chapter twenty two

"You girls should eat fast. I don't have all day"  Jasmine yelled at her daughters who were busy playing instead of focusing on their breakfast.

Her daughters were taken aback because their mother hardly yell at them. They became quiet and started eating quickly.

Jasmine finished hers so she stood from the dining table and went into the kitchen to drop her plate.

"Why are you shouting at my children like that?" Her mother who was cleaning the kitchen asked.

"They're wasting my time. I have to drop them off at school before going to work. I don't have all day" She said hardly aware that she was half yelling.

"Calm down. What's wrong with you. You've been on edge for the past few days now"

"On edge? Well maybe. I spoke badly to a man. I have been feeling bad since then. I feel like I should apologize" She said, finally glad she was getting it off her chest.

"A man? Now this sounds interesting. Do you like him?" Her mum asked leaving the dishes she was doing and moving close to her.

"Eww no. I don't like him and there's no way I'm ever going to like any man. I just feel I should apologize for what i said. Simple"

"Never say never my dear"

"I mean it mum. All I want to focus on right now is my business and my children"

"Well you can focus on finding true love too sweetie"

Jasmine rolled her eyes. Her mother has started again.

"Mum I'm serious. I don't even need a man. I'm good alone"

"No you're not. We all need each other" Her mother said

"Wait a minute mum. Why are you lecturing me on finding love all of a sudden?"

"Because I want you to be happy"

"Well I'm happy like this and please quit trying to make me see someone because it won't work. I can't risk my heart again. Never"

"Okay okay. I I'll drop it for now. But who's this person you need to apologise to?" She asked again just when Jasmine thought she had dropped the subject.

"He's the father of the boy who pushed Jasmine the other day"

"Oh I see. A married man?" Her mother asked raising her brows suspiciously

"No, he's a widower"

"Okay, and what terrible thing did you say?"

"Mummy we're done eating!" Juliet yelled from the dining room.

"Mum I have to go. We'll talk later. Have a lovely day" She kissed her mother on the cheek and bolted out glad that she had found a perfect excuse to leave.

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Later that afternoon, Jasmine went to pick her girls from school and was stalling, waiting to know if she could see Stanley.

After waiting for a few minutes she decided to leave. She didn't want to look like she was stalking him. She was about leaving the school premises when she saw Daniel rushing to go hug a young woman.

"Mama mama" He called out excitedly. Jasmine looked at the woman. Daniel looked a lot like her. They have the same shape of head, the same nose and the same light completion.

She felt a lump rise in her throat. She swallowed but it refused to go. The last time she felt this way was about a year ago.

How foolish was she to believe him and even think of apologizing to him. This was definitely his wife.

She have heard of men who lied about their wives dying just to get sympathy and get laid. She couldn't believe she almost fell for that scam. How foolish of her to even believe a man.

"Come on girls, let's go" 

"Give me a minute mum, let me go say bye to Daniel and his Mama"

"Don't let me get angry with you. I said let's go" She yelled at Juliet who began sulking immediately.

She dropped her kids at home with their granny. She was so angry that she didn't even greet or talk to her mother. She went back to the bakery and kept transferring aggression to her workers.

"Madam is everything okay?" Fúnmi asked her after she shouted at some of the workers for being slow.

"And what do you care if everything is okay or not. I don't pay you to ask me stupid questions. Just do your work and mind your goddam business"  She replied and stormed into her office.

She couldn't understand why she was angry. It's not as if her and stanely are anything. Heck they aren't even friends so why was she mad? She shouldn't let this get to her.

She tried calmed herself. As soon as she got home, she found herself getting testy again.

"Do you mind telling me what is going on?"  Her mother asked after she had put the girls to sleep.

"Men are all scum. They're all the same"

"What's going on?"

"Do you believe that stanely actually has a wife?"

"What?"

"Yes, I wanted to apologise to him when a woman whom Daniel looks like shows up. He ran up to her calling and even called her Mama"

She felt the lump rise in her throat. She hated that she felt the way she felt.

"But that doesn't make any sense. Why would he lie about that?"

"To get laid of course. It's a normal thing for some men.  I'm just so angry with myself for believing him" She said.

"But are you sure that's his wife? What if she is just..."

"Oh please. That's Daniel's mother. They look alike and he called her Mama"

"But I thought you said you don't like him. Why are you then upset?"

"Because he's a cheat and is faking an innocent woman's death to get laid. It's unfair to the poor woman"

"Or you're upset because you actually liked him and now that he's married, you can't have him anymore" Her mother teased and she frowned, she wasn't finding it funny

"Ewww. No mum. Stop it. Maybe I should tell the wife when I see her in school. She needs to know"

"You'll do no such thing. It's best if you mind your own business. You don't want to go around complicating things and causing havoc"

"But..."

Her mother cuts her off "No buts. Just mind your business."

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"Mum, why aren't you starting the car?" Juliet who was becoming tired of her mother stalling for no reason asked

"Nothing dear. Just give me a minute" Jasmine answered. She sighed with relief as Daniel and his mother walks out of the school gate.

They head for their car which was parked in front of hers. That was stanely's car. She recognized it very well. It was another prove that the woman was his wife.

Making up her mind, she quickly stepped out of her car and rushed to the lady who was about to get into car.

"Hello!" Jasmine greeted. The young lady had a slender figure and a tall frame.  She wore a sleeveless mini black dress that revealed her perfectly straight and smooth legs. Her skin was clear that it glistened under the rays of the sun

She was incredibly young. Jasmine doubted if she was up to twenty three. Stanely must have married her when she was eighteen or nineteen. At least he  didn't lie about her beauty.

She wondered why he would have such a young and beautiful woman and still cheat on her

"Hello!" She answered with a warm smile on her face. Jasmine immediately pitted her. This woman was too sweet to have a man like stanely.

"I'm sorry to bother you but there's something I need to tell you. My name is Jasmine, I'm Juliet's mother, Juliet was the girl who got into a fight with Daniel some days ago"

"Oh! You're Jasmine. It's nice to meet you. Stanely told me what happened. I'm so sorry about Daniel, he can be a bit rough at times"

"It's okay. I just thought you should know something about stanely. I know it's not in my place but I feel it's something I must do"

"I'm all ears ma'am"

"Stanely was hitting on me and he even faked your death. He lied that you were dead. I just feel to let you know that your husband is..."

"Let me stop you right there ma'am. First of all, stanely is not my husband. I'm his younger sister and his wife is late. Stanely would never do something like that. He loved his wife"  She was clearly irritated.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry. I never knew" She felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. She should have just listened to her mother.

"Even if it were true, don't you think coming up to a woman you barely know and telling her that her husband is hitting on you is rash?"

"I know it is. I'm so sorry. It wasn't even in my place to do that"

"I'm glad you know now. Sometimes it's best to mind one's business. It's a pleasure meeting you. I have to run now" She said as she entered into her car and zoomed off.

Jasmine stood there looking like a total fool. She wished the ground could open and swallow her along side the embarrassment she was feeling.

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"But I warned you not to do that?" Her mother mother said for the tenth time and she wished she hadn't told her. She surely wouldn't hear the last of it.

"I know and I'm sorry. I feel so bad"

"That was a very stupid thing to do. you could have done your findings but you went along with assumptions. Even if it were true, it wasn't in your place"

"Mum I have heard you. There's no need to remind me of my mistake over and over again"

"I'll remind you. That's your punishment for not listening to me and just pray she doesn't tell her brother because he'll be really angry at you when he finds out"

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, realising that his sister might tell stanely. She  wondered what was wrong with her? The former her would have thought things through before doing what she did. She really needed a fix up.

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As Jasmine parked her car, she spotted stanely standing by his car staring at his watch repeatedly. She became nervous.

She had already planned her apology stament but seeing him there, every fiber of courage seemed to have disappeared.

She decided she would pretend not to see him and apologize tomorrow or next. She stepped from the car and was about heading for the school gate when he called out at her.

"Madam please can I talk to you for a minute. I've actually been waiting for you" He caught up with her and stood in front of her, blocking her from moving forward.

She should apologize, she told herself but instead she she found herself saying something else.

"How can I help you Mr stanely?" She asked

"My sister told me what happened yesterday"

"Look, I didn't not mean--"   He cut her off.

"My only mistake was liking you and genuinely complimenting you. Listen I don't care if you believe me but I don't appreciate you messing around with the loving memories of I and my late  wife. Please refrain from spreading wrong information aboutand me and my  late wife and learn how to mind your business"

He didn't even give her a a chance to talk before dashing off into his car. Jasmine stood there feeling more for him than herself. There was this brokenness in his eyes and she hate to think that she might be responsible.

Heck! Why didn't she just open her mouth and apologize.

She couldn't help thinking about what he said about liking her and genuinely complimenting him. Does he really like her? What does he mean by that?

She tried to imagine but couldn't bring herself to do so. She couldn't picture herself being genuinely liked by anyone or her liking anyone. That kind of likeness wasn't for her anymore.

She just felt bad for what she did and wished she had apologized but now that he spoke to her that way, there was no need to. They could just go back to how they were before she met him at the headmistress office, Strangers.

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As stanely drove off, she couldn't help but wonder if he spoke to her harshly. He was just mad that she actually thought he was lying about his wife and even went to tell his sister who she taught was his wife. It triggered him because he loved his late wife and wouldn't do that to her.

He wondered why Jasmine was being so testy. He really wanted to get to know her but she had built a barricade. Maybe it's best if he left her alone and doesn't speak to her again.