CHAPTER TWO

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Her Husband had gotten the job, and for years they worked for them and life became better. Emeka was able to continue his education, her husband was able to rent himself a house and they moved out, Jessica was too grown to need a nanny, and she had gotten an admission to study abroad. She was leaving, so were they.

They had called them to tell them the good news, and even a better one. They offered her husband a managerial position in their company, and that while they are away, he was in charge, made him a signatory to all the accounts, and that they were relocating ,they were going to pitch tent abroad , but they needed someone they can trust here. They sold their houses and every other thing transferring funds into their account. But left the company. Mr Ibekwe had said, that it was his legacy, to always have a root back in Nigeria.

It was a sad and bittersweet moment, Mercy was happy and sad that the family whom God had sent to elevate them was leaving, Emeka felt sadder, his friend Jessica was going away, they had become quite close. Her husband was over the moon, thanking them and bidding them goodbye and hope to see them soon, whenever they decide to visit the family..

But their happiness was short lived, the flight that the Ibekwe’s family took went down due to the storm, everyone on board had died.

Emeka cried for weeks, Mercy was structed with a pain she never felt before and her husband, was quiet for days.

The family members of the deseased came to claim what belonged to him, but they couldn’t fight her husband because, Mr Ibekwe had signed him to be in-charge in a way that suggested that he was the next owner of his company, so her husband fought tooth and nail to keep it..

“I won’t let it go, this was the only thing he left in my care and I will not let it go, I must make his dreams come true” he had said

She had thought, yes, her husband did value relationships and wanted to do something good. But she didn’t realize that he held on to the company for his own selfish reasons..to be powerful, to be more and then to be able to whatever he wanted.

They won the case, and they buried the memory of the Ibekwe’s, albeit painfully and life went on.

But you see, that was when everything went wrong.

He had changed the company’s name to his, he fired the people he didn’t want and wasn’t loyal to him and put his, He began to build his empire so high that even her, his wife didn’t dare venture in.

He became ruthless, he became more angry with her and for awhile she felt that as things got better so would his attitude, but no, it became worse.

Soon he starting bringing strange women into their home, to their bed. Soon, the beatings began again worse than before, soon, he stopped fending for her and their son.

“I am your God Mercy, you will do what I ask and when I ask, get out, leave my house if you don’t want to submit to my rules, these women will come here as much as I want and you won’t say pim, you will cook for them, carter for them, and love them if need be, and if you and your son make a scene, I will beat you both and kick you out” he had thundered one of those days she had confronted a slut on her bed

“Papa Emeka, for all I had done for this family, for standing by you when you had nothing, for breaking my back to make sure we stand here today, despite God used that family may their soul rest in peace, for all that we have been through together, this is how you treat me?” she had cried bitterly

“Mercy, all that I have now is by my labour and hard work, you mean nothing to me, you did nothing for me, infact, you were nothing but bad luck since the day I married you. Get out from my house woman, your presence nauseates me” he drags her by her hand as she screams thrashing her hands and legs everywhere

“Since you want to challenge me in my own house, I will show you what I can do, you witch leave my house” he says slapping her, while the girls laughed.

“Throw the witch out !!’’ they chanted

“Papa Emeka, Papa Emeka” She cried holding onto him as he pushes her out the gate and she falls backwards, she runs back inside and holds him by his trousers “‘I am your wife, mother of your son, why Papa Emeka? Don’t let these women use you, don’t let the devil use you’’

He pushes her again “You are the devil and I am setting you away from my home” when she comes back he pushes her hard, falling backward she was caught

“Mama!!” Emeka screams running to catch her before she hits the pavement ”Mama are you okay?” he touches her, she was crying nodding

“Yes my son” she sniffs

Emeka looks at his father as he stands up ”It’s enough Papa, I won’t let you keep treating her this way. IT’S ENOUGH” his fist was folded

“HOW DARE YOU!” his father grabs a stick and heads for Emeka, Emeka charges towards him, anger flaring, fist clenched.

“I SAID ENOUGH!!’’ his fist makes contact with his father’s face as the stick hits his back

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