DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
EPISODE 19
Licia was just about emptying the content of the poisonous into the custard she made for Shana when she had a rethink.
Licia: “No, it is not wise for me to poison her just like that. People will suspect me and the autopsy that will be carried out on her corpse will indict me. No, I don’t want to end up in jail, that will give Femi the opportunity to frolic with other women which is exactly what he wants. I would rather frustrate her into leaving the house herself”, she quickly tucked the poison in her dress as she heard Shana’s footsteps at the corridor.
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Shana left the hospital glad but with mixed feelings. It was the second time the hospital was confirming that she was pregnant and she was afraid of having a repeat of what happened the first time when she lost her pregnancy through a mysterious miscarriage. She thought of calling Femi to inform him but she was afraid of raising his hope and dashing it before 9months. She resolved to keep the pregnancy without informing Femi until he finds out himself.”Thank God I have a maid now, at least the stress won’t be too much for me” she thought.
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Femi was having a tough day at work that day, they were having their internal audit earlier in the day and when they couldn’t reconcile their account, they went on lunch break to resume later in the day. He was tired and the last thing on his mind was food. That was one of the numerous disadvantages of being a bank manager, one was confined to a state of serious agony if one couldn’t reconcile accounts at the end of the day. He had returned to his office for a bottle of cold water when Nana walked in.
Nana: “Hello, handsome”.
Femi: “Oh not again, Nana”.
Nana: “Relax jare, no be f**k I come find”, Nana had the irritating attitude of adding the f word to whatever she says. An attitude that Femi found repulsive anytime he was not in the mood to touch her.
Femi: “Can you just stop using that F-word whenever we are in the office? It doesn’t speak well of your personality”.
Nana: “Really? So, banging a junior colleague on your table in the office speaks well of your personality? Abeg, Mr Manager leave preaching for pastors. You have no moral justification to talk about personality so quit it”.
Femi: “Nana, I don’t have the strength for your ranting this afternoon. Please go back to your duty post”.
Nana: “I came with a business proposal”.
Femi: “You business? Okay bring it on then”.
Nana: “There is this account that I observed has been dormant for a while. A customer approached me to say the account belongs to his politician uncle who is currently in Germany for fear of EFCC. The account has millions of naira in it and the owner has lost count of what he has in there. The man wants us to help him access some of the money”.
Femi: “What!”
Nana: “Yes, the man has promised to give us 20% if we help him”.
Femi: “Like seriously are you saying this or are you not out of your mind?”
Nana: “The man wants to withdraw 50million naira, imagine us getting 20% of that amount. In fact, if we play our cards well, we will demand for 50% and I am sure the man will accept because he knows he cannot access the account without the help of an insider, either he accepts or he allows the money rot in the account after all, it’s Nigeria’s money”.
Femi: “It is not as easy as you think. This is a dangerous adventure that could cause us our jobs”.
Nana: “Oh common, you are a manager, you have all it takes to make this deal pull through. That is what bank managers who are living large do. You better cease this opportunity to make yourself some cool millions. Think about it”.
She walked out of the room leaving Femi confused. He knew that the deal was risky but he could make do with some millions. Licia was milking him dry to keep their secrets, he would have gone to his father for some money but the man had told him to learn to bear his financial burdens like the man he was. He resolved to think about it over the night.
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*Months later*
Shana was getting bigger, her pregnancy was in its fourth month and she was hoping that this one would stay and make her a mother. She had already registered for ante natal but this time around it was in a different hospital. Femi had noticed that his wife was getting bigger, he suspected that she may be pregnant but he didn’t put his heart into it for fear of what happened the first time repeating itself.
At the office, he had agreed to Nana’s deal and he was stealing funds from customers account especially accounts that had been left dormant over the years.
Ayomide called to inform them that he had fixed the date for his wedding and that he was expecting to see them. Shana was more than excited, she saw it as an opportunity to change environment and also an opportunity to show off her baby bump which was the only pride she had left. Immediately Femi got back from the office that evening, she ran out to meet him.
Shana: “Sweetheart, when are we going to shop for Ayo’s wedding now?”
Femi ignored her and walked over to the bedroom but she went and met him there.
Shana: “Femi, Femo”, that was the name she called him anytime she wanted to tease him. “I said when are we…?”
Femi: “I heard you the first time. We are not going for the wedding”.
Shana: “What! What do you mean by that? Why won’t we go for your brother’s wedding?”
Femi: “Thank God you know it is my brother and not yours”.
Shana: “You have not answered my question. Why won’t we go for the wedding?”
Femi: “Because I am your husband and I say so”.
Shana: “I don’t care if you are my father but I have to attend Ayo’s wedding, he was my best friend even before I met you and ever since he returned to the country, he has been very supportive, even when you gave me the beating of my life and left me wallowing in pain, it was him who took me to the hospital. He even…”
Femi: “Oh shut up you shameless woman. And what? Are you not ashamed to tell me that you are sleeping with my brother?”
Shana: “I never slept with him, I swear I didn’t. I am not that cheap”.
Femi: “Don’t force me to beat you this night. Just stay out of my lane”.
Shana: “It is unfair, Femi. Your brother has not done anything to deserve this treatment. He was there running around during our wedding, he sacrificed a lot even though he was hurt that he didn’t get to marry me as he would have wanted”.
Femi: “You are not going for that wedding and that is final, do your worst”, he left her alone went over to the sitting room.
Licia came up to him, she had prepared the delicious Afang soup and fufu for him, it was one local delicacy that she had used to lure him to bed and she knew that she could still use that to lure him into her bed that night so she can make her request. Shana walked out of the room when she heard Femi moving over to the dining table. She was shocked to see that the food on the dining table was not the one she made for her husband.
Shana: “What is this?”
Licia: “I made Afang soup for oga”.
Shana: “You did what? What happened to the food I prepared for him to eat this night? In fact, when did you start cooking for my husband? When did that one start? Now it’s time for you to leave my house. Get out! Femi, today is today for me and you. I have had enough of this madness and I have exhausted my patience. You are not the only man in the world.”
WATCHOUT FOR EPISODE 20
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