Joseph's POV:I sat in my office waiting for Anita to bring my lunch from the cafeteria.A few minutes later, she arrived with a smile on her face."Here's your lunch, sir," she said as she approached my desk and placed the meal down."Do you need anything else, sir?" Anita asked, and I looked at her face."No, you can leave my office," I replied. She smiled and left.I opened the meal and resumed eating, conscious of the time.My phone rang, and I saw that Danna was calling me."Hello, big bro," she said once I answered."What's up?" I asked, and she grinned."Nothing. I just called to see if you're coming over. Mom asked if her grandson went to school today."I rolled my eyes at my sister's words."Her grandson? Why are you and Mom so obsessed with the boy when I don't even know if he's my child?" I protested."He is your child. Anyway, are you coming over? We close at 3:30 p.m., and most parents get here before 4 p.m. So you should be on time," Danna said, clearly wanting me to see
Joseph's POV:"Over here, big brother!" Danna waved to me, and I saw her standing beside the school building, raising her right hand for me to see her.Several children were going home, and some were getting on the school bus that would take them home. I walked over to meet my younger sister."Wow! I guess coming here at closing time wasn't a good idea," I told her, and she grinned."Maybe. Come, let's go meet him. I told his teacher that my brother is Jason's father.""What? Danna, why would you say that to your fellow teacher?" I asked her as I quickly followed her.She wore a green school vest and a black skirt paired with black shoes. She paused and looked at me."I didn't have a choice. His mother will arrive soon, and that was the best way to get the little boy's teacher to delay him. Besides, she's my friend. Otherwise, no one is allowed to see the children except their parents or guardians."Danna quickly led me to the classroom, and I noticed some other young female teachers
Amaka's POV:I finished putting on a red top and black skirt as I adjusted my appearance in front of the mirror."Jason's school has closed. I have to hurry and pick him up," I told myself as I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my hair and tying it into a bun.Once I was ready, I picked up my handbag and put a small amount of money in it for transport.My phone rang, and it was Maureen calling me."Hello, girlfriend," I answered her call and exited the room. Stepping into the living room, I turned off the light as I was leaving."How are you doing, Amaka? Have you gone to pick up my little husband from school?" Maureen asked, to which I replied, "No, I'm on my way. Do you want to go and pick him up?""No, I just miss you guys. I'm still in my shop because I went there today to adjust my wedding dress. It's too tight, and I had to loosen it a bit.""Alright. I'll stop by your shop since you're there. How about my bridesmaid gown? Have you sewn it yet?" I asked her."Yeah, I have.
Joseph's POV:I stood waiting for hours for Amaka to arrive, only to see her getting out of a car. Taking a closer look at the driver, I was stunned to see that it was Ethan.My anger rose, but I quickly composed myself as Amaka approached me."Hi," I said to her, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she looked shocked to see me."What are you doing here?" Amaka asked, glaring at me."Hmm." I frowned, realizing that she was blushing when she approached me and didn't even notice that I was the one standing there.Maybe she mistook me for one of the male teachers since I had taken off my coat and draped it over my right arm."I came here to see my son," I made it clear to her, and she burst out laughing, covering her mouth and asking, "Which son? The last time I checked, you're only engaged to Nina Stanley, and she doesn't have a child for you yet."I glared at her and replied coolly, "You have my son, and don't act like he isn't mine. I want a DNA test to prove it.""And
Amaka's POV"You cannot be serious, Amaka?" Maureen said as she came into her shop to meet me.I sighed and went to her fridge to grab a cold bottle of water for myself as I was feeling hot."Well, I am. I am serious. He is Joseph's friend. And guess what happened today?" I asked Maureen, who still looked stunned and unhappy to hear that the new man was Joseph's friend."What happened? You know that I'm not a good guesser. Go on and tell me all that happened. You mean that handsome man is friends with Joseph?"Maureen looked irritated, and I smiled and told her to calm down."Relax, Maureen. Besides, I haven't accepted him yet. But he said that he doesn't care if I have a child, and he also knows that my child belongs to Joseph.""What??" Maureen gasped again as she watched me open the bottle and drink from the chilled water in my hand. Jason came up to meet me, requesting to drink from my water too."Wait, Jason. This is too cold. Let me look for a little cold water." I went to the f
Amaka's POVSaturday arrived, and we set off to attend Maureen's wedding.The previous day, I had expected Joseph to call, as he left the school angrily. But I didn't receive his call, since I didn't take Jason to school on Friday.I know that it wasn't fair on my part that my son was skipping class, but I didn't want him to look stressed out since we had to attend Maureen's wedding. Her mother had been busy making preparations for it too, so I woke up early and did the same preparations.I helped my son with his bath, then I helped him dress in the handsome white lace that Maureen had sewn for him.Jason looked handsome, and after helping him put on his black shoes, I set off and made a recording.It was tagged: #MyBestFriendWedding, #MaureenWedsChris, #MrAndMrsAugustus."Hey guys, welcome to another live vlog. We are making preparations for my girlfriend's wedding. Guess who is getting married today? Maureen!!" I gushed over the video as I was done with my makeup and just needed to
Amaka's POV:Walking up to meet Maureen and Chris as the guests resumed presenting their wedding gifts to them. I didn't shop for anything, so I wrote out a check for 2 million and came to present it to my friend."Here's my wedding gift to you and Chris. Happy marriage to you both," I told Maureen, and she hugged me happily and replied, "Thank you! I wish you were the next in line to wed.""Maureen!" I smiled, and we stood together and took photos. I told her, whispering into her ear, "I have to go home since the celebration will last until late at night.""No, Chris and I will soon be leaving. I told him I didn't like big events like this," Maureen whispered back, and I told her, "Enjoy your day. I am happy for you."After sharing one last hug, I set out to leave the event, knowing that Maureen's mother and relatives, along her new family, would handle everything for her. Besides, she was going for her honeymoon with Chris.I moved over to the table where Jason sat with the other ki
Amaka's POV:I moved over to the door to see who it was, and it was Aunty Ann, Maureen's mother."Good evening, Ma. Welcome back," I greeted her, and she smiled."Thank you, Amaka. I just wanted to tell you that I have returned home. We weren't expecting the wedding reception to be that extravagant," Mrs. Ann said, and I grinned at her. "Thanks to Chris. He is an understanding man.""Yes. Maureen is indeed lucky to have him, and I pray that you have a good man like Chris. I know that Joseph made you have a different mindset about men, but you can still give another man a try." Mrs. Ann held my hand, but I shook my head and told her, "No. I am fine.""It's alright. I see that Jason is already asleep. Let me allow you to rest; I am also stressed," Mrs. Ann said, withdrawn her hand, and turned to leave my room."Alright, Ma. Good night," I told her, although I didn't mention that I wanted to leave and purchase mine. I considered telling her that I would be visiting my family the followin
Amaka's POV:After I was done sending the text message to Joseph, it showed as received, but my heart was so anxious to hear what he would reply to me.I carefully placed the phone back on the bedside drawer and fell asleep.****Joseph's POV:After returning from Amaka's apartment where I took Jason back to meet his mother, I knew that she was already stone-hearted and would not forgive me. I decided to let her focus on her life and her business and wait for her to bring the child custody agreement for me to sign, as I wanted to be a part of my son's life.As I parked my car in my garage, I got out and went into the house.Lady Tope was present in the living room, and she welcomed me. "Welcome, sir.""Thank you," I replied as I glanced at her face. She smiled warmly, and I knew that she had heard when Amaka had come here to my house and yelling for me to return her son."Sir," Lady Tope's soft voice stopped me as I reached for the stairs to climb it and ascend to my room."What's it
Amaka's POV "Mom, is tomorrow really my Dad's birthday?" My son asked me as I set up his dinner at the dining table. What kind of brain does Jason have? He pays attention to even the things that I do not expect him to care about. Also, he asked me reasonable questions since he learned to talk. And additionally, he became more of a talkative since he met his Dad. "Jason, I do not know. Your father was here. Why didn't you ask him or stay with him?" I looked away from my son's face as I served him his jollof rice to eat. "But Mom, Dad has been nice to us. Why do you not want to talk to him and be his friend? Dad said that he is sorry, and he will not hurt you again," Jason said as he looked at me thoughtfully. "Do you believe your Daddy?" I asked my son before we resumed eating. "Yes. I believe Daddy," Jason replied, and I sighed. "It's okay to believe your dad, but I do not want to be his friend or believe him again. He lied to me, and I haven't forgotten what he did. So I will
Jospeh's POV"You should try to apologize to her. I believe she will forgive you," Lady Tope said, and I nodded my head. "It's fine." I stood up and went to the top floor to check on my son, and he was sleeping peacefully on the bed due to the cold. I looked at his cute face, as the room bulb was on. The night had fallen gradually, and I sighed and picked up my phone to create a fake account and to send an apology message to Amaka. She had to hear me out. However, as I thought about sending her a message, I thought about the possibility that she might not see it. So I kept my phone back on the shelf and went to study. A few minutes later, I came out of the study as it was past 9 pm. Jason awoke on the bed and looked at me. "Daddy, how about my Mom?" He asked me first, getting out of the bed, and I told him, "She is not here. Do you want to go and see her?""Yeah," Jason nodded, and I sighed. "Fine. Come with me."Jason requested to use the bathroom, and I waited for him to exit.
Joseph's POVI came out of my house not expecting to see Amaka here, yelling for me to bring our son out. I knew that I had not signed the child's custody agreement with her. "Hey, big brother. My friend and I came back because she has something to discuss with you," Danna said as she quickly moved away from her white car with her best friend. "Danna, I did not invite you here, and you can tell me whatever your friend has to say to me over a phone call," I told my younger sister as I was pissed off seeing her. I knew that she doesn't like Amaka again, and maybe because she wants to introduce her friend to me, but I do not want her. "I know, Mr. Joseph. Only that your son hasn't caught up with his studies. So Danna and I suggested that I can be his extra school teacher," Clara immediately chipped in, and I looked at her face in shock. "My son's school teacher? Well, I am aware that he is going to school, but he was sick, so you do not have to worry about coming to teach him," I sa
Amaka's POVFeeling Declan Moore's hand in my left hand made me slightly tingly and sent goosebumps down my spine. As he looked at me with love-sick eyes."Hi, it's nice to meet you, Amaka. Can I have your contact?" Declan asked me quickly, as he put his phone into my hands.I opened my mouth to speak and to tell him that I wasn't interested in being his friend. But seeing Janet's smiling face as she wanted me to be friends with her brother, I sighed and replied, "Alright. I'll input my number."Declan smiled and took his phone back, saying, "Thank you, Amaka. I will give you a call later."Glancing at Janet, he said, "I have to go now, sister, and take care of yourself.""Okay, brother," Janet replied with a warm smile as her brother walked away.He ran up to catch up with a black car waiting for him, and Janet giggled. "I can't believe that you thought of my elder brother as my boyfriend. Didn't we look alike?"I sighed and told her, "I'm sorry. I actually mistook him as your boyfri
Amaka's POV: "Amaka, I am not asking you to forgive Joseph. But you know that he is my best friend, and I know Joseph well. These days, I think he is more affected by seeing you again, and you should give him a chance at least, a second chance to prove his worth again." Ethan kept his face focused on the road as he drove his black SUV away. I sighed, still not responding to his advice. "It's well," Ethan muttered as he drove back to the island where my rented apartment was. "Are you bothered that Joseph would want to fight with you if he is so serious about his new-found feeling for me?" I queried Ethan, and he laughed aloud. "He is already fighting me, and he hadn't hung out with me since you showed up in our lives. Honestly, I sometimes wished that I had met you before Joseph did. He doesn't deserve you, at least. Let me be honest. You are too decent for a bad boy like him. So, I cannot blame you for the decision that your heart desires." "Mmm," I was silent as I knew that
Amaka's POV:I stood up from the couch and went to give Joseph's mother my bank account details, and they made the transfer into my account. Once I had confirmed the money, I thanked the Ericsons once more, even when it wasn't what I wanted.Joseph was smiling as if he had won my heart, but I had my reservations as I saw his two aunties looked happy."I have received the money, sir," I let Joseph's father know, and he nodded."That's fine. I want you to use that as compensation for what our son did to you. And we hope that you can always come to visit us whenever we have any family activities," Mr. Ericson said, and I nodded sadly."I will. I have to get going home now." I wanted to leave, and Joseph's mother said, "Why don't you join us for lunch before leaving?""No, Ma'am. I am not hungry. I have a running stomach, so I am always mindful of what I eat outside," I told Mrs. Hannah politely, and she smiled sadly, as she wanted to make amends for the past."It's alright. Since you do
Amaka's POV "Can we get going, please?" Joseph asked me, and I peered at his face and replied, "Alright."I took out my phone and contacted the Uber driver, and I apologized to him. "Hello, sir. I won't be able to go with you again. As I already cancelled the trip. Can I make a refund to you?""It's alright, Madam. You don't have to worry about the payment," the Uber driver said. I marched to get into the back seat of Joseph's car.I saw Joseph smiling, but I rolled my eyes and looked away."Mommy," Jason smiled at me from the front passenger seat, as he was happy to be sitting in the front seat beside Joseph.The car was filled with Joseph's cologne, and I sat in a tight corner, trying to do some breathing exercises to distract my nose from his intoxicating scent."Can you unlock the car windows?" I asked Joseph, after seeing that the car was an automatic."Anything for you," Joseph replied with a calm voice, but I didn't bother to correct him, since he had unlocked the car windows.
Amaka's POV:As I woke up in my room, I sighed and got out of my bed as I made preparations for my son and me to visit Joseph's mother.If it wasn't that I had made the promise that I would visit them, I would have canceled it because Jason was not feeling well.I went to have my bath in the bathroom, and as I got out, I donned a blue top and black trousers, and also a black pair of shoes. Then I moved over to the mirror to do my makeup.I saw that I had a little acne due to the stress that comes with working. I didn't apply makeup, so I made use of my tinted lip gloss and went to my son's room to check on him.Jason was still asleep on the bed, and I recalled how I had gone to Joseph's house to bring him back.Sighing, I gently went to wake my son and to assist him with his bath.His body temperature was back to normal, and he had eaten well the night before.Helping Jason to undress, I prepared a warm bath for him and took him into the bathroom to wash up.A few minutes later, Jason