EPISODE 3.
🍒 (UNPREDICTED LOVE) 🍒
(C) Judytex_Stories
Flashback.
Five years ago.
When Deji flew out of the country for his masters, he met Roseline a very beautiful and classy young lady who was from a wealthy home.
Deji who was desperate and ready to do anything to change his financial status, attempted every means possible to get close to Roseline. Especially when he found out that she was the only daughter of a very wealthy man, who owns a company back in the country.
And gradually, he was able to win her heart and make her fall head over heels for him. When he finally got closer to her, he then discovered that her father had promised to hand over his company to any man that would prove himself worthy of her love and deserving of his wealth.
And from then, Deji had been loyal. He kept playing a gentle and pure man card on Roseline and her father after they returned to the country 2 years after.
So for the past 3 years, Deji had been working with Roseline to elevate her father’s company. And Since then, Deji has been showcasing the traits of a diligent, smart, hardworking, vibrant, and intelligent young man with hopes to win the heart of Roseline’s father.
For his plan was to get hold of Roseline’s father’s company by marrying Roseline whom he doesn’t have sincere feelings for.
He strongly believed that with the company, his financial story will change for good.
Although they were both engaged, Roseline’s father insisted that they have to wait for a while before finally getting married to each other. Because he wanted to be sure that Deji truly loves his daughter.
Meanwhile, Roseline on the other hand believed that Deji had no prior knowledge about her father’s wealth before approaching her. So she thought his feelings were true and pure. Not knowing that he had other intentions.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Present day.
Seeing Annabelle standing before him suddenly sent shock and fear down Deji’s spine. He quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her to a corner to avoid being seen by Roseline whom he accompanied to the hairdressing saloon.
“What are you doing here?” Deji asked looking around to ensure that Roseline wasn’t done.
“Deji? Is this really you?” Annabelle asked staring at him in disbelief.
She placed her palm on his cheek and felt his warmth. Then she slowly placed her palm on his chest to ensure that his heart was actually beating. After which, she held his hand with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Deji, so you were alive all these years and you didn’t bother to check up on me or our son?” She managed to ask with tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Our son? What son are you talking about?” Deji asked looking all confused.
“Your son Deji. We have a son who is currently five years old. I told you about the pregnancy remember? And if I can recall, that was the last thing we talked about. And that was the last time I ever heard from you again. So tell me, what really happened? Why did you stop contacting me since then?” She asked all at once amidst tears.
But surprisingly, Deji held her arms and said,
“Look, Annabelle. I don’t have time for all of these okay? As you can see, I came here with my fiancee. And it wouldn’t be fair if she comes out of that saloon and catches the both of us having this unhealthy conversation” Deji said.
Hearing this, Annabelle who was taken aback simply scoffed in shock and hit off his hands from her arms. Then with her arms folded, she asked.
“Unhealthy conversation? Deji didn’t you hear me? I said I have a son. In fact, we now have a son. A five-year-old son. I was expecting you to jump up for joy or ask about his whereabouts. Or better still, ask me how I have been coping all these years. But instead, you just called it an unhealthy conversation. Like, are you playing games with me right now? Don’t you think you owe me some explanations?” She asked in total amazement.
“Listen Annabelle. What happened between us is in time past okay? I mean, the world has moved on and so did I. And honestly speaking, I appreciate your sacrifices towards me back then in school. But you see, right now I have bigger dreams and ambitions that do not in any way fit into your personality” Deji said.
“Wow!” Annabelle exclaimed with her jaw dropped in shock and disbelief. “Deji after all I sacrificed for you? Okay, I accept that it’s now over between us. So, can you now tell me what becomes of our son? Don’t you think you owe him some fatherly love, care, and attention? Or will you ditch him too?” Annabelle asked.
“What son? Look, Annabelle. Heaven knows that I didn’t ask you to keep any pregnancy for me” Deji said.
“Jesus Christ! Deji?” Annabelle called out in disbelief.
“Yes, Annabelle. I never asked for a child from you. So if there’s a son, then you should bear the full responsibility for that because I never agreed to it in the first place. Or were you thinking that birthing a child for me would hold me down?” Deji asked.
“Unbelievable!” Annabelle exclaimed in shock as she heard Deji’s words.
Her head started spinning and her blood pressure started rising in shock. She couldn’t explain what she was feeling at that moment. But she knew for sure that hotness was all over her body.
Then with anger and pain, she quickly grabbed Deji by the collar, and with tears in her eyes, she said,
“You ungrateful human. My father lost his life from the shock he got from losing everything. And that was all because of the cash cheque I gave to you Deji. My mother died of high blood pressure two years after. Deji we went bankrupt because of the sacrifice I made for you. I lost my parents and had to struggle on my own to raise our son and see myself through school. So how could you be so heartless to say such hurtful things to me after ruining my life?” She yelled to his face amidst tears.
“Let go of me you wench. I didn’t ruin your life nor did I ever force you to do all the things you did for me. Why then are you pushing the blames on me? I mean, If your parents died because of the cash cheque, then you should be the one taking the blame not me. After all, you were the one who acted without thinking. You put your family in danger,r, not me dimwit” Deji yelled back.
Hearing this, Annabelle broke into more tears. She felt her heart pierce into pieces. While Deji forcefully freed himself from her grip and pushed her to the ground. Then he went back to where his car was parked and entered his car.
While inside his car, he rested his head on his steering and broke into tears.
“I’m truly sorry Annabelle. I’ve come too far to quit now. Maybe someday, you will come to understand why I did the things I did” He said.
Annabelle sat there crying till she couldn’t shed more tears. A few moments later, she sluggishly got up from the ground and took off her shoes.
Holding her shoes in one hand and her handbag in the other hand, she staggered her way home.
And while she was trekking like a hopeless woman on the roadside, Deji who had picked up his fiancee, drove passed her with pain and guilt in his heart.
“Why would a lady be walking like a psycho on the roadside by this time of the day?” Roseline asked as soon as they drove passed Annabelle.
“Everyone has their problems you know?” Deji responded staring at his side mirror to see Annabelle whose world had suddenly turned upside down.
Annabelle trekked to her son’s school and picked him up. Meanwhile, she kept trying so hard not to burst into tears before him.
(In Keturah’s house)
As soon as they got home, Annabelle who had been suppressing her pain suddenly broke into tears. She knelt and embraced her son tightly amidst tears.
“You are not a mistake. And will never be a mistake my son” She cried.
Later in the evening after she was done narrating everything to Keturah, Keturah’s anger suddenly went from zero to a hundred.
“You said what?” Keturah shouted in shock. “I hope you were able to break his windscreen or pull out his so called fiancee’s hair?” She asked completely provoked.
“Keturah, how could I have done that when I was completely weak from listening to Deji’s hurtful words? It hurts so bad that Deji didn’t show any sign of interest in our son. He simply said my son was my responsibility because he never agreed to his birth in the first place” Annabelle revealed with sadness in her heart.
“Humans can be so unpredictable. I warned you to be careful but you didn’t listen to me. You thought he was never going to change but here he is. Now he is living fine and now has a fiancee that obviously isn’t you. Meanwhile, your life is a total mess. Urgh! I just wish I was there this afternoon to show him the stuff I am made of. I swear I would have single-handedly turned that place upside down. You are just too calm and soft which is why people easily ride on you and go Scot-free” Keturah said with her heart boiling with anger.
Then she turned and saw Annabelle in tears. And without saying more words, she simply embraced Annabelle whose heart was heavy and kept consoling her.
Meanwhile, back at Deji’s house, he was so restless turning from one side of his bed to another. With the thing, he had said to Annabelle echoing and replaying themselves in his memory.
He sprung up from his bed and quickly walked out of his bedroom to his sitting room where he poured himself a glass of alcoholic wine. Then with one gulp, he sent it down his throat.
The moment he dropped the cup on his center table, he pulled out his phone and dialed his father’s number.
“Good evening sir” He greeted as soon as his father picked up his call.
“Good evening son. How are you?” His father asked.
“Father I am not fine,” Deji responded rubbing his forehead.
“Why? What’s the matter?” He asked.
“Father, I am just finding out that I have a five-year-old son with Annabelle my school girlfriend” Deji revealed.
“What? Oh my goodness! Where is he now?” He asked.
“What’s that for?” Deji asked.
“What do you mean by what’s that for? Is he not your son?” He asked.
“He is but I don’t think I would want to meet that child or claim him as mine yet” Deji revealed.
“But why?” He asked.
“Because he will become an obstacle to my plans. And I wouldn’t want to ruin everything I have been working on for the past 3 years” Deji said.
“What exactly are you talking about? Don’t you think you are being too selfish, self-centered, and greedy? This is your son we are talking about Deji. That boy needs your fatherly love” He said.
“Father, I believe that fatherly love can wait until I am done achieving my goals and actualizing my dreams,” Deji said.
“Hmmmm. Deji, in all you do, I want you to remember that your son needs you. And don’t be too quick to forget all that Annabelle did for you” He said.
“Don’t worry father. I will make sure to compensate her the next time I see her okay?” Deji said.
And as soon as the call ended, he exclaimed,
“Gosh!”
throwing his phone on the couch.
2 weeks later, Annabelle finally got a job in one of the biggest companies in town. And with excitement in her heart, she celebrated her newfound job with Keturah and her son.
Early on Monday morning, Annabelle got dressed in her well-ironed black and white cooperate wear and found her way to Esusu Group of companies.
When she arrived at the company, she and other new employees were asked to wait in the waiting room for a brief orientation by the manager of the company.
While they were all seated and waiting for the manager’s arrival, Annabelle raised her head only to see Roseline walking into the waiting room with Deji following her from behind.
She kept staring at him until finally, his gaze met with hers.
Deji this your plan will fail