An Arranged Marriage - Episode 51

 

"Are you sure you got the order correctly this time? "i ask the delivery man who looks bored out of his mind. 

It's not my fault that the shipping company got my orders wrong, I mean, how hard is it to differentiate between a burgundy and a wine color?

I ordered a burgundy sleeve from Italy and i got a wine colored sleeve from Vietnam, I mean, who does that?

"yes ma'am, will that be all?" he asks, and I know he is fighting an eye roll.

Again, it's not my fault that I'm pregnant and emotional, if they didn't want me like this, they should have gotten my orders right in the first place.

It's my husband's birthday in a week, I want everything to be in tip top shape and to be hitch free. 

Do you know how hard it is to plan a party? And then someone out there just had to get your orders wrong. 

The delivery man pulls away in his motorcycle and Maurice comes forward to get the packages, I throw him a smile and turn to walk inside but stop and decide to get the mails from the mailbox.

My baby shower was a week ago and the gifts and letters just keeps pouring in from people I have no idea about.

I get the mails and pat my stomach as I walk up the stairs to the sitting room,my baby bump is showing a little and these days I get so tired that Kane even refuses to let me walk around the house.

I set the mails on the table sorting through them as I plant my butt in a chair, Most of them are from the acquaintances of my husband and from some of the charities I handle.

My eyes catches one in particular that stands out, I frown as I get the letter opener to rip it open, it is unmarked with no return address and I wonder who it might be from.

I freeze as my eyes glance through the content, it's from no one I know.

'Go into the attic...

Read " Twisted Twice, Twisted Mine " by the same author ( Bebe Ernest )

. Find answers and know the truth' It says and dread coils in my stomach.

What attic?

The same attic Kane told me not to go into?

What's in there?

And who is this letter from?

"Mrs King would that be all?" my eyes find Maurice's and I nod not even registering what he said

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/an-arranged-marriage

. I get to my feet pacing the length of the sitting room not knowing what to make of this. What truth do I have to find out? Is Kane keeping something from me?

No no no no, I'm not going to think like that, I refuse to believe that Kane is hiding anything from me, we've moved on from that stage.

All through the day, I ponder through the weird content of the letter before finally giving into my curiosity. I make my way upstairs to the attic gently opening the door to find its....empty?

Why is it empty?

Who cleared it out?

When did they clear it out?

Why wasn't I aware of it?

This solidifies whatever thought was in my mind before,now I have to find out what was in those trunks. I searched through the house, looking everywhere, every place i i know, but there is no sign of the trunks. I glance at the clock in the sitting room and it's past five, they will all soon be getting home now, I have to find those trunks before they get back.

I finally remember that there is a shed out back that I've never been to, I bundle myself in a coat before walking directly to the shed.

My limp which had gotten more better all this while has totally vanished.

I walk okay now but that's not what I have in my mind now, I have to find out why those trunks where moved and why I wasn't aware they were moved.

I try opening the door of the shed to see it firmly locked, I looked through the window but it's dark inside, I try the lock again but it's still firmly locked. I removed the pins from my hair and bend down in the grass to pick the lock, it clicks open after awhile, obviously I haven't lost my lock picking skills.

I enter the room and almost scream jackpot when I hit the light and see the trunks with tarpaulin. 

The dread in my stomach grows as I walk towards the trunk, I opened the first one to see clothes, I open the second one to see the paintings, the first painting is of The man, Kane's father, I lift it to see and my hand go to close my mouth.

Oh. My. God. 

There is a painting of my mother, a younger version of her standing with another woman and what seems to be Kane's father, a younger version of him. 

Why is my mother here? 

My mind is whirling at the possibilities and I come to an ugly conclusion. 

Oh, Jesus christ no, It can't be. 

I don't know how I find myself in my room, but I know I find myself in my room, my mind is on lockdown and I can't think and I can't breath, I'm so scared. 

The door opens and Kane step in with a smile. 

"Hey, babe" he says approaching me and giving me a kiss. "How is my princess doing?" he asks, bending to kiss my neck and my stomach. I'm lying on the bed but I sit up. 

"Caspian?...." He Immediately freezes noting the tone of my voice. 

"What's wrong?" 

"Caspian I saw a painting in the shed, do you know who the woman standing beside your parents is?" His back comes up and my eyes bores into his, waiting for him to say something. 

"What painting?" 

"Kane?..." 

"What were you doing in the shed?" He asks, anger in his tune. 

And its then I decide that until I find out the the whole truth I won't say a word.

I will keep the fact that I think my mother was the mistress of his father to myself. 

I will keep the fact that I think my mother destroyed his home to myself. 

"Ani?...what were you saying?" 

"No, its  nothing, will you come to bed? I really want you" I say, successfully distracting him, the tension melts out of his body and he's there, ripping my clothes and his away. 

Later when he is sleeping I put on my nightgown and find my way back to the shed. 

I cry as I read those letters I found before, there were correspondence between my mother and Kane's father, saying how they were in love. 

I blink tears out of my eyes as the ugly question enters my heart, is there a way Kane didn't know about me before asking me to marry him? 

There's only two people who can answer my questions and that's Kane's father and mine, but I know where to find just of them. 

I wipe my face as I go back to our room, settling back into his arms. 

"Where did you go to?" He mutters sleepily. 

"I needed water" I say and he settles back into the bed, wrapping himself around me. 

I try to sleep but I can't and when I finally do, it's fitful. 

AN

This is the update I promised. 

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Thank you!