Astrid reread the text message for the umpteenth time. It didn’t make any sense.

As if on cue, Harnet’s call came in, which she quickly accepted.

“Did you see your invite?” That was the first thing Harnet said.

“So, it’s real?” Astrid replied after a couple of moments, “I assumed it was a mindless prank.”

Harnet sighed over the phone. “It’s real Astrid, and I’ll be glad if you could attend.”

“But a family dinner?” Astrid’s voice had uncertainty, “isn’t that a bit too much?Hanny I’m scared, I do not want drama and your mother-”

“Will behave herself.” Harnet completed, “I promise you that. Just come, you’re our sister, you’re family.”

“Will-Will Father be there?” Astrid struggled to ask.

“Yes.”

Astrid shut her eyes briefly as relief flooded through her. He was going to be there.

“He asked personally for you to be included at the family dinner,” Harnet continued, “so please come.”

“Okay.” Astrid voice was tight with emotion as she nodded, “I’ll think about it.”

Unable to say anything again, she hung up, inhaled deeply and exhaled hot air through her mouth and nostrils.

Her father wanted to see her. He had finally acknowledged her presence in his life.

It was overwhelming and unbelievable.

Astrid wore her blue satin bonnet over her head as she trudged over to the kitchen. She placed her dinner into the microwave and pressed the operating buttons.

As she waited, random thoughts swam her mind. Why would her father suddenly decide to see her? What was his motive or perhaps did he want to talk to her about managing his hospital in London?

Astrid shook away the thoughts. He was her father who wanted to see his child. It was enough for her and she should be happy, not overthinking.

She turned some spaghetti Bolognese into a plate and strolled over to the dinning table where her laptop was on and ready for her to work.

Astrid went over to her wine cabinet and took out her favorite non-alcoholic grape wine, next, she grabbed a wine cup and returned to her seat.

She opened her skype application on her laptop and placed a call to her mum. While she waited, she turned wine into her cup and took a sip of the fruity flavor.

“Choon-Hee?” her mum called her by her Korean name which made her warm inside.

“Eomma.” She greeted, “hello.” She looked at the screen again and found out that her mother was moving about. It looked like she was in the kitchen. “What are you doing?”

“Washing my dishes, I just had dinner.” Her mum replied,

“But Eomma, it’s like one am, why did have dinner so late?” Astrid couldn’t help but ask.

Her mum stopped doing the dishes, wiped her wet arms on the kitchen napkin and stared at her. “But are you not also just eating? Why are you complaining about me?”

Astrid sighed. “Mum, that’s not the point. I’m young, you’re-elderly.”

“Says who? I’m still young!”

Astrid laughed, almost chocking on her food. She really missed her Eomma.

“So how was my beautiful daughter’s day today?” Her mum asked as she retied her long black hair with elastic before continuing with the dishes.

Astrid sighed. She couldn’t tell her mum about TJH but she could tell her about her father.

“Father invited me to his family dinner tomorrow night.” She said.

“And do you want to go?”

“Eomma, I don’t know.”

“He is your father and the primary reason you left for Nigeria.” Her mum reminded her, “so you want to deny yourself this first-rate opportunity?”

“Eomma, I don’t want to cause trouble for his family,” Astrid said, “I’m a mistake, I should’ve never been born.”

“Haven’t I warned you to stop calling yourself a mistake?” Her mum’s expression was serious, her cat like eyes were focused on her through the screen. Even as her mum was fast approaching her golden jubilee age, she was still radiating in youthful beauty.

“It is never and was never your fault,” her mum continued, “and you are the biggest blessing in my life, a gift to me, my beautiful spring time daughter.”

Astrid almost teared up at those words, but her mum couldn’t understand from her perspective. No one could expect from her. She was a product of a forbidden love between her parents.

Astrid couldn’t blame her father’s wife for hating her, she would too if she were in her shoes. Her husband who she had trusted had cheated on her and had a love baby outside.

On the other hand, she had to suffer silently for her parents’ consequences. While her father’s other children were being celebrated, she was being hidden. When her father acknowledged his other children, she was forgotten. When she needed him at important occasions in her life, he was never there. While his other children bore his name, she had to bear her mother’s last name instead so as not taint his political career and image in his country.

Astrid had to feel the heat of everything.

“Choon-Hee?”

“Hmm Eomma,” she blinked back into reality, “my apologies, I drifted away, what were you saying?”

“Why don’t you go for the dinner and see what your father is like?” Her mum suggested, “from there, you would know what to do.”

Astrid sighed as she picked on her dinner, suddenly loosing interest in the food, “but his family,” she murmured, “they hate me.”

“You are not going there to please his family Choon-Hee,” her mother reminded, “you are going because your father invited you as his daughter. You are going there because of your father so be confident.”

Astrid smile widened as her determination and self-confidence grew within her. Her mum was right. She had to walk in there and be the confident Queen that she was.

“Wear that your pretty red dress.” Her mum added which made her roll her eyes.

“Eomma, it’s a family dinner, not a dinner date with my boyfriend.” She reminded her with a chuckle.

“I love you Choon-Hee.” Her mother said with a smile as she blew her a kiss, “I miss you.”

Astrid swallowed back tears as she replied, “I miss you too Eomma, Good night.”

Astrid stopped the treadmill and briefly took sips of water from her water bottle. She’d decided to go the gym the next morning to shed away anxiety from meeting her father and his family later that night.

She had called Harnet to accept the invitation, and she had also called Leri to check up on her. Trying to move on after a breakup was difficult and friends were meant to be there for each other.

As she was about continuing her treadmill exercise, two ladies who were beside her were having a conversation. She wouldn’t have paid attention to them but they said something that made her pause and listen.

“Have you seen the latest news on Dahlia?” the one who wore extremely long lashes said, “like who would’ve thought?”

“In fact, I was shocked,” the other who wore an extremely tight sport bra responded, “and she was putting on this humble, I worked hard act for everyone.”

Her friend hissed, “first class olosho oshi, I never even liked her sef, too fake. In fact, they should drag her like small generator, idiot.”

“Excuse me, are you talking about Dahlia Kagabel?” Astrid decided to butt in the conversation, “did something happen to her?” she asked innocently.

“Yes o,” the one with long lashes was enthusiastic about Dahlia’s downfall, “she was sleeping with Lydia Oke’s husband, they even went to Santorini for vacation,” she brought out her phone from inside her sport bra and scrolled through for some minutes before shoving the phone screen before Astrid’s eyes, “it’s all over Instagram.”

Astrid pretended to be shocked as she took the phone and stared at the picture, “this is unbelievable, wow. I’ve always liked her, she was like a role model to me.”

“Of everybody it had to be Lydia’s husband, that crazy woman.” Her friend shook her head in pity, “Dahlia in the mud.”

“I pity her,” Astrid said with equal sympathy.

“Don’t pity her jare, when she was sleeping with married men, was she blind?”Long eyelashes said, “Lydia should drag her by her fake wig, I am I full support!”

Even as Astrid drove to base later that day, radio stations were talking about the Dahlia scandal. It had become the hottest gist in the nation as well as an opportunity to wrap up their mission. She felt proud that she was the initiator of the whole plan.

“It’s trending everywhere,” Faizah said as she went through her phone, “and everyone is talking about it.”

“As they should.” Wura added, “I want to watch her downfall happily, she deserves it.”

“I honestly cannot get over the fact that this place could’ve gone up in flames yesterday,” Astrid voiced out, “it would’ve been drastic.”

“Thank goodness that wasn’t what happened,” Leri said as she dug into a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Although she looked better, her eyes had eye bags underneath accumulated from all the crying.

“Has Aminat been here today?” Astrid inquired.

“Yup,” Faizah nodded, “but she had to leave for HQ urgently.”

“HQ?” Astrid sat up in interest, “is she in trouble?” being summoned at the headquarters could either mean good news or bad and it was mostly the latter.

Faizah shook her head in response, “you know TJH wants to open their first branch at South Africa, so it’s basically a general meeting among the diamonds and emeralds.”

Astrid nodded in understanding but Leri voiced out her confusion. “Diamonds? Emeralds? I don’t get.”

“It’s the hierarchy system of TJH,” Astrid explained, “each gemstone represents a level.”

“How?” Leri probed on.

“When you get accepted into TJH, you begin from level one, generally for the trainees, also known as pearl. Level two is called ruby, level three is known as topaz, level four is sapphire and lastly, emerald which is level five.”

“Then who are the diamonds?” Leri asked.

“The diamonds are the management. They control and oversee all operations in TJH, they are literally the gods of TJH.” Wura explained.

“Wow.” Leri said in amazement, “so what level are you guys on?”

“Wura and I are topazes, Faizah and Fareed are rubies, Tomiwa is a sapphire and Aminat is an emerald.”

“Wonderful.” Leri nodded eyes shinning with wonder, “the more I hear about TJH, my interest also increases.”

“Well,” Astrid rose up from the couch, “I hope you make the best decision for you,” she smiled at her before turning to Wura, “can I see you?”

Once they were inside the room, they sat side by side on the bed and Astrid sighed.

“What’s up? Are you okay?” Wura’s tone was gentle, but curious.

“I sincerely don’t know how to answer that question.” Astrid’s laugh was humorless.

“What happened?”

“My father invited me for a family dinner this evening by 6pm, I’m scared.” Astrid confided in her friend.

“Why are you scared?” Wura’s gentle voice made her feel vulnerable.

“Because I do not know what to expect.” Astrid confessed quietly, “I’m finally going to meet him after twenty-six years of life, I feel like a tangled yarn of emotions. I feel livid for him making me wait, yet I feel joyful because I’m finally going to meet my father. I -”

She was unable to even finish talking because Wura had cut her off with a reassuring hug. She sobbed on her friend’s shoulders.

“It’s going to be fine,” Wura used her finger to wipe away Astrid’s tears, “whatever you see this evening, if you think that you cannot handle it, then don’t go back.” Wura’s smile was strained, “if your father can’t see how amazing you are, then he’s just the sperm donor in your life.”

Astrid laughed. Sperm donor.

“So, don’t cry,” Wura told her, “and I will pick a badass outfit for you, don’t worry.”

Wura did pick a badass outfit for Astrid, something that she would’ve never even thought of wearing. It was a turquoise colored jumpsuit, which hugged her only to her waist before falling freely like curtains around her legs. She didn’t need any neckpiece because of the halter necked design, but she wore tiny silver earrings.

Leri had applied makeup for her, highlighting her face and contouring her face in the most nudist way possible. She didn’t want to look like a clown the first time she meets her father.

The girls had elevated her confidence and wished her good luck, but as she stared at her father’s mansion, she felt her self-confidence deflating like a balloon.

She called Harnet as soon as she drove into the compound, after which, she inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to clean away anxiety from within her.

A slight knock on her window jolted her back to the present. She found Harnet smiling and waving and as soon as she stepped out of her Ferrari, Harnet greeted her with a hug.

“You came,” she was saying while hugging her. Her sister smelt expensive and bogie.

“Of course, I did.” Astrid responded nervously as she broke the hug, “you look good.” Indeed, she did look good in her pencil straight pink gown that accented her womanly figure.

“Have you seen yourself?” Harnet retorted, “you look magnificent, I adore your outfit.”

Astrid smiled politely and afterwards, was led by Harnet inside the house.

The inside was exactly how she pictured it to be, exquisite and expensively loud. They passed about three different living rooms before finally arriving at the dinning table and once they got there, every ongoing conversation died abruptly.

Astrid could feel the heat of several eyes assessing her, but one of them stood out. Her father’s wife. Hers was of pure distaste that made Astrid shrink on the inside. She looked at her like she wished the chandelier would just fall on her and end her right there.

“Omo,” a guy said, “she really resembles dad o, like see the resemblance. Mummy are you seeing this?”

“She’s his daughter so what did you expect.” His mother replied while giving her a hateful glare.

“For those who don’t know her, this is Astrid.” Harnet introduced her, “she’s part of our family so let’s all be nice to her.” Harnet’s tone was a blend of sweetness and firmness.

“Astrid its nice to meet you.” The same guy said hurriedly as he stood and extended his hand for a handshake, “my name is Ikechukwu and it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” she replied him and accepted his handshake.

“Did she even have to come?” a lady muttered as she looked up from her phone screen with a bored expression on her face, “like she’s extended and dad said it’s a personal family dinner.”

“Amaka please,” Another guy, who wore glasses and had a deep baritone voice spoke, “behave yourself.”

“Mom,” Amaka whined as she looked her mother innocently.

“I agree with my daughter,” her father’s wife nodded, “clearly there is no reason for her presence here. In fact, I find her presence choking.”

“I’d advise you drink enough water to prevent you from choking my dear,” her father’s voice boomed as he walked in elegantly.

When her mum told her she resembled her father, she didn’t believe it until that moment. His height, his complexion and even his oval face, she took all that from him.

“But dear,” his wife started, “don’t you think that she being here is very irrelevant?”

“I don’t feel that way and please tell the servers to begin serving the food, I have important documents to sort out after dinner.”

He sat at the head table, just beside Astrid who sat next to Harnet and her husband.

Astrid felt so nervous that her palms began to sweat. She was sitting next to her father, after decades and years of wishing to see him. Her wish had finally manifested into reality.

Dinner was surprisingly good and most of them were nice to her, engaging her in light conversation about her medical course, interests and hobbies. The only people who gave out bad vibes were Amaka and her mother who occasionally glared at her every now and then,but asides that, it was perfectly fine and somewhat enjoyable.

Astrid felt like a mouse in her father’s huge study. She felt like a little girl under his observing eyes.

“Are you angry at me?” He asked softly.

Astrid couldn’t even look at him, afraid that tears may burst out from her eyes at any moment.

“Why?” she couldn’t steady her unstable voice, “why didn’t you visit me? Why did you disappear from my life? Why did you choose to remain a ghost in my life?

“I was afraid.” He replied after a couple of moments. “I thought you resented me for what I did to your mother. I was ashamed of facing you because I thought you would never accept me as your father.

“How?” Astrid’s vision blurred with tears, “I needed you, that was why I came to Nigeria in the first place, to find you, to see you, to know you.”

“Forgive me my daughter,” her father had sincerity in his voice, “being a politician eats up all my time and sometimes I find it difficult to manage and even forget to attend to even the most important people in my life.” He leaned into his armchair, “but you turned out to be very beautiful and well trained. I’m proud of you and I will inform my PA to transfer some money to your account.”

“Dad I do not bloody need your money,” Astrid stared right into him, “I want to know you and I would appreciate if one of these days we can actually spend some bounding time together.”

Astrid forced herself to maintain eye contact until her dad had to break it. She smiled in victory.

“I will see when I’m free and we can work towards it.” He finally said.

Astrid eyed something on his table. A paper and when she read its content, her eyes widened in shook.

Yes, yes... I'm alive.

So, I was experiencing a writer's block. Like I was so blank and inspirationless which made me scared tbh.

So this morning I decided to read this book again from scratch and honestly ideas kept rolling in and I started to write again.

😭😭😭🤲🏿 I'm so happy y'all....so as a gift, I hope you enjoyed this 3k words chapter ❤️❤️❤️

Read, comment, vote and share😊❤️