The car from the airport had a tingly smell to it. I don’t remember what exactly irritated me about this place, even today, I have been so angry from when I came out of the airplane down to the arrivals.
I had called Rolan every day for the last two weeks but each time it had gone straight to voicemail. I had even phoned the palace, but no one picked that too. I sent emails and voicemails, but none of them had gotten a reply either, so naturally, I was very frustrated with the whole trip.
When we eased into the palace, I was surprised to see how scanty it was, with anyone barely being around. I dragged my bag upstairs by myself and put it in the room I used whenever Rolan’s family hosted me.
Rolan and I are childhood friends, everyone thought that we would be married and if I had not cheated on him with a business partner of his, he would have gone ahead with the wedding plans.
We had mutually agreed to keep the ugly incident behind us and move on, but Rolan always had a soft spot for me.
Now, back after three years, I have no one to welcome me.
“Rolan! Where the fuck are you?” I heard someone scream from downstairs. I hurried out, worried about what the problem could be.
“Rolan, you better come out here and talk to me. Done sneaking off to your mistresses?” I saw a tall pregnant woman pacing about the house, screaming insults at Rolan.
“Excuse me? Who the fuck are you and why are you screaming like a mad dog?” I snapped at her, transferring all the aggression that I had been piling up in my mind.
“I should be asking you that.” She said boldly at me, and I began to wonder if Rolan had something to do with this wretched thing.
“Is Rolan the father of that thing you are carrying?” I asked her, knowing fully well that that would trigger her and that I would have a prey to unleash my terror on.
“That thing?” She laughed hysterically.
“Yes, that thing. Any problem with that?” I asked her brazenly.
“You think I am one of you. You think I am like you who goes about trying to ruin people’s homes for relevance?” She asked me and I became confused, she seemed to already have a notion about Rolan before coming here.
“Who exactly do you categorize me as?” I asked her, genuinely curious.
“Are you not one of Rolan’s mistresses?” She snapped me, her tone rude and angry.
“And who exactly are you in all this?” I asked, hoping that Rolan was not married, part of the reason I returned was to see how to make things up with him.
His business associate had dumped me a few months after Rolan officially called off the wedding due to irreconcilable differences as we had mutually agreed.
“I am the one you wished you never came across. I won’t let you have your way. You need to leave.” She warned me.
“His wife?” I queried, unsure of why she was so upset if she turned out not to be.
“No, you don’t know who Rolan’s wife is?” She asked me, a look of shock spreading across her face and mine too.
“Rolan has a wife?” I asked, my heart pounding loudly against my chest.
“Yes. A pregnant one. Who exactly are you, Miss?” She asked me.
“I am Marilyn, Rolan’s childhood friend and ex-fiancee.” I retorted, glad that she was not Rolan’s wife and if she was so angry on behalf of whoever his wife was, it indicates that they do not have a happy marriage.
“Oh. Well, your friend and ex-fiancee is married but won’t stop cheating on his wife who happened to be my best friend. I won’t spare any of you because he has lied to me and everyone else who cared about his wife for too long.” She snarled at me, eyes blazing and fist tightened.
“You would really fight me for your friend? You are pregnant and at risk of losing a lot of things. You really want to do this?” I moved close to her, ready to push her down the stairs.
Just as we were almost chest to chest, the entrance door swung open and Griffin rushed inside. I still remember him, as gorgeous as ever.
Having faced his cruel rejection three times, I had tried to set him up against Rolan but all of my plans failed.
He was the one who told Rolan about my relationship with his business associate and even provided him with hard copy evidence. He stopped when he saw me, his face becoming hard as he walked up the stairs to where the crazy pregnant lady and I stood.
“Marilyn!” He snarled.
“Griffin,” I replied tonelessly.
“What are you doing here? Are you out of your mind?” He barked at me.
“Oh please, Griffin, you always knew that I was going to come back to take what was rightfully mine. Now be a good boy and take care of this trash here.” I said and pointed to the pregnant lady before attempting to leave for my room.
“Marilyn, the king is done with you. He has a queen now. A befitting one. If you want me to allow you to stay here, you must promise not to cause any trouble. The king will decide whatever he wants to do with you when he returns.” He said and walked off with the pregnant lady.
“Kiara, I have something important to tell you. It’s about Pandora.” I heard him say to her as he led her into Rolan’s study.
Eavesdropping will be useless as the study was soundproofed, so nothing could be heard from outside if a conversation was going on inside.
I scoffed and walked into my room, the thought of Rolan being married plaguing my mind. The plan I had made earlier to win Rolan’s heart needed to be changed. I paced around for a while and then, I began to unpack.