“No way. That is impossible!” Agnes slammed her hands on the table. “Your daughter in law? That is absurd!” “Only that it is not. She was my daughter in law till the seventh of September,” Nancy protested. “And she married Lorenzo on… the eighth?” Agnes laughed in disbelief. “That bitch… she… she suddenly divorced my son and then left the house. Only to join your family. You…” “She does not look like the type to do so, though,” Agnes cut her short. “You think?” Although she hated Leilani for reasons best known to her, but she knew for a fact that Leilani doesn’t seem to be the type who would lie or cause such trouble. But, the woman in front of her, Nancy, had another plan. She opened her bag, and then brought out some pictures from it. She dropped it on the table in front of her and she drew her brows together while she went through them. The pictures had Leilani in them. All of it. Starting from when she got married to Jonathan and was standing in the frame beside another
“Fucking fuck!” Mia screamed.“You shameless whore!” Agnes moved over to Leilani and then pulled her hair.Realizing that it was only going to get serious, Mia rushed over to her mother and grabbed her wrist, “Mum, what are you doing?!” “Let go of her! You know Enzo is never gonna let this slide!”“I think he will be more than grateful that I am doing this in his stead,” she said, tightening her grip around the lady’s hair.Leilani moaned in pain while it felt like her hair was going to come off her scalp. First, she had not even had the chance to nurse her burning cheek before the woman pulled her hair too.She knew right from the beginning that drama was still going to unfold in this house. It was just that she didn’t expect it to be so soon.This was just her first week in this house. Why was she going through such maltreatment already?Although she was used to this kind of treatment from Jonathan’s mother and sister and not to lie, this was the least of the pain she had received
“I… it is just a scratch,” she lied.The last thing she wanted again was a fight breaking out because of her.“I am not blind. And even from afar, I can see your swollen cheek and now the imprinted hand on it.”She grabbed the hem of her top and then began to twist it gently, staring at the man.Realizing that she was not going to talk, he turned around, out of the room, and then dashed to the elevator.“What are you doing?!” Leilani yelled when he pressed the button of the elevator.“Getting the damn answer from their mouth.”“I am fine.”“I am not,” he said and then the door opened.“Your chair!” She screamed again when he stepped in.“You can’t go out there without it!” She exclaimed and then pushed the chair to the elevator with him.“I don’t give a damn,” he groaned, not sparing a glance at the woman who had entered the elevator with him and his wheelchair.“You can’t do this. At least, sit on this.”“This is not the time to do so.”“You are going to ruin your plan for several mo
“What?!”Everyone, including Leilani herself, yelled.“As a matter of fact, tonight,” he added.“You must be nuts,” Aaron shook his head, believing his son had only said that to pull his legs or perhaps, scare him.“Only that I am not and I mean every word of mind. My wife and I are moving out and that is final!”“You would move out over a little misunderstanding? Because of this woman?!”“A little misunderstanding, you say? Your wife, Agnes, hit my wife! Yet, just like the adult and wisest that you are, you took her side!” He mocked.“Homewrecker? Do you seriously call her that? Do you seriously call another person that?! Those words should never have come out of your mouth, you know? Not only did you ruin this family, you ruined me too!”“I never did that!” Aaron retorted.“Really?” Lorenzo chuckled dryly.“It was not even up to a year after my mother died that you fucked another woman, got her pregnant, and brought her home. Of course, I was little, and your words not mine, I neede
“Lorenzo,” she moved over to the man and shook her head.“We do not need to do this, really.”He snapped his brows together and asked, “Do what?”“Leave, I mean. I am sure she would not try that again now that she knows you have my side and the things you could do. Let’s just remain here.”“Why?”“For peace to reign?”He chuckled dryly, shook his head, and then brushed past her, heading to the bedroom.“You don’t know what you are saying.”“Please.”“You should be the one pestering me to leave, in fact! Not the other way around.”“I am fine, okay? Being hit one or two times does not do too much to me. I am okay with it.”He stopped abruptly and turned to look at her. “And that is the problem.”“What?”“Why should you ever feel comfortable and okay with being ridiculed, abused, and insulted every day?”“Lorenzo, it…”“You should never feel that way. You are human, and you should feel otherwise instead. You feel pain when hurt, you bleed when you are cut, so why should you?”“I was just
Leilani picked on her fingers as she stepped out of the elevator and then walked fully into the room.The atmosphere was indeed heavy as she had heard Nicholas say.They all sat on the chairs like they were waiting to see if Lorenzo truly meant his word.“Sister-in-law!” Mia exclaimed, got out of the chair, and then rushed towards her.“Have you two changed your mind?!” She asked, in exhilaration.This lady was always happy. She had never been found otherwise.Leilani shook her head slowly and then pressed her lips together.“I couldn’t convince him.”“It’s alright. It is Enzo anyway. He would always do whatever he wants,” she chuckled, leaned closer to the woman, and then patted her shoulder.“Are you sad you are leaving? Don’t worry, I will always come to see you! The distance is just about thirty to forty minutes drive. That is so little, you know? I will come literally every day to come see you. And as the good Lord will have it, I don’t have a job,” she laughed, staring at the wo
Leilani swallowed the lump in her throat as she turned back to look at Mia and then waved her hands at her, pouting gently.“Shit, I will fucking miss you, sis!” Mia exclaimed and rushed to Leilani.They pulled each other into a tight hug and Leilani breathed out.It had just been a week. She was not very close to the lady yet, but she felt safer around her than the others.“Whenever I come to visit you, just know that you are making me a meal. I should have had it since yesterday, but… things happened,” She chuckled.“Since when have they gotten so close?” Nicholas asked, his arms akimbo while he rested by his car and then glanced at Lorenzo who sat in his wheelchair beside him.“I am wondering the same too,” Lorenzo mumbled, exchanging glares with Arthur who stood across them, his hands in his pocket.“I thought you said she was not close with anyone.”“We are seeing the same thing for the first time, Nicho,” he hissed.After a while, Leilani moved back to them and then exhaled, “I
Leilani whined gently when the hands shaking her wouldn’t stop and then opened her eyes, stretching.“We have arrived, Leilani,” he whispered to her.She snapped her eyes open, sat upright, and then looked at the man who looked at her keenly from where he sat.Nicholas had gotten out of the car already, leaving just the two of them, so she looked around where they were, and then then nodded her head.“Are you okay?” He asked her.“Sure.”“Do you need help with your chair or…”“Nicholas will take care of it. Don’t worry.”She nodded her head, and then got out of the car gently, still feeling the man’s eyes on her.While she stood by the car, she raised her eyes to look at the woman who rushed over to them, and then the couple who ran from another direction, laughing.“Boss!” The couple chorused as they arrived at the car, and at that moment, Nicholas arrived with his chair and then helped him settle on it.Lorenzo raised his head to look at the couple who panted in front of him, and th
“Lorenzo!” Aaron hollered and then rushed towards the man.“I was just coming to see you!” He knelt down and then touched his legs gently like there were thorns around it which was preventing him from touching them well.But Lorenzo didn’t stand still, he walked past his father gently and then approached Shane, his face as hard as rock.“W… why are you coming in my direction?” Shane stuttered, moving backward.“Hi, brother,” Lorenzo tilted his head.“Someone stop this psycho from moving closer to me!” He snapped.“Why? Are you scared of me?” He asked when Shane’s back touched the wall, and he covered the space between them.“W… what are you doing?”Lorenzo tugged his lips into a smirk and then moved his hands from his pockets.“I know, brother.”“K… know what?” He asked, beads of sweat gathering on his forehead.“I know what you did,” he said, ever calmly.Shane swallowed the lump in his throat and then hurriedly wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.He was bluffing.He didn't
“I have things to take care of today. I will resume at the company tomorrow,” Lorenzo said as he buttoned up his wrist, his phone on loudspeaker and then dropped it on the table in front of him.“What do I do?”“You should get things in order. We are both resuming tomorrow. Release an official statement that I will be resuming tomorrow. Sort out the interview proposal that you must have received and pick up the best of them. You can do that much, right?”“Yes, sir.”“Good.”“Sir, how about the issue with Shane? You have not…”He cleared his throat, picked up his phone, and then glanced at his wife, who was still sleeping peacefully in the bed.“I will sort that out.”“When? We can’t let this drag out. We have all the evidence to apprehend him and…”“I will sort it out, David,” he cut him short and couldn’t miss the deep sigh he gave.“Don’t worry. I have it under control.”“Do you need me to go with you when you’re going?”Lorenzo chuckled and then shook his head like the man was goin
“But… Benzo is not one common name. I mean, I have heard it quite a lot in the past but I can’t quite remember where,” Leilani said as she stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in the bathroom robe.“Oh… yeah.”“What? You wanna say something?” She asked as she settled in front of the dressing table and then pulled forward her facial care routine.“Actually,” he started and sat upright.“What?” Leilani glanced at him through the mirror.“He works at my company.”“Who?”“Jonathan.”She parted her lips and then drew her brows together.“What?!”“So, the thing is, he works at my company. He recently got promoted to an executive, in fact.”“Lorenzo?”“I know what you’re thinking,” he raised his hands.“Trust me, you don’t.”“I have many companies to my name, you know? There’s Benzo electronics, pharmaceuticals, Architecture, mall… and a few like that, and he happens to work in one of them, Benzo Electronics.”“Why? I mean… why do you let him work for you?”“He has been a staff at the compan
“B… brother is Benzo?!” Mia exclaimed as she stopped in front of Leilani and then took her hands in hers.“That makes the two of us. I’m excited,” she sucked her teeth.“What? You… you didn’t know about it?” She asked, raising her brows.“I am finding out for the first time tonight just like every other person,” she shrugged.“B… but…” Mia cleared her throat.“Maybe he has his reasons for…”“Don’t take his side, Martha!”Mia and Leilani snapped.“Good, he’s coming. He has a lot of…”Leilani snatched her hands from Mia and then smacked, “I will head inside first.”Mia, with her mouth opened agape watched as the lady walked away and then shook her head.“She is so pissed.”“He should have told her, at least.”Mia creased her brows at Martha and then chuckled, “Were you not just taking his side?” “I just needed to make her calm down, of course.”“I think you only made it worse.”Lorenzo rushed to them and then panted, “Why didn’t you stop her?!”“Why should I?” “You are so…”“You are t
Arthur didn’t know he had staggered backward and the panicked murmurs from the others had snapped him back to reality.“Y… you…”He pointed his index finger at Lorenzo who looked really unbothered as he turned to look at his security team.“Are you ready, sir?” David asked, and he nodded his head.The men formed a proper barricade, and then began to push through the crowd, with Lorenzo, his wife and Nicholas trailing slowly with them.They kept waking, ignoring the crowds while Lorenzo moved over to Leilani, and then took her hand gently in his.She raised her head to look at him, sighed and he nodded his head at her, smiling softly.When the security team stopped moving, they stopped too and David who was leading moved over to him.“There are so many paparazzi outside,” he whispered in his ear.“Really?”“Yes. Literally all media companies are here.”He looked down at Leilani again and then leaned down, “Are you good?”“Yes.”“How about the back exit?” He asked David.“It is jammed t
“I am Lorenzo Byers, and I am the founder of the BENZO group of companies.”Agnes choked on the water she was drinking as she stood up gently from the couch with Aaron opposite her.“That is…”She coughed out loud, dropping the glass cup in her hand and not minding the way it shattered to the ground. She hit her chest and then coughed again.“That is…”“Lorenzo?” Aaron whispered, and then removed his medicated glasses from his eyes as if that was going to help him to see clearer.“That is Lorenzo?!” Agnes hollered and then widened her eyes.They had both settled in front of the Television to watch the event as they had hoped that Arthur would be receiving an award that night.“He is… Benzo?”“He can… walk?”Agnes and Aaron stuttered respectively.“This is wrong. There must be an error somewhere,” Agnes shook her head.But, Aaron’s reaction was different.He staggered to the big screen, touched it, and trailed his fingers down his son’s supposed legs.“He is standing!” He cried out an
David shook his head as his boss wouldn’t stop laughing and then shook his head.“Sir.”Lorenzo smacked and then exhaled. “All along… it was him.”“Boss.”“We suspected someone from the house, did we not?”“Yes, but certainly not Shane.”Lorenzo nodded his head in agreement and then dropped his head on the headrest, his eyes closed.He might have actually imagined it to be anyone, but never Shane.He thought he knew the man.He was reckless and sassy, but certainly not the type to commit arson or murder.Well, in the past.He had just assumed the man to be a jester as he used to derive joy in making fun of his condition by coming up with numerous ironies just to insult him.But never in his whole life had he thought that Shane would go as far as wanting to kill his own wife.“Boss.”“Yes?” He opened his eyes and then sat upright.“What do we do?”“Where is he?”“He is in the hall also,” he answered.Lorenzo nodded his head and then chuckled.“Give me your orders. What do you want me t
“Is that not… Enzo’s wife?”Shane chuckled dryly as he leaned in his seat and then nudged his brother gently.Arthur took his hand from the woman who sat beside him and then turned to look in the direction Shane pointed at.“No way.”“Look there. She is sitting with Nicholas.”Arthur squinted his brows and when he confirmed that it was truly the woman, he chuckled and then hissed.“Who is that?” The woman, Emily asked.Emily was his girlfriend and he had hoped that after the event was over, he would take her home and introduce her to his family.“Lorenzo’s wife.”“Your stepbrother?” She asked and he nodded his head.“Woah, she’s pretty,” she sucked her teeth.“I don’t see it.”“She is so pretty. She looks better in person.”“Whatever,” he rolled his eyes and then turned to look at Shane.“Why is she here though?”“Perhaps… She came out to cheer for Nicholas? No one needs to be told, we know he’s getting an award tonight again.”For the past five years, Nicholas had been receiving awar
“Are you ready?”Nicholas asked her and she nodded her head, taking a deep breath.“I don’t know what we’re doing, as Lorenzo wouldn’t say a word but, okay. I am ready.”“Don’t fret. It is nothing serious,” he shook his head and then curved his arm beside her.Leilani nodded her head and then breathed out again. “If you say so.”She linked her arm around his arm, and together, they walked to the press.The moment they sighted them, they all turned to look at them, flashing their lights at them which almost overwhelmed the woman.But, Nicholas was holding on to her tight as they walked down the red carpet.They kept walking, ignoring the literally provoking questions the press was asking till they walked in through the opened door of the hall.Leilani gasped softly as she entered the hall.It was the largest she had ever seen. Real or on the television. It was so bright too that it could blind a person, and the ornaments used to beautify the hall could not go unnoticed.Chandeliers hu