CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THREE.
Adele couldn’t help but think all day about the arranged marriage between Shannelle and Jamal’s friend. Thinking about it brought her back to how she felt when her marriage to Adele was announced by their grandma that fateful night, two years ago.
She had been shocked to the point where she choked on her own saliva. What terrified her the most was the fact that Jamal agreed to the marriage. By then, she had no idea it had all been his plan from the very beginning.
He was in love with her. He wanted to be with her, but they were strangers to each other so the only means he could use was his grandmother because he knew his grandmother had a lot of influence over Adele. He knew Grandma Devon was very Dear to Adele and she (Adele) would never say no to her, that’s why he decided to use Grandma Devon to request for an arranged marriage with the woman he loved.
That was the same thing they were doing to Shannelle. Reid Bradfords was in love with Shannelle, he wanted to be with her. He didn’t want her to be his girlfriend at first, he just wanted to marry her and make her his wife, but he knew he couldn’t just meet up with her and propose, so he decided to do so through her brother who had a lot of influence over her. He knew it was impossible for Shannelle to say no to her brother.
Adele was scared that Shannelle would get into that marriage and experience the same things she did when she(Adele) married her(Shannelle’s) brother, Jamal.
Adele was scared for Shannelle.
It was almost ten pm and she was standing in front of Shannelle’s door, contemplating whether to knock or turn around and leave. The last time she was there, she had received the insults of her life from Shannelle and had left in tears. Now that she was there again, she had no idea what was waiting for her, but she was determined to say what she had in her mind to say to Shannelle whether she wanted to hear it or not.
Letting out a heavy breath, she stretched her hand forward and knocked on the door. She took a step backwards and waited for the door to be opened by her very grumpy sister-in-law.
“What?” Shannelle barked the moment she opened the door and saw Adele.
“Can we talk?” Adele asked calmly. Shannelle eyed her from head to toe and grudgingly stepped aside from the door, making way for Adele to get in because she knew if she kicked her out, her brother would hear about it and get mad at her.
That was something she did not want.
“What is it you want to talk about?” Shannelle asked after closing the room door. She folded her arms over breasts and took a stylish pose before Adele who was standing a few meters away from her.
“I heard about the marriage.” Adele’s voice was calm when she spoke.
“What about it?” Shannelle asked rudely.
“Are you happy with the idea?”
“What do you care?”
Adele chuckled lightly and looked at the tiled floor for a brief second before looking up at Shannelle again.
“You know, this is similar to what happened to me a few years ago. Remember that meeting Grandma held in her office after dinner?”
“When she announced your marriage to Jamal.” Shannelle concluded and Adele nodded.
“Yeah. I was petrified and what mortified me the most was the fact that Jamal accepted the arranged marriage.” Adele explained and Shannelle nodded her head.
“Even I was shocked. That was totally unexpected.”
“Yes, it was. Do you want to know what I just found out a few weeks ago?” Adele asked, looking at Shannelle who no longer had a scowl on her face. She bit her lower lips and stole a brief glance at Adele before nodding her head.
Adele smiled on seeing her reaction.
“I found out that the brain behind that whole arranged marriage idea wasn’t grandma, but Jamal.” Shannelle shot her a surprise glance with her eyes wide open.
Adele nodded with a smile and Shannelle shook her head.
“You are bluffing!”
“No, I’m not.” Adele denied as she took steps closer to Shannelle. “Your brother was in love with me already by then, but we were strangers to each other so he didn’t know how to propose to me, so he asked grandma to help him because he knew it’d be almost impossible for me to say no to her.”
“What. The. Heck!” Shannelle exclaimed in pure shock and all Adele did was nod and smile.
“And that is the same thing they are about to do to you.”
“What… what…” Shannelle stuttered. “What do you mean?”
“The guy in question is in love with you. He always has. It’s certain that he doesn’t want to have you as his girlfriend, but as his wife, but he knows it’ll be awkward for him to come straight and propose to you. You’d think he has lost his mind and definitely reject him, that’s why he chose to go through your bother because he knows it’s almost impossible for you to say no to him.” She explained. Shannelle calmly nodded her head when she saw reasons with what Adele was saying. “Does that make any sense?”
“Yes it does. But I know my brother, he won’t just accept anyone for me. Reid is a good guy.”
“I know that fact. I know if he has chosen the guy, it means he’s an excellent suitor, but my worry is you. Are you comfortable with this arrangement?” She asked, concerned.
“Well…” shrugs. “I mean, he has a great career, comes from a powerful background, he’s young and dashing, also one of the most eligible bachelors in the country. I can’t complain, but I’m scared.” She said looking at Adele.
“Scared? What are you scared about?”
“I’m scared that his family might not like me. That I might meet a mother and sister-in-law who will treat me as horribly as my mum and I treated you.” Shannelle explained and Adele’s heart melted.
“Oh Shannelle…” she called and walked closer to her when she saw the tears shimmering in Shannelle’s eyes.
“I’m scared that Karma is going to catch up with me. What he treats me poorly, what if his entire family hates me. What if I experience triple the pain you experienced in the hands of my family.”
“That’s not going to happen. I didn’t have a brother who was willing to burn down this household. I didn’t have a brother whom you all will look at and fear, but you do. I believe Reid loves you and he will treat you well and as for his family, they are in the crew of people who fear your brother to the bone, they won’t dare to mess with you because they know he can end their lives with a single word. So, there is nothing for you to be worried about. You are going to be just fine with your in-laws. They are going to love you and they are going to be very conscious of the fact that your brother will unleash the wrath of hell upon them if they ever make you shed a single tear.”
Shannelle chuckled lightly on hearing all that. The tears that had welled up in her eyes spilled down her cheeks, but she didn’t even bother to wipe them because they kept flowing.
Listening to the same girl she had been tormenting for two years say those words to her made her understand that she had been nothing but a bitter soul who hated her brother’s wife for no good reason.
“My God, Adele I’m sorry!” She apologised as she burst into tears. “I’m sorry for everything I put you through. I swear I felt bad and wanted to stop but my pride and ego won’t let me. I didn’t know how to bring myself to apologise to you, that’s why I kept being mean. I’m sincerely sorry for everything I put you through.” Shannelle apologised from the depth of her heart and Adele smiled and pulled her into a warm sisterly hug.
“It’s okay. I understand.” Shannelle sobbed hard in her arms and she patiently comforted her and told her over a million times that everything was alright.
The most important thing was that she had realised herself and apologised.