~Author's POV~

"Is that it? Is that who you all wanted me to be with? Someone who can do this?" Adams' voice reverberated through the hall outside, jolting Somi from her slumber.

It took a moment for her to comprehend the situation unfolding within the empty ward. She lifted her hand and glanced upward, noticing the cannula attached to her hand, connected to a drip.

The realisation struck her—she was in a hospital.

"She was carrying my child, Mom!" Adams cried out, his voice filled with anguish.

Was? Somi strained to catch any further details, but his words trailed off into silence. With each passing moment of quiet, her certainty grew that he had left the spot where he had initially been standing.

Tears welled up in her eyes, tracing a path down the corners of her face, dampening the pillow beneath her head.

"Somi!" Sarima rushed into the ward, accompanied by Homa and Amira. Tears were threatening to fall from Sarima's eyes too. "I was stuck in traffic. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Somi managed to say, her voice frail as she reached for Sarima. Her sister approached, enveloping her in a comforting embrace.

"She did this?" Sarima's teary eyes scanned Somi's figure, and she pulled away from the hug. The more they reacted in such a manner, the more Somi felt an intense curiosity to catch a glimpse of her own reflection.

Am I that battered? She questioned herself.

Sobs of despair erupted from her, echoing throughout the room. Sarima cautiously settled back onto the bed, wrapping her arms around Somi's prone form, attempting to console her.

"You'll be alright," Sarima whispered, pressing a tender kiss against Somi's neck.

"That spawn of hell and her accomplices will pay, wallaahi!" Amira declared, her voice laced with anger.

"She essentially trapped herself with the evidence, the foolish girl," Homa chimed in.

Family, Somi contemplated amidst her silent sobs, consisted of various units. They had been correct in that regard. However, they had erred in categorising these units into distinct roles of mother, father, and children. Because right here, at this moment, this was Somi's family. She realised they were made up of different units but undeniably similar. They showed up for one another, loved, and protected each other.

The truth of her no longer being pregnant had not fully settled within her. Grief, overshadowed by shock, had momentarily shelved that realisation. The mere thought of a life beyond the next nine months, a life that she had already meticulously planned, felt like another blow to her gut.

She didn't know what lay ahead. Uncertainty loomed before her like an imposing, mysterious abyss.

But Adams sure knew what was next.

"We were going to have a baby. Now Somi is in the hospital, and we've lost that child. She did that! Amina, to an innocent child and an innocent girl! Is that who you arranged for me to spend the rest of my life with? I hope you both feel ashamed!" Adams's voice filled the confines of his car, the speakerphone transmitting his words while his mother listened on the other end of the line.

"Masoyi na, please calm down. I am begging you. We'll definitely file for a restraining order and..." his mother pleaded.

"No, Mom," he interrupted, his tone surprisingly calm despite the rage simmering in his eyes as he gazed through the windshield. "That's at the bottom of my list. If Amina's family don't bring her out from wherever she's hiding, wallaahi tallaahi, they will regret ever crossing paths with me."

"Adams!"

"No!" he boomed.

"Listen to your mother, please. I'll handle this situation. Just trust me," she implored.

"No, if they don't release Amina from whatever hole she's crawled into, first—I'll cancel whatever business relations we have, especially that worthless farm in Nasarawa that has never yielded any significant profit."

"Haba, Adams! This is unfair. Alhaji Danladi's business shouldn't suffer because of his daughter," his mother protested.

"It definitely will, considering he's chosen to protect a potential murderer. Didn't you see that video?" His voice nearly broke as he uttered the last words. There was a brief silence on the other end as he continued. "What if Wale hadn't arrived in time? Amina was ready to kill her, inna." He released a shaky breath.

"I'm so sorry. But please think your decision through, I know you are angry and it's valid but Alhaji Danladi has been your father's friend."

"Then maybe Amina should have considered that before attempting to murder the mother of my child. I shouldn't even be having this conversation right now. Goodbye, Mom." He angrily terminated the call and almost immediately received a call from Wale.

"Hello, Wale."

"Sir, we've apprehended Busayo, and she's already on her way to the police station. Amina is still nowhere to be found."

"Thank you, Wale. I'll handle Amina's case personally." Adams struggled to control his rage as he spoke further. "Send me the address to the police station." He needed something to quell his anger temporarily, and the prospect of confronting the thug who had dared to lay his hands on Somi seemed like a suitable outlet.

"Alright, sir. I'll send it across immediately."

As soon as Adams received Wale's message, he sped out of the hospital, his mind consumed with determination and fury.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So we ran a Transvaginal ultrasound on her, and there are still retained products of conception (RPOC), which are actually remnants of placenta or foetal tissues." Adams attentively listened to the gynaecologist, seated across from him in the pristine white office.

"Usually, if left untreated, it can cause continuous bleeding, infection, and, over time, even death. She'll have to undergo a Dilation and Curettage, which is a minor surgical procedure to remove those tissues from her uterus."

Adams let out a sigh, and the doctor, sensing his apprehension, continued to explain. "It's a straightforward procedure, and I can assure you that everything will be fine afterward."

"Are there any complications?" Adams finally spoke up, his concern and exhaustion evident in his voice.

"Well, there are risks involved, just like with any other surgical procedure, but in this particular scenario, we rarely encounter any major complications."

"How long does it take to heal?"

"2-3 weeks."

"And her uterus?" Adams inquired further, hoping for reassurance.

"Rest assured, everything will be fine," the doctor assured him.

Nodding in acknowledgement, he rose from his seat. "I'll need to speak with her."

"That's perfectly fine," the doctor replied, and Adams exited the room.

Adams strode past the waiting area and approached the elevator, confidently pressing the button for his destination floor. The doors slid open, and he stepped inside without hesitation. Within a minute, the elevator reached his floor, and he swiftly made his way to her ward. Opening the glass door, he entered and closed it behind him.

Somi, dressed in a green hospital gown, had her gaze fixed on him as she lay on the bed. Sarima was also in the room with her friend Onome, busy in a corner.

As Adams locked eyes with Somi, he sensed an overwhelming guilt emanating from him.

Witnessing Somi's current state, he couldn't help but feel responsible, realising that he played a part in her enduring hardships. The thought of her wanting to leave after all these haunted him and caused his heart to ache.

Sarima, perceiving the tension in the air and feeling like an intruder, abandoned the task of filling up a plate with food as she emptied the plate's contents back into the flask. She covered it and quietly excused herself dragging Onome with her through the door, giving the couple some privacy.

Somi observed Adams' appearance as he approached her, now clad in a casual white T-shirt and jeans, sporting a weary expression. It seemed he had taken the day off from work. As he drew closer, she vocalised her thoughts.

Lost in his thoughts and fixated on her face, Adams didn't immediately respond. He couldn't help but notice that the injury under her eye appeared slightly better than the day before as there was a gauze on it now. The last thing he wanted was a scar that would serve as a constant reminder of the horrific incident she had gone through.

Softly, he kissed the reddened skin around the wound and then her lips. Somi averted her gaze, avoiding his eyes when he looked into her face again. She hated seeing the pity.

"I'm really sorry about everything, mama," he finally uttered, his voice filled with remorse.

"It's fine. I'm fine," Somi replied, though her smile lacked its usual warmth. Concerned, she asked, "How are you?"

Adams was visibly worn out, and she felt a gnawing sense of unease deep within herself.

Thoughts of how she had always burdened him with nothing but stress since she entered his life clouded her mind. Suppressing her tears, Somi fought against appearing more pitiful than she already felt.

"The doctor mentioned a procedure that you'll need to undergo for proper healing," he informed her.

Nodding silently, she mustered a response, "Okay."

"Are you scared?" he inquired, his eyes searching for any sign of fear.

Somi harboured no fear and would welcome whatever came her way with open arms. At this moment, she only wished to free him from the shackles of their entangled lives. "I'm not scared."

"He assured me that it's a simple procedure. I'll inform him of our decision now," Adams relayed.

"Alright," her voice was filled with resignation.

"I love you," Adams whispered, bestowing a lingering kiss upon her lips and forehead before departing from the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the following days, the procedure took place, and as the doctor had assured, it was pretty straightforward. Initially, she had been on edge at the thought of opening her legs for the male obstetrician to proceed. Still, she reluctantly followed his instructions to lie on the operating table and spread her legs when the female gynaecologist tried to calm her nerves and ease her anxieties.

So she allowed them to strap her legs securely, and the process began with sterilising her vagina.

Subsequently, she was administered anaesthesia sedation, which gradually induced a light state of unconsciousness beneath the bright, piercing surgical light within the theatre.

Few minutes in, as the suction tube delicately evacuated the contents of her cervix and the lining of her uterus, the effects of the anaesthesia gradually subsided, and excruciating pain caused her to cry out in agony. However, the procedure concluded swiftly, bringing an end to her suffering.

Emerging from the theatre, she was accompanied by Adams and a nurse, making their way back to the ward. There, a protective pad was placed on her vagina to manage the post-operative bleeding.

Due to the additional injuries she had sustained from the assault, she remained hospitalised for several more days, receiving necessary care and treatment. Only when her condition improved significantly was she deemed ready for discharge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somi's surprise was apparent as Adams drove into a Lekki estate, contrary to their earlier discussion of taking her home from the hospital.

"Where are we going?" she asked, puzzled.

"Your house," he replied without glancing her way.

They soon parked in front of a semi-detached duplex numbered 30 within the estate. All the houses shared an identical design, and none were gated.

Sarima alighted from the backseat, and when her eyes met Somi's, she scowled deeply and rolled her eyes.

Oh wow! someone must have been mad at me upon discovering about the house. Somi gathered from Sarima's hostile attitude.

Returning the gesture, Somi also looked away, rolling her eyes and emitting a hiss. Sarima hissed back before carrying some of her belongings into the house.

Homa rushed out, wearing a smile, to welcome Somi with a hug. She cheerfully waved at Adams, assisting Sarima in bringing the rest of the items into the house.

Somi turned to find Adams silently observing the interaction between her and her sisters, a slight frown adorning his face.

"You'll have to go in at some point," he finally said.

She watched as he silently disembarked, moving to the other side of the car. He placed his hand on the already open car door and extended his other hand towards her.

"Come on," he said, briefly glancing at his Patek Philippe Calatrava wristwatch, a gift from one of his friends. "I have to be at work in about an hour."

Somi got out of the car, and he led her into the house.

The interior was already furnished, and everything adhered to a standard design.

"Where's her room?" he inquired, turning to Sarima, who was descending the stairs.

"This way," she replied, pivoting to guide them upstairs.

Upon entering the room, Somi noticed that her belongings were already arranged, and without uttering a word, she looked up at Adams. He gently stroked her cheeks.

"I'll be back this evening. Williams, PK, and Lola want to visit too," he informed her, deep voice reverberating in the quiet room.

"Are you okay with that?" he asked after a few seconds of silence.

She nodded, smiling as she thought about how Lola had consistently stayed in touch while she was still in the hospital.

"Alright," he said, planting a kiss on her lips and embracing her. "I need to head out." He kissed her once more.

She nodded, exhaling as he exited the room, leaving behind his lingering scent.

Her eyes wandered around the cool room, and she walked over to the bedside table, picking up the remote to switch off the air conditioning. She then moved toward the window, pushing the curtains to the sides, flooding the room with ample daylight.

Curiosity led her to open the bathroom door. It was spacious, adorned with modern fixtures similar to those in Adams' penthouse. A jacuzzi occupied one end, while a separate area featured a regular shower enclosed by transparent glass.

Closing the door, she took a glimpse inside the closet, which contained her clothes. Among the familiar items, she noticed unfamiliar ones consisting of numerous new wigs neatly arranged on a shelf, each mounted on a mannequin head.

Stepping back out, she heard her phone ringing. She retrieved it from where she had left it on the bed and saw that it was her grandmother calling.

Settling into the bed, she tapped the green icon to answer the call.