Chapter 24

Chris has been as busy as a bee in

the past few weeks. After returning

from Dubai, she resumed her other

jobs which were waiting for her. She

started gaining popularity and

her fame is spreading like wildfire.

Ima on the other hand is also doing

well and it seems like she has really

given up on Doja as the paparazzi

has been photographing her with a

new guy in recent times.

Just when it seems like nothing

exciting was going on in the

entertainment industry, a sudden

wave hits the internet as the news

of Najiba's wedding was everywhere.

The wedding was named "wedding

of the year" As it was all about a

business tycoon whose influence in the

 entertainment industry iss massive.

Najiba felt like a princess as she was

happy and wishing she could see Ima's

face right now. Over the past few

months, Zahid's third wife has tried

many tactics and played many

games to make sure this marriage

never comes to existence but they

all failed. Najiba's mother will never

fold her hands and watch this

marriage fail because, the same

way that Na'ima and her mother

want to ensure that she becomes

the last wife of Zahid, is the same

way Najiba's mother was also busy

making sure that her daughter's

marriage to Zahid becomes reality.

When Na'ima's mother discovered

who Najiba's mother was, she got

so angry that she felt like she wanted

to explode. She ran into her husband's

room while screaming at him "now I

know the reason why you are in

support of this marriage. It is

because Zahid is getting married

to the daughter of your old lover

isn't it?" Hajar, what are you talking

about? I have not set my eyes on

Aurelia or heard from her since the

time we relocated from Nigeria.

What is wrong with you? I warned

you about your insecurities from the

beginning but you refused to

change and now you have Inculcated

that into your daughter also.

"Shut it! You shameless man. Do not

even try turning the tables on me

because you know what I'm talking

about. I was imagining why a man

will be so happy that another woman

is coming to take his daughter's

place in her husband's house but

it's only now that I just realised the

reason. Listen to me and listen

good. If I ever discover that, that

tramp who calls herself Najiba is

your illegitimate daughter, I will kill

her." You can go ahead and kill

somebody's daughter, it's none of

my business but I'll just want you

to remember that jail will be waiting

for you by then. The week you go to

jail, that's the same week I will get

a new wife who will give me the

peace I never got from you in the

twenty-four years of our marriage.

After quarreling with her husband,

she stormed out of the room and

called her daughter on the phone.

"Na'ima, what have you been doing

about Zahid and his fourth wife? Do

you want that woman to come and

take your place in your husband's

house?" "Mom I traced her to her

house and even got some men to

rape her so that we can make a video

and post it on the internet but guess

what? She escaped those men and

I don't know how. Up till now, she

has not been back to her house and

I don't know where she is." 

Na'ima, you have failed and put me

to disgrace. Do you know that, that

girl is the daughter of my nemesis?

Her mother is using her to get back

at me for something that happened

between us many years ago. Do you

know that you have used your

stupidity to make her win? I can

imagine how happy she will be

wherever she is right now. I

underestimated Aurelia and thought

that she was a toothless bulldog

but that is the greatest mistake of

my life. I should have ended her life

when I had the opportunity to do that.

"Mum so you brought this upon me.

If you and your nemesis are having

issues why should you involve me

in it? Now I will lose my place as the

favourite wife of my husband in

his heart because you and an

enemy are dragging something and

you've turned your daughters into

the  pawns in your chessboard." "Shut

up you foolish girl. When I was

your age, no woman ever dared to

take something that belongs to me

but you are weak. You are not like

your mother. Did you see the reason

I have always told you that you have

to be strong because this life does

not favour the week? Na'ima I have

always told you that there's no

room for tardiness. Now you can

see that your own tardiness is the

result of your downfall.

 Na'ima disconnected the call while

her mother was still talking because

she was very angry as she felt that

her mother is the one who brought

this predicament of Zahid marrying

a fourth wife upon her.

 Najiba posted a video of her bridal

shower on social media and when

Na'ima's friends saw the video, they

started calling her to confirm if the

rumours are true that her husband

is marrying another wife after her.

Na'ima knew that some of her

friends were calling to taunt her

because she has always prided

herself as zahid's favourite wife.

She screamed, sat on the floor,

and she began to cry when she

saw that video. She has been

trying to reach Zahid for a while

now but he has stopped picking up

her calls after the last time she

called and quarrelled with him. "He

has not even married the tramp

yet and he's already ignoring me.

What will my life be like after he

marries her?"

The Richards returned to Nigeria

so that Jamil can be away from

places that reminds him of

Samantha. His mother knows that

her son cannot just move on so

soon after his wife's death but she

wants him to stay away from

places that will constantly remind

him of her.

He took a break from work as he

has not been concentrating on

what he's doing and that is

detrimental to his patients health.

Coming back to the country brought

back some old memories to Jamil.

He remembered that the last time

he left this country, he left with a

heavy heart and now that he's

coming into the country again,

he's coming with a heavy heart.

He thought about his first love

and wondered how she was doing

right now. Jamil was just imagining

and asked himself if she was still

single. "Itohan, where are you right

now? Are you still in this country?

Are you married? Do you have kids

of your own and are you happy? I just

hope that life has treated you better

than it has treated me. It was all

my fault that things happened the

way they did. If only I have listened

to you and make Sarah stay away

from us, our relationship would

have still been intact. I just hope

you found love again because I

couldn't love anyone else and I feel

bad for that. Samantha tried her

best and gave me her all but I was

too selfish to let go of you."

Their car arrived at their house

but Jamil was lost in thoughts

as he made no moves to alight.

 Mrs Richards walked up to her son

and when she noticed that he

was lost in thought. She felt her

heart constricting in pain when

she saw a tear running down her

son's face. She tapped him and

said we are here. As he was a

lighting she got closer to him and

said "Jamil you have to stop and

take care of yourself. I know that I

can never erase the pain that you

are feeling right now but if it is

possible for me to do that, I will.

Just remember that all will be well."

Jamil only looked at his mother, 

nodded, and went inside.

Ever since the death of Samantha,

Jamil has stopped speaking. He

always keep to himself and stays

in his room. And this act has always

made Mrs Richards cry. Before

leaving the United States, she visited

her friend to inform her, but her

friend refused to meet her as she

 still blames her family for the death

of her only child. If only Temi knows

how Jamil is grieving the death of

his wife, she wouldn't be blaming

him the way she is now. Mrs

Richards knows that part of the

reason her son is still this sad is

because his mother-in-law has been

blaming him for everything that

happened to her daughter. Temi

never considered that Jamil is also

mourning his child who never saw

the light of day.

Najiba placed a call through to

Na'ima and when Na'ima saw the

call, she was wondering who is

calling her with an unknown number.

But she decided to pick up the call

anyway, because in this period, you

never can tell who wants to help you.

"Hello my senior wife, how are you

doing today? Are you already feeling

old and neglected? Oh! It's such a

terrible feeling knowing that you are

now old because your husband has

just abandoned you for a younger

woman. "Na'ima ground her teeth

as she forced the words out of her

mouth "Do you think that by marrying

Zahid you have won? I am allowing

you to marry him so that by the time

I kick you out, it will be a bigger

shame on you. If you think for one

minute that you can take my

husband away from me, then you

need to ask people about me

because it's obvious that you don't

know who I am." Najiba laughed

"and who says I do not know who

you are? Na'ima, I know you and I

know you are the girl who do not

know how to clean up her mess

properly. You don't even know how

to carry out a proper mission. The

men that you sent to get me, are not

fit for the job you gave them to do.

The next time you want to do

something like that, just swallow

your pride and contact me because

I am an expert on such matters. I

can't wait to come into the family

so that you and I can play some real

games." Hearing her voice made

Na'ima so angry that she and wished

she could see the tramp so that

she can dig out one of her eyes.

"Whether Zahid marries you or not,

you can never take my place as his

favourite wife." Najiba used her hand

to tap her forehead "madam favourite

wife. Has he told you how I replied

to his marriage proposal? How I

wish you were there see how it went

down. It was the best reply he has

ever gotten in his life and he also

admitted to it. I would have loved to

send you the video but I wouldn't

want to cause you more heart ache

than you already have. And in case

you don't know, the world already

knows that Zahid is ignoring you

because I made sure of it." Na'ima

got so angry that her head began to

ache and her eyes became red as

she spoke into the phone "listen to

me you homewrecker, I will make

sure that you disappeared from

the face of this earth. If I don't do

that, then my name is not Na'ima.

"Najibaba sighed and said, "oh,

Na'ima, I am quaking in my boots

right now because I am afraid of

you. Do you think you can scare

me? Don't you know that when

Christians pray and say that God

should shield them from the evil

that wastes at noon day, they are

talking about me? I can't believe you

still have the guts to call me

homewrecker when you wrecked

someone's home and married in as

a third wife. I am only just a plus

and not a wrecker. I called you so

that I can make a pact with you. If

you attend my wedding, oh! I'm sorry,

I forgot that you have no choice but to

attend for the sake of your personality.

After my marriage to our husband, I

just want to promise you that if you

let me be in my own space and in

peace, then I won't trouble you but

if you dare to throw a stone at me,

girl, I will blast you with an atomic

bomb. "Before Na'ima could say

anything, Najiba disconnected the call.

Na'ima dialled the number numerous

times but Najiba kept rejecting her

calls. She dialled the number again

for the last time and it was answered.

She did not wait for Najiba to say

anything because she didn't want to

hear her talk, so she told her exactly

what was in her mind. "You gullible

tramp, you think that you can take

Zahid's love away from me right? I

am assuring you that you will not

last beyond six months in this marriage

and in this life. I, Na'ima promise

you this. Go and write it down

somewhere, I give you only six

months." Before she could drop

the call, she had Zahid's voice.

"Na'ima, with the love and respect I

have for you, so you can still stoop

this low to threaten a person who

poses no threat to you. After listening

to the evil words that just came out

of your mouth, I regret the day I

married you. You are giving her six

months to live because you've turned

yourself into a god. If you will threaten

a stranger who has no faults with

death, then I wonder what you can do

to me who is marrying her." "Zahid

please listen to me, it's not what you

are thinking Sh.. " "Shut up Na'ima, I

am not deaf. I heard everything that

you said. Please do not try making a

fool out of me. I won't say anything to

you right now because my wedding is

coming up tomorrow and I don't want

anything that will ruin the day for me.

After this wedding, I will decide what

to do with you and one more thing, if

you know that you don't want me to

divorce you immediately, don't you

dare attend the wedding. I don't want

you anywhere near my new bride before

you carry out your threats on her." Zahid

 disconnected the call and Na'ima fell

to the floor powerless. Najiba has

defeated her on this one. Tears poured

down her face as she couldn't believe

that someone has just made a fool of

her and now her marriage is hanging

on the line. She picked up her phone

and called her mother and

immediately her mother answered

the call she said "my marriage is over."