Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Halal smiled when she heard the mild taps at the door. It had been a week since she started her new job, a week since she stopped trying to contact Darrell. Apparently he was still angry at her and avoiding her. She didn't blame him, if she were in his shoes, she would have been mad too.

The knock at the door gave her hope, perhaps he was ready to talk now. She stepped out of the bed and into her fluffy slippers, she walked over to the door and threw it open. Her little smile was wiped off her face when she saw her guest.  Lo and behold, it was the husband.

"Valentino! how did you know I was here?" she asked crossing her arms furiously. She'd have a word with that silly receptionist downstairs tomorrow about calling her first before giving out her room number to anyone.

His lips curved into a small smile "Are you serious? All the bills from the hotel are forwarded to my mail, you think I wouldn't know?" he asked resting his eyes on her.

Halal sighed impatiently "I asked you to give me some space Valentino" She said trying not to show her irritation at his visit.

He was still her husband after all, even if she didn't like that status anymore. Valentino sighed "Baby, you also said I should call you if I wanted anything. Right now I want to have dinner with my runaway wife" Valentino winked pushing past her gently and into the room.

"You didn't call!" she said following him, a frown still evident on her face. "There was no need to sweet heart,  I was around the hotel, so I decided to stop in. I even tipped the receptionist so I could surprise you" He held up some plastic bags she hadn't noticed earlier.

"What's that?" she asked with resignation, what's the point? It was Valentino and he rarely took no for an answer.

She sat on the bed and he sat beside her.  "Chinese rice, chicken soup and curried shrimps" he said smoothly handing her the bag. "I'm not really hungry, I've eaten already" she took the plastic bag and dropped it by the bedside.

"I want to work, I was working before you came in" Halal said and picked up her laptop to continue her assignment.  She'd been translating the  speech Monsieur Jacques had sent to her email, from French to English. He had an important campaign this week and she'd been busy all day.

"Work, what kind of work?" Valentino asked peering into her laptop. "I got a job Valentino, as a translator. I'm working now, can you not bother me?" Halal said rolling her eyes.

Valentino scoffed "You got a job, why? What was our agreement after our marriage?" Valentino asked looking really angry.

"That agreement no longer matters, you broke it when you started abandoning me at home for your friends and business in port Harcourt" Halal said her eyes still glued  to her laptop, her fingers tapping away at the keyboard.

"I didn't abandon you, I was making money to take care of you and the kids we're going to have in future" Valentino hissed.

Halal looked up at him and sighed "Valentino sometimes it isn't always about money, spending time with the people who love you, the people who care about you  matters more" Halal said.

Valentino sighed "I've ruined everything haven't I?  Our marriage, the love we shared, how am I ever going to make it up to you?" Valentino asked brushing her cheeks softly.

"Valentino just give me space and time, please. I want to be my own person for now, I want to find myself again" Halal said.

Valentino nodded  and got up "I guess I should leave now" he said sadly. He looked so unhappy that Halal felt guilty.

"Stay, I could use the company" Halal offered causing him to grin. "Thought you wanted to work?" he said.

"Thought you wanted to have dinner?" she retorted.

"Fair point, I'm all yours.  What do you want to do?" Valentino asked. Halal stared at him for a while and wondered briefly if he was bipolar.

One minute, he was sweet like now and the next he was extremely mean.  She didn't want to be  with someone like that, she didn't want to raise her children with someone like that. She wanted someone real like Darrell, someone who wouldn't lie or keep secrets from her.  Someone she could trust, heaven knows she couldn't and wouldn't trust Valentino anymore.

"Shiny , I am travelling to Senegal tomorrow, I have to meet up with a few people there, I can manage just fine on my own, so I won't be needing  you to come with me." Monsieur Jacques informed Halal the minute they stepped into his limo. They had just finished from an exhibition at the Eko hotel.

"Oh, Alright Boss, will you be needing anything  from me before you go?" Halal asked.

Monsieur Jacques smiled "No, shiny , but I will leave some important documents behind for you, I would like you to translate them and pass them on to my lawyer. Portia will send you his email, I trust you, darling. Please do not disappoint me "Monsieur Jacques said taking her hand affectionately.

"I won't, you can count on me" Halal assured him.

"Always" Monsieur Jacques replied.

"So I'll leave the documents with my housekeeper at home, make sure to go over to my house tomorrow to get them." Monsieur Jacques instructed.

"Alright I'll do that and when will you be returning from your trip?" Halal asked. "I'm staying in Senegal for a week, I should be back next week, probably on Sunday. Will you like me to bring you something from Senegal?" He asked playfully.

Halal smiled "I'd like something artistic, maybe a painting or a sculpture" Halal said.

"Shiny, that's why I love you, you're not like those other air heads at the office, you're my shining star" Monsieur Jacques said playfully.

At least someone knew her worth, she thought to herself.

Monsieur Jacques had his driver drop her off at a restaurant, after she gave an excuse about wanting to get some takeouts for her husband. she didn't want  Monsieur Jacques to know she was staying at a hotel and start asking too many questions.

She walked into the restaurant and sat down at a table beside the window. 'Might as well just order something to eat for dinner' she muttered to herself and turned away from the window.

She looked around the restaurant looking for any waiter hanging around to signal to.  Her eyes finally settled on the table at one end of the room, that's when she saw them. Even with the dim lights, she still recognized Valentino. But what was he doing with Daria?

Halal couldn't resist going over to the duo when she saw them. She stood up from her chair, picked up her bag and headed over to their table.

"Ahem..." she cleared her throat attracting their attention. Daria looked like a deer caught in the headlights while Valentino had a sheepish look on his face.

"Halal, what a surprise. We were just talking about you" Daria smiled getting up. Halal smiled politely and turned to Valentino. "Really Valentino, an alliance with my friend? I know what you're up to" She teased, her eyes narrowing too slits.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Valentino feigned ignorance. "I came here to have dinner, I ran into Daria who came here to get something for her family. We're both waiting for our orders" Valentino said lifting his arm to circle her waist.

"I see..." her eyes darted between Valentino and Daria for a few more seconds before she sat down. "So how was work today? we've not really had time to discuss your work" Daria said.

"I know, I've been so busy. Work is fine, a bit stressful sometimes, fun and quite exposing. I've met a lot of important personalities already and half of the time I'm always talking on behalf of my boss. I have to say, being a translator has it's perks" Halal said.

"I don't want you being stressed, you know you can always resign and return home to..." Valentino was saying when Halal interrupted "Return home to what? Loneliness, boredom, what exactly am I returning home to?" Halal asked fixing a cold stare at him.

"Return home to your husband" Valentino finished with a small smile. Daria wanted to shrink into her chair and disappear, she felt so awkward between them. Why had she come here again? She should have just ignored Valentino's offer but how could she when he sounded so love struck?

Halal must have sensed Daria's distress because she turned to Daria with a charming smile "Daria, how are the kids?" she asked. Daria smiled back "They are fine" She replied.

Halal nodded absently, she wanted to ask about Darrell too but not when Valentino was present. "How many kids do you have?" Valentino asked with interest, his hands found Halal's and he took it into his. Halal sighed and tried to pull away but his grip was strong.

"Four, four bundles of trouble. Three boys and a girl" Daria replied.

"Wow, do you plan to have more?" Valentino asked. Halal scowled at him "Are we playing fifty questions now? Besides where is the waiter, how long ago did you place your order?" Halal asked looking upset.

As if on cue, two waiters showed up. One was holding a plastic bag containing Daria's order while the other was holding a tray. He placed the tray in front of Valentino "Would that be all sir?" He asked politely.

Valentino turned to Halal "Sweetie, do you want anything?" he asked. Halal shook her head eyeing the chicken burger on Valentino's plate. "That'll be all" Valentino said dismissing the waiter.

Halal picked up the Chicken burger and took the styrofoam cup containing strawberry and banana milkshake. "I am starving" she said biting into the burger.

Valentino chuckled before waving the waiter over again to order for something else. Daria stared at the two of them for a while, perhaps the only problem between them was the fact that they didn't have children.

She couldn't wait for Darrell to solve the mystery behind Halal's problem so Halal and her husband could be happy again.

She knew Darrell suspected Valentino was responsible for the death of the children and the doctor, but she was beginning to doubt that. There was no way Valentino could be so cruel, she was going to have to tell Darrell to cross him out of their suspect list.

"Halal, Val, I have to go now. Femi must be getting worried, I left my phone at home" Daria said.

"Okay, goodnight. I'll come by tomorrow, I don't think I have a lot of work to do tomorrow " Halal said. Daria smiled and nodded before picking up the plastic bag containing her order. "Call me" she said to Halal before getting up.

"I will" Halal responded right before Daria walked away. The minute Daria was gone Halal turned to Valentino. "What were you doing with Daria? And don't give me that lame excuse you came up with" Halal said glaring at Valentino.

Valentino sighed "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine Hallie, I ran into her here. We both decided to take a table and talk, why would I lie to you?" Valentino asked.

It was the way he looked into her eyes while he spoke without blinking once, he did it all the time. That was acting, he was a professional actor. In the past he was able to fool her but now she knew better. Valentino could look you in the eye, swear on his late parent's grave and still lie to you. Smooth talker, she wasn't fooled.

"Whatever" she retorted picking up the cup of milkshake. "Will you come home with me tonight?" he asked her smiling. "No, and you can't come with me Valentino. I need my space, just let me be for a while" Halal said.

"For how long?" he asked burying his face in her neck. He planted soft kisses on her neck causing her to roll her eyes.

"Stop doing that" she pushed him away. "I miss you, come back home" He murmured softly. Halal dropped the milkshake and stood up. "For how long will you continue to do this? You want me to come back to the house, the minute I return home, you're off to Port Harcourt again. Stop playing with my emotions Valentino" Halal hissed picking up her bag.

"I'm not playing with your feelings" Valentino said. Halal shook her head, walked away from him and exited of the restaurant.

Valentino waited till she was out of sight before picking up his phone to make a call.

"Hello, how is it going? Have you convinced her to come back to the house?"

"No, I'm tired of trying. Look isn't there something else you could do? I've given you eight years of my life already, I'm tired of living this way" he groaned.

"Two more years brother, two more years. Do it for me, for your sister. Trust me, I'm doing all these for you William"

Valentino sighed rubbing his forehead tiredly. Two more years, he was going to be trapped in a marriage for two more years with a woman he was hiding his feelings for. A woman he hated hurting but he couldn't help it. It was too late to pull out.

"You know, you can always come back home to relax. I'm sure she won't mind, she's used to you coming to Port Harcourt everytime" his sister's voice caressed his ears.

"She does mind, she keeps nagging me all the time. I have to put up with a lot of shït because of you" Valentino scowled. He knew how unhappy Halal was each time he left the house and he hated it but he couldn't let his sister know that. He had to put up a facade that he wasn't in love with Halal

"Everything will be worth it, mother will be so proud of you too. She just left the house, you have to keep up with the act or everything will be ruined. Eight years will be nothing but a waste of time, keep playing the loving husband. Don't screw up!" His sister said.

Valentino sighed "The things I do for family" he muttered. He hated being the sacrificial lamb but what could he do, his fate has been sealed by his sister's hatred for Halal and desire to have her revenge.