FRIDAY had come. I specially bought a black leather long-sleeved skim dress for the occasion. It was knee length. I wore black boots to match the skim dress. It hugged my non-existent curves perfectly.
Collins had offered to pick me up for his party but I refused, giving him a lame excuse.
"I'm going" I said to Onyinye who was seated on the couch watching cartoons. We hadn't talked for days. Things had gone bad between us as she was upset with me because of what I planned to do.
"If you get into trouble, don't call on me. Call on Jesus because you will need him" she replied and I chortled.
"I mean it"
"I'm not going to get into trouble. I've changed my mind on poisoning his drink. I'm just going to have see him get beaten up by the people he has hurt and possibly have a chat with him".
That was partially true. I had some chemicals in my bag to do that. My plan was going to work out perfectly.
"Whatever. It still doesn't justify ditching your boyfriend's party. See as you resemble criminal"
"I'm not a criminal. Bye" I said leaving the house. I entered the bolt ride I ordered and we went straight to Ikoyi for the party.
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I paid the driver and alighted the car.
The house was marvelously beautiful. It was a mini mansion.
"So he gave his son money to build my dream house" I wondered.
At the entrance stood two hefty men in black suits and black sunglasses. "No card no entry" one of them told me. They wore no smiles on their faces and looked like they were about to beat me up.
I gulped and pulled out the card Barrister Bayo had given me. They examined it and let me in. I stared in awe of everybody in the house. They all screamed class and wealth. From their designer suits to their designer bags and shoes. I felt out of place there.
They were very few; barely twenty people there but their presences held power. These must have been the 'odogwus' of Lagos.
My father used to be one of them, this used to be my life before he took away everything.
I breathed and walked in, looking for a corner to hide myself and execute my plan.
The house was fully furnished and decorated. Its walls were stark white and its tiles marble-made.
"This man must have used all of Lagosians tax money to build this" I thought. I found a little stool and sat on it.
"Hello dear" A woman said behind me. I turned to look at a middle-aged woman whom I thought was Collins.
She looked exactly like him: The eyes, the height, the nose, the lips, the face, everything looked like Collins'.
"Good evening Ma" I replied timidly. She wore a sparkling sequin green body-hugging dress. Her long hair was perfectly packed with some bangs falling to her face. Her expensive makeup ridiculed my cheap eyeliner and old pink lipstick.
There was no way she was related to Collins. My mind was probably playing tricks on me because I ditched Collins party and blocked his number for today.
"Umm I just wanted to tell you you look great today. I love your outfit" she said.
This rubbish I'm wearing?
"Oh! Thank you. You look nice as well" I replied.
"I'm Amanda" She said stretching her hands for a shake. She had an American accent.
"Umm. I'm.... I'm Lisa" I replied.
"Why am I always lying about my name?" I asked myself.
"Lisa... Like the Monalisa" she said smirking. She had the same classic 'Collins smirk'. Again I shrugged the thought off.
"Haha. Yeah" I laughed nervously.
"You know I feel like such a proud mom. My son is bringing his girlfriend over today and he's planning on proposing to her. You didn't hear it from me though" She revealed.
"Wow. You must be very happy"
"I am. Just that I don't know who all these people my husband invited are. I'm just dying to meet the girl. My son's been raving about her" She said and I was speechless. She was A. Azubuike's wife. I nodded in response: My plan has just become easier.
"Anyway. Carry on with what you were doing, it seems my husband needs my attention" She said and walked away. She seemed to have a calm and lovely personality, but I would still go on with my plan.
It had been forty fiveminutes since I arrived and I had not seen the owner of the house- A. Azubuike's son. Soft music played in the background as the guests greeted one another talking about business. I isolated myself to an area near kitchen island where drinks were kept hoping no one would approach me.
I took a drink and sprinkled some contents of the substance in my bag. I made sure nobody saw me.
I saw Amanda again; this time she approached me smiling.
"Why aren't you socialising with your peers?, you could meet a lot if business partners here" she said and I coughed.
"My peers? Ah! Ma these people are not my mates o!" was what I wanted to say but refrained from it.
"Oh I'm fine. I'm actually socially awkward" I replied.
"Oh that's nonsense! I could introduce you to some of my husband's associates"
"God forbid!" I thought.
"Okay ma. I'm a really big fan of your husband. I admire his work a lot. Could please give him this drink from me, tell him it's from the Coker's only daughter" I said holding up the glass. The Cokers were close associates of A. Azubuike, he would never reject a drink from them.
She looked at me skeptically and said
"Oh there's my son! Don't mind his angry face. His girlfriend hasn't been picking his calls. Let me introduce him to you" She said pointing to somebody.
"Ifeanyi over here!" She called out to him.
I looked towards the direction of her index finger and my jaw dropped.
I trembled in fear as Collins walked towards his mother. I dropped the drink and ran upstairs into a room.
"Ify meet Lisa" Amanda said turning to her side. I wasn't there anymore.
"Huh? She was just here"
In the room.......
The drink had spilled all over my dress as I dropped it while running. I began to process everything that was going on. Collins was Amanda's son, that meant that he was A. Azubuike's son too. I had a pounding headache. It all started adding up to me. My breathing was ragged. I took a sit on the bed in the dark room and continued breathing heavily.
"No wonder the striking resemblance between Collins and Amanda. So Collins is the anonymous son of
A. Azubuike. This is Collins' housewarming party"
"So I'm the girlfriend he has been waiting for"
"He was even going to propose today"
"How can I marry my enemy's son. That's impossible. Daddy won't even allow it" I said to myself.
"But how? How is he that beast's son"
I remembered Onyinye's words. "Maybe I should have just forgave A. Azubuike. I've held this grudge for too long anyway."
"No! I can't forgive him. I'll never forgive myself if I forgive him"
Memories of what I had gone through because of A. Azubuike flashed and my heart hardened more.
Tears dropped from my eyes and flowed down my cheeks like a waterfall. I wiped them with my hands but they kept on flowing.
I heard the voice of two people approaching the room. It sounded like the voice of Amanda and Collins. They opened the door and one of them turned on the lights of the room.
"Bimbo!" , "Lisa!" Collins and Amanda said at the same time. Amanda had a confused expression on her face. I still had my head bowed down in order to avoid Collins' eyes.
"What are you doing here? I've been calling you but you're phone was switched off. Baby next time I'm not letting you come on your own I'm picking you up" Collins said holding my shoulders.
I removed his hands off them while his mother just stood there watching us.
"Babe are you okay?" He asked
"I.....I... I'm not your babe" I stammered with a cracked voice.
"I don't understand. First of all tell me how you got here because I've been looking all over for you" Collins said not getting the point.
"Didn't you hear me? I said I'm not your babe okay? Your father is a monster and I hate him!"
He stared at me in bewilderment and turned to his mom. Neither of them had a clue of what was going on.
"Bimbo... Are you sure you're not drunk. You haven't even met my father and you already hate him"
I laughed sickly and said "I'm out of here!". I walked out on dumbfounded Collins and surprised Amanda.
Collins tried to chase me but his mom placed her hand on his shoulder and said "son, just let her go".
I ran out of the house like a mad woman with my wig and bag in my hands. I totally was distorted.
I took out my phone from my bag and tried to order a bolt ride to take me back home while crossing the road. I looked to my left, a light flashed at my face and I blacked out.
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Collins POV
"What just happened mom?" I asked.
Nothing was making sense to me.
"I'm as confused as you are son. I met that lady today downstairs when the party had barely started. She looked really good so I went to compliment her. She told me her name was Lisa. She isolated herself from everyone and even tried giving your dad a drink which she gave to give to him but I didn't take it" My mother said.
What was with Bimbo and giving people fake names?
"Her name is not Lisa. Her name is Bimbo and she's my girlfriend, the one I wanted to introduce to you and dad. Why does she hate dad?"
" Your girlfriend? I had no idea. Maybe you should just let her cool off. This must be a huge misunderstanding" mom advised.
We heard the screeching of the tyre of a car and Bimbo's scream. I ran downstairs like my life depended on it. I went out to the street and saw Bimbo lying on the ground with a truck very close to her.
"Bimbo!" I cried. I looked for blood but there was no blood. That meant the car never hit her.
"Bimbo!" I shook her body but she didn't budge. I carried her bridal style along with her phone,bag and wig and put her into my car. I drove speedily to the hospital where I worked leaving the driver of the truck there. My heart was racing.
I took her to a patient room and immediately examined her. Some nurses ran after me but I told them I needed space. She was still breathing, just unconscious.
She must have fainted due to shock. I put her on oxygen and sat on the chair close to the bed she laid on.
I face-palmed myself. "Hang in there for me princess" I told her squeezing her hands.
I brought out my phone and called Onyinye.
"Hello in law" she said in her usual cheerful voice.
"Hey Onyi, could please come to CA private hospital?"
"Why? What happened?"
"Just come here immediately. Bimbo is unconscious" I said and I could hear her jolting from whatever position she was.
"Jesus! What happened to her?" She asked.
"A truck almost hit her so she fainted dur to shock. But don't worry, I've got her on oxygen" I explained.
"Okay, okay. I'm coming right now" she replied
"Okay then" I said terminating the call.
I stared at her pretty face, dark but beautiful, cold but charming. Stubborn yet so meek on the inside. I wondered why she called my father a monster.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was my dad calling. "Hello dad" I said.
"Ifeanyi where are you, your mother said you ran out. Everyone's waiting for you" he yelled.
"I'm not coming dad. Tell everyone to go home. I'm in the hospital"
"How can you be working tonight. Get your self here Ifeanyi. You cannot disappoint the important people I have invited today" he said.
"I'm sorry dad but I can't be there. They've seen me already right, so let them just go home. Find something to tell them" I told him.
"Give me the phone" I heard my mother say and he grunted before giving it to her.
"Son, is she okay?" My mother asked.
"Yes mom. She's just unconscious. She'll soon wake up" I replied.
"Oh that's good. Don't mind your father. Stay there for as long as you want and be there for her okay. Have you called any of her family members?"
"Yes. I called her friend " I answered
"Okay good. Take care of yourself son" she said.
"I will, bye" I said dryly.
Forty five minutes later, Onyinye arrived.
"Hey! It took me a while to find where you were. Is she okay?" She asked breathing like she had just ran 1000 metres.
"Yes"
"How did you find her? I thought she ditched your party? And is A. Azubuike okay?" She blurted.
"Ditched my party? And why is everyone talking about my father?" I asked.
"I don't understand what's going on.
A. Azubuike is your father?" She asked surprisedly.
"Yes. His name is Azubuike Azuka" I said.
"What? So wait, you're his anonymous son"
"Yes?" I replied and she held her head.
I narrated to Onyinye everything that had happened and to say she was astonished was the least.
"My God! I warned her and told her not to do anything stupid. She actually meant to ditch your party and go for A. Azubuike's son's party but it turns out you're his son. That's why her phone was switched off. I tried to stop her but her mind was already made up" Onyinye explained and it made little sense.
"Why does she hate my father and why did she want to ditch my party?" I asked. Those were the most important questions to me at the time.
"I can't say. I have no right to tell you, she's in a better position to tell you that. All I can say is that...."
She sighed and continued "your father did something to her family years ago and she still hasn't forgotten about it. She hates your father passionately. She hates everything connected to him"
"So she hates me too?" I asked
"No! She doesn't hate you" Onyinye replied.
We stayed quiet for some minutes staring at Bimbo before she opened her eyes. I rushed to her and took off the oxygen mask from her nose.
"Here's water!" Onyinye gave her.
She looked pale and perplexed. Her eyes darkened when she noticed my presence. "I will leave you two alone" Onyinye said and exited the room.
No one said anything. I was angry at her for trying to ditch my housewarming party and she was angry at me because of my dad.
"Why do you call my dad a monster?" I started.
"Because that's what he is" she replied firmly.
"You're father is a bastard Collins and I hate him." She continued and I gritted my teeth.
"Why would you say that? That's my father!" I yelled.
To be continued...
A/N
Two chapters in one day, phew. I'll post another one later today. Drama is beginning to spark, more to come. Thank you for reading, God bless you ❤️