The aftereffects of happiness.

The meaning of your existence changes, suddenly you're moving from Path A to Path B way too quickly, you get acquainted with another side of you. There is a huge thunder in your ears (that only you can hear) and then... perfect silence.

                                                                                                                      -JIA.

Leticia.

"W-what b-b-behind what? M-maverick what are y-you s-saying?" She backed away in horror, wide-eyed and befuddled at the accusations laid out against her. Was this some kind of sick joke?

He looked up, chuckling as he rubbed his face with his wide hands.

"You still have the nerve to act like you don't know what I'm talking about?" He scoffed and turned, beckoning on his secretary.

"Lara, where's that card?"

Lara moved towards them, holding the card out to Maverick. He took the card from her, raising it for her to see.

"Leticia what did you say about this card?"

Her eyes widened at the sight of her A.T.M. card. Two months ago, she had searched for it in every corner of the house to no avail. Seeing that she could not find it, she told Maverick about the missing card. How was it here now? Did he find it for her?

"I-I s-said I m-misplaced it," she stammered in response.

"Lara where did we find this card?" He asked his secretary but his eyes were still fixed on Leticia.

"In a hidden part of her box sir."

Her hands flew up to cover her mouth. That couldn't be possible! She looked everywhere for that card, making sure to check her personal stuff too, so how could the card have been found in the hidden part of her box?

"I swear I-"

"What else did we find out?" Maverick cut her off again, still maintaining the piercing stare at her.

"All the money from the company has been going in and out of the account of this card into a swiss account. Also, a total of forty-nine million, four hundred and ninety-seven thousand, five hundred naira which equals a hundred and thirty thousand dollars when converted was traced to that account," Lara explained.

At that time Leticia was already finding it hard to breathe. She was shaking like a leaf that was about to drop from its branches.

What were they saying? She stole his company's money? She had a swiss account connected to her card with over forty-nine million naira inside it? 

A swiss account?!

It had to be a joke, an expensive one at that. But with the looks she was getting from Maverick and his secretary, she knew it was no joke.

However, it was baffling. What would she use so much money for? She had never even had one million naira in her account, not to talk of forty-nine, so how?

"L-listen M-maverick, I-I really k-know nothing a-a-about wh-"

"Shut up Leticia! Shut the hell up!" He yelled. Her wobbly legs gave way beneath her and she crumbled to the floor, crawling backwards as her heart lurched in her chest. His anger was scaring her to the core.

"I'm glad I've seen your true colours. How could I be so blind? I can't believe I lived with a criminal all these years. How old are you, Leticia? What were you going to use all that money for?" He squatted to her level.

Her head was filled with numerous questions on how Maverick came to such a conclusion about her stealing that money, yet, nothing was coming.

"I've been watching you since you claimed that A.T.M card was missing, and nothing was adding up. There are no maids, no children, and we rarely have visitors in this house, so how did the card go missing? Every evidence of my company's stolen funds was connected to that account, and you transferred money from there this evening, am I right?" He snickered, not an ounce of mirth was found in the sound as he took in her shivering form.

"There is a..."

"Just one word from your mouth and you won't believe this is the Maverick you know."

Once again, she was silenced.

"Okay, let's say someone manipulated your account. My first question would be; why did you not block the account when the card went missing? And then this..." He collected another file from Lara, dropping it on the table beside her.

"How are you going to explain the shell company that you anonymously used to collect more funds? You think I don't know that you've been following Mr Chukwuma behind my back, begging him to be your lover and even promising him my money if he should accept your offer?" he said. She lifted her eyes to peer at him.

This was going out of hand. A shell company, Mr Chukwuma? She? Begging to be his lover? 

The man in question was the company's asset manager whom she had never had a four-word conversation with. Just simple greetings to the man whenever she visited Maverick's company to drop his lunch, not to talk about that kind of conversation.

"I really don't know what you're talking about Maverick." In as much as she was flabbergasted and scared by the accusations, she had to defend herself. 

"Yes, of course, you would deny it. That's why I have every evidence that the perpetrator is you.  He told me everything," Maverick spoke again.

Told him what?

"Believe me I-"

"Just say the truth, Leticia. Come clean and I might consider sparing you. Did you or did you not do it?"

"I did not, Mide, I'm telling you, please believe me." Her pleas were desperate. She knew the implication of the crimes he listed, and if she did not clarify them soon, she might be spending most of her life in jail. The thought alone was scary.

"You are so cruel. I'm beginning to ask myself if you lost the first two pregnancies or you aborted them, cos I wouldn't put it past you. And if it's the former, then maybe God saw the kind of callous heart you have and refused to give you children," he spat.

Blood drained from her face. That was a low blow. He knew her pain of not being able to birth a child successfully, yet he was rubbing it on her face? Her heart bled at all his utterances.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she stared at the face of the man she had come to love with every fibre of her being. How could he use that against her when he knew that was her weakest point?

A tear dropped from her moist eye.

He picked himself up from his crouching position, dusting his trouser. "Leave my house now, Leticia. I'll contact you when the divorce papers are ready. After that, you will return all my money to the last dime, then we'll talk about sending you to where you belong."

That statement snapped her out of her dazed state. "Maverick please, don't do this to me, please. I don't know anything about that money, please don't divorce me, I'm innocent," she begged, clutching the hem of his trousers as he made to walk away.

Halting his steps, he stared down at her teary face and trembling form with hard eyes. He pulled his leg away from her hand and she clutched it again.

"M-mide please, I love you too much to do that to you. It's a lie, I don't know anything," she sobbed.

"Oh please, would you shut up! I want you out of this house now!"

"Please Maverick, I don't have anywhere to go," she pleaded.

He stopped and turned back, his nose was wrinkled with his upper lips pulled up into a sneer. "Even in this situation, you're still a pathetic liar. It's a pity."

Grabbing her by her shoulders, he lifted her from the ground and dragged her out of the room.

"Okay, let me stay until morning, I'll leave before you wake up, I promise. Please Maverick, this is past eleven in the night, I beg you, I'll leave before four a.m.!"

She struggled to free herself, begging him to listen to her but all her pleas fell on deaf ears.

When they got to the door of the apartment, he pushed her out and locked it. She frantically punched in the passcode but it was incorrect. He had reset it.

She banged the door with her fists in desperation. Where would she go by this time? Michelle was out of the country, her mother-in-law lived in *Abuja, and her parents' place was out of the question. Her mother warned her never to step foot in the house after she got married. Leticia was in a great dilemma.

"Please Maverick," she sobbed as she was getting weaker and her fists were already hurting from the way she was pounding the door.

She slid down, with her back against the door, whimpering as she took in her current situation. He did not even let her take anything. No clothes, no phone, nothing! 

Was this the aftereffect of her earlier happy disposition? Was it a warning for her to never try to be happy?

Leticia knew that anytime she was happy, something very bad was following. This one time, she had chosen happiness over fear and that was the result.

"Please," she whispered.

After crying for a while, she finally realised how futile her efforts were. She picked herself up from the ground.

The only luck she had was the fact that the rain had stopped. Where would she go? She took the stairs leading down, tears dripping down her face as she pondered in her heart what would become of her life.

She had no friends except Michelle -and Demola. All her life, she had lived as a lonely person. During her school days, most people hated her and bullied her due to her timid nature.

They would call her names like 'witch' or 'evil cat' because of her big, upturned eyes, her mother included.

As she got down the last stairs, she decided that she would go to her family. At least they would let her stay for the time being until Maverick's anger had dissolved.

From the frying pan to fire.

I'm kinda speechless right now, lol. I think Maverick is being so unfair :-( So what do you think? 

Anyways, please vote, comment, share and follow if you feel this book has been worth it so far ;-)

See y'all next time! 

Yours, Chubiley.