Six

She turned and came face to face with Ivan's cousin, Daisy. Daisy and Katty had never gotten along since childhood.

Daisy was the pride of Easton. He loved and cherished her but everything changed when Katty came into the family. Tactfully, she erased Daisy from Easton's mind entirely and warmed her way into the latter's heart. Even at such tender age, she was crafty and creepy. She devised all sorts of means to ruin and dent Daisy's image before her grandfather.

Eventually, Daisy lost her grandfather's love and all the care, love and attention was focused on Katty. Daisy felt very bad, she was abandoned again for the third time. Firstly, her father rejected her mother's pregnancy when she took in. Her mother bore the pain, gave birth to her and left her with her grandfather. According to him, her mother travelled to Italy to work and would return for her once she was stable. Daisy waited for eighteen years but her mother never showed up. She stayed all by herself in her grandfather's place.

"What? Is it your business where I choose to stay in this house?"

"Katty! I will ask you again. What are you doing peeping into my brother's room? You have never been up to any good."

Katty sighed, rolled her eyes at her and walked away like a proud peacock.

"I wonder what she is up to this time," Daisy muttered.

"You better watch what you do in this house. I won't let any of your misdeeds slide," she called aloud after Katty.

"Indeed. You can't do anything. No one would believe you anyway," Katty sneered.

Daisy's face fell. She was right, no one would believe her. Katty always had a way of acting so innocent and making the other person look evil. Daisy was always her regular victim.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Nelly enjoyed every bit of it. Ivan was still King and as good as ever in bed. The sex was so good that he fell asleep immediately after. Nelly got dressed and sneaked out of the room. She joined in the celebratation like nothing happened.

It wasn't her fault and she had no reason whatsoever to feel guilty. She didn't lure him, neither did she force herself on him. Rather, he was the one who came to her.

From where she sat in the sitting room, Katty watched Nelly descend the stairs with a smile on her face. She needed no soothsayer to know that she was the one. Ivan had taken out the effects of the drugs on her instead.

When Nelly was introduced as Ivan's wife, she wasn't disturbed because she knew Ivan wasn't into women. She knew he only married her to secure his fortune. Now that Nelly had taken her place on Ivan's bed, the battle line has been drawn. She would be thrown out soon.

On returning to their own house, their lifestyle continued. They continued to live like two strangers who never crossed paths. Nelly tried to win his heart but was rebuffed. He left her in the house and seldom returned home. He either spent the nights in a hotel or in one of his villas in the state. He attended public events and outings with other women and not his wife. Her only consolation was that he fulfilled his part of the contract. The company was thriving now and her father had recovered. She kept trying and trying. Time flew past but all her efforts amounted to nothing.

Nelly, the new chairman of Stratford group was presiding over a shareholder's meeting.

"Why can't we invest in that line? It will help the company a lot and ward off external forces. Public relations will help us rise," she spoke intelligently.

They all looked at her and kept mute. Some shook their heads and she could even spot some who looked at her like she was a lunatic.

"What's the problem?" she asked.

"We don't run the company like that. It's against the laid down rules," a shareholder volunteered the answer.

"And why? Well, there is always a first time for everything. It will help us a lot. Is anyone opposed to it?"

All hands shot up in the air.

"Huh? Everyone? Is there a problem here?"

A hush fell over the hall. There was pin drop silence.

"Emmm!" the M.C cleared his throat.

"Since the agenda is countered, let's move to the next point in the meeting."

Nelly observed everything in silence. Was there something she wasn't aware of? What company in the world doesn't like progress? The look on their faces bore a hidden meaning she was yet to figure out.

She thought about it all even while preparing dinner. Hardly had she taken a spoonful of the meal when she felt the urge to vomit. She ran off to the bathroom and vomitted. That morning, she was weak and nauseous.

"I'm working too hard. I should take a break from work."

The following day was worse and she couldn't go to work. She was forced to go to the hospital to run some tests.

"Congratulations madam! You're three weeks pregnant."

The doctor had said to her. She looked at her result and truly, she was pregnant. Was it the result of what happened that day at the Lander's mansion?

The thought of a little lovely child growing inside her made her smile. Hopefully, Ivan would accept her because of the child.

"My lovely angel," she muttered.

She waited for Ivan to return home but he never did. After one week of waiting, she decided to show up at his work place.

"Good day madam," his secretary greeted politely.

"Is he in?"

The secretary hesitated. Ivan had given strict instructions that he didn't want to be disturbed but she was his wife.

"Yes ma. He's in."

"Alright."

"But ma…"

"What is it?" she asked.

"He..he. Nothing ma."

Nelly turned and walked off. She knocked twice on the door and opened it.

Ivan frowned when the knock came and even frowned deeper when he saw who it was.

"What do you want? Leave, I'm busy."

"Ivan please. You can't always throw me out."

"Are you blind then? Can't you see that I have no time to spare?"

"I'm pregnant," she dropped the bombshell.