CHAPTER 29

ABUJA – THE FAMILY COMPOUND – LATE AFTERNOON

The cab pulled up slowly.

The air was still, almost too quiet for comfort.

Nelly, holding a small bag, stepped out first, followed by Mrs. Ada and Aunty Caro.

> "Home," Ada whispered, glancing at the gate like it was a mountain they had finally climbed.

But no one was prepared for what came next.

The front door flung open.

Mr. Mark,stood in the doorway. His face was stiff, eyes burning.

> "So you brought her back here?" he growled, staring directly at Nelly.

The smile on Ada's face dropped instantly.

Nelly held her breath.

> "Mark," Ada began softly. "Let's not—"

> "She's brought disgrace to this family!" he barked, pointing at Nelly. "You think I don't know? You're waging war against Mr. Benson—the same man that fed this family for a year!"

Nelly's lips parted slightly. "Dad , I didn't—"

> "Shut it!" he snapped. "You got yourself arrested, brought shame to our name, and now you've dragged your poor mother back into it. I told you to stay silent!"

Ada stepped in. "She was innocent. They framed her!"

> "Oh please!" he scoffed. "You want to fight a man like Mr. Benson? You want to pull our roof down because of your daughter's pride?"

Aunty Caro folded her arms. "So your roof is built on hush money and lies?"

> "Caro, I won't warn you twice," Mark growled. "This is my house. And she"—he pointed at Nelly—"is no longer welcome."

Nelly's eyes welled up, but she clenched her jaw.

> "It's okay," she said quietly. "I didn't expect you to understand."

She turned to her mother.

> "Let's go. We'll find somewhere else."

But before they could leave, Maria rushed out from inside, panting.

> "What's going on? Is that Nelly?!"

She ran down and hugged her sister tight.

> "You're back… finally."

Nelly whispered, "I missed you."

Mark hissed from the porch.

> "Take your reunion somewhere else. Not under my roof!"

But Maria turned around, fire in her voice.

> "Then build your own roof. Because if Nelly leaves again, I'm going with her!"

Everyone stood frozen, stunned by Maria's bold declaration that she'd leave with Nelly if she was forced out again.

Mr. Mark's face turned dark, his voice low and full of warning.

> "Then prepare to be buried alive, Maria," he said coldly. "Because when Mr. Benson calls for a refund of the ten million naira he spent on your sister's silence, don't come crying to me!"

Silence.

Even the breeze paused.

Ada's mouth dropped open. "Ten what?!"

Aunty Caro blinked. "Ten million naira??"

> "That can't be right," Ada added, stepping forward. "You told us it was five million!"

Mr. Mark didn't say a word. His jaw tightened, his eyes flickering with guilt.

Then Maria spoke.

Her voice was quiet, but her words cut like knives.

> "It was five million... at first."

Everyone turned to her. Nelly stared in confusion.

Maria continued, almost afraid to speak—but too tired to keep quiet any longer.

> "That day, Mama… when you found out Mr. Benson tried to—" she paused, her voice cracking, "tried to do something terrible to Nelly… I overheard Dad on the phone later that night."

Ada froze.

> "I heard him say Benson sent another five million, just to keep the story quiet. He collected it without telling any of us."

> "What?" Caro whispered, eyes wide.

> "Yes," Maria nodded, almost trembling. "Ten million total. That's why he's been defending that man. That's why he's protecting him like family."

Mr. Mark stepped back, his face pale now.

> "Maria, you don't know what you're saying—"

> "I know exactly what I'm saying!" she snapped, tears in her eyes. "You sold my sister's pain. Twice. And we were all living like fools, thanking you for what? For taking hush money from a monster?"

Nelly gasped.

Her knees weakened, but Aunty Caro caught her.

Ada's face went red, her hands shaking.

> "Mark," she said through clenched teeth. "You betrayed your own blood."

Mr. Mark stammered, "I did what I had to do to protect us. You think it's easy feeding this family?"

But Caro spat, "Don't hide greed behind responsibility. You didn't protect us. You sold us."

The silence after Maria's confession was heavy.

But Nelly stepped forward, voice trembling, eyes filled with years of hurt.

> "You're not my father," she said, almost in a whisper. "You're nothing to me."

Mr. Mark turned to her, blinking. "What did you just say?"

Nelly's fists clenched.

> "I hate you. I mean it. I hate you. You stood and watched them destroy me. Lied to my face. Took money to silence me. A real father would have protected me."

Tears streamed down her cheeks, but her voice only grew stronger.

> "You don't deserve that title. From this day forward… I don't know you."

Aunty Caro stepped beside her, eyes blazing.

> "And I support her," she snapped. "Because you've disgraced yourself, Mark. No father sells his child's pain for a paycheck."

Mr. Mark's face twisted with rage.

> "So you think you have mouth now, Caro?!" he shouted. "You think because you wear trousers you're the head of this house?!"

He stormed inside the house like a thunderbolt.

Everyone watched, confused.

Seconds later… he returned, dragging out Aunty Caro's travel bag, flinging it across the porch.

> "GET OUT!" he roared. "Go and find husband! Stop mingling in people's family! You're a disgrace!"

Caro gasped as her clothes scattered across the floor.

> "So because I support the truth, I should go?" she scoffed. "Good! I'd rather sleep under a bridge than under the same roof as a coward like you."

Ada ran over and picked up some of Caro's things, her hands trembling.

> "Mark, are you not ashamed? This woman has stood by us more than you ever have!"

> "Let her go!" Mark barked, veins showing in his neck. "She's been feeding this girl's head with nonsense since day one!"

> "No," Nelly said quietly. "I'm thinking clearly now—for the first time."

Still at the compound – chaos still hanging in the air.

As Mr. Mark shouted and hurled insults at Aunty Caro, Mrs. Ada stood still, watching it all… her hands trembling, her eyes full of silent rage.

She walked over to her sister slowly.

> "If Caro is leaving…" she said, her voice shaking, "then I'm leaving too."

Mark froze mid-rant. "What?"

Ada turned to face him directly.

> "That woman has a house. A good house. She didn't have to be here. She came because I asked her to—because she's my sister. And you have the guts to treat her like a dog?"

Mr. Mark's nostrils flared. "Ada, don't test me."

> "No—you don't test me!" she shouted back. "I've taken your lies, your silence, your greed—but this? This is the last straw. I will not raise my daughters under your shadow anymore!"

She turned and grabbed her old traveling bag from under the bench.

Stormed inside.

Within minutes, she returned—fully packed.

> "You can keep your ten million. Keep your pride. Keep your curses."

She turned to her daughters.

> "Nelly. Maria. Let's go."

Maria nodded instantly, rushing to help her mother.

Nelly hesitated, staring at the house one last time.

> "Goodbye," she whispered coldly to Mark. "May your money keep you warm."

Mr. Mark didn't say a word.

He just stood there, fists clenched, watching the only family he ever had walk away.