Behind the Mask✔

Chapter 29

"Pause this thing " grandma said to the lawyer and instead of him to do so, he objected

"Mama, I just can't ---"

"Pause it!" All the women in the room screamed including Daddy J's wife . The innocent lawyer eventually paused it and all eyes turned to dad. Even the children

"Michael, is this true?" Mum asked, unshed tears glistening in her eyes and for the first time since I knew dad, he had nothing to say, no answer whatsoever but mum wiped her tears furiously and spoke again

"Michael, is this true?"

Dad still said nothing leaving everyone in uncomfortable silence until Daddy J spoke

"Michael, will you answer the question? !"

"Y...Yes" dad muttered and mum screamed in anger, then let the tears in her eyes fall freely. For minutes, no one said anything. Perhaps we all were still processing what we just heard but the tension in the environment was so thick that it could be sliced with a knife. Even Aunty Chika and Daddy J's little children said nothing .
I  for one, couldn't bring myself to understand or accept the news . All of  mum's  efforts towards this marriage were just considered as nothing to dad ? Is that what this meant?

I was battling with my emotions, struggling to keep it together. Maybe that was why dad didn't love mum and I  , because he had another family.

A woman and three sons?! It felt so unreal. If I was feeling this level of pain and anger, I wondered what mum was feeling. Her swollen feet were tapping the floor and she sobbed quietly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

I didn't know how she was keeping it in ,I didn't know whether she wanted to scream again because that was what I wanted. To scream and shout out all the frustration, anger, pain.

Everywhere was dead silent until grandma  spoke

"Michael, explain everything now "

"I...I can't " dad said earning glares from his siblings and mum

"My friend, will you speak?!" Daddy J snapped

"Let's settle this in the absence of the lawyer. Let him finish his work here " dad pleaded and Daddy J turned to the lawyer

"Barrister, please can this be done another time because we have a serious issue at hand?"

"Of course, I wish you all good luck " the lawyer said packing his things and Mummy J, Daddy J's wife escorted him to the gate and when she came back, Aunty Chika spoke

"Ngwa, explain "

"Wait, let the children leave" Daddy J spoke but I didn't want to go. I wanted to sit and hear this. I stood up to go but Daddy J stopped me

"Jasmine, sit. This concerns you too "

I muttered a "Thank you sir" and sat down then Aunty Ebere protested

"But brother she should not be here. She's too young "

Mad dog

"Ebere go inside and stay with the children " Daddy J said and Aunty Ebere opened her mouth to protest but grandma stopped her

"Osiso"

"So now, you can speak " Daddy J said to dad  after Aunty Ebere left but dad still said nothing. Rather, he toyed with his fingers until mum spoke

"I see you don't know where to start from. Let me help you, how about who your mistress is, where and when you met her and how the affair progressed" Mum spoke bitterness and disappointment obvious in her voice

"I'm sorry " dad said , his head bent low

"No , you're not. You're just unhappy that your secret was brought to light in this manner" Mum snapped

"Michael speak! " Daddy J screamed angrily and dad began, beads of sweat trickling down his face as he spoke

"Michelle was in our secondary school but after our Junior years, she transferred to another school" He turned to mum "You know her, Michelle Peters"

That piece of news seemed to break mum as her eyes widened in shock and her jaw dropped before she spoke

"How could you?  Someone who hated me so much. You slept with her. Michael, you're a devil, a backstabbing cheat and liar"

Wow!

Dad attempted to touch her and mum screamed

"Don't touch me! Filthy man. Go on , explain "

"We met each other again in Senior year and she always invited me over, and one thing led to another and she got pregnant at the same time as you"

What?!

Mum shook her head in disbelief "Oh! So she was one of your many babes. You're a pig "

"She refused to abort the pregnancy and her father arranged for her to have the baby abroad. When she came back, she was able to resume university because the maids her father hired would take care of the baby but she refused to stop seeing me and she told me that if I tried to stop our affair, she'd let her father disgrace me publicly and disgrace my family but I didn't want that so I had to dance to her tune. She got pregnant twice again but the university didn't expel her because her father paid them huge sums. When I finished school, she told her father to help me start up a company and that's the company I have today. He helped me win huge contracts through his connections and influence. Later,  I heard about you and Jasmine and I felt sorry for what I did to you and felt sorry for neglecting you and I wanted to be part of Jasmine's life. When I told Michelle, she objected initially which was expected due to the feud you both had . She didn't want me involved with you and threatened to have the company shut down but I was stubborn and surprisingly, she later gave in and allowed me marry you. She said it was on the condition that I continued seeing her and the boys. My father found out and told me to let you know but I didn't and surprisingly, even Michelle didn't want me to let you know so we kept it a secret till now."

"Michael, Michael " Aunty Chika called him. "So this is what you've been doing? "

Mum sobbed harder,  tears staining her cheeks "So you've been deceiving me?  You entered my life and made it worse. You're a filthy animal. A pig, devil. What did I do to you?!"

"Mabel please! " dad snapped "maybe the way I treated you and Jasmine was not very good but my actions were justified. You deserved it"

That statement earned dad a terrible slap from mum and I could see her finger prints on his fair face

"Mabel, please calm down" Mummy J pleaded and grandma nodded

"What was that for?!" Dad barked and mum's face twisted in disgust

"You're not even remorseful" mum shouted

"Why should I be?!"

"Michael are you crazy?!" Daddy J snapped at him

"Please! I wanted to make it up to you Mabel. Imagine the shame and disgrace I felt after admitting in public that Jasmine was my child. A pregnancy I openly denied. Insults I received only to find out that truly, Jasmine is not my daughter "

Jesus!

Grandma screamed

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Do you think Mabel lied and Jasmine is really not Micheal's daughter?

What do we think of Michelle?

Even if Jasmine was not Micheal's daughter, should he have treated her the way he did?

Comment and let me know.

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Thanks and God bless 😊❤