I had already placed the recording device on her curtain. I texted her immediately with my other line. She didn't have my other line. 'This is Matilda. Meet me at the staircase now.
She rushed out of the room.
I crawled out of the room.
I jumped into Charity on the way.
She grinned at me devilishly. "I knew it".
"I have evidence of how your husband smashed my face on my car glass, so, watch your tongue". I winked at her and joined Raymond in the room.
He looked inquisitively at me. "Where are you coming from?".
"Jennifer Roland's room".
"What? What did you have the intention of finding there?".
"Nothing much".
My phone rang. I connected it. It was an unknown number. "Who is on the line?".
"This is Mr Chap".
My heart slipped. My father..." er...ooookay". I stuttered.
"My child, why did you marry into that family? If not for them, you would have lived like the princess that you are".
"Okay sir" I stuttered again as I looked at my curious-looking husband who was
"From your tone, I know that you are with your husband. I was told that you are not sleeping with him yet. Yes, that is a great opportunity for us so that when everything is accomplished, I will find a decent man for you. How is your mum? She would never forgive me for being a c0ward".
"Why don't you come back?"
"I will return tomorrow but we can't meet yet so that it will not implicate you".
I nodded thoughtfully. "I will call you tomorrow sir"
"I love you". He said softly and disconnected the line.
Tears filled my eyes. I have not heard my father's voice for so long.
Raymond touched my face. "Are you alright?".
"I am fine". I rose to my feet.
He sighed deeply to himself. "I don't want you to be far away from me, Gold. I am sorry about all I have done to you in the past but please, anything that bothers you, please always share it with me".
I nodded.
He searched my eyes. "Have you ever wondered why you were the only one that I had lied to all those while at school?"
"Bullied? Why?".
"I always wanted to get your attention because despite how handsome I was, you were the only girl who didn't pay attention to me. You chose your book over everything including me and it hurt my pride".
"Raymond, you never liked me in school, you hat---ed me".
"If it looked like ha---te, then it was closer to love than indifference. Do you remember that day at the library?".
(Flashback)
Raymond Roland watched Gold Dennis as she walked into the school library. He nudged his friends. "That disgusting girl has entered the library again".
Victor chuckled. "You are always the first to notice anytime she walks past".
"I notice my enemies faster than anything. Just imagine if I ask that big head out! She will jump for joy!!!".
"That girl doesn't like you at all! You believe she is so low but you always pay attention to her".
"I am doing that because she likes to bu---lly Matilda".
"Well, she is not bu---llying Matilda now, so leave her alone".
"I will only do that when she stops ignoring me on purpose".
"She is not ignoring you on purpose, she doesn't even know if you exist!".
"I will prove that to you right now!!!". He walked into the library and stared at Gold as she was reading, 'Joys of Motherhood' by Buchi Emecheta. "Is that the only Joys of Motherhood book in the library?".
Gold nodded without looking up at him and it hurt his pride more.
How can a poverty-stricken girl not know her place?
He snatched the book from her. "Since I am your senior in this school, I have the right to read what I want to read".
Surprisingly she walked to look for another book on the shelf.
His pride was hurt again. "Are you aware that your mother is my grandfather's caregiver and my grandfather pays your damn school fees?".
She shrugged and continued looking for the book on the shelf.
He had come all the way to the library and she was still ignoring him. "I will feed you with gutter water again".
She glared at him. "Why? Were you born to frustrate my life? Why is it only me that you are always after? Leave me alone! Can't you just leave me alone!!!". She fired at him.
He held her hard on her hair. "How dare you talk to your senior like that!".
She screamed. "Let go of my hair, you bastard!!!".
He pulled her out of the library and the library prefect rushed towards them, "Please, what is happening?". The girl asked as politely as she could.
"This poverty-stricken girl called me a bas---tard!!!".
"Are you not a bastard?". Gold cried out.
"Please, can you release her hair, I am begging you?".
He reluctantly released her hair.
"Gold Dennis, apologize to him".
Gold grits her teeth. "All over my dead body will I do that!!!".
"Gold Dennis, if you don't apologise to him, you will work at the school farm during school hours".
Tears filled Gold's eyes as she met his eyes. "I am sorry". She sadly walked into the back of the school and sobbed uncontrollably.
Raymond watched her and his heart hurt that she was crying so badly because of him. Even on those days that he had forced her to drink gutter water, she had never cried like that.
He knew that Gold was crying like that because she had apologized for an unjust course.
He threw a handkerchief at her and hid.
She picked up the handkerchief and wiped her tears without even bothering to know who had thrown it. "When will we be free from that family? When will we stop getting help from those bastards, huh? When!!!".
His pride was hurt that the stupid girl believed that she was something when she was absolutely nothing.
He was going to teach her more lessons before he graduated.
(The present)
I gasped at him. "So you were the big head that threw that handkerchief to me that day huh? You are so weird".
He nodded. "I was acting weird because I couldn't place what exactly I was feeling towards you until that day at Love Hotel Yatch".
"Love hotel yacht?".
"I have kis---sed so many girls before but that day with you, I subconsciously wanted you to fall for me. I was genuinely happy with you. Especially when I had sat in the car with you when the driver was driving us back home, my heart was beating in my mouth but I did everything so that you won't hear it. I missed you even when I didn't want to, no matter how I told myself that you lacked class and I needed someone with a high standard, my heart always failed me...even till now. I was genuinely happy when you rejected the divorce my grandfather had suggested. My head wanted to be with Margaret but my heart and soul wanted to be with you. All through the night, I secretly wished that you had made that decision because you loved me. All those while, I kept longing secretly for the day that you will love me".
I touched his cheek. "No matter what happens, never ever forget that I love you very much, Raymond".
"No matter what happens? What do you mean by that?".
I sobbed. I just had a feeling that someday, I would have to leave him because of my family.
He hugged me. "You have protected me all these while. It is my turn to protect you now".
Weeks later, I watched Collins as he drove out of the compound. He had not left the compound since I had returned from the hospital.
Just as I had expected, he drove to Laura's brother's apartment.
I parked behind a tree and watched him.
He parked at the front of the house and walked in.
Fifteen minutes later, he returned with the disk in his hand.
It was the disk that contained the strong evidence against Henry Roland that recorded him smashing my face.
I wondered what he wanted to do with the disk so I followed him from behind as he drove out of the compound.
He drove along the road and stopped by the bridge.
He threw the disk into the river. "Gold Roland, because you chose Raymond over me, you will suffer". He walked back into his car and drove off.
Tears filled my eyes as I drove on.
Just imagine if there was no duplicate of that evidence, Collins would have thrown away that evidence heartlessly.
I was not going to consider his feelings anymore.
I was going to add him to the list of my enemies.
Jennifer Roland, Henry Roland and Collins Roland.
I fumed as I drove back home.
When I got back home, Pa Brian was looking for me.
I rushed into his room. "Pa Brian? You were looking for me".
He threw a divorce paper at me. "Divorce Raymond right now!".
I was shocked. "Pa Brian?".
"Why did you lie to me that you were not Dennis's daughter? You are the daughter of Dennis, the fashion designer but you deceived me all this while. What are your true intentions in my house, Gold Roland?".
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