MY MARRIED GIRLFRIEND
CHAPTER 4
“I am sorry, babe. The right thing to do was to let you know I was on my way. But you were not taking my calls.” I spoke.
“Please, come in, come in quickly.” Her tone was urgent. Luckily, she didn’t blame the driver. Of course, it was not his fault to have brought me to Larisa’s home. He had never been warned to the contrary.
I got into the beautiful living room of Larisa’s house. Everything was beautiful and classy. The leather sofas were exquisite. The carpet was so soft I thought I would sink in it. The internal deco was out of this world. Everything signified wealth and money.
I was offered a seat in the living room while Larisa went to get me something to drink. While she was away, I continued looking around the living room and, that was when I noticed it. On the far end of the room, was an extra-large picture of two people, a man and a woman. It was Larisa and a man. The man was handsome and fresh. From their posture and body language, I figured it would be her husband. So, Larisa was married. Why had she been hiding it from me? Where was her husband?
Larisa walked in with a bottle of wine and a glass. She put the drink in front of me and I opened it and poured some in the glass. It tasted good. I had never tasted anything like that. She sat on a seat opposite me and we began talking.
“Val, I am sorry that I haven’t been able to take your calls. I have had a very bad day.”
“It’s alright, Larisa. However, it looks like you aren’t happy about me coming here. What is the matter?” I asked, sipping my drink.
“Don’t pretend you having noticed, Val, I am married. I am sorry I haven’t told you about this. The man you see in that picture is my husband.”
“For goodness’ sake, Larisa. So, you mean I have been sleeping with a married woman all this while? God will always remain righteous!! Why didn’t you tell me all this while?”
“I am sorry, I was so much into you. I love you, Val. I really do. But you appeared to me like a principled guy. If I had told you I was married, you wouldn’t have accepted to go out with me. I didn’t want to lose you. I was afraid, please.”
“But that is what has just happened now. You have lost me. All my life, I have been trying to avoid adultery. Now, look at me. I have been committing adultery for many months without even knowing. I hate you, Larisa. I hate you for making me do this.” I was furious.
“Val, please, you have to understand.” She was on her knees.
“Understand what? Why did you keep me in the dark. If you really loved and cared for me like you profess, you would have told me the truth. You would have told me I was dating a married woman, so that I would have known how to play my cards. But you kept me in the dark, for your own selfish reasons. Did you know you put my life in danger by doing that?” I was still very angry.
“Danger? Please, Val. You know I can never hurt you. You mean so much to me.” She spoke, still on her knees.
“You are mad, Larisa, you are stark raving mad. People have died dating other people’s wives. Terrible things have happened to adulterers. My father once told me that the fastest way for a man to die is to sleep with another man’s wife.” I was seriously pissed.
Actually, I wasn’t mad for nothing. By not telling me that she was married, she put my life in great peril. I could have died without seeing it coming. A man is never angrier than when he is jealous. Men are very, very jealous and covetous. Some men are even still jealous of their ex-girlfriends that they deliberately broke up with. Then, what of woman whose bride price has been paid? I have heard stories of men being stuck in the act of making love to a married woman. I have heard men being poisoned for dating married women. I know of an instance that a man was even shot right in his own home for dating someone’s wife. That was why I was so angry with Larisa.
If she had told me the truth and I still wanted to take the risk of dating her, in spite of the fact that she was married, at least, I would know how to cover my tracks. I wouldn’t be driving her cars all over the place, going to her shops freely or even allowing her sleep in my house. Why are women like this when they are in love? That was pure selfishness on her part. She cared less about my safety and security as long as she was happy.
“I am breaking up with you, Larisa.” I announced to her.
“What? You can’t do that Val. I have gotten so fond of you, please.”
“There is nothing I can do, my dear. The relationship has gotten toxic. I now know that you are married. I now know that you have a husband so, it can never be the same again.” I was firm.
“My husband is not in the country. He has been away for a while. Actually, he spends most of his time overseas. He will not be any trouble in our relationship, please.” She begged.
“Our? Who is ‘our’? As far as I am concerned, you are on your own. I am still a very young man with a bright future ahead. I don’t want do die before my time. I am going now. Bye, Larisa, bye forever, and never you call me or come to look for me again.” I said stood up and started walking out of the living room.
“Its too late for that now, Val.” She said as I was leaving and I stopped and turned around.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, it’s too late for you to abandon me now.”
“Why?
“You haven’t even asked me why I wasn’t at work today.”
“What happened to you?” I asked impatiently.
“I had been having a strange feeling for days now. So, I went to the hospital and did some tests, and the results showed I am pregnant?”
“You are what? Pregnant?”
“Yes, two months gone, Val, two months. I am carrying your child. The symbol of our love.” She said, rubbing her tummy.
“Can you hear yourself, Larisa? Can you even hear yourself? A married woman, happy to have a child with another man.”
“What can I do, Val? I didn’t mean for this to happen. But now that it has, I am happy. Just in case you are thinking of abortion, forget it. I am keeping this baby. I can’t do anything to endanger this innocent soul.”
I stormed out of the house in anger. When I got to the courtyard of the compound, I saw the driver and asked him to drive me away from there.
I couldn’t believe what I had gotten myself into. Not only had I been openly dating a married woman, I had also gotten her pregnant. The worst part of was that she was happy about the pregnancy and intended to keep it. What was I going to do? I have failed my parents. That was not the kind of upbringing they gave me. What would her husband do when he eventually found out what had happened. All my life in this town, I had been living my quiet and calm life until Larisa came in from God knows where and complicated the whole thing.
The driver was now in my neighbourhood. He dropped me in front of my compound and left. I got into my house, sat on my favourite sofa and thought about the whole thing. I decided that I needed counsel so, I called my friend Steve. I asked him to come to my house immediately if he could. I badly needed someone to talk to.
My family lived far from me. I had no one else to talk to. Steve was a player; a womanizer if you ever saw one. So, I wasn’t sure of the quality of counsel he was going to give me. However, I had no choice. I needed someone to talk to, and Steve was the only one available.
“Boy, you have hit a jackpot. She is pregnant for you. You are lucky ooh!! You are rich for life.” That was Steve talking, true to his character.
“Are you sick, Steve? For heaven’s sake, that is someone’s wife?”
“So what? What do you mean by someone’s wife? One thing with you is that you like worrying unnecessarily. The someone’s wife, Larisa, is not even worried. You are here killing yourself for nothing. Abeg.” Steve was the worst person I could ever have turned to.
“Steve, I am disappointed at you.”
“Enhe!! Be disappointed at me, foolish man. When you were knacking and enjoying, you weren’t disappointed at me. Looks like you don’t know what you have just achieved. Listen, let me tell you. Personally, I would do anything to get a woman like Larisa pregnant. Yesssss. I can’t lie to you. In fact, give her to me now and your troubles will be over. I will accept everything.”
I was disappointed at Steve. I needed someone to give me positive counsel. However, just like I had expected Steve had giving me nothing but bad counsel. I needed to look for a means to get out of this mess. It was not too late.
“Steve, can you please leave my house now? I want to go somewhere.” I told him.
“I know you are not going anywhere. I know you are just trying to avoid me. However, I have told you my own. Take my advice and you won’t regret it.” He said, excused himself and left.
I was back on my own. I checked my phone and Larisa had called twice. I didn’t answer. I went to the bath, had a cool shower, went to the bedroom and fell asleep. I woke up about two hours later and it was already dark. I checked my phone and Larisa hadn’t called again. However, there was a message from Steve on WhatsApp. It read:
“I have thought of a better idea, Val. Let’s blackmail Larisa.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
