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 Ann said, withdrawn her hand, and turned to leave my room."Alright, Ma.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
Joseph's POV:I woke up in my room to the sound of my phone ringing. I had a slight headache. Sitting up in my bed and looking around my room, frowning, I recalled the events of the previous day.I had a terrible day out, getting drunk and wasted that I had to call Lady Tope to come and pick me up. It was quite embarrassing because she wasn't my wife, but it was manageable as she understood that I had been going through a hard time.I stepped down from my bed as I was fully clothed. I didn't even have the time to take off my clothes. I recalled getting nauseated and vomiting in my bedroom, but Lady Tope had cleaned all that up."Dammit. What am I doing to myself? Because of Amaka, my life had been perfect. I was planning on getting married before Amaka came back into my life and crashed everything. Now, I was left with my father's threat that I must marry her, else, I risk losing everything that I had worked so hard for."I was enraged because Amaka didn't want me. She didn't give a d
Joseph's POV:As I came downstairs, Lady Tope came out of the kitchen and set up my breakfast. She asked me, "What about Madam? When will she be coming back again?""Nina wouldn't be coming back. She doesn't want to marry me," I told Lady Tope, and she replied, "Alright."Lady Tope left me, and I sat there thinking about how to resolve the matter between me and Amaka.*****Amaka's POV:My son and I got into a car that drove us to my father's house. We have to travel to the former area that I lived with my family before.It was an underdeveloped area of Palazzo town. Arriving at my father's house, I saw my younger sister, Alice, standing at the gate, and her eyes widened at the sight of me."Amaka!" Alice ran into my arms like a young girl. She was 18-years-old and my look-alike, although she was chubbier than me. So we couldn't pass for twins."I have missed you, sister!" Alice hugged me happily, before she let go of me and looked at Jason, who was looking at her in surprise."Hi, li
Amaka's POV: "Alice, I don't want to talk about Joseph. We are not together, it's as simple as I told you. You all thought that sending me away then simply meant that Joseph would accept me by force. News flash, he blocked me and avoided me, and I had to suffer alone to raise Jason." Alice looked at me pitifully and said, "I am sorry." "You don't owe me any apologies. It's all in the past tense, but Joseph and I aren't together," I told her, and she gulped. "Are you planning on getting back with him?" She asked, but I shook my head and said, "No." "Hmm...it's well. That means it mustn't have been easy for you, but you're now popular, and we thought maybe Joseph was the one helping you," Alice said, standing by the door. But I shook my head and told her, "No. I work for my money, and I don't rely on him. However, I went to apply for a job, and guess what? He owned the company." "What?! So are you going to get back with him?" Alice asked, but I shook my head and relaxed on th
Amaka's POV:The following day, I awoke early and prepared Jason for school."Come on, Jason, time to have your bath," I told my son as I woke him from sleep. I should have considered giving him a break, knowing we had been busy the past weekend, but I didn’t want my son to skip school again, especially since he hadn’t attended class the previous Friday."Mom, I want to sleep," Jason protested from the bed, giving me that boyish charm of his."No. You didn’t go to school on Friday, so I can’t allow you to miss class today," I said firmly."Alright," he finally replied as he got out of bed, and I led him into the bathroom. I assisted him with brushing his teeth, helped him take a bath, and dressed him for school."Mom, am I going to see my dad today?" Jason asked, and I frowned as I finished putting on his stockings and shoes."Jason, why do you want to meet your dad? Do you not like me?" I asked, and he frowned."I do," he managed to say, although his expression turned sad."Don’t wor
Joseph's POV:Arriving at my company again this week, I had hoped to see Amaka, but up until this moment, I hadn't seen her.My phone rang on my office desk, startling me out of my oceanic thoughts. I picked it up to see who the caller was: Ethan Godson.Why was he calling me this early in the morning? I stole a quick glance at the wall clock in my office and saw that it was past 9 a.m."Ugh," I sighed as I answered his call. "Hello," I said, trying to keep my cool because I was not in the mood to speak with Ethan."What's up with you, Joseph? What did you do to Amaka that makes it hard for her to give me a chance?" Ethan asked, and I sighed."I already told you to stay away from her. Why are you pushing your luck? She has my child with her, and I told you that my father is threatening to disown me if I don't reconcile with my child and his mom. You're making it hard for me if you keep chasing after her," I said, rubbing my temples. "But you don't love her anymore. So why can't I c
Amaka's POV:I was unable to sleep, thinking about Ethan's proposal to me. He was so serious that a part of me wanted to give in to his request, but recalling how I had been deceived by Joseph, my resolution was firm.Since I was unable to sleep in my bedroom, I decided to research a new house to start my life because I didn't want to continue living here with Aunt Ann. She had been a great support for me, and I really appreciated that, but I had made up my mind to move on with my life and get an apartment of my own.I took my Android phone and browsed to see where I could find an affordable apartment. Although Ethan had told me that he had many properties here on the mainland and owned the estate where we were living, I wanted a new area—a fresh start away from everyone.“Mmm,” I mumbled, settling on the living room couch and going through my phone. Surprisingly, I hadn’t been contacted by Joseph's company regarding my resignation letter to them. Well, I wasn't expecting them to pest
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