Battles in the shadows

HER WAY OR THE HIGHWAY

Laura heard everything ... every word exchanged between her parents and the strange woman. The woman she had warned off to never show her face. She heard her mother's angry footsteps as she ran up the staircase to her bedroom. How dare that woman come and crate chaos where there was peace? Laura buried her face in her palms as sh thought of what next to do. To make matters worse, Brandon witnessed the entire drama! Koketso Molefe came at the wrong time!

In anger she rushed down the stairs and was glad that her arch enemy was still around.

"Who and what brought you here? I warned you not to come near me ... you and that miserable old man!"

"Lauretta, please forgive me."

"Why are you here? What do you want? You are rich and beautiful ... You don't need my salary to get by and neither do you need my love because you are content on your own."

"Lauretta, let it go. We will talk about this in the morning. Let us all go to bed and pray about this." Brandon said gently.

"I will never let it go! Never ever! If only you had come earlier, all those things wouldn't have happened! For goodness' sake, you could have come after Lorato Moloi's murder but you didn't! What do you want? An invitation to my wedding? You want to play house or happy family? You want my parents to hand me over to you?"

"It isn't like that ... I just wanted the chance to know you and your family. I want the chance to amend my ways and spend the rest of my days paying back for lost time." Koketso wept as she spoke.

"Wait, are you dying? Did your Specialist or Millionaire Doctor diagnose you with terminal illness or something? You coming here at this point in time is suspicious madam! Do you have cancer of the brain? Leukemia? What are you dying from that pushed you to mess up my life?"

She didn't wait for an answer. She walked to the front door and opened it,

"That is the door so please go and never come back. If you see Mama or Papa or even my brothers or Brandon because it seem you have been following all of us ... Run!"

"Please leave Madam, we will resolve this another time." Mr. Rakwela said and smiled weakly at Koketso.

The latter with bowed head walked towards the door and said her goodbyes to Laura before leaving. Laura slowly closed the door and collapsed on the floor. Brandon came and helped her up.

"What does she want Brand? Why is she trying to complicate my life? Why is she doing this  to us? This is wrong!"

"You seem to have met her already. What is going on?" He asked.

Laura sat down while her father went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. She just couldn't stop weeping.  She gulped down the water, wiped her tears and thanked her father.

She narrated her meeting with Ms. Molefe after a series of strange letters and a DNA test result of Mr. Moabe and Ms. Molefe with hers. How the person who sent it got their samples without being found out was beyond her comprehension but she knew it was true when she met Ms. Molefe at a work related function. The resemblance was uncanny and she couldn't leave it alone so she confronted them both.

"The old man denied it but soon he admitted he didn't want his family and marriage ruined by me. I'm sorry Papa that I didn't let you know. I didn't want to hurt your feelings or make you worry. He got what he deserved just like Patrick and Phillip got served too."

"Phillip? You are behind all of those attacks?" Mr. Rakwela was shocked.

Laura rolled her eyes and replied sharply, "I wish but I can't take the credit. Whoever did those to them deserve many awards."

"Lauretta, what are you saying? What has Phillip done to you?"

"I didn't want this to happen but I guess you leave me no choice." She stood up and gently removed her engagement ring and placed it on Brandon's right palm.

"After this revelation tonight, you might not want to marry me anymore."

"What revelation? What are you talking about and what does Phillip have to do with all this?" Latoya asked.

Laura sighed. She was afraid of what would happen if she exposes the truth of her life with the Rakwela family.

"Speak Lauretta!" Latoya shouted.

"Phillip deserves the death penalty for what he has done to me and Brandon. Phillip destroyed my life and plunged me into years of pain and agony. Phillip, may God punish you!" She said with emotion and broke into fresh tears.

"Lauretta, what happened? Should we call Phil?" Brandon asked quietly.

"I am sorry I reacted this way but that woman just made me lose it. God isn't through with me yet. Phillip ... Please don't let him come for the wedding as well as Vincent Moabe and the woman claiming to be my mother. Please don't allow them to come."

"Darling, Phillip is your brother. Tell us what he did to you." Latoya said gently.

"Just promise me he won't be there." Laura said quietly.

"Lauretta, if you don't tell us why not we cannot cause unnecessary friction in the family." Mr. Rakwela said firmly. This response provoked Laura and she smiled brightly.

"Fine! Have it your way! The wedding is off! If those people show up at my wedding, so help me God I will run away from the altar and out of the church!"

"Is that a threat?" Brandon asked in shock.

"Oh no Brandon Holmes, it is a promise."