' You should teach your daughters how to speak politely to their elders especially to me because the next time they talk to me the way they did today, I will displace their tongues '. Dr Neil threatened as he dropped the bottle of wine after pouring some of it's content into a wine glass, while he backed the person he was talking to.
As he gulped the wine, his wife gulped her own spit. Knowing her husband, he won't go back on his words. Once he makes a promise, he works it out to the latter and here he was promising to cut of his children's tongues. What a father!
' Is that a threat? '. She asked after assuring herself that it was just a joke, nothing more.
' You have been with me for years to know that it is not a threat neither is it a joke... but yet you have decided to take the other option that entails it is just a joke and not a threat '. He replied as he faced her still drinking his wine.
His reply shot her into oblivion. She forced herself to believe that he won't say it was a threat but a joke, but he did not say it was a joke neither did he affirm to the fact that it was a threat. The man that she married in her twenties had now turned into monster ready to hurt his children at the slightest chance.
Most times she wished that he had not embraced wealth, she wished he was still a pauper. Not that she was an evil woman who wanted bad for her husband but circumstances had made her an evil wisher.
She remembered when he was still poor, when he was still walking from post to post in search for minal jobs to be able to feed his family, when he was still dependent on his brother, during that period he was an excellent father, a romantic and sweet husband but since wealth arrived he totally forget his background and foundation, only being a father when it came to giving his children money, an husband when he needed her to sign some documents that needed their dual signatures. Apart from all those, he treated and took care of Alina, his niece more than their children and developed an affair with his secretary.
' Yes, I was actually hoping for a positive answer from you, but it seems like you don't even care if they died today '. She said as she sauntered towards her husband.
What moved her?. Courage. Why was she going to meet him?. She did not know. Her legs just dragged her in his direction and she moved in it.
Dr Neil smirked as he saw his wife walking towards him. Did she so badly miss that she was ready to take him there and then?. She was looking beautiful today, he would confess., maybe because it was her birthday. But she was looking at him angrily, maybe she wanted his glass of wine. He kept on smirking as he poured himself another glass.
' Here you go. You just have to ask for it, no need to glower '. He said as he handed her the refilled glass of wine.
' Slap '. Dr Neil frowned as he saw the shattered pieces of the wine glass on the floor. She had slapped the wine glass out of his hand when he stretched it out to her for acceptance. He then shifted his eyes from the floor and gave her a contemptuous look.
' It's your children we are talking about here, your children. Your blood runs in their veins, their veins Neil. Rosella even looks like you but yet you could bring yourself to tell me that you would cut off their tongues, you are ready to slice their tongues out trying to tell me that you can hurt them without thinking twice. Neil, I married you several years ago because I saw the exhibition of your lovely, imitable fatherly care and concern for Alina. I married you because of all the things you showed me, that side of you, you opened up to me was just so adorable and it made hurriedly say yes when you asked me to marry you. But I stand here today as your wife wondering and thinking if all the things you showed me was just an act. If you really loved and cared for Alina genuinely and not for her father's wealth. If you even care for your children. Tell me what have we done to you ? Why are you depriving your children of fatherly love? Why are you depriving me of your love? What have we done? Tell me! . I prayed for you , I prayed for days for you to become rich and here's the wealth, but your love and concern were traded for it. Neil, what have we done to you? '. She cried her heart out in her words.
Dr Neil looked up to the ceiling as he blinked his eyes. His wife's words, his heart absorbed but his conscience turned wounded at it. As she wept, his heart wept too. He bent down to hold her but she pushed him away and walked out from the room. Out of anger he shattered the shattered glasses and screamed in anger.
†
' I don't know why he can't just let that bastard die and give everything to me? I have done everything to please him. I read myself to oblivion just to pass and enter his preferred University. I dated Jordan just because he wanted me to get every detail of his father. I am engaged to Josh because he wants an alliance with his father, because he wants me to marry into his family and have a large share of his property under my name which would be eventually taken by him. Him, him, him, always him. What else will I do to appease him? Tell me! '. Rosella bellowed in anger and slammed her hands on her reading table, throwing everything off it in the process.
' You need to calm down Rosella. You need to relax and think. Dad is not a man that acts without thinking '. Mina said smiling and biting her lower lip as she typed fast on her phone's keyboard. Talking to a boy, I guess.
Rosella turned to her sister and stomped her legs, at that Mina looked up.
' Yes, I replied you, didn't I?. You know you should sleep early, your fiancé is coming tomorrow with his family and I too need to retire for the night. Good night darling '. Mina said and left the room to hers.
Rosella plopped down on her bed and rested her head on her palms as she cried.
At that moment her mom walked in, she looked up at the door and wiped her tears.
' Mom! Why are you crying? '. She stood up, walked to the door and helped her mom to her bed.
' Get ready Rosella, we are leaving here tomorrow '.
' Mom? '. Rosella called and sat down on the bed beside her mother.
' Yes. So start packing your things. We are leaving at dawn '. She answered after she had gotten up from the bed and thrown her traveling bag to her feet.
' Mom, but my fiancé is coming tomorrow '. No need to ask her mom what happened, her dad had certainly hurt her.
' Your fiancé? Tell me, do you really want to marry him or are you just following orders? '. Mrs Neil asked as she sat down on the bed again.
Rosella bent her head. Her mom already knows the answer to that. For sure she does not want to marry a guy that is older than her with ten years and occasionally changes women like he changes his pants. But what could she do? She was hopeless. Was she really hopeless?. A desperate person is never hopeless.
' I love him mom. It is him I want to spend the rest of my life with '. Her eyes twitched as she spoke. If you ever have to make a lie, you have to know it to it's depth. Lies are easier formed in the mind than in the lips.
Rosella for sure did not know this because she had never lied to anyone before and she was not a detective. So her lie exposed her the moment she said it.
' Stop trying to tell yourself that. You know you don't like him. You know it is what your father wants, but you don't want it '. Mrs Neil held her chin to face her as she spoke.
Her eyes glimmered with tears as her mom said those but she immediately removed her face and looked down. If she wants to go against Alina and gain her father's trust and most importantly wealth, she have to side with her father at all times. Loyalty brings trust.
' Sorry mother, I can't go with you '. She said as she got up from the bed to enter the bathroom.
' Your father is doing everything and anything to bring back Alina and she would gain everything when she comes back, what will you do about it? '.
Rosella halted in her steps as she heard what her mother said.
' I never told you I wanted everything '. She replied and entered the bathroom.
Mrs Neil stared in the direction her daughter went and shook her head.
Immediately she entered the bathroom, she held the toilet sink and let the tears roll down her cheeks.
The pain of being the rightful owner of something but you can't get it because someone else has already gotten it, is unexplainable without breaking down in tears.
Marrying someone you don't love is also an unexplainable pain, but she has to bear for two reasons.
One, it was her choice. Despite it being her father's order to marry Josh Stone, the only son of a business mogul so that he could have an alliance with his father in marriage, she agreed because with that marriage she will not only gain her father's wealth, she will also gain her future in-laws wealth and protection. So there is nothing to cry about.
Two, even if it was not her choice, she cannot reject and refuse her dad's order because refusal to his order was more like a death warrant than disobedience. To this she would cry, but it won't change a thing.
Her mom handed her a means of escape but she turned it down because no matter where they hide as long as it is on planet Earth, her dad would find them out.
All these because of that girl Alina. Even though she marries Josh she won't still be able to gain everything, because she is alive. That girl have to die.
She screamed and punched her reflection in the mirror.
★
The next day
' If it is not good news, you can just go and not come in '. Alina said when Dr Jason knocked her room door and sought her permission to enter.
Dr Jason opened the door and walked to the bed where she lied on her front, crossing her legs behind as she read a magazine.
' Alina, curing amnesia needs the cooperation of the patient '. He said as he took a seat by her bedside and sat on it.
She got up and sat on the bed. ' So you know my name and I thought I will have to tell you that '.
' Everyone in this country knows that, Alina. You are the popular and famous multibillionaire's niece. You were your uncle's right hand '. He said and adjusted his glasses.
' I don't have an uncle '. She screamed on top of her lungs.
Dr Jason was taken aback by her outburst but comported himself immediately. It was normal with people with amnesia. He just have to explain it, again and again.
' You do but you don't remember because you have amnesia '. He said in a very tiring tone.
' I don't have an uncle and if you said I don't remember because I have amnesia, then cure it '. She yelled in response.
' You do and he is Dr Neil, the owner of Bridge's Group, a conglomerate with its branches in different continents '. He shouted back.