FORCED MARRIAGE, TRUE LOVE
“Congratulations my son! I'm now a proud father in-law and soon-to-be grandfather!” Mr Benson exclaimed as he saw his son walk in, carrying a woman on his shoulders, wearing a dress which is only worn by women when they're about to marry. He wasted no time in posting on social media about his son's surprise wedding. Little did he know that Erica; the woman his son walked in with, was a total stranger Henry knows nothing about Erica was set to marry in less than twenty four hours when she caught her fiance making out with another woman– not just any woman but her junior sister! Still thinking if she should forgive him and go ahead with the wedding, she overheard her fiance communicating on phone, giving them some details about her that will aid in kidnapping her on their wedding day before she alights the church. Erica found a way to escape into thin air and she ran into Henry, who was just taking a walk by the poolside to ease the heartbreak he was facing. “Please, help me! In the name of God that you serve, just get me out of here.” Erica pleaded and her was granted. At the verge of losing his appointment at the peak of his career, Erica offered to sign a marriage contract of three years with Henry as an appreciation for saving her life. “Congratulations ma. You're two weeks gone!” The doctor told Erica when she regained consciousness after three hours of being unconscious. “Oh no! I'm in a big mess! Our contract is ending by next week and this was never part of our deal!” Erica lamented instead of rejoicing over the news of her pregnancy, wondering if to inform Henry or just terminate the pregnancy secretly. “Your blood is not a match sir. It will be good if you find her blood match with immediate effect because she's in a critical condition,” Dr Hanson told Erica's father, who wanted to donate his blood to save his daughter's life on the sick bed. After several investigations, Erica's father was shocked to find out that Erica wasn't his biological daughter. Erica's mother became disturbed. How will she explain Erica's paternity? How will Erica react when she finds out that her real parents were once servants in her father's house who were accused wrongly by Erica's mother hence ceasing their child from them?
CHAPTER 6
Chapter 4.
My divorce conditions.
"I know you had a long day. Why don't you take a shower and eat first, then we can talk for all the hours that we like before we catch some sleep." Lila wanted Charia to eat first because she knows that once she narrates what had happened to her, Charia will not enjoy the food as she should again.
They both sat at the dinning and ate the delicacy made by Lila.
"Oh, thank you so much for this sumptuous meal. Now, it is time to tell me how your day went." Charia said.
"Well, my day was not bad, since I didn't end up taking someone's life." Lila answered.
"Like what do you mean by taking someone's life? Did you have an accident on the road?"
"Accident would have been better. I'm talking about using my bare hands to kill someone." Lila reiterated.
"Please, maybe I'll understand you better if you stop talking in parables." Charia said.
"Okay, the simple explanation is that finally, I was able to know the reason behind my marriage crash."
"Like seriously! Did he open up to you?" Charia was curious to know the full gist.
"He didn't tell me anything. But I've finally seen the woman that said she possesses all the qualities he wants in a woman"
"What a fuck! You've been away only for two days now and he has brought in another woman already? I can't believe this." Charia jumped up from the bed and stood facing Lila as she talked, with her two hands curved to her waist.
"The worst of it is that the woman behind my misery in marriage is nobody but my own blood, Cynthia. Someone that will be the last person I'll suspect is having an affair with my husband. She was right there making out with my husband on my matrimonial bed." Lila dazed Charia with her discovery.
"This is ridiculous." Charia's mouth was wide-opened with her palms covering it in surprise.
"And I can't believe that you still want to let him go like that. Too bad you've signed and given him the papers already." Charia said.
"Wait, I'm coming." Lila stood up and went to get her handbag. She took out some papers and took them down and handed them to Charia.
"I still have the papers. I didn't give him! The pain of me seeing that my sister rival was my sister even made me forgot that I have something to give him."
"Great! This is the best news ever for me today." With this, we can pull him down to the least and make sure he pays for every heartbreak he caused you." Charia exclaimed.
"But I've signed the papers already"
"That one is not a problem, so long as you've not given him. The thing now is you have to be sure of this step we're taking. Are you sure you're willing take your revenge on them?"
"Com'on girl, you should have known that after what I saw, my mind is made up already. I will make sure those two pass through the pains that I experienced ten times. I will make life a living hell for them." Lila assured.
"Now, the first thing is for us to get a good lawyer then we can start our mission." Charia said.
Reading through the divorce papers, the compensation of the duplex and car that he gave her was for her never to go public with their divorce. He wants to avoid anything that will tarnish his reputation, at least not now that he's partnering with one of the largest and most famous firms in the city.
"Ms. Lila, do you know his most valuable asset?" The lawyer asked.
"Yes sir . The plantain plantation. That's his most valuable asset, and I'm demanding fifty percent share of the plantation , plus the two houses on the mainland." She answered.
"Are you sure? What about the company?" Charia asked.
"For that, I'm going to demand full ownership of the company. I'll make sure he doesn't enjoy any benefits from the company again." Lila answered.
"But Ms. Lila, getting a share in the plantation and full ownership of the company will be difficult to achieve. I know you're mad at him, but things still need to be done the right way." The lawyer explained.
"I know the company is the most valuable thing he has for now. But in reality, he doesn't own the company. I own the company. This is a secret that I kept only to myself. Not even my father nor Grey is aware of that." Lila concluded.
Sipping a glass of wine under the shade in the cooling spot of the house, his gateman ran to him and informed him of a certain lawyer from Lila who had come to see him.
Grey told him to usher the man Inn.
"Good afternoon sir." The lawyer greeted him.
"Afternoon. You're welcome."
"I'm sure you're Mr. Grey Hanson. I am barrister McDonald. You served my client; Lila, with a divorce, giving her some compensation and stating your conditions. I'm also here now to present to you my client's conditions, before she'll sign the divorce." The lawyer took his leave immediately and handed the envelope to Grey.
When Lila was thirteen years of age, she lost her mother to the cold hands of death through food poisoning. On her dying sick bed, her mother took out a golden bracelet and necklace from her waist bag which she always walks around with, and handed it over to her saying "Lila my daughter, this bracelet and necklace were given to me by my mother as a treasure. She instructed me to sell it only when I encountered a serious financial challenge. But since I was able to conquer all my financial constraints with other means, now, I'm giving you this as a heritage. Not even your father should know that you have something like this." Those were her last words to Lila before she died.
"Wow! This is getting more interesting than I thought." Charia exclaimed.
"Yeah, since that day,I hid the treasure where no one could access it, until the day I married Grey, I carried my treasure and moved to his house. Seeing that Grey is trustworthy after my seven year relationship with him, I sold my treasure worth millions of dollars, which I was able to get the company for him with his name. What he doesn't know is that the original documents of the company have my name as the owner because I gave him the edited copy. But since he has decided to betray my love for him, I'll ensure I bring him down to the least that he'll hate his existence on the planet earth." Lila concluded.