10 am. How did he doze off, eventually? He thought. The previous night, he had struggled to shut his eyes. He had spent the night thinking about how to get the best medical care for his dogs. He made calls and texted a few people he knew at other veterinary clinics to inquire whether he could transfer his dogs over for better treatment. For a second he thought, the clinic he had sent his dogs lacked resources. If for nothing at all, he was a Parker and was in the capacity to get the best of everything. Charles entered the washroom to wash his mouth and brush his teeth. He was greeted by luxury. The exquisite and modern designs and opulent features of his bathroom lit him up a bit. He smiled and brushed his teeth. When he was done and about to step out, he chanced on his phone lying on a black marble countertop. The countertop had a built-in wireless charging pad that ensured that his phone wa
A month had passed and Tracy was fully adjusting to Louisa's house. The few weeks she had stayed there made her feel like an outsider who was taking advantage of her friend's kindness. The thought of having Mrs Briggs together with them made her feel like she was an opportunist. She thought her presence had overshadowed her friend and prevented her from being herself. So she sat her down one time when Mrs Briggs was in the kitchen and said, "Louisa, I genuinely appreciate your kindness and support over the past weeks, but I feel I have overstayed my welcome." "What do you mean by that?" Louisa, who was watching a television show, paused the show and asked. "You see, I have not only invaded your privacy by being here, but I have denied you the freedom you deserve to move about freely in your own house" Tracy mumbled.Although Louisa agreed with her to an extent, since she had not been able to walk naked in her house. Before they came, she would walk naked from the bathhouse to t
Three years after their marriage, Tracy got pregnant with her second child and everyone was happy for them.She was also back on TV and won several awards for her show and her TV station.Her uncle Uriel and Mrs Briggs hit it off and were together as lovers. The two found comfort in each other's company and lived in Tracy's house since Tracy moved in with her husband.Tracy took charge of the Parker enterprise and the company made a comeback and took the number one spot on the market yet again.She made sure to maintain Rupert and Stacy after she heard of their wonderful input in the past.Tracy made Jason her chauffeur and gave him one of the bedrooms in her father's house since most of the rooms were empty.Jason was made head over David, Matilda, Theophilus and the other aides who still worked at the Parker house.June and Jean lived in harmony with the aides.The two were now working at the Parker company together with their sister after Tracy thought it was pointless for them t
Two weeks passed and Tracy was a little sober due to the information she got from her lawyer.Her lawyer had advised that she get Mr Parker arrested first, before arraigning him for court and eventually getting him behind bars.Tracy had received assurance from her lawyer that the evidence was enough to win the court case and punish Mr Parker.On a sunny day when the sun was making some people wear extra layers of sunscreen just to prevent the rays of the sun from having direct contact with their skin, Tracy didn't seem to care much.She only had a cap on and in her company were two police officers, Jason and Uriel.Mr Edward Parker was seated on the couch, while Jean sat in another filing her nails."Tracy, what a pleasant surprise," Eddy said the moment he saw Tracy who entered with a laptop in her left armpit and a photo portrait in her right hand."I wish, what brought me here is as pleasant as you claim my visit," Tracy said."Tracy, language," Uriel said. "What uncle? Let me spe
"June, is everything okay? For the past two days you have been indoors without saying a word to anyone," Jean said immediately as she entered her sister's room.June sat in one corner of her bedroom, her hair was begging for the feel of a comb. As tears rolled down her soft cheeks."June, will you say something already? Your silence is killing me," Jean said. But her sister would still not utter a word."Anyway, I went to visit Mother yesterday and she asked to see you," she informed her sister.Jean realized her sister would not say anything but cry. So she left her side.Three minutes later, Jean entered with her Dad and said, "Father, June has been like this for hours. She won't say anything to me,"Eddy moved towards June and just as he was about to grab her shoulder, she said, "Don't you dare touch me,""June! What has come over you? Why do you talk to your father like that?" She queried her sister.Eddy's eyes were wide open as waves of shock went down his body. If anyone woul
"Good day, Tracy," the lawyer greeted and entered Tracy's house. She walked her in and offered her a seat. Tracy dashed off to the kitchen to get some drinks for her lawyer when she heard the doorbell ring. "Don't worry, I got it," Uriel said and walked to the door to check who had knocked."Who is it?" Tracy asked at the top of her voice while she was in the kitchen.But there was no response from her uncle.Tracy walked back into the living room with a Tray supporting an apple juice and a glass.Slowly, she lowered the drink onto the coffee table next to the lawyer while she kept her eyes on the guest who had been walked in by her uncle."Careful with that," Uriel said when he realized his niece almost dropped the Tray on the floor."Right," she responded and shifted her attention to the drink for a second and then back to the guest."It's you! Where have you been and how did you know where I live?" Tracy queried.The guest was none other than Jason."I'm so sorry Lawyer," Tracy a
"Tracy, what's going on?" June called me saying something that I could not quite understand. "What's the matter?" Louisa asked."Cyril tells me you have not been to the office in days now. Is everything okay?" She asked.Tracy stood on the edge of the couch, with her legs on the seat on the chair as she watched Louisa talk."Tracy, won't you say anything?" She asked after her friend refused to say a word, ""Uncle, you are here. Good day sir," Louisa greeted the second she saw Uriel."Good day, my daughter. How have you been and most importantly, how's your baby girl doing?" He asked."I'm doing well uncle and Tracy is also doing quite well. I would have brought her here but Mrs Briggs advised she's too young to be taken out," she responded."That's fine. I'm sure eventually we would get to see her," he added."Uncle," she called the attention of Uriel. "Yes, my child," he responded swiftly."Why is Tracy like this? Why won't she say anything to me?" She asked.Tracy's phone lying on
"What the hell are you doing here?" Tracy asked June immediately as she walked in."Errm, what's that supposed to mean? What's going on?" She asked."What is that supposed to mean? This is my house and I don't want you here. So just get out," Tracy screamed. The noise from the living room drew Uriel's attention and he rushed down to the hall."What's going on here?" He asked. "Oh, uncle, you are here," June said."I just got here and Tracy would not let me even sit. She just asked me to leave without provocation," June explained.Uriel got the drift and understood why his niece was asking June to leave. He walked to Tracy and held her by the shoulder and said, "Child, you don't need to vent your anger on her. She has done nothing wrong,""I just don't care uncle," Tracy said and removed her uncle's hand from her shoulder."I don't want her here and that is final," she added and turned away.While she looked away, the doorbell rang and it was Henry."Good day uncle," he greeted. "Goo
"You mean Jason has been sending you anonymous letters? Why didn't you say anything to me?" Uriel asked Tracy."Well, I didn't know who he was until you just disclosed his name. And I didn't think anything serious of the letters till he made some revelations to me," Tracy said.Uriel, who was seated on a chair, got up and walked slowly towards Tracy and asked, "What revelations?" Tracy, feeling broken and hurt, paused for a second to allow the tears to roll down her face."My child, you have barely said anything. Why are you crying? What did Jason say to you?" He asked."Come on darling. I'm your uncle, you can talk to me," he insisted after his niece went mute suddenly."Tracy, would you talk to me? What is the problem?" He asked again after noticing the sobbing of Tracy had intensified.He reached for a tissue on the center table and slowly he started to wipe her tears."Jason told me some things that are still shaking my world," she finally broke her silence hesitantly."He did? W
"Father, it's been days since our mother was taken away and you've not made any effort to go and see her," Jean said immediately as she walked in on her father in the living room."I thought you loved her? So what changed so suddenly that you seem not to care about her again?" She asked.Eddy got up from his chair, looked at the face of his daughter and then paced up and down without saying a word."Father, I thought you were going to say something?" She asked again."And what is there to say? I'd be lying to myself if I told you that I'm even thinking straight," Eddy responded swiftly."First, my sister does the unthinkable and now she is behind bars. Then my wife. Not forgetting the mess at the Parker company as we speak, and you dare ask about your mother?" He asked"Where do I even start from? I've lost everything," he said as water formed in his eyes."You can start anywhere, father. Make some calls, and talk to some of your influential people. I don't know but just do something.
A week passed.Tracy paced up and down the living room.Her nanny had gone to be with Louisa while June was with her family.Brooks was all alone contemplating whether or not to go and meet the anonymous fellow who had been sending her letters.The previous night, Tracy received yet another letter from this unknown person instructing her to meet up in a secluded environment."Why would this person want to meet me in the woods? As if his identity was not mysterious enough, this fellow wants me to meet up in the forest. Why the forest of all places?" She said out loud since she was the only person at home."What if the person is evil? Or has some devilish motive? Why on earth should a meet-up in the woods be appropriate and not anywhere open here in the city?" Tracy struggled with mind-boggling questions as she kept moving up and down the room."But what If the person is real and has genuine intentions? I guess my mind is playing tricks on me," she said."Well, I can never be too care