CHAPTER TWENTY

Just like a dream, Sam was gone

forever and never to be seen or

heard again. Because the memory

of Sam was too painful to relieve,

her funeral was held three days after

her death. Her mother was

inconsolable and almost jumped

into the grave at the funeral as

she kept shouting that she will

like to be buried along with her

daughter. While looking at her

dead daughter's pale face before

she was buried, her tears poured

like a stream.

Oh! My sweetheart, I've always

thought that your obedience and

gentle soul was a blessing. You

are obedient to a fault and if only I

had known, I would have tried to

make you a fighter. Maybe if you

were a rebel, you would have

rebelled against death as it called

upon you but look at you, you

obediently answered just like you

have always done. She kept crying

as more people came to console her.

Sarah decided not to show up at

the funeral so that she and

Samantha's mum will not have

another face-off. She was really

itching to attend so that she can

see Sam for the last time and laugh

in her frozen face. She packed her

bags and told her mum that she

will be traveling back to Nigeria.

She said she wanted to stay away

from the Richards for a while

because everyone looks at her like

she was the murderer of Sam. She

looked so upset while talking that's

her mother felt bad for her precious

daughter.

Mrs. Richards was surprised when

she didn't see Sarah with her

mother, so she had to ask.

Cynthia, where is Sarah and why

is she not here with you? Sarah's

mother looked at her friend and

said Omotoke you were there on

that day when my daughter was

being accused of murder and you

said nothing. You have known Sarah

all her life and you know the girl is

only whimsical but not evil.

Mrs. Richards replied I'm surprised

that you took the words of a

grieving person seriously.

Temiloluwa has been upset over

the loss of her only child and she

needed someone to blame for that.

You were there when she vented her

anger on my son. Sometimes you

just have to let people grieve and

forget the things they said while

grieving.

Well, as we speak right now Sarah

should be at the airport. She has

been upset since the day we left

here and she has decided to go back

to Nigeria for some time. I asked

her not to come so that Temi will

not see her and start venting her

anger on her again because I won't

sit and watch her call my daughter

a murderer even though she is

grieving.

Cynthia walked up to Temi to

console her. Temiloluwa, please

don't hurt yourself. It is God that

gives and takes. Who are we to

question God's will? My friend you

lost a daughter and grandchild

on the same day. Nobody has the

right to stop you from grieving but

all we are saying is that you

shouldn't hurt yourself. Look at

your husband. What do you expect

him to do if anything happens to

you? 

Cynthia, you should have asked

yourself all these questions while

bringing up your daughter because

your daughter did this to my family.

Your daughter has destroyed my

life. Cynthia, you should have asked

yourself all those questions before

letting your daughter out of your

house. You should have asked

yourself the consequences of your

daughter's actions on other people's

lives. Cynthia, I hate you and I hate

your daughter. She has killed mine

but I promise you that yours will

also, end up like mine. Cynthia, it will

be an eye for an eye and I will have

my revenge even if it's the last

thing I do.

While Samantha's mother was

threatening and becoming violent,

people gathered around her to

separate her from Sarah's mother.

While Sarah's mother was walking

away from the venue, Mrs. Richards

approached her and said, Cynthia

please don't go. She turned around,

looked at Mrs. Richards and said,

Omotoke, let it be known to you from

today that if anything happens to

my daughter, I will hold Temiloluwa

responsible for it. I don't care

whether she is grieving or not.

She has openly threatened my

daughter and I will not take it laying

low. After speaking, she walked

out on Mrs. Richards.

Mrs. Richards walked back inside

looking tired. She was wondering

why Temi keeps accusing Sarah for

Sam's death. Sam stopped Sarah

from coming to her house a few

years ago and ever since then, Sarah

has not stepped her feet into that

house. What happened to Sam is

unfortunate but Temi is taking out

her anger on the wrong person.

Did Sarah turned herself into the

viper that bit Samantha?

She went to where Samantha's

mum was being held and consoled,

and immediately Samantha's mum

saw her, she started to cry again

as she started saying,

Omotoke I know that you won't

believe me, because you feel that

you have known that evil girl right

from childhood but you don't know

her. I also know that everyone thinks

I'm crazy right now. They think I am

speaking this way because I am

aggrieved but you all are wrong

because I know what I'm saying

and I know that Sarah killed Sam.

Toke keep Jamil away from her

else you will join me in grieving

very soon.

After Mrs. Richards heard what her

friend had to say, she walked away

in anger and she felt that her friend's

grief has taken over her and she

wishes everyone to grieve like her

else why will her friend tell her that

she will join her in grieving very soon

over her son? It's quite unfortunate

that poor Sarah has to live with these

accusations leveled against her.

Mrs. Richards could not believe

that their friend will turn against

Sarah just because she and

Samantha never got along. It is

not a must for children to be friends

because their parents are friends.

Of course, Samantha could never

liked Sarah because they had

different personalities. While

Samantha was quiet and reserved,

Sarah was the opposite of that, so it's

normal if they don't get along but the

way Temi is taking it right now is

no longer funny. If not for the fact

that Samantha was her daughter-in-law,

she would have walked out of this

place also just as Cynthia did

because Temi's accusations are no

longer funny. Rather, they are now

annoying. Her son is here grieving his

wife but his wife's mother would not

let him grieve in peace as she kept

blaming him for bringing Sarah into

their lives and saying Sarah killed

her daughter.

Mrs. Richards walked to where her

son was, held him and said be strong

and do not pay attention to anything

that she's saying. She has just lost

her only child and she will say

anything just to make sure that she

hurt others around her right now.

But you don't  have to listen to her

if you don't want to. What happened

to Sam is not your fault. Her journey

in life has been written to end this

way already so don't let anybody

make you blame yourself.

 A few of Jamil's colleagues who

were also in attendance decided to

leave when they got tired of his

mother-in-law's drama. Jamil was

walking them to the door when they

heard his mother-in-law's voice

shouting again. She was saying you

had better not run away. Where are

you going to? So you want to run

away after killing my daughter right?

I wish you were the one who is dead

right now and I wished my daughter

never married you. At least she will

still be alive and would not have

fallen to Sarah's schemes. While

she was shouting, it became obvious

to everyone that it seems she's

beginning to have a mental

breakdown as she kept accusing

everybody for the death of her

daughter.

Her husband called a Doctor Who

came over and sedated her and

started apologizing to everyone in

attendance. She was later taken to

the hospital for further observations

as leaving her to herself could be

dangerous because she might end

up committing suicide from the

extreme grief that she was suffering

from. Jamil felt very bad for his

mother-in-law. She was once a very

a happy and beautiful woman who

always had a smile on her face but

her daughter's demise has turned

her into a shrew. If him, who

was Sam's husband could feel the

way he's feeling right now, he

wonders how her mother feels.

He took nothing she was saying

to him seriously because he knew

that she was grieving and that's

her own way of showing her grief.

If there was a way for him to take

Sam's place, he would have taken

her place so that she and their

child will be alive. Within him, he

said Sam I promise that I will look

after your parents and I will not let

you down. I just hope that wherever

you are, you are loved, and that you

find the love I could never give to

you because I was selfish. Because

my heart refused to love you the

same way you loved me. I am sorry

for everything I put you through

and I am also sorry for still loving

another woman while being married

to you. You never deserved that. You

deserved better than what I gave

to you.

While Samantha's family was

grieving and her mother was

having a mental breakdown, Sarah

was on her way to Nigeria. She

sat in first-class sipping a glass of

Champagne and celebrating

Samantha's death. while listening

to her favorite rock music, she

promised herself that if Sam's

mother does not stop accusing

her, she will also join her beloved

daughter in a few years. Sarah was

very happy that Sam did not have

the child before she died because

that would have made her really

sad seeing that Jamil has a

daughter from another woman

who is not her. She even made a

toast to Samantha and promised

to locate Itohan when she gets to

Nigeria so that she can pay her a

visit and see how her life has been

in the past five years.

Chris has just finished a photo

session and was changing her

clothes for another session when

Doja walked in. She was shocked

when she felt someone's hands

wrap themselves around her waist.

He brought his face closer as he

started kissing her neck. Chris was

so ashamed and she said don't

you have any shame? There are

people in here. He turned her

around to face him and said

where are the people you were

talking about? 

Doja what did you do? 

I did nothing, they all scurried

out the moment I entered so

don't worry about them. You can

keep your mind at peace while

we have some time ourselves

here.

You and who are having some

time to yourselves? Doja don't you

have any shame or respect for

yourself and your position? Why

are you always after to me? I

have told you several times that

I am not interested in you so why

don't you just get it and leave me

alone in peace?

I'm sorry Chris because I can't

leave you alone. Why don't you

also, get it and just accept the

man who is in love with you?

Chris burst into laughter after

hearing what Doja said. Doja, I

never invited a comedian to

make me laugh. My day has

been interesting so far and I am

not bored, so I don't need a clown

right now. Can you just please

step out of my dressing room? You

being in love with somebody is the

joke of the century. When you

love someone you let that person

live their lives in peace. If you

truly love me Doja, then you have

to let me go because love is not

selfish.

Well, Chris, my love is selfish

because my love does not believe

in letting go. My love believes in

having you all to myself and the

sooner you understand that, the

easier it will be for us because I am

not staying out of your hair anytime

soon. You will see me everywhere

you go, even in your dreams, you

will see me there making you laugh,

happy, and contented sweetheart.

 Doja kissed her on her cheek before

walking away. Chris just stood

there as she was lost for words to

say. When did loving somebody

becomes by force? Only caveman

Doja will love someone that way.

Wow he said that his love is selfish

and his love does not let go. What

an incredible way of loving someone

selfishly. Chris laughed as she knows

that Doja can never love anyone

because the only thing he loves

is the thing between a woman's legs.

 Najiba woke up and was wondering

where she was because the last

thing she remembered was someone

grabbing her from behind on her

way from a party last night. Her

hands wear tied up and there was a

gag in her mouth. Her whole body

aches and she seem to feel more

pain from her intimate parts. She

tried getting up but couldn't because

of the pains, she was feeling. She

became horrified when the realization

hit her that she has been raped by

unknown men.

 She was blindfolded and everywhere

was dark so she couldn't see anything.

She kept thinking about who could

hate her so much as to get her

kidnapped and raped. She started

crying as this will be a scandal if

anyone hears about it. She also

became scared when she imagined

that she could have been recorded on

video. She kept racking her brain,

thinking about who would want to

harm her this way. As far as she was

concerned, the only  two people who

will want to put her in harm's way, are

Chris and Ima because those are the

only two people that she has connived

against in recent times. But she

believed that Chris is not the type

to connive, hurt people, this way as

this seems more like Ima's style of

revenge.

Najiba heard footsteps walking into

the room and she became scared.

The person who came in took off

her gag. She began to beg the

person and asked what her offense

was as she promised to make

amendments.While pleading with

the person, she noticed something

odd that instead of the person

replying, she could hear in dog

breathing. That was when the

realization hit her that it was a dog

that came in and removed her gag

and she felt like puking because she

has never been a lover of dogs.

Knowing that a dog has just

touched her mouth with its, made

her feel very disgusted.