A friend to remember

19: Monster-in-law.

****

Shettima turned to who was standing at the end of the hallway, Denise stared at both of them. She did not think she was supposed to hear that, she wasn't supposed to be there even. Her mouth could not close. Shettima slept with Grace? What the hell?

"Denise!" Shettima called. She turned and started speed walking back to her room, her heart pounding and her mind racing through a million thoughts. What the fuck? Suddenly a hand grabbed her and she stopped her in her tracks, she swallowed as his masculine perfume filled her nostrils.

"What were you doing there Denise? What did you hear?" Denise stared at the man that regarded himself as her father. There were a lot of things that she did not know about him, about her so called family. What had she gotten herself into? Grace was such a sour topic for her, she did not even want to think about her.

"Enough," Denise answered. Shettima narrowed his eyes, he did not like that reply. What did she mean by enough? He looked away and swallowed trying to prepare himself.

"You are my daughter and what you heard to night was mistake, it..." he stopped in his tracks. How would he explain to the girl that suffered abuse from Grace that what happened was long ago and she did not need to worry about it. The way Elene had said it would make anyone jump into conclusion, she wondered how he would make her understand.

Shettima did not know Denise, well not really. He provided for her and sympathized with her but he did not know her like a father should know his child and that causes a surge of pain his heart. To think that all this years, she was alive in Grace's abode, living without knowing the truth, it was painful to say the least.

"You slept with Grace," she stated, trying to confirm what she heard. There was no reason for him to lie, she already heard the truth from his medelling mother and he could not change anything about that. Denise's heart pounded, she thought of what to do with the sudden information she was just given. Shettima slept with Grace and she assumed it had to be when he was married to Sheila.

It was uncommon for men to cheat, her father was Muslim so he had the right to three more wives but this past few weeks she spent in the house, it felt like they loved each too much for him to take another wife.

"Please, I am begging you, you cannot tell Sheila or anyone anything you saw this night." Shettima begged. Denise looked up, her eyes was filled with pin. Sheila was kind to her, she might regard the woman as her mother but how could do that to her?

"Look! I will give you money! Anything you want!" Denise suddenly scoffed, she pulled her hands out of his grip. The nerve of this man, throwing money at her thinking the problem will suddenly go away. Denise clenched her jaw and looked down.

"I don't want your money, sir! I am fine!" she sneered, mad at him for ever insunualting that she would want to take his money. "I need to get some rest, I am tired." she walked away, leaving Shettima there, exhausted.

****

"Good morning family!" Elene greeted joyfully and picked up an apple. They all grumbled their reply. All of them looked like something was on their minds. Each and everyone of them had a difficult issue that occupied their minds and they were absent-mindedly eating their breakfast.

Daniella for one stayed up all night, thinking about her brief encounter with Colton Wilfred and why it bothered her so much that he was so closed to Denise, who didn't seem to mind the attention he had on her. She felt stupid. It was not even like she liked him that very much but something just urged her to talk to him but it did not end well for her. It ended in her regretting why she ever approached him in the first place.