*****
Jennifer's POV
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"Esther, I'm sorry but I'm left with no choice but to send you back to your family"
Her eyes shrank instantly and she was dumbfounded. No word could quantify how disappointed she was if not the tear that trickled down her cheek.
"It was never my intention but fate has made it so"
"Please ma… don't send me back" she said sobbing.
"It's not my wish but I am forced to do it"
"Ma please, please don't send me back. You gave me hope; for a brighter future. Please don't take it away from me, I beg you"
"Esther; I have no other choice and you know that. I had plans for you; big plans; I was ready to provide all you would need to further your education. I was determined to make sure you become a graduate but everything turned out sour; the good I did for you began hunting me and it caused chaos in my home, I'm sorry but I have to send you back"
"Ma please, at least for the sake of my family" she said in tears.
"I wish I could allow you stay but it won't be possible, don't forget my husband has being on my neck for a long time now"
"Ma I promise to be obedient, I'll do whatever it is you want me to do"
"Esther it's not that you are not obedient, of course you are. Through out your stay with me, I've noticed that you are focused and well behaved. You wake up early in the morning, do all your chores, sometimes you prepare breakfast even before I wake up. I mean, you've you being of great help to me, that I can boast of. But after what happened between you and my husband, I'll be a fool to let you continue living in this house. Wouldn't I be giving room for trouble to arise a second time? You need to understand, even if my husband didn't want you out of my home, I would still have to send you back to prevent the unexpected"
"It's okay ma" she said crying seriously. "I understand what you mean. But I just want to thank you for your kindness and generosity towards I and my family, I am more than grateful ma" she said almost on her kneels
"It's alright" I said and left the room. I felt hurt too but it was the right thing to do
Esther's POV
The news I dreaded to hear for years had finally reached my doorstep. For long, I had been worried about my aunt sending me back to my parents. I had even concluded that she had decided to let me stay. It really hurt me when she told me what she had in mind.
My mood drifted from being happy and delighted to been depressed and hopeless. I felt ultimately crushed, all hopes were lost. The dreams I had, my ambitions were all crushed. I wished to wake up from this terrible nightmare but it was all reality. I never thought that what happened between me and Femi would make me cry "had I know".
I closed my textbook and went to my bed, I lay face down as my tears soaked my pillow. If I had known, I would have cut off from Femi and reported everything to my aunt right from when it first started. But my desires never let me; my desires landed me on a hot plate, caused me my future and the hope of elevating my family from poverty. I cried till I couldn't cry any longer, my eyes were very sore and my face became pale. I had a grudge against myself because I couldn't help that I was responsible for my predicament.
Femi's POV
I came back home very late on purpose, just so I could avoid my wife. I remained in the sitting room till she slept off, it was then I decided to join here in the bedroom. My wife was fast asleep, she slept very calmly like an infant sleeping next to it's mother. It had been quite long since I graced my wife's beauty. Her beauty radiated a magnificent aura, she looked extremely charming and I wondered how I got married to such an angel.
"Sleeping beauty" I whispered and pecked her cheek.
I couldn't believe I had hurt her so much, she was too beautiful to go through all that pain. I just wished I could move back the hands of time and correct mistakes I made.
*****
The next day
I had successfully avoided any questions from my wife through out the morning, we greeted each other, talked like nothing happened but whenever I noticed the conversation was developing into something else I would immediately excuse myself. I had done enough wrongs to my wife; broken her heart a thousand and one times and I didn't want to do it again.
"So what did the pregnancy result say?" Jennifer asked.
I was shocked, she asked at a time I never expected her to.
"Umm…umm" I couldn't even reply, I was just stuttering.
"Or haven't you seen the result yet?" She cut in.
"Umm… yeah… yeah"
"Yeah, as in?"
"I have seen the result"
"So is Sonia really pregnant??"
"Mmmh…you said?"
"Femi you heard me"
"Yeah… yeah. She is"
Jennifer's mouth went open immediately.
"So that girl is carrying your child?" Tears were already building up in her eyes.
"I guess so"
"But" I quickly cut in "I will make sure she gets rid of the pregnancy"
"Femi! So you have become this heartless? You want to take the life of an innocent child?"
"Jennifer, I expected you to support me on this one. I can't have a child with that girl! Or are you happy she is pregnant"
"There's no way I can be pleased with her getting pregnant for you but I strongly kick against abortion."
"That girl is just…"
"But" she interrupted.
"As long as Sonia is pregnant for you, nothing will make me continue in this marriage"
"What do you mean by that??"
"Femi I can't bear seeing you have a child with another lady, I'll have to go ahead with the divorce"
"No now, this is not the time to turn your back on me. Your don't want an abortion still you don't her to have the child, how is that going to be possible?"
"Femi I don't care, you should have known better that you can not eat your cake and have it" Jennifer said.
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"What is all this" I shouted, there was no way I could stop Sonia from giving birth without carrying out an abortion. I sat on my bed thinking of what to do but I couldn't get anything.
"God please help me, give me an idea on what to do, I am helpless" I cried.
*****
Sonia's Apartment
Sonia's POV
I was taking lunch when I heard a loud repeated banging on my door,
"Who is by the door?" I asked.
"Sonia it's me, open up" the person said and continued knocking violently. I recognized the voice and at once I knew it was Tony. I dropped my plate of food and went to open the door for him.
He rushed inside like someone that was being chased and sank into my couch; panting heavily.
"Lock the door" he said.
"What happened to you, why are you breathing heavily?"
"Just lock the door"
I locked the door and came back to continue my meal.
"The police… they were chasing after me. I don't know how but it seems they are everywhere, I went to my house; they were there, my mum's place; they were there so I decided to come here"
"I warned you Tony, still you went ahead to do something very foolish. How could abduct a man who has been serving as your source of income. You better don't get me arrested with you for helping a criminal o"
"Nobody will arrest me, I know what I am doing. I just need to pour some water on my head, I'm dried"
He stood up and left to my room. Immediately, I remembered that I left the pregnancy test result on my table. I was just about standing up to go get it when he came out with the result in his hand.
"How come you are two months pregnant??!" I shouted but I remained silent.
"Sonia I haven't touched for more than two months now. You've been avoiding me, always neglecting me to go out with that man. So I'm wondering; how come you are pregnant??" He thundered.
"It…it isn't what you think"
"Wait! Sonia don't tell me you are pregnant for that old man"
I nodded affirmatively
"What! Are you mad??" Tony shouted.
"How could you do this to me, so you want to abandon me for that man because of money? Chai! Tony you have suffered"
"Sonia, because of money??"
Tony was now pacing about the room and I feared he would do something crazy because he had serious anger issues.
"Sonia, after everything. I can not believe my eyes, I just feel like beating the hell out of you"
"Please I'm sorry" I said trying to calm him down but reverse was the case. He picked up my plate of food and threw it directly at me.
Instinctively, I bent to the side, it fell on the ground and broke into sharp pieces.
"You are sorry??" Tony shouted pacing towards me. He fumed with anger and I became even more scared. He pushed me on the floor and the broken pieces of the plate pierced deep into my skin.
"You are sorry" he shouted, furiously throwing blows at me. I screamed for help but he placed his hand tightly against my mouth.
"You are sorry ba, I will teach you never to take me for granted."
He kept throwing punches everywhere, I dodged most of them but those that hit me hurt badly. He aimed for my head but I was quick to dodge, I raised my head upward and the punch landed on my stomach.
"Ahh!" I screamed in excruciating pain.
I felt blood flow from in between my legs and unto the cold floor.