CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE.
Aliya couldn’t hold it in anymore. She thought going to her room to sleep would make her not to overthink what was going on, but that didn’t help. She was so angry about the situation and she knew that if she didn’t air her mind, she was going to explode from fury, so she called a meeting that same evening.
It was past nine pm and everyone(Adele, Jamal, Shannelle, Mr. Dominick and Grandma were seated in Mr. Dominick’s private suit as per Aliya’s orders.
Jamal didn’t want to attend the meeting, but Adele pleaded with him to attend so they could hear what his mother had to say.
The last time they were gathered like that as a family was according to grandma’s orders and she had made the announcement of Adele and Jamal’s wedding. Adele’s memory of that day was so clear like it had happened just the previous day.
She had actually choked when the announcement was made and Jamal had helped her calm down by robbing her back. What shocked her the most was when Jamal agreed to the wedding arrangement. They were nothing short of strangers by then. They never spoke to each other and suddenly, they were going to get married.
Aliya was furious and retaliated against the marriage, but her opinion did not matter, as always.
As they sat there staring at each other that evening, Adele wondered what shocking news she was going to receive this time around.
“Aliya, we’ve all gathered as you ordered. What is it that you discuss with us?” Mr. Dominick calmly asked and Aliya frowned as she crossed her arms over breasts and casted Adele a deadly glare.
“Adele’s return!” She blurted out and Adele bowed her head down and chuckled lightly.
Aliya looked so pathetic!
“What about Adele’s return?” Her husband asked and her gaze on Adele intensified. If looks could kill, Adele would be six feet by now.
“I’m not happy with the fact that she has come back to the house. She left the last time. She didn’t tell anyone about it, not even her husband and now she has come back to stay like nothing happened. I can’t accept that.” She bitterly denied that Jamal heaved out an exasperated sigh as he looked at his mother.
“Mother, I can’t believe you are actually saying this. You very well know the reason why Adele had to leave the way she did.”
“No I don’t!” Aliya flatly denied. “Please enlighten me!”
“And that, I will gladly do. I was a shitty husband to her. Even when she was pregnant, I didn’t change. I didn’t treat her well because I was in some hot mess your husband put me in because of his greed and selfishness. My wife and I fought all the time and one unfortunate night, I pushed her and left without looking back. I only returned home many hours later and found her lying unconscious in a pool of her own blood. I killed our baby in her womb. She was mad at me, she hated me and she wanted to be far from me, but she knew I wouldn’t let go so she decided to silently escape. That’s how she left. Now tell me mother, if a man were to do these things to you, would you stay with him?” He asked and Aliya looked around nervously, totally speechless. “I thought as much.”
“If I were the one, I would leave and never return!”
“I highly doubt that mother. Anyone can say that and I believe, but not you.”
“I don’t care whether you believe me or not Jamal! All I know is that I don’t want this woman here, I cannot stay with her under the same roof!” Aliya scolded at the top of her voice.
“Then leave!” Jamal calmiy deciphered. “If you cannot stay with her, just leave and spare us all this drama.”
“What?” Aliya whispered with a shaky voice. “Leave? You want me to leave this house because of this girl?”
“You claim you can’t stay here with her, so I’m giving another option which is for you to leave. And mother just so you know, if it were left to me, I will personally pack you bags and send you out. I wanted to do that, but my wife pleaded on your behalf. She asked me not to send you away. So you better thank her because if not for her, you would be out of this house you so much cherish.”
“Jamal!” Mr. Dominick called sternly and. Adele trembled on her spot. Jamal sensed her fear and calmly placed his left hand on hers signalling that he’s got everything under control.
“Yes, father. ” He answered respectfully.
“You should talk to my wife with some respect! She is still your mother and you have no right to talk to her like that.”
“Father, she has no right to talk to my one wife like that either. She had no right to call my wife names. She has no right to ask my wife to leave her matrimonial home just because she doesn’t like her. If you want me to give her some respect, then talk to her. Tell her to address my wife with some respect as well, after all, respect should be reciprocated. It shouldn’t be one sided.”
“Oh my God!” Aliya exclaimed breathlessly. “I can’t believe this is happening!” She cried. “My son is talking back to me because of a woman. Oh my Goodness.”
“I have said all that I have to say. If anyone in this room is not happy with Adele living here, he or she is free to leave this house.” He said as he held Adele’s hand and looked at her. “Let’s go, love.” He instructed and they both exited the bedroom.
Grandma smiled as she watched them leave, but the moment the door closed behind them, she frowned and looked at Aliya and her husband.
“Shannelle.” She called.
“Yes grandma.”
“You can leave. I need to have a word with your parents.”
“Alright then, good night grandma.”
“Good night, cupcake.”
Shannelle left the office as well, leaving just Grandma and the distressed couple.
“Are the two of you being serious right now?” Grandma asked and both Aliya and Mr. Dominick looked at her confused.
“What do you mean by that?” Asked Aliya.
“What do I mean by that? You really want to tell me you have no idea what I’m talking about?”
“If it’s about Adele, I still stand by words. I don’t want her here.”
“As if your opinion about the matter even counts.” Grandma chuckled. “Aliya, whether you like it or not, Adele is going to stay in this house and there is nothing you can do about it. That’s how insignificant your opinion is on this matter.”
“Mother, I urge you to talk to my wife with some respect!”
“Oh you shut your mouth over there, Dominick. Close it!” Grandma scolded and Mr. Dominick went mute. “I am ashamed of how poorly you are handling this issue. I expected more from you.”
“Mother, what do you want me to do?”
“I want to talk some sense into this wife of yours. She goes around saying things she is not supposed to say because you don’t reprimand her enough!”
“But mother, Jamal is her son! She has every right to be worried about the choices he is making.”
“And by the choices, you mean Adele?”
“Yes! Adele.”
“Oh… is that so?” Grandma asked with creased brows but neither of them answered. “Many years ago when you introduced this woman here to your father and I, how did your father react?” Grandma asked and the couple exchanged guilty looks.
“He… he got mad and he told me I couldn’t be with her. You told me the same.” Mr. Dominick replied.
“Yes I did. Your father didn’t like her for you and I didn’t as well because of her background. Because she wasn’t from a rich home. We wanted someone better for you, but you pleaded with me, you begged me, you did all you could to prove that you loved her and that you wanted to be with her. I saw that she made you happy and decided to accept her, even though it was difficult. I even went ahead to do all I could to convince your father to give you his blessings and because he saw that this woman made you happy, he let you be with her, but look at the two of you today, doing the exact opposite. Aliya you have so basked yourself in my son’s wealth that you have forgotten where you came from. You now have the guts to refer to some other person as a low life. You know that Adele makes your son happy, but you still don’t want to accept her. If I was as wicked, selfish and hard hearted as you are now, you wouldn’t be married to my son.” Grandma told Aliya clearly and she went speechless.
She looked up at her husband and back at grandma with so much guilt in her eyes.
“It’s not always about wealth and status. It is about what makes the children happy. They are happy together so leave then be. I will be watching you, Aliya, closely. If I see you make a wrong move, I will make sure to straighten you up. And just so you know, Dominick is still my son and I know what strings to pull to get him to leave you. It’s never too late for a divorce to occur. I can strip you off of this family name, every cent you have in your bank account and send you back to the slums where you come from. Mess with my grandchildren’s happiness one more time and I will unleash the wrath of hell upon you…” points from Aliya to her husband. “… upon both of you!”
Then she rose from her seat and bolted out of the office, making sure to bang the door hard and the banging sound made Alia tremble on her spot.
They both stayed in that office for the next hour, saying nothing to each other, just trying to digest all what Grandma Devon had just told them.
That was one hell of a threat.