CHAPTER 30

Richard and his criminal squad

decided to separate ways to avoid

being easily traced caught by the

police. Richard knew from the

beginning that it was unprofessional

and unwise of them to reveal

themselves to their victims as they

did with Jade, Candace, and her

family. Mark only got entangled with

Jade so that he can get more

information on her Candace and the

others. He broke up with Jade after

getting the useful information that

he needed.

 These guys have different ways of

extracting information from a person

and one of their most successful

ways is to find a way to get into

your circle and know more about

you before they find their way into

your life and ruin you. Sometimes,

if they can't obtain money from you

by duping you, they will find a way

of pushing you into something illegal

and start extracting money from

you through blackmail. When Mark

was still in a relationship with Jade,

he was always taking the girls on

vacation and attending different

events, so that he can learn more

about their families.

The greatest mistake that Jade and

her friends made was that they did

not follow the golden rule which

states that you don't tell people who

you are. Do not share any family

secrets or personal information

even with your spouse because

most times, they never turn out

well. The three friends took Mark

as family and were very free around

him as they discussed certain things

that were not supposed to be heard

by the public. Mark was so close to

them that he knew the type of man

that Candace wanted and that was

how Richard was sent into her life.

Every vacation that Richard has ever

taken Candace on, every gift he has

ever gotten for her, and every gesture

he has ever made has been

well-practiced and he is only being

the actor by acting out the script.

The only mistake that Richard

regrets making in this life, is the

mistake of having a child with

Candace. He never meant for that

to happen, but it happened and

that became a loose end for him.

Although he never wanted to have

a child, he loves his daughter Mica

and he almost took her with him if

not for the intervention of the crew.

 Mica has been asking for her father

since the previous day and this was

one thing that Candace feared most.

Richard and his daughter have

always been very close and she

prefers to stay with him most

times than staying with her mother.

This morning, Mica work up and

refused to eat anything as she kept

crying that she wants to see her

daddy. Her grandmother looked at

the poor child and felt pity for her

as she came close, picked her up,

and told her that her daddy has

traveled to a very far away country.

She told Mica that her daddy will be

back but it will take a long time. So

if she wants her daddy to be happy

with her when he returns, she has to

eat her food so that she can look

healthy. The little girl seemed to

agree with her grandmother for a

few minutes but she has Richard's

genes in her which makes her very

smart as five minutes later, she

began to cry and said that her daddy

will not travel without telling her or

taking her along because he loves her. 

As Candace was looking at the little

girl and it felt like she was looking at

Richard. She felt like killing the girl

right away as the girl was asking for

her father which was making her

angrier. She stood,  went to where

her daughter was standing, held her,

and shook her as she shouted "your

father is a criminal and he is dead.

You will never see your stupid father

again because he is never coming

back and if he dares to come back I

will kill him myself!" Little Mica got

scared and upset as she began to

shout and cry "my daddy is not dead

and he loves me. He will come back

for me." The little girl threw herself on

the floor and wailed. Candace's

mother who wasn't far away from

where her daughter was displaying

her madness, ran over and slapped

Candace. "How dare you traumatize

your child like this because her father

has offended you? What is the

difference between you and Richard

if you take out your anger on this

girl? You don't deserve to be a

mother because mothers do not

act like this." When Mica saw that

her grandmother slapped her mother,

she got more upset as she ran to

her grandmother and began to fight

her. "Why did you slap my mummy?

I hate you, Grandma. I will tell my

daddy to scold you when he returns."

After the little girl scolded her

grandmother, she ran back to her

mother and began to comfort her

by telling her sorry. Feeling her

daughter's little hands on her face,

made Candace cry even more. She

felt very bad for hating a child who

loves everyone despite their mistakes

and she wished that she could be

like Mica but she couldn't because

Mica is just a child who has not

known the wickedness of this world.

Candice picked up her daughter

and began to apologize to her as

she said "Hey pumpkin, mummy is

very sorry for raising her voice at

you okay, Daddy loves you so much

and he will come back for you but

Mummy and Daddy cannot be

together again because daddy

offended mummy and her family,

and Mummy cannot forgive daddy.

Now mummy needs little Mica to

take care of her because Mummy is

sick and sad. Mica wiped her tears

after hearing that her daddy loves

her and he will come back. "Mummy,

don't worry, I will tell Daddy to tell you

sorry so that you and Daddy can be

together again with little Mica okay.

Micah also loves mummy and she

will take care of Mummy until

mummy is feeling well again." And

for the first time since the incident

happened, Candice laughed as she

said, "thank you, little nurse Mica."

Standing at the window and

watching her daughter and

granddaughter, Candace's mum

felt sad as her daughter does not

deserve this. It would have been

easier on Candace if there was no

child between her and Richard, but

there is a beautiful child between

them who is as innocent as a flower.

If there is one thing that Candace's

mum knows, it's that Richard might

be a bad man and all, but he loves

his daughter and she knows that if

there is any better bait to get him,

it's through his daughter but she will

never allow anybody use her

granddaughter as bait because

children are more important than

money. She shook her head as she

walked away and she said within

her "Mika I hope you grow up, love

your mother, and respect all the

sacrifices that she has to make for

you because Candace is going

through one of the worst phases

of her life but she's trying to stay

strong for your sake." 

Candace looked at the sleeping

child

in her arms as the child looks

peaceful and very innocent and

she promised herself that no matter

what happens between her and

Richard, she will never take it out

on their poor daughter who knows

nothing even if she claims that her

father is the best human being on

Earth. Candace knows that she can't

continue living her life like this and

at some point, she will have to get

up and fight for her life and her

daughter. She has seen this coming

for a while ever since she found out

that Richard was cheating on her

but she was more pained because

he cheated and still kidnapped her

for ransom which makes her ask

herself almost every hour if he had

ever loved her even a little. That

question has been haunting her

dreams because her mind keeps

telling her that she was just a means

to an end and Richard never had

even a little feeling for her while she

gave him her all.

Richard and his girlfriend decided to

go to South Africa to lay low until the

police search for them has died down.

They went into a mall to shop for

some clothes when he saw a little

girl running around happily and he

remembered his daughter. He kept

looking at the girl as she ran without

any care in the world and not even

the thought that she could fall and

just as he was watching, the girl

slipped and he shouted "Mica no!"

Everyone in the mall turned around

and looked at him and he quickly

walked away but his girlfriend was

filled with rage after seeing what

happened at the mall. "How dare

you, Richard? I thought you said you

felt nothing for Candace and her

daughter? I forgave you for going

ahead to have a child with her and

now, even the absence of that child

still haunts us. I can't believe that you

were looking at that girl and

remembering your daughter that

you even had to shout out her name.

Do you know how it hurts me every

time I'm being reminded that you

have a child with another woman?

Richard if I were the one who married

another man would you have still

accepted me back? Let alone when

I have a child with the man? Richard,

I took you back without any thought

and I forgave you without drama but

you were here thinking about this

child and it won't surprise me if you

also think about the mother the

same way that you think about the

child." Mica was walking away and

Richard ran after her to apologize.

"Mika, please listen to me. I don't have

any feelings for Candace but my

child... I'm very sorry, I meant to say

Candace's child is a very sweet girl

who is very hard to forget. You have

met the girl before and you also told

me that she is a very sweet child.

I'm sorry that I still think about her

and miss her but I promise you that

I will never mention her name again

and we will live our lives like they

never existed." Richard's girlfriend

Mica, chuckled to herself and said

"no Richard, you are wrong. We

cannot live our lives like they do

not exist because they do and even

if you lie to me that you will never

think of the little girl again, I know

that you will still think about her.

Just look at yourself Richard, you

look sad because we refused to

allow you to bring your daughter

along with you. If you had brought

that girl with us, what kind of

upbringing will she have had? The

same type that led us to where we

are today? I will not stop you from

thinking about your daughter but I

want you to know that if you act on

the thoughts of seeing her, she will

bring about your downfall and you

will go down alone because I will

never go down with you and please

don't drag me into this." She hissed

and began to walk away. As she

was walking away, she was so mad

at Candace that she began to mumble

to herself. "We have always done

our job without any emotions attached

to it. What is so good about you that

when it got to your turn, Richard lost

himself even to the point of having a

child with you, and now, even though

he lies to me, I know that he is sad

because of that stupid girl you give

birth to for him. I hate you, Candace,

I hate you and all your friends and I

hate your daughter too. If Richard

doesn't get over that stupid daughter

of yours, I promise you that I will

kill her." As Mica kept walking away,

tears began to drop down her eyes

as she kept proclaiming her hate for

Candace and everyone around her.

Back when they were still at the

university, Jade,  Chris, and Candace

have always been nice to Mica but

Mica hated them secretly for having

almost the best of everything. Mica

hated anyone better than she is and

she also hated her life and her

parents who gave birth to her in

poverty. She hated the fact that she

had to accept charity from these rich

girls. She has always wondered why

her parents could not make money

when others were making money.

Each time she looks at the three

friends, she asks herself if it's not

the same head that their fathers

and has have? Mica hated anyone

rich as she felt that she deserves

to live a better life. She stopped

going back home on holidays after

the last time that she quarreled with

her parents. Mica went home on

that holiday and the sight of her

parents and their environment

was making her angry. When her

mother approached her and told

her that she will follow them to go

and visit one of her uncles who has

been helping the family and also

helping to pay her school fees, she

got very mad at them and shouted

"The two of you do not deserve to

be called parents and henceforth,

I will never call you my parents

again. The only thing that the two

of you have ever brought to me, is

shame and disgrace. Just when I

thought the humiliation that I face

in school was enough for me, you

want to drag me to go and see one

of my father's brother's who struggled

to make money while the two of

you were lazing about doing nothing

to improve your lives. I am going

nowhere with the two of you and tell

that Uncle that I said he's stupid and

that he is the cause of your

predicament. He is the reason why

the two of you are still lazy because

if he stops giving you money, I am

sure that you will sit up and work

hard to be wealthy like other

parents do." 

 Listening to what Mica was saying

to them really broke her mother's

heart as her mother cried and

slapped her. "Don't you ever talk to

your father and me in that manner

again. It is true that we are poor

people but we are also struggling to

sponsor your education so that you

can be better than we are. Do you

think that we do not wish to give you

the best? We are trying to ensure

that you get an education because

we know the importance of it. We

never had the opportunity that you

have and instead of you to be happy

for what God has given to you, you

are angry and insulting us." Mica's

mother began to cry as her daughter

hissed, held her cheek, and walked

away and that was the last time her

parents saw her.