"I told you not to raise her Oliverez. I told you not to bring her into our home. People do not know gratitude anymore. Imagine a human you raised from the cradle saying this to you all because you're trying to better her life" Mrs Oliverez began saying and Ahneeka totally lost it not knowing where she was trying to go with the manipulation she was trying to pull on her.
Yes she raised her since cradle, she wasn't disputing the fact. But that didn't mean she always had to sacrifice for them. She didn't mind marrying Lawrence few hours ago but on seeing the numerous luggages that were going with her, she knew on cue without needing to be told that she was being sold.
Yes.
She knew about her father and Lawrence's pact before to get Cassie wedded to him, and Cassie moving abroad without it happening had caused issues between the two in the past. If she was going, it wouldn't be a marriage anymore, but a life pact she would be sold out for to repay the debt Oliverez owed Lawrence.
"I've done everything you asked of me father and would still do to show my gratefulness to you two for raising me, but you see getting married to Lawrence? That is the only thing I won't even imagine doing to show my loyalty to the both of you!"
A slap landed across her cheeks and another followed suite, the second being from Oliverez's wife while the first from him.
"That is a disrespectful thing to say young woman!! You've done nothing to prove your loyalty to me in the past! Of what show is it? Marrying Stanley against my counsel or the disgrace and embarrassment you've brought upon my name and my businesses? Have you read the business daily news? My stocks keep plummeting at the market all because of you and your scandal! Yet, regardless of the promiscuity you've come out as, I was merciful enough to convince a billionaire to make you his wife, the uncle of the same man you cheated on in your marriage and you're talking about loyalty and sacrifices? What sacrifices??!!!" Oliverez's angry voice came in a thunderous growl.
"This family's reputation comes first!! I won't watch an adopted child destroy what it took my husband and I years to build!!" Mrs Oliverez blurted.
" And if I chose my future?" Ahneeka chirped in.
Mrs Oliverez walked up to where she was again and Ahneeka shielded her cheeks with her hand thinking she wanted to land another slap.
But she had taken the bait and immediately fell sprawling on the floor, one of the men dressed in black leaving her as she did and withdrawing his hand and the towel he had covered her nose with before.
"Take her to Lawrence's house immediately!!!" Mr Oliverez commanded and the men bowed to him.
One raised her up and carried on her his shoulder while some of the others carried the luggages, with some of the nannies helping out.
The wedding dress she had been given been carried to the bus as well.
A heavy silence fell on the house as if a soul had been taken and the others being left in mourning.
Ahneeka Fallon was gone.
The adopted child was gone. Cassie's competition. Mrs Oliverez's internal joy knew no bounds.
She has finally gotten rid of her husband's beloved, her daughter's only enemy.
********************
The sound of doors banging and closing was all over the room as Micheal Emmanuel walked in.
It had been weeks, yet nothing had been heard about the location of the woman who had been in the recording with him.
He felt pity for her considering the hypocrisy and double standards of the people.
She was the only one being dragged. No one was talking about him, the man in the footage nor belittling him for being in a public recording with a married woman. The lady had been the one being crucified. She, Ahneeka Fallon, the lady who's name he hadn't forgotten yet.
It was as if she disappeared into thin air since the day the recording got released that not even her workplace had any information concerning her whereabouts.
His men neither had been unable to get a heck of where she was. Borders, airports, stations. There wasn't one they hadn't gone to in bid to check for her,in case she had left the country in shame but neither of them had any information partaining to her regardless of how much bribe he paid for the information. She infact,had never gone out of the outskirts of the city.
Yet he needed to find her and he knew that he had to at all costs.
His aunt was actively involved trying to find a bride for him, but he wasn't interested. Women were complicated beings and he didn't want to get entangled with one that would cause him more issues, especially one found for him by his aunt.
He was going to find Ahneeka Fallon and he was going to make her his bride.
Her story seemed to resonate to him and their drunken one night stand hadn't left his memory.
She was the woman that took his virginity and he was bent on making sure he ended up with her at all means.
"You can't keep giving excuses all the time. The board is waiting. I will be retiring soon. You need to take over the company. You need to present your wife for the directors to believe you have the capability of leading the company. We all can't keep waiting. I can't keep postponing my retirement. Find the woman or you marry your aunt's woman!"
" Grandfather, just give me more time and I will find her soon! I assure you!"
" You're always assuring me yet there are no results.. What happened with Veronica? Three food years wasted! What would happen with this woman too?"
" You possibly cannot keep taunting me with Veronica all the time!"
" I can and I always will. You promised me you would bring her home. What are you still waiting for? Are you sure she didn't run off with a pregnancy belonging to this household? For three good years?"
" Grandfather!!" Micheal shouted in embarrassment
" What? Were you celibate the whole years you were with her?"
His question met a stark silence and the old man didn't know what to say again. Caught speechless.
" You have a month to find the woman you slept with then. She has a lot of scandalous trend in her name up on blogs but I do not mind them since she seems to be the woman whom your heart beats for. A married woman. Find her then and make sure she finalizes her divorce with the husband she cheated on. Controlling her wildness and making sure she doesn't cheat on you too would be the task and punishment you bring up on yourself making her your woman"
A smile crept on Micheal's face. His grandfather was finally throwing his support towards his ambition of making the woman his. He was going to make her his.
He was going to find out all about her and everything that led to the one night stand they shared.
He owed that to his curiosity.
" And remember"
His moment of jubilation got cut short.
"You have a month to do so. If you fail, you will have no other options than your aunt's woman!!" The old man said with a tone of finality.