The intercom rang, inviting everyone for breakfast. Claire came out from the shower. She had to wear something provocative. She needed to show a lot of flesh so her ex husband would have a last memory of her.
S
he picked out a jean bum pant and a black crop top. This was good.
She tried it on and was amazed at the woman before the mirror. She parked her hair in a messy bun and put on her big googles.
Time check; 8:02am.
She picked her phone, iPad and the file. It was time to be wicked.
*******
Kelvin came down with his bag. He would leave immediately after breakfast. He didn't want to witness the war that would come with the lawyer. He sat at the dinning just as Michael showed up too. They greeted and settled down while Chika started serving them. Breakfast was white rice and fish stew, fried plantain and fish. There was also freshly made mango juice.
He wondered why she wasn't down yet. Maybe she was still sleeping. She had come home late last night so he understood.
He would go say bye before he left.
********
His heart was beating very fast. He didn't know if it was excitement or fear. He wondered why his soon to be ex wife wasn't down yet. Maybe she was taking it hard. He imagined her to be crying in her bathroom while the shower ran and a smile appeared on his face. He wondered what her reaction would be when Amara comes in. He was going to enjoy the torment she would go through emotionally.
He picked a plantain and savoured the beautiful taste when his eyes caught someone coming down the stairs.
Was that Claire? Damn!
He choked and Chika offered him water immediately.
Kelvin had seen that and he smiled inwardly. This was going to be fun but he didn't want to witness it.
"My goodness, you look like you're going for some bikini check. Gosh, I feel like eating you raw right now." Kelvin commented.
"And I feel like spanking you too. Good morning." She placed her stuffs on an empty dinning chair and sat on the next one.
"Morning fine face. I see you slept well."
"With the fun from last night, you bet I did. Chika serve me juice first."
The helper got to business immediately. She loved this side of her boss.
"Morning Mike." She greeted absentmindedly.
He could only nod since he had not found his voice.
Was that her natural butt? When did it grow that big? Damn! Her legs looked sexier now and her flat tummy? Or the hidden navel he always licked when he's about to eat her out?
He swallowed hard. But he already made his choice. Amara was hotter in bed, more slimmer. The shape didn't match with that of Claire but he'll manage.
"So Kel, you're all dressed up and I didn't miss the bag in the sitting room. What's up? Is it not too early?" Claire asked, sipping her juice and looking up from her phone.
"Yea. You know Gertrude isn't too healthy. I need to go home to her. Plus, we need to do a lot."
"Yea. I get. I'll still call her and welcome her to the family."
Kelvin laughed and took the last piece of plantain on his plate.
"My flight is for 9." He stood up.
Claire stood with him and in the next minute, they were in each other's arms.
"Call me yea?" Kelvin said.
"Of course I will."
"No matter what, be calm and don't do anything I won't do."
She nodded and he kissed her forehead.
"Be careful."
"I will."
He looked at Michael.
"Man, see you later."
"Okay. See ya."
They shook hands and he gave Claire a loving smile before he left.
She was going to miss him but he had given her all the support she needed so with or without his presence, she'll be strong and win this fight.
She was about asking Chika to serve the main course when the door bell rang.
Chika excused herself and went to get the door only to come in bearing a huge box.
Claire recognised the box. The exact one her sister had left the house with. She knew what was coming next so she braced her mind for it.
Michael stood up with a smile as soon as Amara appeared with a smaller box.
"My baby."
They shared a warm embrace and a quick kiss.
"Welcome home my love. I've been waiting."
"I'm here now."
They hugged again, showing how excited they were.
"Uhm, what's that your name again? Send that box to Michael's room then you go outside and send in the rest."
Chika nodded almost out of shock and moved the box.
**********
She felt insulted as the new couple stepped back to the dinning. She watched as Michael helped her sit.
She took her eyes away and saw Chika struggling at the foot of the stairs with the box.
"Chika? That's where you'll stop. Come serve me my breakfast." Claire said calmly but with the charisma of the boss she was.
Chika quickly left the box and ran to the table.
"One more thing please, nobody should get anything that belongs to me from that kitchen without my permission huh. Until I leave this house at least. Did you hear right?"
"Yes madam."
"Good. I trust you'll handle it well but just in case I'm not in, use your hands hmm?"
Chika smiled and went ahead to dish out the food for her boss.
*********
Anybody would be able to figure out the confusion written on Amara's face.
What happened to her timid elder sister? The Holy Mary of the house?
She was expecting a weak frame but the Claire she saw looked healthy with a glowing skin.
And what was that she was wearing? When did she learn to do bum pants and crop tops?
This wasn't the welcome back she had anticipated but then, she still had news and that one would definitely hit her hard.
"Let me serve you my love." Michael interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes please." She gave a fake smile.
***********
"You can go now. Have your own breakfast because I'm sure it'll take time for some people to eat something so you and Ebere should go on."
"Thank you madam."
Claire dismissed her with a nod and started eating.
She'd looked at her sister who looked malnourished, like she's not been eating and her heart melted. She had planned not to allow her taste anything on the dinning but she remembered what her mother always said, "do not punish someone with starvation."
But she won't do this after today. Since her so called sister could be this unjust to her, she would cast her soft heart away and give her the same treatment. Besides, the measure you give you shall receive.
She'd spared her sister, looked over every wrong she'd done, given her lots of chances. And she ended up not only spoiling the child, but giving her free assess to come into her home to ruin it.
*************
"Wonders shall never end. Two sisters are in battle over a man." Chika said as soon as she stepped into the kitchen.
"How? What fake news are you spreading now?" Ebere asked.
"My news are always first class so please, hold it there."
"Okay, sorry. Tell me what's happening?"
"Amara is back and she came back as Mr Michael's wife."
"What! You must be joking. What about our boss?"
"They're getting a divorce. But I've made up my mind o. I'm not staying in this house like I planned earlier. I'm leaving with our boss." Chika said matter of fact.
"Why?"
"Did you just ask me that? Hmmm. When Amara was in this house as a junior madam, how was she? Wicked and without heart. Imagine now that she's the main boss."
"My good God."
"Yes. Your good God. Cause I'm sure she'll kill you when she realises you're pregnant for her husband. Take my advise eh, tell our boss or you abort that thing." Chika said, dishing out her own food.
She looked at Ebere one last time before leaving the kitchen.
Ebere sank to the floor. Her life is ruined already. In her quest to get laid by a rich man, she had messed her own life.
She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. Any way is a way though.
*********
Her phone rang and she smiled upon seeing the caller ID.
Time check. 9;31am.
"Good morning.... Hope the traffic isn't much..... Alright, see you soon."
She dropped the call and picked a new plate. She dished out plantains and a tail of fried fish and stood up, pushing her almost empty plate of rice to the side.
She picked her properties in her left hand and picked the plate with the other hand and looked at Michael.
"Call your lawyer. Mine just called. Let him be here on time so we'll get this thing over and done with."
They watched her cat walk out of the dinning.
She was not crying or doing any of the things they'd thought she would do.
Amara didn't like this new sister of hers but she consoled herself.
She still had a bomb waiting to explode.
"What is wrong with her please?" Amara asked in a whisper.
"I don't know. This is what I've been seeing since yesterday that's why I asked you to come very early." A confused Michael answered.
"Wow. This change wasn't what I expected but all the same, I'll take it one at a time."
"Just eat. I've missed you."
"But you just left my house yesterday. Is that how much I drive you crazy?"
"Of course. Come sit on my lap so I can feed you myself."
"Awww. You're gonna spoil me silly. But don't stress. I need to relax and eat this. It's been long I ate home made meal."
"Alright. Let me call my lawyer and see how long it will take before he gets here."
"Okay."
****"******
She looked at her phone. Phil was calling. She swiped it to the green icon and placed the phone to her left ear.
"Hmmm. Thought you'll never call." Claire said.
"I'm sorry babes. I lost a client so I went to pay my condolences."
"Oh. So sorry."
"Thanks baby. How's it going over there?"
"I just finished breakfast. I'm waiting for the lawyers to show up."
"Uhm, are you sure you wanna do this?"
"Phil, do you want me to beg for a family? He asked for a divorce and I'm giving him one. Heaven knows i tried to make us work but its clear he's grown tired of me. As we speak right now, my sister is officially here as his new bride."
There was silence from his end. After some seconds, he spoke up.
"I'll pick you by 3, we're going to the beach."
"Phil....."
"We'll talk there, trust me okay?"
"Alright. See ya."
"Bye."
She hung up just as Micheal walked in.
"He'll be here soon." He said before sitting down on a single couch.
"Oh. Okay." She replied and picked a piece of fish, concentrating on the movie she was watching.
"How come you appear so calm about all these? Does that mean you've also wanted out?"
She looked at him and smiled.
"Honestly, I've never wanted out but then, I got to experience what it felt like to be in the arms of another man and now, I really really want out."
His eyes shot out.
"You mean, you both are having sex already? Just yesterday?" He thundered.
"You also mean you've been sleeping with my sister?"
He looked away.
"Anything else? You wanna say something else?" Claire asked.
Amara walked in and gave both of them a questioning look.
"What's happening here?" She asked no one in particular.
When no answer came from any of them, she sat on Michael's legs and put her hands over his shoulders.
"Don't tell me you're already having a bad day already huh? Let me spice it up for you with this news."
"Hmm. Let me hear it."
"Uhm, I'm PREGNANT!"
She screamed the last word so everyone would hear.
Michael couldn't believe it as he stared at her excited face.
"I'm pregnant with your first child honey." She clutched her stomach.
"You...... I'm gonna be a father?"
"Yes baby. Our baby."
They embraced each other happily.
This was good news to him, the best so far.
**********
The words pricked her ears and she fought not to cry. She played deaf ear to their charter, instead, she thought of the good time she spent with Phil the previous evening and the tears went back to its place.
But somehow, that word echoed back to her head.
Amara had really gone far. She had it all planned out but she won't let things play out in her favour. NEVER.
She wasn't barren and Michael knows that.
Anyways, it was only a matter of time and she'll add flesh, become lazy and loose shape and he'll see it was same with all women.
He might even be stupid enough to beat the foetus out of her.
The last thought caused her to chuckle and she started laughing at her own sick thoughts.
How can she wish her own sister ill luck? She must be getting high with fever or acute malaria.
*********
Did she just hear a chuckle followed by a laugh? No, this wasn't happening? What thick skin did she develop that the news of her pregnancy didn't inflict pain to her?
"And what's funny? Looser?" She asked, standing up and going to face Claire.
"Nothing dearie. Just laughing at my own sick jokes." Claire replied with all calmness
"Silly jokes my foot or you're just trying to hide the pain and ......."
"Whoh. Easy tigress so you don't say some things you end up regretting. Little kids should have at least twenty percent respect for anybody who's older than them. Plus, you shouldn't make noise while you're in same room with me. Adiro adi abuo ayi ara(two people can't be mad at once)" Claire admonished.
Amara flushed. Something was definitely wrong somewhere.
She looked at Michael who had his jaw dropped.
The door bell rang and they all looked towards the entrance.
"Finally." Claire said and stood up.
**********
The house was as still as a graveyard until Michael spoke up,
"You're not serious. James, what are you saying? It can't be."
"Mike calm down. I've got the papers here with me. 28th February 2017. You had signed this papers two days after your wedding. Claire wasn't there with you. In your own words, you had said it was love. I remember warning you about it but you clearly shut me up."
"Jeez. How did she find out then?" Michael asked, looking at the silent Claire.
"I'll come in here. And while I'm at it, don't shout on my head." Claire said.
Micheal slumped on a nearby sofa. Everything has gone wrong. Everything.
James, his lawyer had walked in first, followed by another young man in his early thirties.
They had gone down to business straight and he found out that the only thing he owned was his father's company and a farm house somewhere in Abuja plus a Lexus 300 which happened to be an old one.
He was madly in love with his Claire that he had signed all he had to her name. He bought their cars with her name, he changed the property papers to her name. Who does that? He was sure he didn't tell her about it so how did she know?
"The day I moved out of our room, the girls had taken every file in my wardrobe. I saw it and kept it for you, hoping to give it back when you come home from work but what did you do? You came home that day and beat me to near death. I almost lost my life that day. But I still kept quiet. I still endured, struggled to get you back on track but you refused. And when you asked for divorce, I forwarded the papers to my lawyer and the rest is history." She concluded, looking at Michael's pity face.
Amara stood up and walked out. This wasn't happening. She won't leave this house for anybody. She stopped at the stairs and shot Claire one last look before going away.
**********
"It'll take a week for your divorce to be processed. I'll ask that you two take things easy till then. Claire, can I see you for a minute?" Barrister Alex said after everyone had signed the necessary papers.
Claire stood up and followed him outside.
"What do you intend to do with the properties? Its not wise for these papers to be carried around daily."
"I know. But believe me, I don't intend to take anything except this house and I won't keep it either. I just want to show him a little of what I passed through with his betrayal and all that."
"Just be careful. Desperate men can go any length to get what they want."
"Thanks Alex. Let me walk you to your car."
*********
"James, I'm finished for life. How did I put myself in this mess?"
"If only she didn't see the papers. But, Mike, what went wrong? Just two years and its like this, where is that love that made you put everything in her name?"
"James, forget that question first. How do I get out of this mess?"
"Talk to her. I know Claire, she's just putting up a strong wall. She'll listen."
"Are you sure?"
"Except you are the one who is wrong." James stood up. "I'll see you in a week."
"Okay. But I'll still call you."
They were about to shake hands when Claire walked in.
"Sorry James, I couldn't offer you anything cause it was on a formal ground. But now, what do I get for you?" Claire asked in a pleading tone.
"I'm good Claire. I've got other things to do. Besides, breakfast is still fresh in my stomach."
"Okay then. Take care."
James nodded and left while she turned to head to her room.
"Let's talk less about this. In one week, I'll be selling the house so don't talk much." Claire said and made to brush pass him.
"What? You're selling my house?''
"No. My own house."
She glanced at the wall clock and hissed. 2;01.
"I beg to be excused please. My date will be here very soon and I've not even showered."
And with that, she found herself going up the stairs while Michael struggled not to let the tears flow.