Now That You Are Here – Episode Three (A Tale Of Deception, Betrayal And Murder)

Read Episode 2 Click here

“Like seriously?” The words rolled out in clipped tones. He turned and stared at her sheepishly, trying not to meet her icy stare. Damilola folded her arms under her naked breasts, staring daggers at him. The effrontery of Gbade! Fuming silently, she stood up from the bed and snatched her bra from the corner which it had been discarded during the heat of passion. She walked out of the room, the anger seeming to radiate around her. She slammed the door behind her for emphasis.

He was cheating and doing it to her face. That was adding salt to the injury and she wasn’t going to take that. She was a beautiful woman that guys found attractive, she could easily have any man she wanted yet here she was feeling blue over a guy putting her in a love triangle. She headed straight to the liquor cabinet, poured herself a glass of vodka and downed it in one gulp; squeezing her eyes shut. She poured another glass and with the bottle in hand, she headed for the living room.

Gbade didn’t like her drinking habits and the thought brought a wry smile to her face. Screw him! I am done pleasing the self-centered son of a no good bitch, she thought bitterly as she took a direct swig from the bottle, not bothering with the glass again. To imagine, I have turned down good prospects these last two years for this guttersnipe, she fumed silently. Where did I go wrong? She had always had a bad history with men but Gbade was different. She had thought she had it right with him.

She stood up from the couch and paced back and forth. As she walked aimlessly around the living room, she alternated between sipping from the glass cup and drinking directly from the bottle.

“Baby I am sorry about the interruption, can we go back to bed?” He came into the room, his expression apologetic.

She hissed to dissipate the angry retort that was forming on her lips. She had to be careful; her tongue was venom. She had to watch what she said in the heat of anger. Dripping with saccharine sweetness, she answered sarcastically, “Oh really, is the other woman done with you now? Don’t you be in a rush little sweetheart, tell her she can have more of your time. Damilola isn’t in a rush to have you back.”

A frown formed on his handsome features, “Have you been drinking again Dammy, you know I don’t like it when you do. Please go and brush your teeth and let’s get back to bed.”

“Screw you!” She replied with a huff and threw the content of her glass in the direction of his face.

She watched the surprise register on his face before she breezed past him without a backward glance. She entered the bedroom, her body shaking with suppressed anger and locked the door behind her. He can sleep on the couch or any of the other rooms for all I care, she said out aloud and plopped into the bed which only moments before had been witness to their passionate affair.

***

The situation didn’t get any better over the next few days. Mirabel’s calls became more frequent and he wouldn’t stop talking to her despite all of Damilola’s anger. At first, Damilola was angry and then her anger changed to pleas. She begged him to respect her presence and stop his affair with the other woman.

“What the hell do you take me for Gbade. You can’t say you want to be with me and you are still picking her calls.”

Other times, she would find herself crying, “What do you really want from me? I thought you said it was just sex with her? At least have some decency and wait till you get back to America. ”

Gbade would calmly reassure her that there was nothing between him and Mirabel and to even prove his point, he started referring to Damilola as his fiancée. There had been no previous talks of marriage between them before so when he mentioned the word fiancée, Damilola found her hopes surging high once again.

Maybe their relationship still had a chance after all? Wasn’t it natural for men to cheat? She would ask herself. Maybe I haven’t been woman enough for him, she would further defend him to herself.

As the days rolled by, she found herself making excuses in her head to cover up for his infidelity. To show how special he was to her, she went on to prepare another special dish of his while he was busy working on his laptop for a special client one evening. She was pleased when she saw the delighted surprise on his face and as he kissed her she felt herself transported to the days of old, before there was any Mirabel in the equation of their love.

When their love story had first begun, she had been genuinely happy. Maybe they could still get that back. She had to try. She just couldn’t give up without fighting for her man. She hardly took a bite out of her own food instead she chose to stare at him dreamily as he ate and when he was done, she cleared his plates without being told, playing the dutiful housewife.

She was washing the plates in the kitchen when Gbade came behind her and wrapped his arms around her, nibbling on her ear. Giggling girlishly she said, “Stop it Gbade you can see I am working. You are going to get soap all over yourself.”

He laughed, “That won’t be such a bad idea now would it?” Turning her to face him, he kissed her fully on the lips and untied her apron as he led her away from the sink.

Clothes came off and trailed them to the living room, they never made it to the bedroom. Damilola found herself urging him on as he took her against the living room couch and she let herself scream out in ecstasy when he branded her with his seed before collapsing against her. She held him to her and found herself crying silently.

Kissing her tears away softly, he whispered, “I am here now Damilola, we are going to be fine! I love you.”

In a shaky voice, she whispered, “I love you too.”

Only if she knew that was only the beginning of it all, maybe she might have had a rethink and not been too quick to think of a bright future ahead.

To read Episode 4 Click Here