HEALING BONDS

FOURTY

As the night wore on, Pendo couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than Femi was letting on. She lay in bed, her mind racing with questions and doubts. The events of the day had left her feeling unsettled and trapped, but she knew she needed to confront Femi and uncover the full truth.
The next morning, she woke early, determined to speak with Femi before Mara awoke. She found him in the dining room, sipping his coffee, his demeanor calm and collected. Pendo took a deep breath, steeling herself for the conversation that lay ahead.

"Femi, there's something I need to know," she began, her voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside her. "Is there anything else you're not telling me?"

Femi looked at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, he set his coffee cup down and leaned back in his chair, his eyes never leaving hers. "Yes, Pendo, there is," he admitted, his voice low and serious. "I've started the adoption process for Mara. Since our marriage is officially recognized by the government, I thought it would be best to secure her future as well."

Pendo's eyes widened in disbelief as Femi's words sank in, each revelation more shocking than what she heard last night . She felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she struggled to comprehend the gravity of what he was saying.

"You... you started the adoption process for Mara! What madness is this?" she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and fear.

Femi nodded solemnly, his gaze never wavering from hers. "Yes, Pendo. I want us to be a family, in every sense of the word," he replied, his tone unwavering despite the uncertainty in Pendo's eyes.

Pendo's mind reeled with a flurry of emotions as she tried to process the implications of Femi's actions. On one hand, she couldn't deny what looked like  genuine care and concern he seemed to have for her and Mara. But on the other hand, his sudden insistence on cementing a fictional relationship he had built in his head felt suffocating, almost claustrophobic.

"What... what else have you done, Femi?" she demanded, her voice quivering with a mixture of anger, fear and realization that he had done a lot more.

Femi's expression softened slightly, his eyes filled determination. "I've... I've bought this house for us, Pendo," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wanted to give us a fresh start, a place where we could build a life together as a family."

Pendo's heart sank at his words, the weight of his actions pressing down on her like a leaden weight. She had never felt so trapped, so powerless in the face of another person's desires.

"Why are you doing this, who asked you! I never asked for this,marriage, adoption, a house?" she whispered, her voice barely audible above the roar of the storm outside. "What do you want from me?"

"The house is also our joint asset," Femi announced, his tone matter-of-fact as though he were discussing the weather.

Pendo's head spun with a whirlwind of emotions, her mind struggling to comprehend the gravity of Femi's words. The realization that she was now bound to him not only in marriage but also in ownership of the house left her feeling trapped, suffocated by the weight of his expectations.

"But I didn't agree to any of this," Pendo protested, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and frustration. "You can't just make decisions like this without consulting me first."

Femi's expression remained stoic, his gaze unwavering as he met her furious glare. "I did what I thought was best for us, Pendo," he replied calmly, though there was a steely edge to his voice. "I thought you would be happy."

Pendo felt a surge of indignation rise within her, her fists clenching at her sides as she struggled to contain her anger. How could he possibly think that she would be happy about being blindsided like this? How could he claim to have her best interests at heart when he had trampled all over her autonomy in the process?

"I'm not happy, Femi, you did what was best for you! " she snapped, her voice laced with barely restrained fury. "I'm furious. How dare you make decisions about our lives without even consulting me? How dare you assume that you know what's best for me?"

Femi's facade cracked slightly, a flicker of guilt crossing his features before he quickly masked it with a forced smile. "I'm sorry, Pendo," he apologized, though his tone lacked sincerity. "I was just trying to do what I thought was right."

But Pendo wasn't about to let him off the hook that easily. "Well, it wasn't right," she retorted, her voice dripping with contempt. "And now you've dragged me into a mess that I never asked for, what if I don't want any of this, Femi?" she demanded, her voice trembling with emotion. "What if I don't want to be bound to you in this way, without any say in the matter?"

Femi's gaze hardened at her words, a flicker of irritation crossing his features before he composed himself. "You don't have a choice in the matter, Pendo," he replied firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We are married now, and what's mine is yours, whether you like it or not."

Pendo's heart sank at Femi's words, the realization sinking in that she was trapped in a situation she had never asked for. She had always prided herself on her independence and autonomy, and the thought of being beholden to someone else in this way filled her with a sense of suffocating dread.

As she looked into Femi's eyes, she saw a darkness lurking within them, a cold and calculating edge that sent a shiver down her spine. She knew then that she was dealing with a man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, consequences be damned.

In that moment, Pendo knew that she had to tread carefully, to bide her time and plan her escape from this gilded prison that Femi had constructed around her. She may have been trapped for now, but she refused to let him control her destiny. With a steely resolve, she vowed to find a way out, no matter the cost.