Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty nine

Felicia's POV (cont'd)

I made up my mind to confront my erring brother in law at his workplace, not wanting to bother my sister. Nothing prepared me for what I saw that sunny afternoon.

I rapped on the door slightly, the top floor was pretty busier than I expected and that came with a lot of noise. Hearing muffled sounds from the other side of the door, I assumed it was Gerald beckoning me to step into his lavish office.

The horror filled gasp eluded my lips before I could stop it. "Gerald! I thought you loved my sister!" I screeched, mortified. He blanched. You guessed right, he was eating out some other woman's face right there in his office. He was so ashamed, he couldn't look me in the eye neither could the whore who was still seated on his thighs.

The fact that she did not move a muscle even after walking in on them in that compromising position, pissed me to no end. I lost it! I took off my newly purchased high heeled shoes and aimed it straight at her head. Bullseye! It hit the target perfectly and she yelled in pain, jumping off him and landing herself on the floor. Served her right for trying to wreck my sister's marriage, that would serve as a warning to her cohorts. This man had a crazy sister in law who could kill any woman that stood in the way of her sister's marriage.

Gerald was astounded, stupefied in fact. The girl kept whimpering in pain, I couldn't care less. My eyes met Gerald's, the message was clear, he understood. No, I wasn't going to tell my sister, it would have broken her. My warning was more than enough reason for my brother in law to keep it in his pants. He began sucking up to me because of that, more like he was afraid that I would spew about his rendezvous to his wife, but I did not mind, at least it got them happy again, their ship had begun to sail smoothly,but no journey was without its bumps.

Another year and some months later, Fiona was expecting baby number two, surely she and Gerald had been very busy. He assured himself and everyone who cared to listen that he was going to have a boy this time around.

Filthy rich as he was he had had their trust funds set up with a whooping sum of money,that left me gaping as soon I heard about it from Fiona. Her excitement was infectious and I blurted it out to Benson before I knew it. He was surprisingly calm about it, too calm. It raised my suspicions but I chose to not read too much meaning to it, perhaps, he was starting to mature and take things as they were. Boy was I wrong, this acrimonious being was as resentful and malicious as always.

Our sex life had taken a turn for the better, he wasn't forcing himself on me and even if he wasn't exactly buttered up as one would have hoped, he didn't act repulsed after the act. The problem was, he had made the mistake of calling Fiona's name instead of mine while we were at it. It was no mistake, I knew, but my foolhardy need for validation from him made me pretend to not notice, that my husband pictured someone else whenever we got intimate. How stupid of me!

The acme of all problems finally came, I thought we had gone through enough and we could pull through anything that came our way but, no, fate had never been on our side and it did not fail to prove its point in the sudden turn of events.

Fiona was most probably a month away from delivery and I had gone to be by her side, I took my kids along with me, Benson had been throwing too much tantrums and I didn't want anymore of it. He still cared for Fiona, me going to live with her meant she was going to be well taken care of and that was his only concern. He never visited though, but he would subtly ask about her wellbeing whenever we spoke.

The tragic event occurred that fateful day, 12th August, 1996. It's still ingrained in my memory and haunts me every single day. The children were out, playing and I sat outside watching them. I took a short, three day break from work to spend time with them. Gerald drove in like a crazed person suddenly, much to my surprise. I did not question him as he was visibly enraged. He stormed inside the house, and soon I heard yelling, both Fiona and himself arguing so loudly, I wondered what the problem was. I slowly tiptoed inside to avoid being seen or heard.

My hunch was right, Gerald cheated again, my sister found out and was irate about it. She called his mistress and threatened to rain hell on her, the leech reported this to her lover and he drove down to his home to warn the woman he supposedly loved to stay out of his business. The nerve!

He was about marching of the house again when she pulled him by his arm with all her might. Whatever she said to him must have struck a chord because he shoved her with just as much agility and stormed out without looking back. She tripped on her dress, I wasn't quick enough, I wished I had been close enough, maybe just maybe...

Her back was on the ground before I could get to her and she had hit her head on the tiled floor with so much force, I knew it was a major emergency, she was bleeding, it was a deep gash. I screamed for help, Gerald was nowhere in sight,no maids, no driver, no one was there to help me. I ran out of the compound, and found a neighbor of theirs who I frantically explained my plight to, he rushed in with me. I grabbed the car keys, just as the young man carried Fiona who was rapidly losing blood. She was slowly getting unconscious and I had to keep yelling for her to stay awake. The kids went with the kind neighbour's wife, he drove, while I sat in the back doing everything in my power to keep my sister awake. I made her sing so many of our favorite songs just so we could make it to the hospital.

We made it, she was placed on a stretcher and rushed into the ER. According to the doctor, she had to undergo surgery without delay for the baby's survival. It was a 50/50 chance for either of them. Believe me, in my whole life, I've never prayed as much as I did that day. I called Benson and he came so quickly, frantically asking about her well being and inquiring what exactly happened. I told him and he was so enraged, I could practically see the steam coming out of his ears. He was asking of his brother's whereabouts when he came in, looking distraught. Benson sat there seething, Gerald had his head in his hands while I paced the room in panic. The doctor came out hours later, the surgery was successful, the baby was fine, the mother? Not so much. Fiona requested to speak with me, I rushed on without hesitation.

The moment I set my eyes on her, I knew it wasn't going to end well. She held my hands in hers and pleaded with me to take care of her girls. Yes, she had a daughter, not a son as someone had predicted.

"Felicia, I can't continue living like this. I'm not happy, I know you aren't happy either. This arranged marriage thing was such an awful idea, if only dad knew what he was getting us into he wouldn't have allowed it. I want you to promise me, promise me you'd take care of my girls and love them like your own, don't let any harm come to them. Please Felicia, you're my only hope" She pleaded, I promised her. "Tell Gerald, I love him but I deserved better than what he gave me. I hope Benson treats you better when I'm gone, yes sister, I know he's been in love with me ever since, he has always professed his love for me but I have always rejected" She turned to her baby who laid in the cot fast asleep. That last piece of info left me speechless, she always knew? Benson kept hitting on her? God, I was so agitated but I kept it aside, it did not matter now. "Her name is Crystal Tititola Gregg, she's precious. Tell her father this and make sure he accepts it. Tell our father that I love him so much and I'm thankful for everything he's done. Please don't leave Benson, I'm sure he'll change after I'm gone..." Her breath hitched, she was leaving, for good. I agreed to everything she said without thinking of any consequences.

" I love you sister, so much, thank you for always being there for me" her eyes gleamed in gratitude, all I could bring myself to do was nod in response.

I gave her a hug so tight, I knew it was going to be the last one. I knew in my heart of heart, the moment she fell that she wasn't going to come out of it. This was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Fiona took her last breath on my shoulder, she laid limp in my arms afterwards. The realization hit me, she was gone for good, that was when I found my voice, that was when the tears began to flow. I wailed so loud, the doctors came in and saw her dead body, covered it up and took it to the morgue.

When the gentlemen seated outside got the news, it was a horrible sight.

Benson had to be escorted out of the hospital at this point because he unleashed all his rage and almost beat his older brother to a pulp, Gerald could not even bring himself to fight back. It was over for him. I relayed all that his late wife had told me to tell him and all he could do was sit there and stare into space.

I had lost a part of myself when Fiona died, but I didn't realize it until much later.

The funeral, it broke me a thousand times over. It was the final goodbye. I had two additional children to take care of,Laila and Crystal. Laila was just two at the time so she could barely understand what was happening. Gerald was a shadow of himself, he just sat by the grave stone, letting guilt eat him up. I had never seen a man cry so much in my entire life.

The girls were in my custody, their father was in no state of mind to handle them. It was understandable.

Gerald fell in love with his baby girl and bought her heaven on earth. She was his precious one, that's what he told me, she was the gift Fiona had left him.

Only about a month after Fiona's death and the birth of Tititola, tragedy struck again. The overly excited father was involved in a ghastly motor accident on third mainland bridge, owing to brake failure, his car was destroyed beyond repair and his body was never found. It was all over the news, the tragic deaths of a beautiful couple only a month apart. People speculated that they could not stay apart from each other for so long, that was why Gerald's supposed death wasn't too far apart from his wife's. In the space of one month my girls had become orphans, Benson and I became their parents from then onwards.

As expected, Ben took over the company and everything that belonged to Gerald shortly after his death. He had become more withdrawn ever since Fiona died but I couldn't blame him, the sudden turn of events had everyone of us exhausted. My father was so devastated he had a breakdown and was bedridden. I had to take a break from work, thanks to my family status, they let me stay away for as long as I wanted.

My father died, a few months later, after making me promise to not leave my marriage for any reason. Under duress, I agreed. I endured everything, all to keep those promises and take care of my kids . I felt empty, the series of losses I had to suffer that year, shook my entire being, I don't know how I pulled through.

I lost track of my true purpose along the way though. But you can't blame me, I'm human too, I'm no super woman, I'm just someone who wants to be loved.

*****

This is the last part of Felicia's POV, the next `chapter`` will be written in our main character's point of view.