The Brilliant Wife 17
© Ndukwe Ularinma
Around 3pm the next day, a CCTV recording of Jerry visiting a hotel with a young girl surfaced. In the recording was Jerry smoking and having useless fun with the young girl who was not up to 18. Well, Jerry was not more than 18 too. He was very young but many people commented that he was a paedophile. Thus the words #paedophile #JeJuboutiqueowner was up. This news made the sales of the boutique go down. What was worst was that Juanita had gone down into early labour and was at the hospital recuperating. Jerry was taken for investigation again and detained this time with no coming out until evidences were found.
Then Luke posted recordings of Jerry walking girls in and out of a hospital. Many people understood it as taking them there for abortion and it remained the most watched short clip.
………
Evidences were secured but Jerry was let out on bail because of Juanita. He had spent one month in detention. Juanita had emaciated a lot and was no longer pretty. Jerry felt pity for her and watched as she drove them home. Fortunately, the baby was safe and doing fine.
“Who did you offend?” Juanita asked as they both entered inside the house.
Jerry was shocked by her statement. He did not offend anybody. “Nobody,” he replied and sat down.
“Really?” She asked him and threw to him some pictures. “The police already has evidence about you taking girls to the hospital for abortion,” she screamed at him.
“Calm down Anita,” he screamed back to her, “I offended no one, okay.”
“So how did this pictures come out?” She asked.
On the pictures were photos of Jerry and his gang members, each picture showed him as he was growing. How he started with drugs and furthered into sleeping with prostitutes.
“I have no idea,” he replied her and felt his forehead, “I am tired and I have been thinking a lot lately.”
“Have you contacted Henry?” She asked.
“No,” he replied, “I don’t want to have anything to do with him.”
Juanita sat on the chair, “the business was shut down by the government will be the next thing we will hear. Let’s sell the boutique,” she advised.
“ How much do you think they will price it?” He asked her.
“ I don’t know,” she shrugged her shoulders, “maybe a billion.”
“Laughing at you bae,” he told her, “you sure have a high price for a dilapidated building.”
“Let’s sell the boutique and leave town,” she told him and held him, “let’s go.”
Jerry looked at her and the tummy which was shooting out, “we can’t leave the town or country. It’s police order,” he replied her and laid her to rest on his shoulders.
………….
The boutique was put up for sale but nobody patronized it. They had no source of income but money kept flowing out. Juanita was nearing the end of her third trimester. Jerry have forgotten about planning against Henry. He couldn’t venture into drugs as he was watched and he refused to go beg Henry for help. He was disappointed in himself. He couldn’t travel. He was stuck and lost. He had to plan for the baby. Nobody agreed to buy the shop.
It’s been two months and no scandal was up about him. They had both given up hope for the boutique when Jerry received a call that there was an interested buyer.
Episode 18
Due to her heavy pregnancy, Jerry insisted that Juanita should remain at home. She had refused but Jerry insisted and she obeyed him by staying at home. She convinced him to sell the boutique at any good price. He hugged her and drove to the venue.
……….
Judy and her lawyer sat together in a coffee shop. Her back was facing the door so when Jerry entered the coffee shop he didn’t recognize her. He called the number of the supposed buyer and she told him the number she was seated, Jerry raised his head and saw the table. “Okay, table number 7, you with the blonde hair,” she confirmed and he walked up excitedly.
Out of excitement, he brought out his hand for a handshake but retrieved it when he saw the client was Judy. “Hi there, Mr. Jerry Brandon,” she greeted.
Jerry felt awkward. He was dumbstruck. Judy was now very beautiful and her facial features were delicate. He remembered how he had used her 3 years ago.
“Are you surprised to see me?” She asked him.
“Ye-No, good day Miss. Judy James,” he greeted and sat down. “Are you the buyer?” He asked. The Judy that he knew was poor and liked relying on others.
“Who else do you think is the buyer? I think Mr. Jerry is behaving in an unprofessional way,” she paused and introduced her lawyer, “here is my Lawyer, Mr. Luke.”
“Good day Mr. Luke,” Jerry greeted and Luke smiled at him. Jerry had a hard time smiling.
“I have heard of all the rumours and scandals surrounded with this shop,” she was saying, “I don’t know if you are aware of them?”
Jerry could feel her mocking tone, “I am.”
“So what’s your starting price?” She asked.
“3 million,” he replied.
“What?” Judy pretended to be shock, “where can I get that sort of money?”
“If you don’t have it you shouldn’t have wanted it in the first place,” he said to her.
“Woah! Look who’s preaching! I have 500 thousand,” she said to him.
500,000 was not enough for what they spent for the shop. “What? That’s ridiculous,” he blurted.
“Your shop had been on sale for the past 3 months and nobody agreed to buy it. Even those who wanted it gave up when seeing the scandal. They don’t want trouble,” she told him.
“You are very accurate, Miss. Judy,” he replied her and offered a stiff smile, “ but 500 is a low price. My wife and I spent more than that in stocking and setting up the shop.”
“That has no business with me. My last price is at 800,” she said. The word “ WIFE” pierced her heart but she refused to show it.
“ 2.5 million,” he said to her.
“ 900,” she retorted.
“ No, 2 million,” he told her.
She stood up and Luke followed suit, “ have a nice day mister Jerry Brandon. I wish you meet a potential buyer who will spend big money on an abandoned shop.” She was about leaving when Jerry said, “1.2 million. Please my wife is currently near her due date and we need this money to help ourselves please, Miss Judy,” he sincerely begged.
“Fine,” she said, “1 million and that’s final. The 200,000 is for damages you inflicted on me years ago when I passed through painful operations to remove children for you,” she smiled bitterly, “I should have known, I was not the first.”
“Fine, 1 million,” Jerry settled on that bitterly. He urgently needed the money.
They both of them sat down and Luke presented to him legal purchase documents. When asked to sign, he was surprised to see Judy as the CEO of the biggest technology company. He sighed in regret and signed. She was looking very good, dressed in the latest release of Brandon Jr. Wears which cost millions. They each shook hands and left after transferring the money to his bank account.
