𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 (𝐀 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧-𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥) ✔

- 44 -

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Happy Sunday 😇🤲😇
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We just couldn't believe Mrs. Williams had just said that to my siblings' faces. Destiny ran back to me and hugged me because she was scared of Henry's mother. Mrs. Williams wasn't hearing any of us, so she stood up and turned her back on us, ready to go up to her room. Anything to get away from my family and me.

"I know they've wronged you mother, but what has that got to do with Hope and me?" Mrs. Williams stopped, upon hearing Henry's voice.

"I'm not ready to talk about this with you," Mrs. Williams's voice was dangerously low.

"Well I am," Henry let go of me and took a few steps closer to his mother. "We are going to have this conversation because this is getting out of hand."

Henry's mother turned to glare at him but he wasn't backing down. "Where's that lovely woman? Where's that woman that took my sisters and me, in? Where is she? Because the woman standing before me, isn't her."

"You don't understand the pain!" Mrs. Williams screamed. "The pain of loving someone that doesn't love you back. Someone that chose another even when he was meant to be yours."

"Then settle the cause with him and his wife. Why do Hope and her siblings, why do I need to suffer for their sins?" Henry calculatingly took another step closer. "If you don't know mother, history repeated itself in my life. I love Hope, whereas someone else was in love with me. How does it feel if you find out that the lady once in love with me, laid a curse on me? We can't fight this, mother."

"And what about me?" Mr. Williams moved to stand in front of his wife. "You are so buried deep in the past that you don't know how much your actions are hurting me. Do I mean nothing to you?"

Mrs. Williams opened her mouth but her husband wasn't done talking. "Does he still have your heart? Don't you want the kids and me in your life? Do you even love me?"

"I do," Mrs. Williams rushed to her husband as she tried clearing his questions. I stood, watching in silence as I felt helpless. "I just can't-"

"Let go of the past?" Henry spoke next. "Why? What's there to not let go? What if everything happened for a reason? What if you both didn't work out because I was meant to be with Hope? Mother, this isn't fair."

I heard shuffling and both my parents stood up. They'd been quiet ever since Mrs. Williams' rampage and now that it looked like she's calmed down for a tiny bit, they wanted to explain things to her.

"Idara, we both were betrothed before we came into this world," My father stated as everyone fell silent We all had eyes on my father, even Henry's mother. If only she wasn't glaring at him. "The possibility of us loving each other wasn't certain. I tried loving you, I did but it didn't work out. The night you introduced Essien to me as your best friend, was the day I fell in love with her. I tried fighting it but no matter how hard I tried, the image of Essien couldn't leave my head."

"Ebong and I knew what we were doing wasn't right. We both knew it wasn't fair to you and so I wanted to end things with him even though I knew it would hurt me." My mother at this point was crying which forced my throat to ache. If Henry's mother wasn't going to forgive us, then I better leave his house with my family. I just couldn't watch my parents in this state.

"But then, I found out I was pregnant with Hope and we thought it'd be best to let you know but...." Mother trailed, looking down at her foot. "You found out before we could even have the chance to explain things to you. Hope and Henry love each other. I know how hurtful you must be but I beg you, give them your blessings. Give my family your blessings and let just my husband and I, carry your curse. We deserve it."