Chapter 16 Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

"Never underestimate the ones you perceive to be weak or quiet. It's all an act,  believe me they have mapped out different ways to ruin you"

*********************

June,

Victoria Island,

Lagos.

Amanda.

"Don't you think separating him from his family is a little too much, how far are you taking this thing Amanda. They are his family, remember that" Davina said.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "I'm not separating him from anyone, I'm just teaching them a lesson. His mother especially, she'll learn not to step on my toes or address me as a nobody again. I'm not a walk over" Amanda said. Her phone buzzed again, another text message.

"Are you still ignoring them?" Davina asked curiously.

"Yes, if they want to talk to me they know where to find me" Amanda said.

She read the text message it was from Denola's father. 'It is important that you call me back, I'd like to have a word with you' She hissed after reading the message.

"I swear you're low key wicked" Davina teased. Amanda chuckled and dropped the phone aside.

"Do you him love though?" Davina asked her smile dropping a little. She knew it was hard for her friend to be committed to something or someone.

Amanda nodded "I love him very much, I didn't think I would love anyone else after...after you know who but Denola is everything" Amanda said passionately.

"If he proposes to you will you marry him?" Davina asked curiously.

"I don't know....should I?  I am hiding so much from him you know" Amanda said.

"Think about it Amanda, if you tell him everything now he'll leave you. If you tell him after you're married to him, he'll be upset but he'll forgive you" Davina said.

Amanda sighed "Who says he's going to marry me anyway?" she asked. Davina smirked and crooked her finger towards Amanda.

"What?" Amanda asked curiously. "Come closer, let me tell you what a little birdie told me" Davina said.

Amanda grinned and moved closer to her friend. "We talked a lot after the movie on Saturday. Denola is crazy over you,  he just kept asking me if you'd ever agree to marry me" Davina gushed.

Amanda's grin widened. And.....what did you say to him?" She asked.

"I didn't say much but Amanda......Denola is planning to propose really soon. You might as well start making peace with your in-laws" Davina teased.

Amanda chuckled. "He is going to propose, really?" Amanda asked again her heart beating fast.

Davina nodded still smiling. "Wow, did he say when?" Amanda asked. Davina nodded again "He said pretty soon, he didn't give me a specific date" Davina responded.

Amanda squealed "You're not messing with me are you?" Amanda said wide eyed.

Davina shook her head "But I'm not supposed to tell you, I'm only telling you because you're my best friend and you need to prep and get your shït together before then" Davina said.

Amanda pulled her into a hug "Thank you so much Vee. I swear you're the next best after Denola" Amanda said. Davina chuckled and squeezed her arm. "You're lucky I love you Sans" Davina said.

Amanda shut her eyes. "It's been a while since I heard that" She muttered.

Davina sighed "There are sometimes when I just want to call you that, but I shouldn't. We should bury everything in the past,  I also think Amanda is a beautiful name" Davina said kissing her cheek.

"Thank you very much Vee" Amanda said.

"Anything for you baby girl" Davina said.

*

Hakeem continued to ignore the knocks on his door, he didn't make an attempt to answer it even when it came the fifth time.

He knew it was Nadia which was the more reason he didn't want to answer the door.

He wasn't ready for her episodes and normally he'd have gone to the club to avoid her as usual but he also didn't want to go to the club because his head and his system had not yet recovered from the excess alcohol and loud music from the previous night.

The next knock came harder than the previous. "Open the fücking door asswipe!" He heard an angry growl.

Definitely not Nadia, she would only speak to him that way if she'd grown some pair of balls overnight or if she was insane. She never spoke in such manner or used curse words like that.

His two faced wife,  saint on the right and the devil on the left.  "I swear to God Hakeem I'll break down this fücking door if you don't open it this minute. I know you're alive in there!" The voice continued and so did the banging.

Hakeem got out of bed immediately at the sound of the angry voice, he knew who it was and he was beyond furious that she'd dared to come to his house even after warning her to stay away.

Jadesola Mayfair, a complete pain in the aśś.

Hakeem yanked the door open and right outside the room was Jadesola Mayfair dressed in the skimpiest clothing he'd ever seen.

As if the length of the dress wasn't bad enough, the fish net like material it was made of was even more terrible.

And there was Nadia dressed in a pristine white robe, no part of her skin on display looking at Jadesola wide-eyed.

"Why did you let her into the house without asking me first and most importantly why did you let her upstairs?!" Hakeem asked Nadia angrily.

Nadia was about to tell him that she hadn't let his female friend into the house but she'd pushed her way in to the house and stormed upstairs without listening to her when Jadesola  held up her hand.

"Please...as if she could stop me from entering this house. I'm a little hurt you didn't tell her about me that I'm not a guest and I'm very familiar with this house" Jadesola winked at Nadia who in turn sent Hakeem a hurt filled look.

Hakeem knew she thought Jadesola was one of paramours but he didn't bother to correct that thought, let her think whatever she wanted.

Nadia shook her head disappointed and walked away.

Jadesola glared at her retreating form irritated "That's who you married? That doormat, a mouse, a mute who can't speak up for herself, a complete walkover. No wonder you haven't stopped seeing those bïtches, because your wife wouldn't dare confront you about it.  I bet she never talks back at you, the meek lamb" Jadesola said loud enough for Nadia to hear.

Hakeem rolled his eyes but didn't say anything in Nadia's defense.  She had a mouth of her own after all.

"Jadesola what the hell do you want from me?!" he yelled when Nadia was out of sight.

"I told you...that Amanda girl was going to ruin my brother. You stupidly said she was good for him, well congratulations. Denola has quit his job. Thanks to his girlfriend!" Jadesola hissed.

"He what?" Hakeem asked in disbelief.

"He quit and has refused to see anyone of us. How long do you think my dad and grandfather can run the company? Thanks to Amanda our legacy will be ruined. She has successfully brainwashed my brother" Jadesola screamed.

"Amanda....couldn't possibly have....are you serious?" Hakeem frowned.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?  One minute she's threatening my mother, telling her that she was going to take her son far away from the family. And the next minute my brother is spitting insults at my mother and quitting his job. Thanks to that bîtch" Jadesola screamed

Hakeem sighed and held Jadesola by the shoulder. "Sssh, calm down. I'm going to get your brother to come back to work" Hakeem said.

"How? He only listens to that bïtch and it's pretty obvious she's not going to help us talk to him. This is what she wants" Jadesola said.

Hakeem sighed, Jadesola was right but she didn't know he had a hold on Amanda.

He was going to set things straight. Hakeem sighed, how could Denola not see that Amanda was going to be his destruction.

Surely he wasn't that blind or stupid. Hakeem shook his head disappointed, of course he was. Denola was blind and stupid in love.

• • •

"She had two personalities, the sweet, loving angel who could do no wrong. And the venomous demon whose bites were more poisonous than a snake"

******************

Mid June.

Victoria Island,

Lagos.

Amanda.

"Hakeem is here to see you and a couple of other people, I'm guessing the Mayfairs" Davina informed.

Amanda shook her head. "I'm not seeing any of them till Denola gets back" Amanda said stubbornly.

"Babe, remember that you can go to war with the Mayfairs but you can't go to war with Hakeem. He knows your secrets" Davina said.

Amanda sighed 'Not all of them, just more lies I'd spun for him' she muttered to herself.

"Then I will see only Hakeem, I'm tired of their bullshit. One minute I'm not good enough for them and now they are waiting in line to see me" Amanda scoffed.

"Amanda stop being like this, his grandmother is out there. How do you think Denola would feel when he returns and finds out you kept them waiting outside his house?" Davina asked.

Amanda groaned. "Fine then! I'll go see his shït aśs family" Amanda said getting up from the sitting room sofa.

She walked over to the door and threw it open. Hakeem's face came into view. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked Amanda furiously.

"I'm coming out to attend to Denola's guests" Amanda answered in sugared tones.

"Listen to me Amanda, I don't know what you're playing at but you better stop before you get injured" Hakeem hissed.

Jadesola moved to stand beside him and planted a hand on his shoulder. She looked between the two of them as they glared at each other.

"Is that a threat?" Amanda asked Hakeem.

"Yes it is" Hakeem said narrowing his eyes at her.

Jadesola took note of the situation and knew immediately that Hakeem had something on Amanda, he'd probably found out what she was hiding. Jadesola instantly wished she could find out what Amanda was hiding too.

Amanda shook her head in disbelief. "What do you want?" Amanda asked him.

"You have to see the Mayfairs now,  you've kept them waiting long enough" Hakeem ordered.

Amanda nodded before walking out of the house to attend to Denola's family.

Atalia Mayfair clenched her fists when she saw Amanda. "Please come into the house" Amanda said politely.

Dame Mayfair stepped forward and smiled at Amanda. "There won't be any need for that, I would like to see you tonight with my grandson for dinner" Dame Mayfair said.

Amanda shook her head. "I'm very sorry ma but I won't come. The last time I came there I was thoroughly embarrassed, insulted and humiliated. Your family did not fail to make me feel like I didn't belong there, like I was nothing and several other times since that day they've not failed to continue doing worse" Amanda said.

Dame Mayfair sent her a small smile

"The last time you were at my son's house, I'm inviting you to my home now. I'm very sorry for how the Mayfairs treated you previously" Dame Mayfair said.

Amanda nodded "Thank you Ma, I'll speak to your grandson about it when he gets back. Would that be all then?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, please make sure you come. I know you can convince my grandson, please do. It's important that the two of you show up for dinner. Have a lovely day Amanda" Dame Mayfair said before turning  to leave.

Hakeem drew in a long breath and went along with Dame Mayfair, holding her hand as they walked to her car.

Amanda let out a little laugh once the Mayfairs were inside their car. "Now they want to see me" she sneered before walking into the house.

Davina looked at her in askance but She ignored the questions in her eyes. "What did they want?" Davina asked aloud.

"You want to pretend that you weren't eavesdropping or what?" Amanda asked a little irritated.

Davina glared at her "I wasn't!" she said equally irritated.

"They want Denola and I to come over for dinner at the Mayfair estate. Let's face it, the only reason I was invited is because they know I'm the only person who can convince their grandson to see them now. He wants nothing to do with anyone of them, which is just fine!" Amanda huffed.

"Amanda, don't talk that way. Is it not obvious that they want to end the hostilities already. You and Denola should go to the family dinner tonight" Davina encouraged.

Amanda glared at her in return. "I'm not going there for dinner or anything else and Denola isn't going too because I'm not telling him anything!" Amanda spat before leaving the sitting room.

Davina sighed and sat down on the sofa. What did she know about relationships and family drama anyway?  She was the last person who could offer anyone advice because she too had failed in her relationship.

*

Hakeem was surprised to see Denola at the bar later at night, he assumed Denola would be at the family's estate tonight for the dinner he and his woman had been invited to.

Disappointed, he walked over to Denola with a scowl on his face. "What are you doing here man?" he asked.

Denola frowned "What, I'm not invited to you bar anymore?" Denola asked surprised.

"You know what I'm talking about don't try to sneak your way around it. Aren't you supposed to be at the Mayfair estate tonight? First you quit your job and now you're avoiding your family because of a woman Denola. Really? I thought you were better than that" Hakeem hissed.

Denola's frown deepened at Hakeem's statement. "Man what the hell are you talking about?"  Denola asked angrily.

Hakeem sized him up and moved forward "I swear...if you ask me that question again, I will hit you hard on the head so that you will think hard and fast like a man again.  You want to deny that you know nothing about your grandmother's visit and her dinner invitation?" Hakeem asked.

Denola moved back and threw him a look of confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked again. Seeing genuine confusion on his face Hakeem refrained from hitting him.

"Amanda didn't tell you....of course she didn't. I swear that girl is just a...." he stopped short in order not to offend his friend.

"Your grandmother came over to your house today since you've been ignoring everyone's calls and messages. We met Amanda in the house and Dame invited the both of you to dinner. She said it was pretty important"  Hakeem informed.

Denola's eyes widened in surprise and then darkened in anger.

He'd seen Amanda when he got back from clearing his previous office.

She'd been pretty closed off so he assumed she was in one of her moods again and decided not to bother her.

Davina had been nowhere in sight so he'd left for Hakeem's bar instead.

"I didn't know, she probably forgot to tell me" Denola said.

"You're making excuses for her again. She didn't forget anything Denola, open your eyes. Amanda hates your family and she wants to separate you from them. I know you love her and you plan on proposing to her but think about it Denola. Really think about it,  any woman who hates your family doesn't love you enough. This is Nigeria, you don't just marry a man, you marry his family too despite their faults. You're the only son and the heir to Mayfair, you can't just abandon or forget about that.  Use your head Denola, it's obvious now that Amanda is the one using it" Hakeem shook his head in disappointment before walking away.

Denola sighed, Hakeem was right. He loved his family but he loved Amanda too. Why couldn't they just get along and make things easier for him?

His family had to accept Amanda and Amanda had to accept his family too. How could he make that happen?