SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 25

SEE FINISH BY TREASURE EZURUIKE EPISODE 25

NNENNA’S POV

As I was about to close the door while leaving he offered to drop me off. How would I return, I asked?

Just call me when you are done. I’ll pick you up. The offer seemed a little off but I said okay. He grabbed his car keys.

We got downstairs and he had this clean ride. He bought it after I left because I didn’t recognize it. 

He opened the front door and I got in. He got in and said you look beautiful. I said thank you as our eyes met.

He dropped me off and said please call me when you need to come home. Please don’t take a taxi. Yes sir I said.

I got to work with a smile on my face. Everyone kept asking me what was up. I didn’t have an answer for them.

Ikenna showed up by the close of work at about 5 pm. It set tongues wagging but I didn’t care.

I got into the car and he sped off. He offered me stone-cold ice cream because the weather was so hot.

I devoured the ice cream, then I asked him did he put anything in this ice cream because I felt funny.

Yes, I slipped an aphrodisiac into it he said. I thought he was serious because I felt sleepy. 

We got home and he had transformed the apartment, especially the sitting room.

He set up a candlelit dinner. He said please have your bath and feel at home.

In Dubem’s apartment? I said to myself. I was panicking about what was going on. I freshened up and returned to the sitting room.

He had served dinner. Some pepper soup and rice with wine. What’s the occasion? I asked.

He said just making up for hurting you. Dying for you to forgive me. Ikenna I said, I’m not mad at you anymore.

I have forgiven you so you need to stop. Are you willing to take me back he asked? I don’t know if I’m ready, I said.

I’m scared of getting hurt again. Just allow me to prove myself to you he said. 

 

The following day I was holding a press conference on behalf of the company. A journalist asked me ” what do you have to say about being a gold digger? Going from employee to wife?

READ-: SEE FINISH EPISODE 19

What other opportunities would you like? I let you into this apartment, let you drop me off and pick me up, is there something else?

He pulled me close and kissed me passionately. I was tired of fighting that feeling so I just let him have his way.

He looked into my eyes and I could see the spark he always had when I first met him.

I’m so sorry for ruining your life, he said while looking at me. What’s this one saying, who asked you to stop? I said to myself.

How can you get me in the mood and drop me like that? He said let’s eat. Are you serious right now I asked? What? he responded.

Better come and finish what you started. I think I want that baby now, I said. 

Calm down, Ikenna said. Don’t annoy me tonight, you can’t get me in the mood and tell me to calm down.

Let’s eat first please, he responded. I walked away into my bedroom and locked the door. I was so furious.

He ran after me but I had already locked the door. Please open the door Nnenna I’m sorry he said.

I ignored him and headed to the bathroom and locked the door so I didn’t hear his voice. 

I switched off my phone and fell asleep in the bathroom. I woke up by 3 am and headed to my bed.

The next morning I got dressed by 6 am. I stepped out of my room, Ikenna was in the sitting room already dressed.

He said I’m sorry about last night. I said it’s fine, by the way, we are not married. Thank you for stopping me from committing adultery.

Nnenna he screamed, how can you even say that? Good morning Ikenna I said as I made my way out of the apartment.

Please let me drop you off he said. Don’t bother, I’ll drive myself to work.

I’m sorry he pulled me close to him, I didn’t want to take advantage of you. I feel we’ve not completely sorted out our differences.

Thank you I said as I made my way out of the apartment. I got to work so upset and irritable. Everyone stayed out of my way.

He called me at work but I refused to answer my phone. He sent me text messages. I never read them. I didn’t want to read from him.

How would it help me? On my way back from work my car stopped in the middle of the road.

Talk about having a horrible day. With anger in my heart, I called Dubem. He told me to call Ikenna as he wasn’t in town. 

KEISHA’S POV

Yes, he lost his loving wife. He was going through a lot. It wasn’t about you.

He killed mum. Now that’s a serious allegation. Are you sure about it? Do you have proof that can be administered in a courtroom? He just kept crying.

I don’t have a relationship with my parents either. He looked up at me. Why? It’s a long story, but they never cared about me genuinely. 

I just never felt loved by them as a child growing up. I Left for university and never went back again.

Recently my dad has been trying to reach out to me to make amends.

I don’t relate to my brother and my mum. I just relate with my elder sister.

Look I said Micheal,  holding grudges is unhealthy. It’s so burdensome. Reach out to your dad and sisters and iron out your differences.

As for marrying your father, I don’t know about that. I have not said Yes to him. He hasn’t even asked me officially.

But do you love him? Micheal asked. I don’t know. The truth is I haven’t thought about it.

I never set out to marry a man of 55 when I’m in my 30s. I planned to marry a man just 5 years older than me.

22 years older than me is shocking to me. I’ve not given it thought, so stop getting worked up.

He thanked me and apologized to me for being disrespectful. No worries, I responded. 

Find time to make up with your sisters. You are their only brother. In your father’s absence, you step in so it’s time to act accordingly.

Apologize to your father and draw close to him and take charge. Even if your father remarries. 

You are still the first son. No one is taking that away from you. Thank you for the pep talk, I need to go now. Have a great day, I said.

I headed to Richard and he had concluded the meeting but was still so upset. Where did you go? He asked me.

I was talking to Micheal. He hissed. You need to calm down, please. How can he just barge in here and disrupt my meeting?

Please calm down sir. Accusing me in public of killing his mother. I’m going to disown that boy.

Please, sir, it’s not gotten to that. He thinks you hate him. Excuse me! What? He said that to me today.

I believe it’s just a big misunderstanding. Both of you don’t understand each other and have failed properly. I believe you need to talk.

Whatever Richard said. Please don’t be like that sir. Drop the sir. Okay, sir. He asked me to leave his office. I need to be alone.

I headed out and heaved a sigh of relief. The confrontation was out of the way. At least they were making progress.

A few days later Richard was in a better mood. We got talking and he said, tell me the truth? Why don’t you want me?

Is it because of the other room? Please, this discussion is gross. Would you like me to show you? Please, this discussion is so uncomfortable.

I’m sorry he said. You already know why. Do you think I’m too old? I’ll be honest with you. When I just met you, I imagined you were 40 at most, not 55.

You don’t look old and you are energetic. Please can we not talk about this again?

If you’d like me to resign my job, I would if I make you uncomfortable, I said. It hasn’t gotten to that he said. We won’t talk about this again, I promise.

The following day I was holding a press conference on behalf of the company. A journalist asked me ” what do you have to say about being a gold digger? Going from employee to wife?

NICOLE’S POV

You were only in his care. He couldn’t take care of one child. He bundled down the five of you to me and my parents.

You had to be out of school because he said he could not take care of you.

He complained that you all slowed him down. 

When I returned he got upset with me. He said I abandoned him while I was fighting for my life. 

That was a defining moment for me. I had to tell him that I did not want to die.

Because from what he had demonstrated sending the children to me showed me if I died my children would suffer.

I told him, you don’t want to get help because the paid help would spy on us. 

I wonder what secrets we have that somebody wants to share with the world. 

We are a normal family except you’re hiding something which I’m not aware of. 

I told him we will have to get help. The best I could do was that the help would not be a live-in.

The help would do some chores and go I will still do chores.

I will still cook for him and do other things to cater to him.

All I came to the world to do was not to do chores.

I will no longer do all the chores alone. He didn’t want help. He also didn’t want any of my family members to come and assist me or any of his family members. 

He said I was disrespectful and I was telling him how to run his home and for that reason, he didn’t think he wanted me anymore.

He didn’t want me and my children so he sent us away.

I had to take you back to my parents and enrolled you all in school there so you don’t miss out on everything.

For a full year, I never heard from him. He never came home to see me or you people or asked how we were doing. 

He never sent any money to us either, he was trying to punish me. 

He tried living the single life, he brought all these women home who were supposed to do chores for him like I was doing.

But one thing most of you men don’t realize is that the work your wife will do for you, your side chick won’t. 

She would accept it because she’s desperate to get you.

When she gets there she’ll show you her true color. She will tell you how she’s not your maid and how she’s not your wife.

You would have complained to her about your wife and how she was refusing to take care of you.

Then she’ll tell you not to mind your wife.   

She would pretend to do chores, when she comes in she would stop doing it. 

All the women who came to take my place couldn’t do any part of the work I was doing.

They just came to enjoy, they wanted the money, they wanted to be taken care of.

When his experiment failed he came back home to my parents to tell them he had forgiven me and wanted us to come back. 

He hoped I learned my lesson not to be disobedient to my husband. 

My parents told him it didn’t work like that, that he would have to bring his family so we could reach a reasonable conclusion to ensure that such an occurrence never happens again. 

He refused and returned. He spent another six months without coming back. 

Each time he stayed away I hardened my heart and I learned how to live without him. 

He threatened me with text messages, telling me if I know what is good for me, I would take the children and return to my husband’s house if I still considered the marriage important. 

He told me to stay there and let my parents deceive me because they were still together while I had left my marriage and I was letting them deceive me. 

He was trying to emotionally blackmail me when he had not apologized to me for all the wrongs.

He had refused to lift a finger in our home and I had become enslaved and overworked even though I had a job. 

I was overwhelmed by stress and was hospitalized, he couldn’t take care of me.

He shipped me off to my parents and shipped you down to me to add to the stress I was going through.

When I returned I told him I could no longer do the things I did alone and that I  needed some help.

He shipped me off again and got some women to take my place.

When that didn’t work for him he thought I would just return to his house like that with no repercussions on his path. 

I did not respond to any of his messages or threats. I just ignored him and waited for him. 

I knew he couldn’t survive without me because he will never want to pay for services I can render for free. That’s who your father is. 

How can he pay some woman to come and do chores which his wife is supposed to do for free. 

As in, that’s her responsibility. That is why she was born into the world. 

I also knew no woman can keep up with his demands because they are just a little over the edge. 

He always wanted it done a certain way. For there to be peace, I did it that way and I know this new generation of women will not take that from anyone. 

Some of you just marry your wife for chores yet you don’t respect them, you don’t care about them. 

No matter what they’re going through, you just feel it’s their job to do it. 

Your father came with his family and they concluded for me to go back with you people. 

I told them I had something to say and it was very simple.

If we’re going to go back to living as man and wife, he had to apologize to me for all those women brought into our home to take my place.

No one was talking about it. They were trying to sweep it under the carpet. 

His mother was saying something to me that that’s what marriage is all about. 

Marriage is all about keeping your vows to me.

God never made it so that a certain person can act anyway and get away with it, but the other person cannot.

We are equal before God when it comes to fidelity in marriage. 

To be continued

© Treasure Ezuruike.

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