past lives

Chapter 15: He lets her go

Doc Monica tried to show Joe reasons why he should let Eve go. "You started out wrongly.... what if you had gone over to her and introduced yourself. Maybe you'll say.... Hi... my name is Igwe Joe Obinna I'm a rich igbo business man.... can you go out with me? I've noticed you for a while now.... can we start out as friends?"Monica smiled at him.
"If I had used that approach she wouldn't even look at me. She has Ekene,they have been friends for years and they both liked each other.... If I had gone to her that way,I would have only made a fool of myself". "We will never know now,would We?" Monica said to him.
"Enough of all that..... what should I do now doc?" He asks sincerely.
"Can you let her go?" She said to him "Can you let her go completely?" "No I don't think I can" he replied her almost immediately.
Monica told him to let her go and that he should also get close to her as a friend.  Maybe she would see past his mistakes of kidnapping her.

After going back to his hotel room, Joe called his secretary and asked him to look for a house close to Eve's school and former building. He wants to rent it,furnish the building and let Eve move there. Atleast she would be free to do what ever she wanted and she wouldn't feel caged like she has been all these while at his mansion.

The next day after work he went back to his mansion. Hoping to find Eve in her room but instead she was watching an Indian drama and she was smiling.  Not knowing that someone has been watching her for a while now.
He enters and makes a sound while she jumps up with fright.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you.... How have you been?" He smiled and sat next to her but she got up and went over to the next chair.
"I'm wrong" he says,moving over to her chair. "I know I did wrong.... I behaved like an animal. My doctor said i did wrong and I admit it". He tells her sincerely.
Eve looks at him and asks if he is willing to let her go and he says yes.
With her bright and happy eyes she asks again "Really?? Can i really go?"
"Yes you can leave my house but you'll technically still be staying at my house" he tells her with a smile on his face. "What do you mean Joe?"
"I bought a better house,close to the one you used to live in. It's not as big as this one but it is comfortable and you will definitely like it"
"So that means I'll still be your hostage? No.... I'm I'm not leaving this house" she replies feigning her anger.
" That's fine with me too. I thought i was doing you a favour. Your school graduating party is close and none of your friends have heard anything from you. Both of them are worried and they have begun to ask questions.  Ekene is still searching for you and guess What? There's a rumour out about you not missing. The rumour says you are with your rich boyfriend.".
"What rich boyfriend.... no one will believe that" she says angrily.
Then she sits back and tells Joe how boring she was as a person and everyone knew she wasn't dating anybody. In the past she only attended classes and went to work  she didn't even have anytime to make friends. The only friends she has are Jenny and Ekene and they are also the closest friends she has as well.
Why would anyone believe a made up nonsense she asks herself. She wasn't that sort of a person.

Eve made up her mind that she would leave the mansion and go over to live in the house Mr.Joe had bought for her. Atleast she will get to see her friends and also live her normal life which was everything she had ever wanted.

That evening Eve continued to think. She thought long and hard about what she was going to say to people when they ask her where she had been all these while. She knew Ekene would never believe that she actually left to stay with her rich boyfriend and same goes for Jenny. They knew she wasn't dating anybody and they also knew that she wouldn't run away to live in a strange place that was far from her home. She kept on thinking about what to say to them until she fell asleep.

When Eve woke up that morning she  felt great and happy. Today is her last day here and she kept on reminiscing about the first time she was brought here and how she first reacted to being kidnapped.  She had thought that Joe was a ritualist. Later she thought he was some psychopath but now she has seen and observed his behaviour.  She may not be a doctor or some therapist but she knows that Joe wasn't  a bad person. All these while she had been here,he truly treated her like his guest. She unknowingly became the mistress of this big mansion and all the servants obeyed her.
He bought her new and trendy clothes. Got  someone to make her hair every week. He was always nice to her except the days when he lost his temper and almost ruined her. She still feels scared when she remembers that day and that event but as long as Joe is willing to let her go and even get her a house,she felt that it wasn't all bad. He wasn't all bad. He just needs love and cannot take no for an answer. At last she is finally going to be free. She had learnt alot about life these past few weeks.