CHAPTER 13
Shades of Marriages
🥰😊😔🥺😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
“Oh my goodness! What have I done to myself?
Am I cursed or something? Why can’t I have a
peaceful life for once. God please help me”. I
cried bitterly within.
I got distracted when my phone started ringing.
It was Austin.
I quickly and hastily dried my tears. I was
warned by his sister not to mention anything to
him, else they will take it that I want to divide
their family.
“Hello dear”. I said feigning happiness.
“My love. How are you? Hope you are ok?”.
Austin asked.
I couldn’t reply immediately because I was
trying so hard to control the tears that were
protesting to fall from my eyes.
“Are you there?”. Austin reiterated.
“I’m okay baby. Hope all is well at the office?”. I
asked.
“Everything is good now. I miss you so bad
already”. Austin said.
“Lover boy”. I said teasingly.
“Is it easy to have a woman like you by my
side? Please allow me to love in peace o”.
Austin said smiling.
One thing about Austin is that he always have a
way of making someone laugh.
“Okay o. Do and come back, I miss you badly”. I
said.
“Wait till tomorrow evening baby. How is my
son doing? I hope he is kicking?”. Austin asked.
My heart skipped immediately. Everywhere
became suddenly too hot.
“Hello! Can you hear me?”. Austin asked.
“The network is very bad. Let’s talk tomorrow”. I
lied. I didn’t know what reply to give to his
question.
“Okay baby. Goodnight”. Austin said and ended
the call.
I couldn’t sleep the whole night.
The next morning, I woke up very early to
sweep. As I was sweeping, Austin mother came
to where I was and asked me to stop sweeping.
“We don’t sweep everyday. Go to your room and
rest. After we are done with breakfast, we will be
going to the hospital”. She said and went back
to her room.
I couldn’t even sleep again. I managed to have
my bath and just lay on my bed waiting for my
judgement.
Austin called but I didn’t pick. I just didn’t know
what to say to him.
After breakfast, I was taken to the hospital. An
ultrasound scan was carried out and the doctor
said there was no baby in my tummy.
My heart broke to pieces.
“So you wanted to trap my brother with a fake
pregnancy right? You are unbelievable”. Oluchi
fumed.
I couldn’t say anything to defend myself. I just
stood there crying.
Mama called Austin to come back home
immediately for an emergency meeting. Austin
called me immediately but I didn’t still take his
calls.
Austin travelled back with the next available
flight.
“Where is Elizabeth”. Austin asked immediately
he entered the house.
I heard his voice but didn’t come out. I locked
my room door immediately.
“She’s inside her room. I bet she won’t be able
to face you knowing the gravity of what she has
done”. I heard oluchi say.
“What did she do”. Austin asked.
“She is not pregnant. She lied to you. She
wanted to trick you into…”.
“Who told you she is not pregnant”. Austin
rudely interrupted Nkechi.
I haven’t heard him sound that angry before.
“She told us about her former marriage and
everything. We took her to the hospital…”.
Mama was speaking when Austin forcefully
stamped his feet on the ground.
“You people did what? How dare you subject
my woman to such scrutiny”. Austin shouted at
the top of his voice.
“Have you been jazzed? How can you still be
defending her after hearing about how she tried
to tie you down with a fake pregnancy?”. Mama
shouted angrily.
I was just in the room crying while the whole
drama was going on.
“I won’t give you people the right to treat my
woman the way you like. You have to treat her
the way I like and you can see how well I treat
her. I blame myself for leaving her with you
people. Elizabeth! Lizbeth!”. Austin called out as
he approach my room.
I had no choice than to open the door for him.
He entered the room and sat on the bed.
For over ten minutes, he didn’t say anything to
me. He just placed his face on his palms. I just
stood there staring at him. After a while, he
removed his palms from his face and I saw that
he has been crying.
I went on my knees immediately in front of him.
“I am sorry baby”. I pleaded with tears.
He lifted me up immediately.
“How can you knee knowing fully well you are
pregnant”. Austin asked.
“But you just heard that I am not pregnant”. I
said confused.
“So, are you agreeing that you tried to trick me
with pregnancy?”. Austin asked.
“No no no! You know I will never do that”. I said
defensively.
“Good. We will try another hospital in town to
run another scan”. Austin said.
I was so touched by how he trust me that I burst
into a loud cry.
“Why are you crying. I am so mad at you right
now that I am controlling myself. Why didn’t
you tell me about what was going on? How
could you blindly follow my mother and sisters
to the hospital without first informing me? I
called you severally but you didn’t pick. Are you
indirectly telling me that you are more loyal to
my family than you are loyal to me?”. Austin
said angrily.
“I am sorry. I didn’t want to cause division in
your family. I wanted to win their love by all
means”. I said with head bowed down.
“Elizabeth! Know who you are. Once we get
married, you will be my woman and I can’t have
my woman crawling around for my family. You
will respect them and that’s fine but never you
lose yourself while doing that. I can’t imagine
myself taking orders from your family without
first informing you. You know why? It’s because
I only got to know them because of you and this
goes for you and my family as well. Please
always give me heads up before you do
anything with my family okay?”. Austin said
while holding my hands.
“Okay dear. I am sorry”. I said.
“Oya come to daddy”. Austin said with his
hands wide opened. I went to him and he gave
me the warmest embrace ever.
“My family are nice people but mama being a
devout catholic won’t want me to marry a
divorcee because Catholics don’t support
divorce. They believe that if you marry a
divorcee, you are commiting an adultery with
her against her husband. That was why I didn’t
tell them about your previous marriage. It’s
good you told them anyways “. Austin said.
“I thought you’ve told them already o. This my
mouth won’t kill me “. I said smiling.
“That’s why I love you, You are too innocent”.
Austin said smiling.
I just sat on his laps blushing.
“I am sorry for what my mom and sisters did to
you. I will talk to them and everything will be
okay”. Austin said.
“No problem. I am sorry for keeping things
away from you. It won’t happen again”.
We shared a long kiss afterwards.
“Now, let’s go settle scores “. Austin said as he
grabbed my hands.
Austin held my hands as we walked out of my
room.
His mother and sisters were surprised to see us
hold hands inspite of what they told him.
To be continued
