Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty eight

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Felicia's POV (contd)

"Felicia, I don't know what to do" Fiona cried bitterly in front of me, she had just lost her first baby owing to what she called her 'carelessness'. She had tripped and fell down the spiral staircase in her matrimonial home and had been hospitalized for a few days. She was seemingly physically healthy but emotionally? That was an entirely different ball game. Gerald of course had been pissed to no end, owing to the frustration and unnecessary pressure mounted on him. His father, Chief Kolade Gregg had him in a fix the moment I had Tolu. His consternation was understandable, but Fiona was hurt too, he was overreacting. He was supposed to be a support system but he only drifted away from her.

I, on the other hand watched my husband act like the good guy under the guise of being a caring brother in law. His hickory brown eyes, filled with pools of longing for my sister. He had fallen too deeply for my oblivious sister, and it hurt so bad cause I was willing to give anything for this man to love me but he just hated me for no reason. I lost the love of my life too and it hurt, but he couldn't care less about how I felt.

He went over to see her, every chance he got. What exactly was his intention? I had no idea. He just kept playing the part of a caring friend and brother in law without considering the fact that she would never look at him differently.

Then it happened, one stormy night. Chief Kolade had suffered a heart attack and passed away shortly after. That incident had only done more to push the warring brothers further apart. Gerald, devastated, ran to his wife for comfort. Differences finally aside, Fiona had gotten her man back, good for her.

Benson was bitter. What was he expecting? Did he expect them to be apart forever? Ridiculous. The anomaly of his behavior did not seem to deter him. It irked me so much but I had to remain silent, I didn't want my secret exposed to any one else. It was bad enough that he knew my child wasn't his and my sister knew it too. I would have been too ashamed to face anyone if it came out in the open.

He came home drunk that night, enraged, irate, livid, you name it, and as usual he took it out on me. He forced himself on me that night and believe me when I say I was scarred for life. He showed no remorse,and even the next morning he looked repulsed, the gleam of disgust still evident only with more austerity. I was doomed for an unhappy life, I knew it but what I didn't know was, it was just the beginning.

****

Pregnant.

I was pregnant again, with HIS child! I was frantic, he was so unpredictable, I had no idea how he would take the news.

I could not tell my sister, it would've broken her. She had no clue about whatever I was going through with my husband and I promised myself to not worsen her plight. She was going through a lot and I did not want to add to it.

I kept mute about it for the first three months until he began to throw a fit over something so petty, I can barely recall it. He was about to hit me but for the safety of my baby, I pleaded, and eventually blurted it out. That seemed to calm him down a little, but he threatened to kick me out if the child did not turn out to be a boy just like the first who wasn't even his blood. Those were his words, and I prayed so much that God would have mercy on my poor soul and give me a son. Thankfully, I had a boy, Femi. Benson was elated, I had never seen him so happy, he was so sweet and caring,I thought, I really thought my marriage was going to see the light at the end of the tunnel, I truly hoped for it.

For the next two years or thereabout, there was a lot more sweet than sour. Fiona and Gerald had moved further into town after Chief Kolade's death, it kept me away from the drama just for a while. I needed that reprieve but it was an arduous task, taking care of my sons and working an eight to five job with a somewhat absentee husband and father. I needed help and I sought it.

One beautiful Saturday afternoon, I had my kids over at my sister's new home and I casually mentioned that I needed a nanny for my kids.

"Why would you want to hire a nanny when I'm here?" She asked, blowing raspberries at my giggling baby boy, Tolu ran around her, tugging at the hem of her dress. Oh! She loved them to death and it ached my heart to see that she was yet to conceive. I could sense the pain she was trying to suppress.

"But you work too, I can't add to your burden whilst relieving myself of mine"

"Well..." She drawled and that piqued my interest

"Fiona, what happened? Did you lose your job?"

"No" She sighed heavily.

"You resigned?"

"Yes"

"But... Why?!"

That sounded very much unlike her. Fiona loved her job as a vet doctor. It gave her immense joy to take care of those animals.

"Gerald asked me to"

"What?!"  I yelled startling the baby who started fussing immediately. His cries only added to my frustration.

Fiona was patient enough to hush him, probably as a means to hide her grief.

"Fiona..." I whined after the baby was finally asleep. The suspense was killing me.

"He said the job is distracting me and I need to concentrate on making babies for now"

"Oh my!"  I gasped, "I'm so sorry".

"No it's fine sis, he's right. Maybe I was too distracted with my work that's why..." She hesitated. I knew just where she was heading with that statement.

"Don't ever say that. It was not your fault and I know the baby will come at the right time, everything will be fine okay?"

She nodded and went into my embrace.

To be honest, I was disappointed in Gerald for his rash decision making techniques. It hurt my sister so bad and I was beginning to see arranged marriages as a curse. Neither of us were us were happy. Gerald and Fiona may have loved each other but they were not given the time to discover it enough before tying the knot. Their weaknesses kept getting in the way of what could have been a blissful union.

My marriage on the other hand had been a disaster from the very start but there was no going back, I had to do it for my sons.

She agreed to babysit the kids while I was away at work and they'd usually spend the weekends at her place, but I didn't think of the consequences. When Benson found out, he was elated. I actually thought he was concerned about me but he was more interested in seeing Fiona. He would go over to her home even without my knowledge with the excuse of checking on his kids. The nerve of this man!

I wanted him to look at me with love and adoration, just like he did to Fiona but he never looked my way for more than a second. I kept mute, reticent as always.

Two years on, with both my boys in school, and me getting promoted to a managerial position, I had a lot more time at my disposal. I was able to get Fiona to stop babysitting the kids, and I had started to invest in various business, building my empire, piece by piece.

The sibling rivalry between our husbands was beginning to brew again. Their father's will was going to be read after much delay.

Chief Kolade unsurprisingly had a lot of offsprings, most of which were females. Gerald and Benson were his only sons from his last wife who had passed owing to a fatal accident that had her bedridden for months, five years after the birth of her second child, my husband.

The most important property for them was Gregg Corp, the then, massive construction company known all over the country. Everyone knew it would go to the sons, as the other petty businesses and properties were divided amongst the thirteen females and their respective mothers.

As expected, Gerald being the eldest was appointed CEO/President and Benson, his vice.

Greed, jealousy, strife that was all that followed. I always wondered why Benson wanted it all, he was embittered by the mere thought of his older brother being his superior. What a maniac! He actually felt his brother had all the good things. I mean it was only fair the eldest had the largest share but no he didn't see it that way, he just took it out on me, but what else is new?

The telephone rang one afternoon while I was busy fixing lunch for the kids. An excited Fiona was the person who chirped over the phone, it was contagious.

"I'm pregnant, Felicia I'm pregnant again, for the first time in years"  She squealed

"oh my goodness, I'm so happy for you sister, this one is going to stay, I'm sure of it"  I reassured, knowing how doubtful she could be.

"I know, I can feel it too" She affirmed my thoughts.

I beamed at that, I ended the call headed for the kitchen. Benson was there, he heard everything, that put him off from his frivolous visits to Fiona for a few months.

The baby came and it was a girl, a beautiful baby girl. Gerald was overjoyed, he finally had a child. His joy was cut short abruptly when at the christening ceremony, my 'lovely' husband had the audacity to rub it in his face that he had a daughter instead of sons which meant he had no heir. They almost had a fist fight but for the timely intervention of the family members, my father in particular.

Yes, my father was still alive but he had been traveling around the world, just to enjoy his old age by spending his hard earned money. We hardly ever saw him after our weddings but on this occasion he was very much around.

"I'm taking a break"  Dad had said.

The party came to an abrupt end and we all left unceremoniously. For the first time since I had been married I stood up to my husband and reprimanded him for his childish attitude. I was pained because he had put my sister under pressure once again to give a male child in spite of just having a baby. Gerald would never let her hear the end of it. These men had massive egos, they would stop at nothing to massage their bruised egos.

It annoyed me to no end, and even when he tried to hit me, I fought back and ran for cover, locking myself and my children in my bedroom. Yes, we did not share a bedroom. Good for me.

I did not see him for days, several days. I couldn't care less about it at all, it was good riddance and much needed rest of mind, thank you very much.

My sister was enjoying being a mother. I was genuinely happy for her but I could still spot the traces of anxiety. She was walking on egg shells around her husband. Gerald was a sweet father no doubt but he wasn't being a very good husband to Fiona.

I confronted him, I had no idea where I was getting the sudden boldness from-may be the fact that I was a six figure earning, independent, working class woman- but I was loving every bit of it.