STOLEN PARADISE

CHAPTER FOURTY - FIVE

Shalom lovely readers!!! Thank you so much for your support on this journey. This story has come to an end and the sequel will be out soon by God's grace. Please let me know what you think about this last chapter and your expectations for the sequel. God bless you. Thank you very much.

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Antonio's phone broke him out of his confused state. Another call was coming in from Sharon.

"What were you thinking?" He asked angrily.

"She needs to know my pain Toni."

"Didn't I tell you to leave me in peace?"

"Alright, just say to me right now, 'Sharon, I don't love you.' Say it."

"I can't say that Sharon. I love you and always will. You are my first love but..."

Funmi's gasp stopped Antonio from completing his sentence.

"Wow! There it is Antonio, you finally admitted it. Please congratulate Sharon for me. I asked for your honesty but you just have to play me over and over again. You are just like a pig that keeps going back to the mud pit. You will never change Antonio and I regret ever agreeing to this marriage."

Antonio got up and confidently face her, "You know what? You are right. If you didn't come into my life the way you did, I would be with Sharon and I wouldn't be in this emotional roller coaster!"

"There you go Antonio! Honesty is always the best policy. I should have known that your anniversary dinner was nothing but a façade to hide your true intentions. You are incapable of telling the truth, ever!"

"Fine! Suit yourself Funmi! I am better off without you!"

The next minute was filled with silence. Funmi was stunned to silence and Antonio by the intensity and impact of his words.

"I didn't mean that," he began to say.

Funmi slowly turned back and went off to her room. She sat on her bed and began to wail. She realized she was lying to herself about him. Antonio was incapable of loving her because of his undying love for his first and only love Sharon. She cried and cried until she had no strength and finally drifted off to sleep under the covers.

****

To avoid the tension and awkwardness, Antonio woke up early, prepared breakfast and went out. Unknown to him, his wife woke up even much earlier than he did. She packed all her things, from clothes to shoes and jewelry. She left the room the way she found it when she first came in as the new Mrs. Babalola. Her physiotherapist was supposed to come at 9am and that was two hours away. She loaded everything inside her Toyota Camry, closed it and went inside the kitchen to pack some food for her journey. She found that Antonio made some scones, she packed some of them, bottled water and other snacks to keep her mouth and mind busy while driving.

She made a sandwich for herself and ate with a glass of Orange juice. As she cleared the table, tears welled up in her eyes as the reality of the decision she was making dawned on her. If Antonio loves Sharon, then it was wicked to keep them apart. She washed the dishes she used, wiped her hands and looked around for the last time.

"Goodbye Antonio."

She instructed the Gate man not to tell Antonio anything, that he will find out by himself that she went out. The man unaware about the tension between his employers, smiled and bid her a safe journey.

****

Miss. Mary Okafor went through the entire mansion looking for her patient without any success. She went back again to Funmi's room and it dawned on her that she left or moved to somewhere else. Nothing made sense. She went to the wardrobe and saw a large brown envelope addressed to Antonio. She picked it up and rushed down the stairs where Antonio was seated watching BBC News.

"Sir, she's gone. Your wife is not in her room and everything is gone."

He stood up with a jolt. "What do you mean? Where is my wife?"

"Her room is empty. Her clothes, shoes, nothing is left in there."

Antonio ran up the stairs to see for himself what the lady was claiming. He opened the door and the first thing he saw was the neatly made bed and the wardrobe that was left wide opened. Everything was gone. She took everything belonging to her.

"No, this is not happening."

Mary entered the room and gave him the envelope she found. He sat on the bed and opened the sealed envelope. He asked her to leave and that he would call her to update her about her patient. There was a hand written letter there and some documents on obtaining divorce. The letter read,

"My dearest Antonio, by the time you read this, I will be gone from your life. I messed up your life, your dreams and hopes. Although it was all our parents' plan, I hoped I could live with it and I did. The joy of the Lord has been my strength in this journey. As a Christian, the only basis for divorce is adultery but not necessarily because there is room for forgiveness. I have forgiven you but I am only using the infidelity as a tool to set you free from this bondage called marriage. I wish you the best in the world Antonio. I'm sorry for all the pain I caused you. Please don't look for me because you will not be able to find me. Please tell my family that I'm alright. Goodbye Antonio.

Love Always

Funmilola Olanrewaju.

He saw her wedding ring in the envelope and a note,

"I know our marriage must be two years old before I can apply for divorce. I will wait the period out and send my lawyer to bring the documents to you."

Antonio felt paralyzed with confusion and grief. He didn't know what to do. He read the letter over and over again for clue as to her whereabouts but his smart wife had given nothing away. He was in denial and kept telling himself she would come back and was only scaring him. He took his phone from his pocket and dialed her number. He could hear the ringtone inside the room. He looked around and finally found it under one of her pillows, accompanied with a note.

"Please, I don't want to be in contact with anyone for now. Please don't search for me. I don't want to be found."

Antonio screamed out loud at the top of his lungs. He cried like a little child that refuses to be consoled.

He failed in the end. He failed to convince her that he chose her; to love her and be with her all the rest of their days. She left with a broken heart and dreams and he was responsible for that. Why was she so foolishly sacrificial? Why could she not be selfish even just once and have him no matter what opposition came?

"Funmi why?" He wailed loudly. "How am I supposed to live without you? I love you for goodness' sake!"

He screamed over and over again.

"Please, God don't do this to me. I don't pray and don't really know you but tell your daughter to come back to me! Tell her to come back to me, please!"

His anguish was so overpowering that he walked to the kitchen and took some sleeping pills. Funmi was playing a prank and she will be back. Funmi has not left him. No. She will be back.

Meanwhile

Funmi drove away from the city to a location she was yet to decide on. She knew she could not go to Ibadan where the other orphanage is, it would be the first place they might look for her. To make her disappearance a successful one, she decided she won't fly out of the country either because the airport officials might reveal her destination to the powerful families she called parents and in-laws. She decided she would move entirely to another state, where they would never ever find her. Tears blurred her vision and she quickly wiped them away. She planned to leave Antonio and not the world. She must drive carefully to avoid getting into any accident.

She pressed the "play" button on her car's stereo and Blanca's "Not backing down" came on. She increased the volume full blast and downed the voice of reason telling her to go back to her matrimonial home. She had made her decision. Sharon and Antonio's love was unshakeable and she refuse to be the enemy of their future together. She had no idea how long she would be away, but she had made ample preparation for her business and the orphanages. They will survive without her. For the first time, she felt free but also bound, by the love she has for Antonio; a love that might never be reciprocated.