Chibuzor knew he was piecing the puzzle together, but without concrete evidence, his hands were tied. His gaze shifted back to Olaedo, the softness in his eyes unmistakable.
He offered her a silent promise, one of trust, reassurance. Whatever this was, they would face it together. And for a fleeting moment, Olaedo found peace in those eyes.
How much she needed Chibuzor to believe her, she couldn't understand. But she shoved the thought aside, focusing instead on finding a solution to this growing nightmare.
The chats were gone. Deleted in a moment of emotional turmoil. She couldn't retrieve them, couldn't show the world that those messages had been sent six months ago, before Chibuzor, before all of this. And now, standing before her was the very man she had taken from the slums, the man she had raised from nothing and shaped into something… and he was stabbing her in the back without a single shred of guilt.
Even after Maduabuchi's betrayal, she had vowed not to let that hurt poison her dealings with Adamu. She had treated him with kindness, gave him opportunities, made him part of her world. And now… this.
'What a wicked world,' she thought bitterly. I should have known. Birds of a feather really do flock together.
A decision formed in her heart, cold and final. No more help for Adamu. He had used her, betrayed her, for what? A moment's advantage? The only exception would be his mother's medical bills; that woman had done no wrong in this, and she still deserved her compassion.
As the tension in the room thickened, the Arinze relatives saw their chance. For years, they had waited for an opening, a crack in Chibuzor's otherwise unblemished armor. And now they had one.
They quietly rallied behind Adamu, their unspoken support giving him the strength to stand tall again. He straightened, his trembling legs no longer betraying him as he faced the room with renewed confidence.
Chibuzor, however, had seen it all. His gaze swept over the room, his eyes catching every subtle alliance forming against him. The cold fury in his eyes was palpable. He knew this was no mere coincidence, this was orchestrated. But if they thought this flimsy accusation would be enough to bring him down, they were gravely mistaken.
With a barely perceptible shift in his posture, Chibuzor's voice rang out, low and commanding. "You think this is enough to break me?"
Adamu froze, but his response was cut off before he could speak. Chibuzor's icy gaze swept across the room once more. "You'll all regret underestimating me."
2303 words. 10th December 2024 quota met and over done by 303!
The other relatives didn't waste the opportunity to pour salt on the wound. Their mocking voices grew louder, almost as if they had been waiting for this moment.
"No matter what excuses you come up with, the truth remains, your wife has disqualified you!" one of them sneered, the satisfaction in their tone unmistakable.
Olaedo clenched her fists, her patience wearing thin. Her icy gaze swept across the room before she spoke, her voice cold yet commanding enough to silence the murmurs. "Everyone! Chibuzor can't be disqualified because this is a contrac—"
"I have proof against Adamu's claims!"
The voice was weak yet startlingly clear, cutting through the rising tension like a knife. Heads turned toward the speaker, and gasps filled the room.
There, crawling toward them, was Nnenna.
Her blood soaked figure was a shocking sight, and for a moment, no one moved, paralyzed by the surreal scene before them. The silence was deafening until Olaedo's scream broke through, her voice shaking with panic and anguish.
"Nnenna!" she cried out, rushing forward to catch her before she collapsed entirely. Her arms trembled as she held her best friend close, the sight of her friend so battered making her chest tighten with overwhelming grief.
"Someone call a doctor!" Olaedo's voice cracked, her composure completely shattered. For the first time in a long while, the usually composed woman looked utterly vulnerable.
Her eyes darted around the room, searching desperately for someone she could trust. Her gaze landed on Olisa, and without hesitation, she pleaded with him, her tear filled eyes locking onto his. "Olisa, please help her. Please!"
Olisa, who had been frozen in shock moments before, felt his medical instincts kick in. He didn't hesitate. "Bring me a first aid kit! Now!" he barked, his voice firm and authoritative as he rushed forward.
Chibuzor watched everything unfold, his feet rooted to the ground. He had seen Olisa rush past him to Nnenna's side, but what truly struck him was Olaedo's desperate cry for help, not to him, but to Olisa.
His chest tightened as her pleading expression replayed in his mind. 'She didn't even look at me…'
His thoughts spiraled. 'She relied on Olisa first... Is it because I'm not a doctor? No, that can't be it. But… if she truly trusted me, wouldn't I have been the first person she turned to?'
The realization felt ridiculous even to himself, but the sting of it lingered. His jaw tightened, and he forced himself to focus. This wasn't the time for jealousy, Nnenna needed help.
Meanwhile, from her table, Ndidi's face darkened as she observed the scene. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Nnenna's bloodied figure.
"That girl…" she whispered under her breath, her tone laced with disbelief. Wasn't she supposed to be dead?
She glanced sharply at her subordinates, who had just arrived in the doorway, clearly too late to stop Nnenna's dramatic entrance. Her cold, steely voice hissed out through clenched teeth. "Incompetent fools."
Still, she wasn't overly concerned. Ndidi's lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile. She had other plans, and one stumbling pawn wouldn't ruin her game.
The medical team rushed in, working seamlessly alongside Olisa to stabilize Nnenna. The sight of her bloodied body left the guests in stunned silence, their earlier curiosity about her proof temporarily overridden by concern for her state.