Chapter Eight

Ayoola took a reassuring breath before starting the car. She tried to be in the mood for what she was trying to do. She recalled their honeymoon at Dubai few years ago. It was blissful. It was good. Their bond was flawless. She never knew where all the differences they've been having came from.

She prayed the kids shouldn't be available yet, else they'd spoil her surprise she had for Femi. She gently close the car's door and picked the love card. She tried to contain her excitement so that she won't trip and fall from her heels.

She entered the sitting room and stared around so that no none would just shout her name and spoil her day. Luckily, the house seemed like the kids weren't yet home. She took off her shoes and tiptoed the stairs up.

Her flushing cheeks went blank when her ear attracted a female's sexual moans. Was he watching porn? Ayoola's face had questions all over. She never made her steps noticeable, but she no longer tiptoed.

She made sure she targeted the door handle very well. Whether she was seeing confusing signs or not, she still made her appearance a surprise to her husband.

At once she opened it and the atmosphere dawned blue on her.

"Femi!"

Femi was startled. He wanted to make it a deliberate scene to hurt her but the pain in her eyes ruined everything. He was surprised to see her hurt so much like that. He wished the earth could part and swallow him without wasting a second more.

The lady beneath him hurried away from him and reached for her pants. Ayoola discovered it was his personal secretary but she could no longer shout, she was just staring helplessly. The secretary managed to wear her clothes roughly back and ran to the door.

Set to escape her boss's wife at the entrance of the door, Ayoola deliberately looked cool for her escape. Her right foot stepped out successfully but an infuriated and disgusted Ayoola took her left foot and fell her down with it.

Femi screamed at his wife's level of violence against the poor lady that she kept hitting with the sole of her Versace shoe. He tried to come to his secretary's aid from his wife but Ayoola threw the second foot shoe and that sent to the bathroom, locking himself there till she get better.

When Ayoola released the secretary, she was weak with pain as she watched the girl that looked like a forbidden bird to her hurried away.

Slowly realizing what just happened, Ayoola sank down to the floor and cried her eyes out. Femi still had himself locked till when he does not even know.

"Femi!" She screamed and stormed into the room and his heart started skipping beats.

"Ayoola, you really calm down... Look, it's not what you think" he leaned against the door in case she wants to burst into the bathroom for him.

"How dare.. Are you mad?! Explain what I think. God.." She sobbed, flinging herself on the bed again. She looked up and had wanted to tell him she bought him a rose to mend the remaining crystals of differences between them up.

"You're a such a huge disappointment!" She remarked and stood up at once to the wardrobe.

She threw a small ecolac on the bed and started arranging her things on it. That was the best way she could help the situation right away. She would commit murder if she had stayed a second more in the house.

After taking few clothes, she zipped the box and stormed out of the room. Femi realizing what was happening, dashed out of the bathroom and ran downstairs with pant boxers.

"Ayoola! Wait. Just wait. I know you don't wanna do this. Just calm.." He pleaded but staggered back when she turned abruptly back.

"You think I don't want to do this? Really? How sure are you?" Her dramatic smile warned Femi to stay back.

"Think about the kids. Please"

"Did you think about the kids or me before doing this. I trusted you.. Just flush out of my wag before I use the tires on you" her choking voice made him to run back to the building.

He was wondering what pushed him to do such thing after knowing the kind of woman he married. If she reports him to her rock star brother, the little brat won't spare him. He thought aloud.

Ayoola's hand trembled on the steering as she speed up the road aggressively. She cleaned the tears with her palms for the hundredth time and slammed her eyes not to think about what she saw few minutes back.

Her blurry eyes that was dominated with tears won't let her see the road clearly. She thought Angela and Hope, whom she left without looking back. The kids! But she was badly hurt, considering the fact she bought him a rose to complete their day.

She didn't know she was going. She just want to leave Abuja. But she can't go to Lagos. She finally decided to go to her mother's place in Ibadan. All of them were visiting there for Christmas, her arrival would only be earlier than others.

She saw fleet of luxurious cars moving prestigious beside her; Ayo's concert. He's in Abuja. She'd let him to know what was happening.

She dialed the number with pessimism that he won't pick it. He'd so busy with preparations. The call tapped her from her thoughts after three rings.

"What's up!" His voice wasn't stressed and she wondered why.

"Ayo" she called again with teary voice.

"I'm sorry I distracted you in the midst of your concert" she apologized but couldn't wait to pour her heart to him.

"You think if it's my concert I'll be here picking calls?" He laughed but she couldn't find it funny.

"My live performance here was sponsored by Helba actually" he revealed with a less serious tone.

He started hearing silent sobs from the phone and he knew something was wrong again. What could it be this time, he sighed.

"Hey! What's that. Talk to me please" He stood up from his rover to a place where a bit quiet. No one could jump on him still, his bouncers were so close.

"It's Femi again!" She sobbed and banged the steering.

"I caught him sleeping with his secretary. In our matrimonial room for crying out loud!" She cried and he sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Are you there?" She asked when it seem he was away from the phone.

"Yeah.. I actually don't know what to say. That's mad. But where are you?"

"I'm driving home to mum" she replied simply.

"Why?!" He exclaimed with concerned tone.

"I can't stay in that house. I can't.." She couldn't complete the statement when a painful escaped her lips.

"Your kids?" He drew his point out.

"They'll be fine Ayo. I need to be fine too!" she sniffed.

"You remember when I told you that he accused me of sleeping with you?" She reminded him, failing to hid the pain in her voice.

"Yeah" he laughed. She wasn't surprised, he had seen a lot of crazy stories about him that he doesn't debunk. Nothing was too heavy for his ear to hold again.

"And he did this now... Do you smell any connection?" She asked. For the first time in like thirty minutes, she could think straight again.

"He's insecure and jealous because he loves you" he shrugged with with a smirk.

"Just shut up! You thinks he loves me? Do you know what love is?" Ayo heard that and she knew she wanted to pick a quarrel.

"No" he was obviously not in the mood to argue.

"But promise me you're going to go back to him before our Christmas reunion" his babyish voice whined through the phone.

"Can you hear yourself?! Would you take this if it was you?" Ayoola screamed and Ayo kept snickering.

"I know how you feel sis. But do you know something? I may not know what love is romantically though, but I've loved family members that we had differences yet, we're still good" he breathed out in fear of not being able to complete his sermon.

"Because he cheated on you doesn't mean you won't go back to that guy. I know you're crazily in love with him. And you've once told me love have some incredible sacrifices that it requires right?" He asked and the question struck her dumb.

She doesn't want to go against what he just said. But nobody could share the pain she was going through at the moment.

"I don't know what to say!" She sobbed again and wished she could cry and lean on someone else's shoulder that cold night. She had successfully drove into Oyo state but she started regretting her trip so soon.

"I know you're hurt. But don't hurt people you love in return. Think about where your children are right now. If you hate your husband, do you hate your innocent children as well because of their father's deeds?"

Right then when he asked that question, he saw his manager running towards his direction. The speaker boomed his dirge and he knew that his manager would have been worried to death, trying to wait for him to end his call.

Abuja, are you ready! Welcome Africa's number one, the king of Afro beats and pop music!! Layoons say yeah!!

"You heard that, we'll talk later as soon as I'm done. My regards to mum" he concluded before ending the call.

His manager and other planners accompanied him to the stage and the crowd went wild.

Ayoola drove into the dark village in thoughts of her kids. The nanny is around. Besides, they're too young to understand what's going on. But they'd when they grow older.

Her siblings and her mother won't understand her pains, but they won't support her sudden departure from her matrimonial home. She was sure Femi was taking advantage of the fact that he knew she loves him so much to torment her.

"Is it a crime to love again?!" She opened her mouth after long hours of driving after talking to her brother. She was still surprised Ayo always side Femi despite knowing the fact that he doesn't wants to see him at all.

Ayo doesn't like him either. That's why he doesn't like coming to their house, or he only did once! He always respects himself; no caps. But Ayoola couldn't still understand why he leays mend them up anytime they have issues. Especially after she had told him what he said about him a while ago.

He's so unpredictable!

She thought aloud as she drove in when the gateman opened the gate.