Battered Wife

17

He met my gaze and sighed, "I didn't realize how little you think of me until this moment. Do you really think I would harm her?"

"Aderemi David Popoola, where is my daughter?!"

"She's safe. I didn't do anything to hurt her."

He seemed sincere so that made me feel better but not by much because I would never feel great until I had my daughter in my arms.

"Okay, where is she?" I asked again, sighing and sitting down.

He slid a paper folder to me. "Read and sign that if you want to see her."

I stared at the paper folder, stared at his face and then stared at the metal fountain pen on his desk which resisting the voice in my head directing me to just jam that pen in Remi's neck and get rid of him forever.

I moved the paper folder closer and opened it, trying to remain calm despite my shaking hands as I tried to read the document. However, my eyes were out of focus and the words just seemed to be dancing everywhere due to my anxiety.

I closed the paper folder and stared at Remi. "What does it say?"

"Just read it and—"

"What does it say?!" I couldn't help raising my voice so high that I knew his secretary could probably hear me.

"It's a divorce letter. If you sign it, I'll take you to see Adesewa." He said.

"You're just giving me a divorce letter? Just like that? What's the catch?" I stared at him with red-rimmed eyes that hurt and felt like they were bulging out of my eye sockets.

"Nothing much. Adesewa is still our daughter but I'll be responsible for providing her needs. After the divorce is completed, I'll even let you see her and take her to home for the weekend."

"In other words, you kidnapped my daughter so you could threaten me to sign an uequal contract giving you undeserved custody of her?"

"Yes...No, I didn't kidnap her. She's my daughter!" he snapped.

I stared at him, my hand shaking more and more as images of me grabbing his head and slamming it into his keyboard over and over filled my head.

I took a deep breath, released it and continued inhaling and exhaling as I tried to calm my nerves.

As if he wasn't the one who had gotten me to my current state, Remi's voice softened, "I know how much you love your daughter, so how about we forget about this divorce business? Just remain my wife. I promise that I'll stop sleeping with Busayo and Kemi. Divorce will only lead to separation with your daughter? I really can't let you take her away because she's of my blood and—"

Before he could say more, I stood up in a swift movement that would have shocked me if I wasn't so insane with anger.

I took the fountain pen on his desk and knelt on his desk, pushing away the files in front of me until I could hold the fountain pen's tip to his neck. "Where is my daughter? I'll only ask one more time and then I will push this biro into your neck and end your godforsaken life. Look me in the eyes and tell me where my daughter is."

I don't know what he saw in my eyes but he must have known that I was very serious in that moment as he shakily nodded, "She's with her grandmother."

I nodded because I'd thought as much. "Which of the houses?"

"You don't know the address to this one."

"Then tell me where it is!!!" I yelled.

"It's in Iroko town, just a few kilometers into Ogun State. Around that Alakuko area."