Chapter Eight

#THERICHMARRIEDWOMAN

#EPISODEEIGHT

I stared at the banging door for a moment before I walked to open.

Pa Brian walked in solemnly, holding a picture.

He threw it at Raymond.

It was an image of Raymond kissing Margaret in the room.

Pa Brian looked softly at me. "You have two options, Gold. Follow me and sign some divorce papers in my study room or remain in this marriage. Will you choose a foolish husband that cheats or you walk away and have your peace? Mind you, you are not going empty handed. I have already divided Raymond's inheritance into halves. You have nothing to loose".

"Father!!!my inheritance???". Raymond cried out.

Pa Brian ignored him and focused on me.

It was a very tempting offer.

I knew that Raymond would always cheat on me because there was no chance of him ever loving me and even if i leave the marriage, I would have enough to invest.

But...the greater good was staying back with Raymond.

Raymond's life was in danger.

Will Margaret be able to handle those raging lions and protect the foolish spoilt brat?

Not too long ago, Collins was trying to poison him through that phone call.

Raymond still trusted Jennifer Roland so it was easy for her to terminate him anytime she wanted to.

If I leave now and something happens to Raymond or pa Brian, I will feel guilty for the rest of my life.

What about my father? I can also never find him if I leave.

The answer to his disappearance was under my nose.

I cleared my throat and met pa Brian's soft eyes. "I am a wife. We don't just walk away from our home because of misunderstandings. We remain here and keep our home. If we leave at the slightest mistake, how will we be able to teach our foolish husbands? Raymond needs me, even if he doesn't know that yet".

Raymond burst out into laughter. "So because you have become Bower bound designer, you are now feeling yourself and...". He stopped short when he noticed the red eyes of his grandfather.

Pa Brian held my hand in his. "I will never forget this". He walked to Raymond's small bed and pulled it out of the room. "Raymond, if you don't want to sleep on the big bed, you can sleep on the floor. The floor is cold enough". He walked out of our room with Raymond's small bed and banged the door shut.

Raymond grinned mischievously at me. "I will cheat on Margaret until you give up".

I shrugged as I walked to change our bedspread. "Have you forgotten those love hotel photographs that we had taken for Dominic soap? That photograph was a trap. It was a trap for people like you. Imagine what the public will say if after all the soap modelling we have done and captivating the minds of people into believing that the heir to Bower bound has an exemplary love life. Imagine if these pictures are revealed! You will loose customers who patronize you because they are inspired by you". I relaxed on the bed.

He reluctantly joined me on the bed and rolled to the end of the bed so that his body will not touch mine. "Despite the fact that grandfather wanted to give you half of the shares, you still decided to stay with me. What do you intend to gain?"

"Why is it so hard for you to accept that I am your guardian angel?". I asked him mischievously.

He rolled his eyes. "Just look at the way grandpa has deceived you".

"You are only an ingrate because you don't love me, nothing more".

"Love you? Love you? How can you talk about love happening between us? How can that ever happen?".

I closed my face in the blanket and wept.

I was scared.

I was thinking that I could cope in a loveless marriage.

But why was I so scared?

Matilda combed Jennifer Roland's hair right there in her big room. "Raymond doesn't like me at all. The mission to divide that couple is totally impossible".

Jennifer smiled to herself. "It has already started".

"How do you mean?"

"Raymond cheated on Gold and it was a breezy fight last night".

"Wow! But Raymond has never been the type that will just sleep with anyone".

"I will find out, while you do your job".

"...but I don't even know how to do my job anymore".

"Self pity. That is the only way to get my godson. He is a heartless soft brat but the main thing that everyone doesn't know about him is that he has a very tender heart. Don't confess your feelings to him but use the advantage of your old time friendship with him to always get his attention".

Raymond pondered on the issue that had happened between him and his wife last night as he watched his lousy friends talk about football. "Quit the Chelsea failure of last night and listen to what I have to say!". He said firmly and after he had completely gotten their attention, he spoke on. "I read a book, though I am not done with the book yet. In that book, the man had a grandfather who divided his shares in equal parts. After this man had cheated on his granddaughter-in-law, he gave his granddaughter-in-law half of his son's share and advised her to divorce his son but the woman stayed back in that marriage regardless of the fact that she had nothing to loose. What do you think would have made her to make that decision?".

Solomon shrugged. "Love?".

Raymond grimaced. "It is not love. Victor? Any guess?".

Victor bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "That simply means that she is his true wife. Only your true wife can choose to tolerate your rubbish".

Raymond shook off the thought off his head.

Gold could never love him.

It was definitely something else.

And he had to find out.

Matilda walked into his office, sobbing uncontrollably.

He rushed towards her. "What happened to you?".

She hugged him. "Raymond, I am scared. My father died of ulcer, and now it is happening to me. What am I going to do?".

He looked up at Victor. "Please call the doctor for her".

Collins Roland walked into his grandfather's room. "The launching of our fishery business is going to take place next month. We have made preparations but we still need a budget plan concerning the pillars we have decided to do at the front".

Pa Brian chewed on a stick. "Leave Raymond to do his work".

"You very much know that I won't do that this time".

Pa Brian chewed harder on his stick nonchalantly. "You are very lazy".

"Lazy?".

"Didn't you remain here to get revenge for your mother? And up till now, there is no proof that you have gotten to implicate the person that had killed your mother. You only lazy about, flirting".

Tears filled Collins eyes. "You have no conscience! You know what you did to me".

Pa Brian stared hard into the thin air. "Raymond needs Gold by his side".

Collins sobbed. "Everything is always about Raymond. What about me? My feelings doesn't matter because I am an illegitimate son?".

"Gold loves my spoilt brat son".

"But your spoilt brat son doesn't love her and that girl needs love".

"You think you love her more than I do?".

He glared at him. "You saw my diary, that was why you made that decision faster than it was supposed to happen".

"Yesterday, I told her to leave Raymond but she refused. It is not my fault".

"You chose the company for your son and the woman I loved for him despite the fact that he didn't even love her and you knew how long I had a loved her".

"Raymond would learn to love Gold even more than you ever claimed to love her very soon".

"I swear! I will kill you the same way you killed me for years!".

"You cannot kill me, Collins, because you are weak".

"I will do what will hurt you the most. I will kill your precious grandson".

"The Gold you claim to love will stop you".

"I am no longer going to hide my true intention anymore. I will take back everything that belongs to me".

"Gold is destined to teach Raymond how to love. Gold is destined for him, not you".

Collins snatched the chewing stick from his mouth angrily and walked out of the room.

He walked into his room and brought out his diary which he had specially written about his feelings for God and his plans of confessing to her.

He had loved Gold right from the first day she had walked into the house as a caregiver.

His grandfather had fixed a wedding date between Raymond and Gold the day he had found his diary.

He had hastened their wedding because he didn't want him to propose to Gold.

09/11/2012

How can i forget your sweet fragrance and the innocent expression in your eyes the day you were introduced to us as grandfather's caregiver? I was the one that opened the door for you that day but I don't think you can still remember that romantic moment between us. You smiled at me and that smile you had given me had comforted my heart over my lost mother. Please comfort my lonely heart in this unfortunate life of mine'

09/11/2012.

Since my driver had not arrived and we had unexpectedly closed early at work, Raymond offered to give me a ride home.

There was silence between us as he drove us home.

Very awkward silence.

He turned to me. "Part of your reason for staying back with me, was love part of it?".

I stifled laughter. "Love was far from it".

He nodded thoughtfully and drove on.

His phone rang and he connected it. "Hello? Oh my God! Okay!".

He began to reverse but I stopped him. "What are you doing?". I asked him surprisedly.

"Matilda! Her father died of ulcer and now, my friends are telling me that her condition has worsened".

"Call the doctor! Lemme call the doctor". I dialled her number.

"Anytime Matilda had problems that no one could handle, I always came to her aid. She is just like Katie to me".

"We can't go back there. We are already very close to the house. Why don't you just drop me in the house since it is just a fifteen minutes drive back home?".

"What if in that fifteen minutes, something happens to my friend?".

"Your being Superman will not help her to reduce the ulcer".

"Are you coming with me or you are getting off?".

"You want to abandon me by the roadside?".

"Then come with me to the company!".

"The company is too far! Why are you making things so hard for me? Where am I supposed to see a bus here?".

"I will get a taxify for you". He contacted a taxify. "You can get off. The driver will be here in few minutes time".

Tears filled my eyes as I looked at him. "You are going to abandon your wife for your friend?".

"Her father died of ulcer! Why are you so inconsiderate?". He watched me get off the car and drove off.

Suddenly, an unexpected wind started blowing.

Was it about to rain?

How come I hadn't even noticed that it was going to rain?

The rain began to pour heavily and I couldn't see anywhere to help myself around.

I looked back.

Was Raymond going to come back for me?

Oh Lord, let Raymond pick me from this unexpected heavy rain.

I tried to contact the driver but I was disconnected because of the rain.

I covered my head with my bag but my bag fell to the floor.

As I squatted to pick it up, I heard a car driving from behind.

I was comforted in my heart.

It was definitely Raymond.

He must have seen the rain and returned to pick me.

He helped me to my feet and covered me with a yellow umbrella.

I looked up at him.

It wasn't Raymond.

It was Collins Roland.

#fromyourfastfingers

Onyekachi Ikeh.