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A month later.

“Did Aderonke Williams set her husband up just to gain his wealth and his company?"

“Why would such a woman do that?"

“I heard she worked as a prostitute before."

“Isn't it just a rumor? We shouldn't push to that conclusion. We are reporters!"

“Look at her! Her face doesn't look like that of a mourning mother!"

“You can just pretend not to hear." Ada quipped with her hand crossed over the other, her black pantsuit hugging her hourglass figure.

A sad smile swept across Aderonke's lips, her fingers drummed against the hems of her dress as she rolled her head back and forth while listening to the whispers of gossips and shade thrown towards her in broad daylight.

Wrapping the scarf that she ensured to inscribe her daughter's name, Bimbo which was in a golden and tiny font, she gripped it  tighter against her naked neck like a shield.

“The society always blames the victim, doesn't it? " Aderonke's eyes turned glossy, “Even after everything that happened, some people still see me as the culprit."

Stooping low to touch Bimbo's picture frame, she continued, “But I don't care what anyone thinks of me. They can gossip all they want. "

“I'm sorry." Was Ada's only response.

“There you go again with that attitude of yours." Aderonke sighed heavily and her demanor changed when she noticed the reporters leaving, “Who even called those idiots here?"

“It's everywhere on the news. You don't expect them not to come." Ada responded.

“But they're planning to spin lies about me." Aderonke gloated with her hands in her hip.

“That's why they're reporters, what did you expect? Sympathy? The world of journalism isn't like that." Ada stomped her heels against the wet soil, “They don't care about facts, not even about the details."

“But why not the facts?" Aderonke swiped a finger across the lids of her eyes, trying to remove any trace of water.

“Are you alright?" A concerned Ada touched the latter's shoulder, squeezing it gently, “You are trying to be strong, let it out. You don't have to hold it in anymore."

Aderonke brashly pushed Ada's hand away and dusted her sleeves which earned a scoff from Ada.

“I told you...not to touch me. Why are you acting so clingy?" Aderonke nagged.

“You were the one who invited me here to your daughter's funeral and you always followed me to my therapy sessions, you're the one who is gumming your body on mine." Ada replied with her tongue out.

“Why must you always argue? Are you sure you don't need another therapy session?" Aderonke asked with her hands outstretched.

“I would love that but would you pay—"

Aderonke was barely listening to Ada. Her eyes were fixated on the figure who was briskly walking towards them with an anger unmatched to that to Hades.

Fadekemi.

Aderonke tried to hold it in but as Fadekemi advanced closer, she could hear her brain cells exploding with rage.

“So you were here, you shameless prostitute! I know you set my brother up!" Fadekemi yelled as she threw her sunglasses on the sandy soil, “On top of that, you cremated his body on whose permission? Who told you to do that?"

“Aderonke, you don't have to—"

“Incompetent detective, don't speak." Aderonke ordered.

Shaking her head at a fuming Fadekemi, Aderonke spoke, “Did you expect me to prepare a burial for a murderer? Or what were you expecting?"

“What kind of—"

“Or are you pissed because you have no share in his wealth? Does that irk you so much?" Aderonke glided a finger across Fadekemi's jaw as the latter simply gritted her teeth like a boat ready to fight, “You knew that my daughter was going to clubs but you hid it from me. I understand your hate for me but what of Bimbo?"

“I thought you knew." Fadekemi grumbled.

“What a stupid, stupid girl. But why should I be surprised, you were born foolish." Aderonke grabbed Fadekemi's braided hair, “You are a disgrace to womanhood. Even after knowing what your brother did, you still refuse to open your eyes. The next time, you come to harass me. I know you came to my house and my workplace, I'll personally ensure that you sleep in a jail for days."

Then Aderonke slowly withdrew her fingers and turned around, pointing at Bimbo's grave.

“My daughter doesn't want to see you, get out of here! Now!" Aderonke screamed with her hands flaring around.

Noticing the photographers who had began to gather around, Aderonke screamed louder, the anguish and the guilt hitting her like an open wound.

“I w-will show you pepper. I w-will—" Fadekemi stammered as she turned on her heels and disappeared into the crowd of photographers, yelling at them to stop taking pictures while trying to cover her face with her hands.

“What are you looking at? What the hell are you all looking at?" Aderonke's mascara dripped out her eye, forming a dark ambiance to her eyes, highlighting the undissolved pain she still felt in her heart.

“Aderonke, I think you should go home." Ada gulped, driving her fingers into her pant trousers.

“Why should I go? They are the ones supposed to leave. It's my daughter's funeral, for goodness sake and not a photoshoot." Aderonke stamped her feet against a rock.

“If you don't leave, on the crack of dawn, all newspapers and TV stations will term you as an unstablized woman and the rumors that you hate to hear will spread and grow."

Hearing this, Aderonke with Ada's help walked through the crowd, leaving her daughter's grave lonely and empty. Her eyes glistened as the sharp snaps of the camera fell upon her eyes.

Why was she running away when it was Wale who committed the crime?

Why was she followed everywhere when she was the victim?

She felt someone bump against her but her mind ignored it. Maybe it was one of those photographers who wanted an up close view of her disheveled face.

Even when Ada pushed her into the car gently, her heart still raced. Her eyes were simply glued to the gray headrest, looking back was like an abomination. She couldn't stare at the gates in fear. She didn't even get to say goodbye to her daughter.

How long will the torture of reporters chasing her around the world, go on for?

Why was she treated like a criminal when they knew who it was?

Why was society so harsh on her?

Even when the driver slightly opened the door, even when Ada took her through the stairs, her nerves were still shaking. Her eyes were threatening to rain hell but her body was surprisingly calm.

Her eyes begged Ada to stay as she sat in the living room where she and the devil dined together for years.

How was it possible?

The latter's palm grazed hers and Aderonke began to breathe heavily as sobs wrecked her bones and muscles. Her fingers touched the bridge of her nose as her panting grew louder.

When did she get this weak?

Ada's hand touched her back as if she was telling her to surrender to the pain and Aderonke did.

Shouting, yelling out her daughter's name,  still dressed in black and staring blankly at her home that now gave her chills down her spine, Aderonke enveloped her face in between her palm and sobbed again. This time it was quieter but filled with utmost regrets.

                                    *****

A sharp knock made Ada's head twitch in pain as she rubbed her eyes, stirring herself awake. Her eyes met the blue rug as she blinked desperately.

She twisted her neck and noticed the empty glasses on the center table and the drops of red liquid that patched to the surfaces of the glass.She groaned when the first beam of sunlight hit her face.

“No wonder, my head is banging." Ada quipped as her hands left the rug. She scoffed on noticing a sprawled out Aderonke who had her legs out at the edge of the couch.

Tapping Aderonke's legs slightly, she spoke, “It's morning, already."

The latter jolted awake, humped and sat up immediately. Staring at Ada, she said;

“How much did you make me drink?" Aderonke complained.

“Me keh? I'm sure it was you that coerced me to drink alcohol with you." Ada stubbornly rebuffed.

The doorbell rang and this time, it was Aderonke who felt irritated by it.

“Open that door and check who it is!" Aderonke yelled.

“Would it kill you to say please?" Ada mumbled as her palm collided with her glutes, yawning as she walked.

“But it's my house not yours." Aderonke said, “I wonder who is disturbing my peace, this early morning."

“I wonder too—" Ada jerked the door open and her mouth flew agape in shock at the men in uniform who trooped into the living room.

“Wh-ho are you? W-ho sent you here?" Aderonke's legs moved backwards, her mind filled with so much fear.

The man who stood in front smiled and stretched out his right hand which bore a bloodied scarf that was enclosed in a white transparent nylon.

Ada gaped in shock as her palm covered her mouth. That was the scarf that Aderonke wore the previous day.

But...it was on her neck. How did it find it's way into an officer's hand.

“This is yours, ma'am?" The man moved closer to Aderonke, showing her the golden font that bore her daughter's name.

Aderonke nodded impulsively, her hands tangled in her hair in confusion.

“Mrs Bimbo Aderonke, you are under arrest for the murder of Sade Johnson, you know your rights right? You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have a right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.”" He spoke as he clasped a handcuff on Aderonke whose face was completely englufed with shock.

Ada stood at the door, her hand holding her head and her heart hammering against her ribcage.

Did Aderonke really do that?

                                    *****

Kola tapped his fingers against the dusty table in anxiety as he called Ada for the upteeneth time. Was she still with that woman? The case was already over, why was she still obsessed with that woman?

His legs thrusted out as he smiled to himself at how his relationship with her had grown so healthily. They rarely fought and now communicated over the phone for long hours but she never made it to their dates anymore.

It was either because she was busy or she was tired from therapy.

But now it was a weekend and she hadn't returned his calls or acknowledged it either.

“Relationships are hard." He whispered to himself as he dropped his phone and decided to bury himself in his work.

A shrill knock on the door interrupted his reading and he yelled “Come in."

On noticing who it was, his head drooped as he spoke, “I heard you took a sick leave, are you fine now, Stella?"

“No sir." Stella replied.

“You know that you should have spoken to me before running off like that and avoiding work calls." Kola continued, rolling his pencil in between his fingers.

“I-I'm pregnant, sir." Stella avoided his gaze as her hands touched her abdomen.

“Congratulations but that's not an excuse, either. You could have—"

“It's...yours, sir." Stella spoke again, gulping as every second flew by.

There was a silence to his soul, the chill in his blood and coldness bringing the synapses of his brain to a stand still. It felt like a shock of a bucket of ice water being poured over one's head.  All that could be heard was the machinations clanks and clangs as it rose up higher and higher.

Rising up on his feet and his nails digging into the rims of wooden table, Kola yelled, “Are you alright, Stella? What nonsense are you spouting out of your mouth?"

His heart almost bursted out of his chest when Stella advanced towards the table slowly, placing a well manicured finger on his lips.

“Have you forgotten that night, sir? The day it rained?" Stella laughed as she suddenly pushed Kola's head unto the table, pinning him down with her slender hands, “Don't tell me you forgot all about that night?"

Hi everyone!

I know you missed me.
I did too!!

Are you shocked by this chapter?

Is your heart beating as fast as mine?

What do you think about Aderonke's dilemma???

And damn, a twist to Kola!!!!!

Can you believe that he and Stella did that?

I'm glad to be back!❤️🥺