Chidi Confesses In Front Of Everyone

The restaurant went silent.

Chidi Eze was on his knees. In front of Amara. In front of Tunde. In front of Chiamaka. In front of 20 strangers eating dinner.

Amara said: "Chidi, you want me to be your lawyer? Fine. My f*e is the truth. Tell Chiamaka, in front of everyone, what you did to his mother."

Chidi looked up. His eyes were red. His shirt was torn. He was no longer a billionaire CEO. He was a broken man.

He looked at Chiamaka. 5 years old. Small suit. Small tie. Holding his mother's hand, hiding behind her.

"Chiamaka," Chidi whispered. "My son. My name is Chidi Eze. I am your father."

Chiamaka shook his head. "No. My mummy said my daddy is in heaven. My mummy said my daddy is a star. You are not my daddy. My daddy is Uncle Tunde."

Tunde held Chiamaka's hand. "Chiamaka, it's okay. You don't have to talk to him."

But Chidi crawled forward on his knees. Tears falling.

"Chiamaka, I am sorry. I am sorry I told your mummy to abort you. I am sorry I gave her N50,000 to kill you. I am sorry I called her a maid. I was a fool.

I was greedy. I wanted to marry a rich heiress. I wanted to be a billionaire. And I threw away the only woman who ever loved me when I was poor."

The whole restaurant gasped. A woman dropped her spoon. A man stopped eating.

Amara stood there, frozen. She had waited 5 years to hear those words. She had imagined this moment 100 times. In her dreams, Chidi would kneel and beg. And she would laugh. And she would walk away.

But now, hearing it for real, she did not laugh. She cried.

"Chidi, you told me to abort him. You told me I would embarrass you. You told me not to come to your wedding. Do you know what I did that night? I sat under a mango tree in Onitsha, holding my belly, and I promised my son that one day, his father would kneel. And today, you are kneeling."

Chidi nodded. "Amara, I kneel. I kneel for you. I kneel for Chiamaka. I kneel for the baby I told you to kill. Please, forgive me."

Sophia entered the restaurant. She had been watching from outside. She was wearing a gold dress, holding a file.

"Chidi Eze," she said, loud, so everyone could hear. "You are kneeling for Amara. But you have not knelt for me."

Chidi turned. "Sophia... Sophia, please. I am sorry I made you abort our baby too. I am sorry I gave you N50,000 too. I am sorry I used your father's N500 million to pretend to be a billionaire."

Sophia threw the file on the floor. Papers scattered everywhere. Bank statements. Photos. Messages.

"Chidi, this file is the evidence. Your company stole N500 million from my father. My father is going to arrest you tomorrow. If Amara does not save you, you will go to prison for 10 years."

Chidi grabbed Amara's leg. "Amara, please. Be my lawyer. Save me. I will give you everything. I will give you my house. I will give you my car. I will give you my company. Just save me from prison."

Amara looked at Tunde. Tunde looked at Amara.

Tunde whispered, "Amara, don't do it. He does not deserve you. Let him go to prison."

Amara looked at Chiamaka. Chiamaka was crying.

"Mummy, don't let Daddy go to prison. If Daddy goes to prison, I will not have a daddy."

Amara knelt down. She hugged Chiamaka.

"My son, listen to me. Your daddy did bad things. Bad things have punishment. But your mummy is a lawyer. A lawyer does not let a man go to prison because she hates him. A lawyer lets the law decide."

She stood up. She looked at Chidi, cold, like a CEO.

"Chidi Eze, I will be your lawyer. But on ONE condition."

"What? What condition? I will do anything!"

"You will go to Enugu. You will live in my grandmother's house. You will fry akara for 1 year, like I did while I was pregnant. You will fetch water. You will sleep on a mat. You will learn what I suffered. If you survive 1 year, I will defend you in court. If you run away, I will let Sophia's father arrest you the same day."

Chidi's mouth opened. "Fry akara? For 1 year? Amara, I am a CEO!"

Amara smiled. The same cold smile Chidi gave her 5 years ago.

"Chidi, 5 years ago, you told me I was a maid. Now you will be the maid. Too late to say no."

The whole restaurant clapped. Chiamaka clapped. Sophia clapped. Tunde clapped.

And as Chidi stood up, shaking, to go to Enugu, his phone rang.

He picked it. His face went white.

"Amara... Amara, someone has kidnapped... someone has kidnapped my mother. They said if I don't pay N10 million in 24 hours, they will kill her."

Amara's heart stopped. Who kidnapped Chidi's mother? Was it a trap? Or was Chidi finally telling the truth?