chapter twenty four

After several rocking and lullaby singing, Ethan finally fell asleep. I gently laid him on his bed. He was a year and six months and was already sleeping in his own room without much disturbance.

He was a sweet and happy soul. He took all  of my features which made me happy because I don't have to look at him and remember his father. He looked nothing like Femi and I hope he wouldn't take any of his father's bad traits.

Anyways I would make sure of it, I would try my best to make sure I train him to be a good man, a perfect gentle man who would be kind and treat his partner with love and respect. I'll make sure he doesn't take after his father.

I stared at his innocent face as he slept peacefully wishing I could be a child again without worries of life. His lips curved into a smile and it melted my heart. I kissed him on the fore head. This was the only thing that brought me little gleams of joy right now

Even my success and money wasn't giving me joy anymore. My marriage with Femi was draining every bit of energy away from me leaving me dry and desolate. It was only Ethan that brought little rays of sunshine into my now dark life.

I thought of Jasmine and wondered how she was faring. I was now wearing her shoes and understood what she felt like. I snatched her problems thinking I had snatched my soulmate.

It was now I fully admit that I had been a terrible friend but I can't continue to beat myself up about it. The deed has been done. I have to move on and try to see if there's a remedy to I and femi's situation lest I become a laughing stock.

I heard footsteps in the hallway and knew the devil has arrived. I quickly switched off the lights and left Ethan's room.

I went into our bedroom but he wasn't there. I finally found him sitting at our mini bar. He was pouring himself a glass of whiskey.

"You!" He yelled at me.

" I know it was you" I could tell he was already drunk. Ever since I knew Femi, he has never been an irresponsible drinker which made me a little apprehensive.

I became scared that maybe  something bad happened at work. I moved to collect the glass of whiskey in his hand but she quickly dodged me.

"Go away from me. I know it's definitely your fault, it was you who made her disappear"

"Made who disappear?" I asked. I knew he was drunk but this wasn't just a drunken speech. He was  definitely on about something serious and I must find out.

"My side chic. Her name is Ọmotola. She just ghosted me and can you believe she's out of the country?"

"Wow! Really?" I couldn't conceal my smile.

"I knew it. Look at that smile. You're the one behind it. Tell me what you did"

He asked as he gulped down the whole glass. I stepped back in fear because his eyes were blazing with anger and in this drunken state, only God knows what he would do.

"I did not do anything. I don't know what you're talking about. Please stop drinking and come to bed. You're drunk, we'll talk about this tomorrow, okay?" I said making sure I was at a reasonable distance.

"D-d-don't t-t-tell me t-t-that. I'm not drunkkk" He stuttered as he stood and staggered towards me, he tripped and fell to the floor like a sack of rice shattering the glass in his hand.

I moved to his side and noticed he was snoring. It was a great task but I used every ounce of energy in me to drag him upstairs into our bedroom. I dragged him to the bed, took off his shoes and clothes and made sure he was laid properly.

What actually fueled the energy in me was the fact that the evil bitch was finally gone out of our lives. I was so excited that I didn't know where the strength to lift Femi came from. It was as if a heavy burden was lifted off my chest.

I guess my threats worked after all because I was already thinking of going really physical on her this time. Thank goodness she took the hint and decided to leave our lives alone for good. Now that she is out of the way, I can now focus on winning Femi back again.

With a smile on my face, I lay down next to him and cuddled him. He was obviously in a deep slumber and can't notice my gesture but I don't care. I was just content to hold him because very soon, he would be all mine again.

################################

I woke up early to prepare breakfast for my husband. Ethan's nanny was around and we were in the kitchen together. She kept teasing me while I  made breakfast.

"Madam this one you woke up this early to prepare breakfast for oga, I can smell love in the air"

She was an elderly, bubbly, kind woman who loved Ethan like her own child. Sometimes I feel Ethan is too attached to her which makes me a little bit jealous at times.

"Who told you this breakfast is for oga, can't I just wake up and prepare something for myself again?"

"Nasoo. As if I haven't been here for more than a year now. This food is definitely for him. Anyways I'll leave you  to concentrate. Let me go check on my baby and see if he's awake"

I cut up the last piece of the cucumber for the fruit salad and placed the small plate of salad on the tray before carrying it into the room.

He was still asleep when I got in. So I placed the tray on the bedside table. I sat beside him on the bed and watched him sleep.

His upper body was bare so I took in his features. I rubbed his hairy chest reminiscing over the good days. I wondered why I still cared for him despite the fact that he had hurt me so much.

Apart from the fact that I had to remain in the marriage to avoid being a laughing stock, there was just something about Femi that makes you want to stick with him.

It was his sex appeal. He was just irresistible, he could have you dickmatised if care wasn't taken.

Ever since Ọmotola came into the picture, our sex life plummeted. It was as though we had lost the spark and I was willing to bring back that spark. I kissed his forehead and he woke up giving me a confused stare.

"Good morning love" I greeted.

He sat up and continued staring like I was some sort of alien that just fell from the sky.

I picked up the tray and placed it on the bed.

"Look what I made you?"

"What's going on?" He finally asked

"Nothing, you came back home drunk last night. I figured you might have a hangover and decided to make you breakfast"

He regarded me for a moment, there was a suspicious glint in his eyes which upset me at first. I ignored it. I needed to focus on winning him back.

I picked up a slice of apple and put it in his mouth. He turned head away teasingly before accepting it. We laughed playfully.

"Thanks for the food" He said as he began munching

"You're welcome"

An uncomfortable silence ensued between us. I knew there was something he wanted to say, something weighing in his heart. I decided to take the lead.

"I really did not do anything further to make her leave. After that time I went to her house to threaten her, I didn't go there again" I said it all in one breath.

"It's okay, I believe you. She doesn't even matter. I'm sorry for the way I treated you"  He said.

"It's okay" I said taking him face in both my hands, stroking his beard.

"Look I want to assure you that no matter what happens, I still love and care about you and will never leave you for another woman. You're my number one"

Meaning there'll always be a number two? I thought within myself but never said it aloud. Right now I just want to focus on the positive side today. We'll talk about that later.

He held my hands and slowly kissed them, trailing up to my neck, I let out a soft moan.  He kissed me on the lips, there was something weird about the kiss, it was as if he were kissing someone else but I kissed him back.

It's been long since we had any  intimacy so I wasn't going to let anything spoil it for me. He loosened my night robe and it fell to the floor.

"Quick, climb me" He ordered and I obeyed even though the foreplay was short-lived, even though I wanted him to caress and kiss my entire body, to tease and make me beg for it like he used to.

As I took him in me, the feel of him brought back nostalgic moments of when I was fucking him while speaking to Jasmine on the phone. I got more turned on by the memory and increased my pace, grabbing at his cock.

"Look at me Femi" I turned his face to look at me but he could barely do so. He felt distant which dampened my morale and that was why when he said he was going to come, I simply nodded my head. There was no need to continue.

I stood up immediately to go wash up in the bathroom but he held my hands and pulled me back to him hugging me tightly.

I was quite taken aback but reciprocated. I hugged him back even more tightly. I began to cry.

"Please don't cry. I'll try my best to be a good husband from now on" he said, patting me gently on the back.

"You love her don't you?" I asked

"No I don't. Please believe me" He pulled away, looking me in the eye.

"I wish I could but you haven't given me a reason to. You came back home drunk yesterday because of her"

"I wasn't drunk because I loved her. I was drunk because I felt used and duped"

"What do you mean by you felt duped?" I asked but nothing prepared me for the answer that followed.

"That woman said she wanted to start a boutique so I sponsored her with almost twenty million not knowing she was using it to process her travelling"

I stood up immediately, "what?'

"I know, I was stupid. I was so angry that I went to drink myself to stupor. No girl has ever used me like that before"

"So youre you're trying to tell me that you spent such amount of money on that useless side chic of yours" I was

shouting now

"Babe, please calm down. I'm sorry"

"Don't tell me to calm down, I thought you said you don't love her?"

"No I don't"

"Then explain to me how you spent almost twenty million on a whore you don't love"

"I thought we were putting this behind us and focusing on sorting our issues?"

"Oh! So you just want me to put this behind and pretend this never happened, right?"

"My goodness! I can't do this right now. What do you women even want?" He stood up from the bed.

"And where do you think you're going to?"

"I'm going to prepare for work"

"Aren't you going to explain yourself?"

"I already did, now if you don't mind, I have work to attend to" He brushed me aside with his shoulder and went into the bathroom while I stood and realizing that I was now back to square one.