Rhoda stirs awake at the knock on her door. She sits up and the door creaks open gently and reveals her aunt. She rubs her eyes and asks her to come in. "Is there a problem?" She glances at her wall-clock which says one in the morning. "It's late."
Her aunt smiles. "Not a thing, darling. My brother called me just now. Obviously, he has been trying to reach you."
"Dad called? I don't believe that he has been trying to reach me. You must've heard him wrong, aunt Martha." She reached for her phone on the locker beside her bed and saw the missed calls from her father. She was surprised.
Why was he suddenly reaching out to her? He had sent her to live abroad with his younger sister when she was seventeen. And since then, he barely called to ask her how she was doing. Her mother managed to call a few times.
"I think you should listen to whatever he has to say, my dear. It seems urgent," Martha said before walking out of the room.
Rhoda shrugged and was about to go back to bed when the backlight of her phone went on. Her father was calling. No wonder she couldn't hear it ring. The phone was in silent.
She picked up. "Hello?"
If she had expected her father to apologize for forgetting about her and not reaching out, she was utterly wrong. She was disappointed and became sad. None of what her father said was what she had predicted at all.
He wanted her to come back to Nigeria. She could not figure out the reason and he wouldn't say it either. She doesn't want to leave New York, so she told him just that.
But he pleaded. Desperately.
"Can you give me a week or two? I need to get things sorted out here, so…" She decided to yield. He was her father anyways. And she loved him.
"No, please. It is very urgent. You have to make it today. I beg you. Your mum and I will be waiting for you," her father said.
After hanging up, she started packing her bags and her aunt entered again. "He wants you home?"
She nodded. "He wouldn't even give me a week to sort myself out. He just called me out of the blue after eight years and asked me to come home. Am I that difficult to love? That's not fair," she sniffed, trying to hold back her tears.
Martha walked closer to her and hugged her. "He will come back to his senses. Do not cry, baby. Your parents love you. Just have that at the back of your mind and do not hate them."
Rhoda nodded as she sobbed.
★
Hours later, her flight landed and was picked up by the Uber driver her father had sent to pick her up from the airport. Once again, she was disappointed. The least they could do was come to welcome her home after so many years.
She decided not to allow that to weigh her down and affect her mood, so she smiled as she looked from one building and road to another as her uber driver graced the road carefully because of the potholes.
Nothing has changed much in her neighborhood and Lagos was still as busy as ever. She asked the driver to pull up in her parents' house, but was surprised when he drove past their house and didn't stop.
The first thought that came to her mind was that she was about to get kidnapped. But how could that be possible when it was the Uber her father sent to get her from the airport because her father had said, 'Things are hectic here. We're all busy.' She didn't understand, but did not bother to ask further on why 'they were all busy'.
"What's wrong, mister? You just drove past my house," Rhoda said. Even if she was going to get kidnapped, she should at least question the driver first.
"I thought your father told you, I'm sorry. He asked me to bring you to Merry hall. It's five minutes away. He said they're all waiting for you."
"A hall?" Rhoda was confused, so she brought out her cell phone and called her mother. It took her ages to pick up. "Mum? The driver just drove past the house and he's saying something about a hall. What's going on?"
"Don't worry, baby. Trust him. He'll bring you here. We're waiting for you."
"But what —" She heard something like her mother mentioning to someone that 'The bride...her way' but didn't read any meaning to that. She must have heard wrong, so she didn't dwell much on that since her mother had told her to trust a stranger and had hung up.
She kept mute throughout the five minutes drive to the hall and finally, the driver parked and alighted to help her with the bags and his eyes went to the banner that was hanging on the wall of the hall. "Congratulations, Miss."
Rhoda smiled even though she was confused. Why would he suddenly congratulate her? Well, it might be on her return home. "Thank you," she said and walked into the event center and took in the crowd . Some were looking and smiling at her while some were busy taking pictures.
She wasn't surprised. She was beautiful enough to draw attention. And who knows? Perhaps, her parents planned a huge welcome party for her.
"There she is," she heard someone say and looked at the guy who owned the voice. He was among some other guys who seemed to be his friends and she must admit he was the most handsome.
She said nothing as she continued walking and started wondering what he meant by that. And what was that look on his face? He seemed to have combined all sorts of emotions together. Anger, disappointment, displease, disgust and all. She could not lay a finger on the exact one he had on, but he was obviously not happy. To see her.
She didn't realize he was following her until he touched her arm gently and made her turn around and before she could say a word, the guy leaned forward and kissed her lips.
Rhoda was shocked as she looked at him by tilting her head backwards and looked at him. He was that tall. She was even more shocked when she realized the Uber driver was smiling, but she had no business with the man. She looked back angrily at the guy who just stole a kiss from her.
"You look so sexy.. I can't just —" the rest of his words were killed by the slap his cheek received from Rhoda.
She had to stand on her toes for her hand to be able to reach his face properly. "Don't go around kissing strangers," she warned like a professor. "If you ever try that with me again, I will kill you."
And yeah, Rhoda could be so fearless at times not minding her petite figure. She ignored the gasps and all sorts of bad words she heard some people murmur and walked out. It seemed they didn't see what he did to her.
"Miss, why would you— He's your —" The driver was confused by her action. Why would she slap him? It wasn't like he did something wrong. He kept quiet since the young lady didn't seem interested in whatever he had to say.
Rhoda found her parents in a room with some other family members and faces she couldn't recognize, but received hugs from everyone as they welcomed her. Some even told her not to waste time in getting ready and she could only smile.
"What's going on, dad? Why are you all here? Are you throwing a welcome party for me?" She said and giggled. No matter how bad her parents behaved, she loved them.
Her father's expression changed as he took her to another room while her mother followed behind. It was obvious they wanted to say something they didn't want anyone to hear.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Rhoda asked.
"You are right. We are throwing you a party,' her mother said.
"Yay—" Rhoda was about to jubilate, but her father cut off her excitement way too soon.
"It's a wedding party, Rhoda," her father confessed.
The happiness on Rhoda's face slowly transformed into confusion. What did a wedding party have to do with her returning home after eight years abroad? "I don't understand what you are trying to say, dad. What are you talking about?"
"You're getting married, Rhoda. Today."
★
Rhoda didn't know whether to start laughing or start crying. She didn't know the right emotion she could express to show how she was feeling, so she settled on forcing a laugh which ended like some terrible car honk. "What kind of joke was that? Stop it, dad. It's not funny at all."Her mother sighed and held her hands. "It's not a joke, my dear. And I am so sorry we did not tell you until now. You wouldn't have come home if —""I still find it hard to believe all of this," Rhoda said. "Why would I get married? All of a sudden? To whom? The last time I checked, we were apart for years and I don't remember bringing someone home to you. So, why… how? Please, tell me this is a prank because it is getting serious," she said as calmly as she could and looked at her father. Not that she didn't feel like raising her voice at the two of them. She wouldn't mind the whole building hearing them.Imagine so many people coming to a wedding that the supposed bride was not even aware of? Did that ma
"You may now kiss your bride," he heard the officiant say. If Jeff had thought that Rhoda would stand on her words about not getting married to him, he was terribly wrong. He could not help but glare at her with anger and building dislike for her. How could someone not be able to stand on their words? What was so wrong in doing that? Guilt was ripping him alive. What would he tell his girlfriend? How would he be able to face her? She definitely wouldn't believe his story about the marriage. Who would? He loved his girlfriend and not this beautiful stranger with tempting lips that was glaring at him behind the veil with the same intensity he had on. But what needed to be done must be done. So, he leaned closer to her face and unveiled her, but what she did shocked him.She backed off. Rhoda pulled back in front of everyone. "If you try it…," she whispered."You'll kill me, so you said. But you don't have to worry because you're not my type at all. You should see my girlfriend," Jef
He rushed out and dragged Rhoda by one hand and her bag by another and straight into his room. He didn't mind her protest to break free but told her to shut up instead. "Do not drag me, asshole. I'm not a cow." Who cared if he dragged her like a cow? That was not the important thing at that moment. Thank God he had changed into a casual outfit and a t-shirt his girlfriend gave to him on his birthday which had become his favorite one since then. That was the previous year. And the girl who gave it to him was downstairs and must not come up here to see what was going on. He might be a billionaire, but he's not a cold and nasty one. Well, not to his girlfriend. He loved with passion and wanted to be loved too. He was one of the few billionaires who believed in the existence of true love. "Stay here," he told his bride and went downstairs to meet with the angry face of his girlfriend. "Hey, babe. What's wrong?" "What do you mean what's wrong?" His mind started wondering if she
He went to knock on his wife's door a week after their wedding. Nothing special has happened actually. They had been maintaining their distances. And no, no honeymoon. That's for those that are in love and they are not. He had been pondering long and hard on what he could do to release the tension between them. Well, it wasn't typically a tension when you are ignoring each other, right? But he was feeling guilty about being married and also having a girlfriend outside the marriage. Well, it was the marriage that happened outside of his relationship. He didn't know why, but he was feeling as if he was cheating on the wife he did not even love.Why was he disturbed when they were only married on paper? Well, he didn't want to know. All that mattered was the fact that he had come up with the best solution for the two of them and that was what he was going to discuss with her.He knocked again. "Hey," he called. Wait, how could you call your wife that?"What do you want?" Rhoda asked i
Rhoda got dressed and walked out of her husband's house. He had gone to work and since she had no work to do, she spent most of her time with her boyfriend who had no idea about her sudden marriage yet.Nas, her boyfriend, also arrived in the country a few days after her marriage. Rhoda knew she should keep no secret from him, but not something like marriage. She knew him well enough. He was quick to make decisions. He was very quick to jump to conclusions. She could lose him and that was the least thing she wanted.She pressed the ignition button on her car and drove out of the compound, making her way onto the road. She could not stop grinning from ear to ear and humming throughout the drive to Nas' house.She slighted from her car and walked into the house. She must confess that she loved the house even though it was nowhere near her husband's. Jeff was a billionaire, but her boyfriend wasn't and that was perfectly fine. She still finds it hard to believe that he was the owner of
"Mum, please. Get me out of the marriage. I don't want it, please," Rhoda pleaded with her mother. She had decided to go to her parents' house since they were the one who could get her out of the mess she was in. She could not bear to lose her boyfriend. Not after building a strong relationship with him for years. Not after their plans to get married. Not after everything they had been through together. She understood him. She could have done worse in his shoes. He would come to his senses and take her back. She knew he would. He was just angry at the moment. He wouldn't just throw away everything they had just like that. Her mother hugged her and patted her back. "I am sorry, Rhoda, but there is nothing I can do about this. We talked about this and you agreed to it, remember?"Why was she talking as if she agreed because she wanted it? Did she even care about her happiness at all? "How about dad?""His business is just starting to do well, my dear. We're also doing this for you."
Jeffery's eyes became wide open in shock at the kiss. What had gotten over her? Before he could push her back, she withdrew and faced Karen's burning eyes. "How dare you!" Karen roared before glaring at Jeff for not doing anything about it. Rhoda smiled. "You wanted to know who I am. I am his wife. She opened her purse secretly as she talked and put on her wedding ring and showed it to her. "We're married, so…"Jeff covered her mouth with his palm. "Shut the fuck up or else…" He watched as Karen walked in and was back within seconds. With her bag. He held her hand and tried to explain what had just happened, but she wasn't ready to listen."It would have been a different case if she was your girlfriend. But… your wife? Like, marriage?" Karen shouted. "How could you do this to me? You got married to someone else while I was out of town and you even have the nerve to keep it from me and… and… Just fuck off, Jeffrey." She started walking down the stairs, still in his shirt, but that di
Rhoda got out of bed, went to the shower and started getting ready for the day. Not that she had anything to do in particular. She was going to watch TV series, read and sleep all day. She was trying her best and was giving it her all not to stay heartbroken. She would do whatever she had to in order to get Nas off her mind.Even if she had to take it all on her husband. She walked out of her room and passed by Jeff's door to go to the living down the stairs, but the door which was slightly opened made her stop and take a few steps back to give her enough view of what he was doing.She saw him as he answered his call, looking all serious as he talked into the phone. "Asshole" was all that came out of her mouth. She watched intently as he walked in and out of his live-in closet, bringing out different suits to put on. ""Yeah. I'll be there in an hour. Sure, I'll be there. It's an important deal," she heard him say and had started walking away before an idea struck her.The best way