Moving on

Alexander got back from his business trip a few hours after Dunice left his home.

"Where's Dunice?" That was the first question Alex asked the driver immediately after he got down from his car.

"Welcome back sir," The driver greeted.

"I already dropped her off at her Granny's home." He added.

"Hm," Alex nodded and he headed into the mansion.

On getting to his room, he stilled at the sight that welcomed him. It was Charrisa. She was sitting on his bed with a towel wrapped around her chest.

"Alex!" She exclaimed as she approached him slowly. Coming to Stand right before him, she bit her lip and released it slowly.

She removed his suit and started unbuttoning his shirt. When she got to the third button, he held her hands to stop her from what she was doing.

"How did you know I was coming today?" Alex asked while still holding her hands in his.

"And how did you get into my room?" Alex added. Charrisa's smile fell a little but she didn't let that discourage her. She quickly plastered another seductive smile on her face.

"I asked your P. A about your schedule and you told the passcode to your room Remember?" she smiled coyly at him as she said this and the next thing he knew her towel dropped from her chest.

"Fuck!" Alex cussed. He grabbed her and began to kiss her aggressively. He cupped one of her breasts and kissed the top of it before moving back to her lips. He kissed her hungrily and suddenly he stopped.

"Why did you stop?" charrisa asked while panting hard.

"Nothing, I'm not in the mood," Alex drawled.

"But-"

"Just go!!!" Alex silenced her as she attempted to speak. He ran his hands through his hair.

"Is it because of Dunice?" charrisa asked feeling betrayed.

"No, that's not the reason, Just go," Alex said, pointing his index finger in the direction of the door.

"I do not want to see you in my room by the time I get out of that bathroom," he added and slammed the door shut.

 Back in Dunice's home…...

"Damien, how about you just welcome your sister and save the talk for another day or don't you miss your big sis?" His Granny questioned.

"I do I was simply curious," Damien defended himself. 

"I made some dumplings, come, let's all go in and have some," Amber said as she ushered the both of them to the dining table. Taking their seats, they began to dig into their meal.

After some moments of eating in silence, Dunice cleared her throat.

"Uhmm… Alex and I divorced," she began.

Damien who just brought his cup to gulp down the content spat it out with great force.

"I'm so sorry," he quickly apologized.

"But what do you mean you Divorced?" Damien asked shock still evident on his face."

"It was never a real marriage to begin with," Dunice said as she looked at her grandmother to see if there was any reaction but she got none. So she decided to explain further.

"Grandma," she started.

"It was a six-month contract marriage I got into when I needed money for Damien's ransom and your hospital bills, I couldn't let Damien get killed and I couldn't let you die either..... If not I won't be able to forgive myself. she said as she forced back the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Oh dear! do not cry," her Grandmother soothed.

"We are here for you," her Grandmother added and she took Dunice's hand in hers. Damien also went to meet his sister and hugged her.

"Yes big sis," she heard Damien say.

"Grandma's right we are here for you and we would never judge your actions because you did it for us after all and without you, we won't be alive," Damien said with a sad look on his face. 

"No…No," Dunice shook her head.

"That's not the issue, the thing is that I fell pregnant for him," she burst into tears as she said this.

"My life Is ruined" she continued.

"I don't know what to do anymore," she said amidst tears.

Amber pulled Dunice into her embrace. Don't worry everything would be okay she said as she patted Dunice's head.

"How about you tell Alex about the baby big sis?" Damien suggested.

"I can't....I....just can't," Dunice shook her head.

"He would never accept the baby and even if he does i do not wish to be with him anymore. He doesn't even love me,"she said.

"Although, I didn't expect him to because it was a contract marriage after all,but for the whole six months of that marriage, he treated me like I was nonexistent and his family bullied me.....I wanted to leave at some point but I endured everything for the money so we can start a new life and now I'm pregnant for him? Why now? Why me?" She asked while looking up at the heavens.

Damien felt anger, rage and sadness surge through Him. She went through all this because of him and his Grandmother. Anytime they called her she always said everything was fine but nothing was fine. She had been suffering. He couldn't take the sight of his big sister breaking down so he stood up from the table and went into his room to clear his head.

"Dunice, look at me," Her grandmother called in a gentle tone.

She held Dunice's cheeks in her rough hands and said.

"if you decided not to tell Alex about the baby I would stand with your decision, It's not your fault but his, no…. It's ours."

"Let's leave here and go far away from here,you would birth this child and I would take care of the baby," Amber said.

"You can't wallow in your sadness forever, you have to put yourself together and stand up to your feet. So you can show them that you are not the trash they think you are," Her Grandmother added.

Hearing this, Dunice wiped her tears with the back of her hands and smiled at her grandmother.

"Thank you so much granny I love you, you are the best," Dunice said and she hugged her Grandmother tighter.

After hearing her Grandmother's words, Dunice felt determined to move on and accept and live with her fate.

Dunice got to her room and decided what she was going to do with the money she gained while she was still married and how she would take care of her family and her unborn child. She was determined to be successful to the extent that nobody would look down on her. She prepared a warm bath for herself.

Getting out of the bathroom she changed into her nightgown. There was a little chair and table at the end of her room. On the table lies a lamp, a container of different colored pencils, a pen, and a journal. Taking her seat she opened her journal drew a little flower and started to write:

"Money as they say it's the root of all evil, 

But mine was the beginning of a misery.

Pen on paper decided my fate but that wasn't all.

I'm human, but I wish I'm not living. 

Bringing another life just like me.

Anxiety is real, those emotions rushing back to me.

The thought of the night came to me.

I have never felt more dead than alive 

In this winter, money and misery were what I could feel and hold.

The love, joys, and sorrows of another life within me .

I leaped life into the circle beyond."