𝟑𝟎 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐥

~~ 73. ~~

For years she had held it in. Tried to look the other way and forget about it. But coming here, sitting before him just brings everything back like it happened the day before. And it hurt like hell that she had been a fool. It hurt that she had wasted time loving this man. It was painful that she had thought he would be better. But she had been stupid.

"I'm... Sorry." The man cried.

Bertha looked at her father. She had never seen him feel so regretful like that in his life. He was a lawyer that had seen things, and meet people - criminals in fact. Things hardly move him. But here he was reeking of embarrassment and regret.

And it made her realize that she had thought wrong of the woman. And she couldn't believe her parents had made her suffer that way. And she suddenly felt this hatred for them. For both lying and hurting an innocent woman and her child whose only crime was to love.

She wiped her tears and moved her wheelchair from where she had been at her father's left-hand side. She felt suffocating in the room all of a sudden and she needed to leave before she say something she might regret.

"Bertha." The man turned to his daughter.

"Excuse me, Daddy. I can't be here." She said to him. She turned to Mrs. Jolaoluwa who was shocked to see her on the wheel. She realized that she was just seeing her on it. She had not seen it before because of the position she was in.

"I apologize for speaking so rudely to you. I had thought wrongly had d 123. I'm... sorry. I'm truly sorry. And please send our apology to your...." She paused. "To our eldest brother. We never knew he existed. And we are sorry."

She just nodded in reply and she watched the lady wheel her chair out of the room. She wondered what was the reason for her state.

"Your children don't even know why they are suffering. It's so pitiful."

The man said nothing to that but instead, he apologized again. "Forgive me... Please... Ola."

"You don't actually deserve it but I am not God. It has happened and I can't change the time. But I have forgiven you. I have forgiven you even if I can never forget all that you did and I don't want to see you ever again."

"I'm sorry." He apologized. "Thank you." The woman shook her head. "What about..."

She raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't you dare? You don't have a son with me. You made that clear eighteen years ago. Remember? So don't think further because my son acknowledges that. He has no father. And that is another reason why I am here. My forgiveness is the only thing you can receive. He never had a father and it's too late for one now." She told him and she stood up. "I hope we don't have any reason to see each other again. I wish you good health. Goodbye."

"Ola... Ola, please." He begged. But she turned a deaf ear to his plead, wiped the tears on her face away and she picked up her clutch, and left the room.

She met his wife standing outside the door. She looked like she had been crying but she can't tell if she had been listening to their conversations. Not that she cares. She doesn't need to worry about her husband been taking away from her. She was uninterested. He was nothing to her than the biggest mistake she ever made and sadly, the father of her only child.

"I'm so sorry for what I did." She begged with tears-filled eyes.

"This is just proof that nothing is permanent. Who could have thought you would beg me someday?" She asked rhetorically.

She watched the woman swallow hard and was unable to look up at her face.

"What will I gain if I keep having grudge against you?" She added. "I have forgiven you and your husband."