Contract Marriage – Episode 8

 

CONTRACT MARRIAGE

Contract Marriage – Episode 8

By Amah’s Heart  

“ What is the plan B?”  Rita asked, looking from her father to her brother.

Mr Dele Coker shook his head pitifully and turned to Rita.

“ If you were not so morose as your mother, you would have kept yourself updated on our recent plans, instead of flaunting the affluence your generation cannot afford.”

Rita’s face turned sour.

“ You don’t need to be harsh on me father… I was only asking out of my concern for you.” Rita countered.

Mr Coker chuckled.

“ Concern for me or for the money?” He asked her sternly.

Rita gave him an icy stare.

“ Ever since you abandoned me and my mom at the mercy of lack, to marry a rich woman….We never complained, and worse still…you denied us as your family.” Rita challenged him with a shaky voice.

Her emotions had been running wild this days, especially with the word banters between her and her father.

“ Rita… calm down… we shouldn’t be bringing this up at the moment…. Right now, we are trying to find a solution to the matters arising…. So relax and give it some rest.” Richard told his sister.

Mr Coker remained calm and unmoved by his daughter’s speech, he  ignored her and turned to Richard.

“Get the hit men ready tonight…. Ifedola would not believe what would hit him.” Mr Coker voiced.

“ Right away dad.” 

Richard replied and made the call. 

Richard’s apartment had mostly been the center of their meeting, each time they  came up with their dëvilish plans. 

His wife; Amanda had gone out with the kids earlier that day. And so they had the liberty of conversing without the fear of his wife eavesdropping.

Richard dropped the call and exhaled.

“ Arrangement has been made…. He and his woman would be silenced on their way home tonight.” He announced.

“ Good…. In his next life…. Ife wouldn’t think of daring me.” Mr Coker replied with a smirk on his face, then standing up to leave, he added.

“…tell those hit men to make sure his uncle is framed for it….. with this…. My enëmíes will be completely eradicated…. Making the house and the company fully mine!…. Then we can live together as a family with your mother by my side.” He said, focusing on Rita and smiling.

“…or isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” He asked Rita, holding her by the shoulders.

“…I know I abandoned you and your mom…. But it was for a good course… I needed to secure your futures forever and that is what I’m doing!!….. just take a look at your brother; Richard…. And consider the sacrifices I made in ensuring that Richard had some shares in the company….. the only two left now is you and your mom, and I’m working on that…. Just give me some time.” He pleaded with his daughter.

Rita glanced at her father and exhaled deeply, her hands were folded together as she nodded her head.

Mr Coker let out a grin before walking out, bidding them goodbye.

“ Rita, I think you should cut father some slacks…. He’s really trying his best to secure our future….. but Ife is giving him a hard time…. You need to try to understand.” Richard advised his sister.

Rita fell silent as she poured herself a drink from a wine cellar.

“ You know Richard….. I worry more about you than I worry for the company.” She voiced concernedly.

“ Why are you worrying about me?” he asked her.

She sighed.

“ I worry that what I fear the most is happening to you.”

Richard straitened and shot her a serious look.

“ You are talking in parables Rita…. Why don’t you go straight to the point and shed more light!”

“ Richard…. When was the last time you called Mom?” She questioned.

“ It’s been a while…. I believe she’s doing fine Rita… what has that got to do with our discussion?”

“ That’s the point Richard…. Exactly my point…. Mom and I feared you were going to turn out like dad, and that was why she was hesitant to send you to father and his enstranged mistress 5 years ago!!…. Look at how you turned out to be…. You’ve totally forgotten your root…. You’ve forgotten the toils of your mother!! All because you were too deep chasing another man’s fortune!!”

Richard scoffed unbelievably.

“ With fortune comes sacrifices Rita…. I am fighting this battles for all of us!… You! Me! And Mom!…. I expect you to understand Rita….. poverty is an evīl båstård and I do not want it reoccurring in my generation…. That is why I opened a trust fund for Kimberly; my daughter… so she won’t have to go through what we went through!!” Richard voiced passionately.

Rita swallowed hard as she drifted in her thoughts.

Her brother was drifting away like the wind, and she was slowly losing her grip of influence on him.

Richard had transformed just within five years of being under his father. 

If only her mother listened at all to her counsels of not letting Richard go. But she wanted to be the submissive wife.

Her eyes were moist with tears when she wiped them off with a handkerchief and turned to Richard once again.

“ You still do not get it Richard.” She voiced in emotions.

“ The real poverty is not in the lack of money…. But being unloved, abandoned, and uncared for, is the greatest poverty of all times…. Do not abandon your family all in the name of chasing wealth…. Because in the end… you’ll realize they are the ones that matters the most…..” Rita paced around as she spoke.

“…Evïl is taking over you Richard….” She continued. 

“…Have you ever even thought for once that if you were to switch places with Ife, how will you feel if your father’s labour was taken away from you!!…. How will you be able sleep at night knowing fully well you mürdëred a man to stéal his fortune!!”

Richard hissed in irritation.

“ Why did you come back?… Is it to give me sermons on how to be a good boy!!!…. See Rita…. Father mustn’t know you said this or else he will not hesitate to send you back!!!…. This world is about the survival of the fittest…. Only the strong wins the battles… if you know you are not comfortable with our plans, then leave!!… But remember something!!…. This boy’s fortune was what got you the house you and Mom live in!…. This boy’s fortune sponsored your education through school… this same fortune is what made you who you are today!!…. It’s all Ife but we’re going to take it all.This….”

“ Enough!!!…. Enough Richard…. You are a completely different man from the Richard I grew up with!!!…. You know daddy will never bring Mom back because of her condition…. Instead he is busy frolicking with other women and you turned a blind eye all because of greéd….. I will never be a party to telrminating a man’s life in other to steal his money!!!” Rita yelled in tears.

“ You know what Rita!!!…. You can go back to your poverty lifestyle and embrace it!!!…. I do not give a dåmn!!!”

Rita broke into loud sobs.

“ Mom is síck!!!…. Richard!!…. your mom has been sick  for 3 years and you never bothered to visit her for once….. you got married in your mother’s absence…. Whatever happened to your conscience Richard!!” Rita accused her brother tearfully.

Richard sighed in frustration.

“ mom is a distraction to my mission right now!!… And besides she made it clear that she didn’t want to set her eyes on me again!! …. So why the emotional blackmail, as if I’m a devil?”

“ I thought it was a thing of the past…. Why is your heart darkened with so much bítterness?” Rita asked emotionally.

Richard stamped his foot angrily.

“ You know what Rita…. I need some space before my wife gets back… you can come again some other day, you need to leave.now, I’m síck and tired of you.” Richard said and walked out of her presence into his bedroom.

(Do not take credit or Plagiarize AMAH’S HEART stories)

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