Ex Gratia (#1 EX TRILOGY)

Chapter 19

Who would want to be an ex and get paid for it? What was this Ender character presenting to Akoma? She did not think she needed a second job and one as useless as this one to be financially sound. In her mind she had aborted it and was not expecting herself to be entertaining Ender anymore. The last time she decided to let a conversation go far on phone, it ended her in a marriage that lasted for only 24 hours.

“I know you are thinking deeply about the offer,” Ender continued. “It is understandable. Others before you have gone through the same dilemma. I am not going to push you too far, but I would like to remind you that there is more than just a good salary in this deal. I am talking revenge.”

Akoma shut her eyes. “I don’t think I want to get rid of him as much as I want him back,” she said. “I lost my husband the next morning after our wedding. Do you honestly think I will just give up the fight and be tagged as an ex-wife? Ender, or whoever your name is, I don’t want your deal. I have money. I have an apartment. I still have time to convince him to come back.”

“How?”

Akoma opened her mouth to speak and realized she did not have any plan yet. Rich was not even available for her to meet him, let alone talk to her. If he was in danger and he was rather trying to stay safe by getting rid of her, perhaps some digging needed to be done, but the problem was that she had no idea how to start. She had no lead. Everything just slammed right into her face and all she could see was a mushroom cloud of smoke rising to confuse her.

“It will not be difficult. I know someone who can help. I know people,” Akoma lied. “If you are not interested in fixing my marriage, then do not bring me any job. Please. I don’t want your money or your offer. Don’t call me again.”

Ender sighed. “OK. If you say so. You cannot reach me if you want to, but I will know exactly when you want to talk. I will. Unless you plan on changing your number.”

That was exactly all Akoma wanted to hear. If she could change her number and inform only her close friends about it, she could avoid being contacted by Ender. Before she thought of hanging up, she decided to push her luck to see if she could get her to tell her some things.

“Ender?”

“Akoma.”

Akoma frowned at the poor pronunciation of her name and sighed. “Do you know why Rich left?”

“Why do you think I will tell you?”

“Because you knew it.”

“Word travels. It always does.”

“Then you are someone I think I know. Nii is still a part of this. His number is unreachable. He intentionally did that so that I would not find him.”

There was silence on the line for few seconds, and then Ender replied, “You may be right.” Akoma punched the air thinking she had gotten it, but her excitement was cut short by what followed, “But you will not believe me if I show you where Nii is right now, and how he could possibly not be the one who is behind all this.”

Akoma frowned and tried thinking her way out of confusion. “What are you saying?”

“Go to Nii’s place at your apartment right now and look for him. If you find him there or not, just send a message to me on WhatsApp. I will still withhold my number from you. It is for security reasons. Now go.” The call ended.

Akoma sat there wondering what to do next. She still had the chance to change her number and be off the grid, but her worry was that if Ender was a familiar in disguise, she would contact her work line, and changing that line would mean losing touch with clientele. Akoma tried Nii’s number again and got the same negative response, and then she finally decided to go back to her apartment to check on him.