CHARTER 94
LILY’S POV
“Are you been serious right now?” My eyes tripled in size and a gasp left my lips as I asked.
I was on the phone with Jane. She had called about a minute ago with a strange number. If I hadn’t recognized her voice on the other end of the line as I hesitantly picked up the call, I would have blocked it. She was just telling me how Robert showed up in her house first thing in the morning, asking for my whereabouts.
“I’m telling you,” Jane said seriously. “My husband even mentioned he came three days before, asking for me. You should have seen his face. He looked like a puppy left to die in the cold. But I know he was just putting on an act so he could get information from me.”
I kept quiet, not knowing what to say. Why in the world could Robert be searching for me? Probably to finish me off along with his cruel family members. But Jane said he had a sorry look on his face but she was convinced it was an act. I didn’t want to think of the reasons he could be searching for me because it was giving me a headache, and I had still work to do as I was still in my office, working late.
But on the bright side, if he was asking Jane for my whereabouts, that meant he didn’t know where me and the kids are as we speak. That’s great news. Part of me used to think he somehow knew and was secretly watching us. Thank goodness that’s not the case. And if he doesn’t know then Scarlett didn’t know too. Now, I can live freely, not worrying about anyone coming after me or taking the kids from me like that psycho, Cassandra.
“I think you should be careful out there, Lily,” Jane said calmly.
“Why?” My brows furrowed. “Did you tell him anything about me and the kids?…”
“No…” she blurted out. “Girl, what the fuck do you take me for? Even if I was offered all the designer bags and shoes in the world to betray you, I’ll never do that…”
“Aww…” I cooed in awe, feeling emotional and sorry for asking her that question.
“I didn’t tell him shit. If it makes you feel any better, I told him cruel things he’d never forget for as long he leaves.”
A small smile crept into my lips as I relaxed back against my seat, genuinely enjoying this conversation with her. It’s been kind of long since I felt this way.
“And what exactly did you say to him?” I asked with keen interest.
“Trust me, girl, you don’t want to know. I only wish that witch, Scarlett was there too so I can give her a piece of my mind. If I happen to run into her by chance any day, I swear I’ll let the whole city know what husband snatcher and wicked witch she is.” She said it like it meant it. And I knew she did because I had seen her do crazier things. Inside me, I wanted that to happen so badly. She’d had only met Scarlett once, at the hospital after I had gotten the results of my pregnancy test. She wanted to put Scarlett in place after she made those rude remarks about me but I had to stop her because I didn’t want her to cause a scene in front of Robert. Now, I regret stopping her. I should have just let her pounce on that bitch and rip her to pieces.
“I was only telling you to be careful because that man is on a serious manhunt for you,” she said and I froze. “He was persistent. Can you believe that feckless idiot interrupted my early morning sex with my husband to drag my door with me?”
My jaw literally dropped to the floor on hearing her say that. Robert dragging the door with her? The Robert I know and married is arrogant and proud. The last thing he’ll do is drag something with someone because he was like the top dog. He always gets what he wants, one way or another.
“You must be joking,” I said, feeling doubtful.
“I’m being real girl,” she said. From the seriousness in her tone, I could tell she wasn’t joking about it. “That dude almost made me break my door. Right now, I’m speaking to you with a burner phone and this fake number you were scared of answering because he may be trying to trace my calls and track you down.”
“Oh my goodness!” I exclaimed in shock. “Are you sure about that?”
“Nope,” she answered. “If I was a hundred percent sure about it I wouldn’t hesitate to tell my husband and have Robert arrested. I made it clear to him. I’m only suspecting it because he mentioned something about knowing I was your only visitor in prison. If he knew about then there was every chance he was monitoring me, and might also know about the kids because they came with me to the prison on several occasions.”
I was yet to recover from the first shock when this one disoriented me further. I didn’t want Robert to learn about my kids. I didn’t want him to know they ever existed because he never wanted them in the first place.
***”I never noticed your love because I didn’t care about it, Lily. It means nothing to me. It doesn’t matter if this pregnancy was a result of my doing or not. It’s growing inside your body, not mine so it is your sole responsibility. As a dutiful wife and young woman, you should know better to always be in control pills.”
“Enough! I don’t want to hear your pathetic voice again. Get rid of that pregnancy. That’s all I have to say to you. You just lost your job. Surely, you won’t like to lose the only thing keeping you from wallowing in poverty and your mother from rotting in the hospital.”***
I remembered Robert’s cold, harsh words from that night, and a pang of pain shot through my stomach like an electric shock. I used to think things like that only happened in movies or stories, but my own husband-my lifelong crush-proved me wrong. Tell me, does a man like that even deserve to know his children are alive? Good thing he doesn’t know where we are. He might have somehow learnt about them, but he’ll never get close to them, not even a glance. I’ll make sure of it.
The kids hadn’t asked of him again ever since that day. Noah was doing a great job distracting them and being the father figure they needed. Honestly, I didn’t mind because he’ll make a great father. Something Robert can never be. I still can’t help but wish the universe had worked things out differently, so Noah and I could have met earlier in life. If it did, then everything that happened to me in the past wouldn’t have happened.
“Right now, I’m just being extra cautious and you should be too,” Jane said, drifting me from my thoughts and back to reality. “Don’t call me on my other line. I’ll only be calling you with this one at stipulated times. It’s good you deleted all your social media accounts. That way it will be harder for him to find you. Also, I won’t be able to visit for some time until I’m sure he’s not spying on me. I’m sorry, baby girl. I wish there was another way.”
“You don’t have to be,” I said. “I understand the situation perfectly. Thank you for telling me.”
She sighed loudly. The atmosphere between us fell silent. I could sense she was pitying me. I wanted to change the topic and dissipate the gloom by asking how things were over there, how her husband and Christabel were doing and if Christabel was done learning with piano lessons when she beat me to it.
“So speaking about men,” she drawled dreamily before quickly adding. “Responsible men to be precise and not foolish ones like Robert, how is your boss doing?”
“I think it’s time you got out of my phone…”
“So I checked him out on IG,” she cut me off, completely ignoring me. “He’s really hot and is fast becoming one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Now tell me Lily Jones, why don’t you want to ride that horse even though it’s coming to you!” She screamed on the phone, irritating my ear. Just then, the door to my office opened and Noah suddenly walked in on us.