"I won't be getting married to any Lawrence Martinnelli, father, unless Cassie was the bride you were discussing about with him" Ahneeka said as she dizzied, stirring from the bed she was confined in.
Her wake cut short the conversation that had wanted to happen between Mr Oliverez and his wife and their attention was shifted on her.
Mr Oliverez gave her no replies and continued to sit where he was, overthinking the ultimatum Lawrence had given to him.
"Did you hear what I said? I am not getting married to any of Stanley's uncle nor into his family's or any other family. I have no business with marriage anymore. I won't let it happen. I won't let you trade me as if I were some sort of good that can be bought and traded amongst men"
"You're pretending not to hear what I am saying? Look father, I do not know what it was Cassie told you that made you this angry even to the extent of laying me off of work, but I want to assure you that you had been lied to. Yes, it were all lies. Even the video she showed you, whatever it was , it was all a planned deal that I fell for"
"I am marrying no Martinnelli nor remarrying any Stanley. Cassie can get wedded to Stanley's smoker uncle. I will remarry no Stanley. The divorce papers still stand and I won't falter my ego because of you nor anyone"
Ahneeka continued to lament even though her father pretended well not to hear her voice nor see her struggle with the chains that binded her hands to the bed.
"Keep quiet Ahneeka!!!!! You are a disgrace to my name!!" He shouted and Ahneeka shuddered, recoiling immediately she heard him say that.
"It was an honest mistake father, you wouldn't understand what led to the recording Cassie showed you but believe me, it was all an honest mistake"
"An honest mistake?" He bellowed.
"Hear yourself out, Ahneeka!! An honest mistake? Have you lost all your senses? Your recording is currently trending as the number one thing in the country right now and you still have the impetus to talk back?"
Ahneeka's eyes budged out of their sockets .Number one thing trending in the country? She gazed at him hoping what she had heard was a lie and her father was just trying to exaggerate things to make her feel bad and regret her actions.
He switched on the TV with the remote controller on the table on seeing the doubting look in her eyes.
He switched on to five different channels and each of them were talking about the netizens opinions on the woman who was in a recording cheating on her new husband of one week. She, Ahneeka Fallon.
"You'll get married to Martinnelli and that's final!! Your name is in a scandalous affair right now and all you could think is who and whom you'd not get married to?"
"But father, Martinnelli is a drunkard. He has a history of battering his wives till they run away. How many wives has he married in the past? More than 15 and I've even lost count! Yet you want to marry your young daughter off to him? He's too advanced in age! He's too... "
"You should have thought about all of that before planning to embarrass this family this way Ahneeka!! What gave you the audacity to?"
"But father, Stanley, heee...." And her lips went shut.
She swallowed hard what she had wanted to say for she was fearful of what would be said about her.
He had in the past told her numerous times to leave Stanley. That him being her sister's ex boyfriend and proposing love to her was already a red flag behavior on its own. About how his love for her was not strong and how she had been a replacement, her sister's replacement to him. But she had , like other blinded lovers drunk in love told him off. She had stayed more than 5years with Stanley and they had no issues in the whole years of their exclusive relationship, how was she to know that he would get back with his ex in less than a week of their marriage? In less than a week after they vowed to stay true and together, for better and for worse, after all the vows they at the altar.
"I am not the first woman to cheat on her husband father. Neither will I be the last. I committed a mistake, should I get crucified for it? Wasn't life about making mistakes and realizing the right path so as to gain experience in life?"
Ahneeka's frail voice came, hiding perfectly the tears that wanted to quash the tone of her voice.
Taking the blame,to her seemed like a more respectable thing to do.
She would be castigated anyway if her father were to find out about Stanley's betrayal,she would be belittled and the people dragging her name on the media to filth would still do so if she was to tell her side of the story about how she was cheated on.
"She was never enough" "She was a lacking wife" " Every man cheats. It was their nature as they were all polygamous" " A cheating man just wanted pleasure but a cheating wife was a cheater forever"
There were plenty of the excuses they would use against her. No one would be on her side.
Letting herself in such a situation again wouldn't be ideal. Taking blame for this one was better.
A slap landed on her face again and she turned to behold her mother's angered face.
She swallowed again. Biting hard at her lower lip.
Why was she pretending to care now. It was not as if she wasn't happy deep within her she was getting this level of embarrassment. She was supposed to be the happiest person. She was hiding her joy so perfectly well with her mask that if someone were to see her right now, they'd praise ber for being such a caring foster mom to her. The irony.
Ahneeka kept looking at her face searching for that hidden happiness but yet still, couldn't. She waited to hear her au something. Her face had a facade on so perfectly, atleast her voice would betray her for her to know how she truly felt and if she had been the mastermind behind her daughter.
But she said nothing. Not even a word. It was as if she knew she knew ,as if she knew she had studied her so well to know everything about the tone of her voice.
" You're so stupid and useless Ahneeka!! I raised you for 24 good years!!! 24 good years as my daughter and this is how you repay me? Dragging my name to filth? I cannot fathom the level of foolishness you've been exposing yourself to all these while. ..............
Oliverez's shouting began and Ahneeka listened on so well without saying anything.
He insulted the hell out of her but she didn't mind. A cheating woman. An adulterous woman. A loose woman. An immoral and immodest woman. There was no insult she didn't receive on the hospital bed she was recuperating.
He insulted her as if he wasn't the one that raised her since childhood,as if he wasn't the father of the loose and badly raised woman. The father of the shame to her parents.
"You're just like your mother..."
The words dropped like a bomb and once again,Ahneeka felt her world tilting on its axis.
This was the first time he was speaking about her mother. This was the first time he was making mention of her.
Who was her mother? Who is her mother?