Set me free - Episode 52

 

Michelle:

 I collapse to the ground as William walks away without looking back. My knuckles hurt from punching him but not as much as my heart. I feel suffocated. Is this how people feel before they get heart attack? I beat my chest continuously with my hurting fist. The pain doesn't go away.
"A week and you'll surely fade." His words echo in my brain. 
"Arrggghhhhh!!!" I scream as the tears blind me. Bastard! 
"Miss, are you okay?" The unfamiliar voice vaguely register in my pounding head.
"Miss?" I turn around . It's a woman. Middle age. Beautiful. She looks familiar. 
"It's hot out here." She says. I look away self consciously.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you." I manage to get out. I try to pull myself off the ground. I feel suddenly drained.
"Let me help you." She takes my hand and pull me up.
"Thank you ma. And I'm sorry for being a nuisance. I'm not crazy." I feel the need to point out. She smiles at me. 
"I like you." She says as she eyes me up and down. 
"What?" I'm confused. 
"I've been curious about the woman who has my boy staring into space like a loony bin since he came back from the states. I'm impressed." She says

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/set-me-free

. My brain is a little slow to comprehend her words. I just stare. 
"William's mother. He surely got his good looks from me." She grin. 
"Oh! William's mother!" I brush tears off my face then sand off my shorts. Gosh I'm meeting the mother like this?! I must look like I've been dumped! 
"I'm afraid he did take his cowardice from me as well." She continues. My mouth hang at this. 
"You look tired. Why don't you come inside? You have traveled a long way." She offers. I start to shake my head. 
"I insist. And don't worry about William. It's my house and I can invite anyone I damn well please." She says before taking my hand and pulling me inside the house with her. I manage to type out a text to tell Rory to leave without me.
"Sit here. I'll get you a drink and food." She's out before I can refuse. I awkwardly sit on the sofa she pointed out for me. It's a quaint little house but it's homely. More than what my father's house was. I make sure she isn't coming out before I stand up to look around. My eyes catch the picture of a smiling girl. William's sister?  She looks about 16. I pick the picture and study it more closely. I gasp. Dawn!
"That's my mother's picture." I jump at the tiny voice behind me, nearly dropping the picture frame.
"Hey! You are going to break it." The little girl snatch the picture out of my sweaty palms. I stare at her openmouthed. Eyes like dawn stare up at me. 
"Who are you?" She asks as she wipe her mother's picture of my fingerprints. I gulp down saliva. 
"Ummm."
"Aurora. Don't be rude. She's a friend of your father's." William's mother comes back out and I take a breath of relief when the little girl runs to her grandmother and hug her. 
"I thought she was a thief. She was holding mother's picture." Oh God!  Both father and child hate me now. 
"She's a friend of your father. Now apologize." Her grandma corrects. The little girl comes to my side then take my hand.
"I'm sorry pretty lady." I swoon. What a charmer. I squat to her level. 
"You are so much prettier and apology accepted." I say. She smiles up at me.
"I love your hair." She touches my hair lightly.
"I love yours too. You want me to braid yours like mine?" I ask and she nods enthusiastic. I look to the grandma for permission. She nods. 
"Just take her uniform​ off for me. Her play clothes is laid out in the dining room. I'll be in the kitchen." She says before leaving us. 
"I'll show you the dining room. My bird is also there. It can talk! "Aurora takes my hand and pull me with her to the dining. She's so full of life.

William:

"Booked a table, sir?" The waiter asks once I enter the posh restaurant.
"Ummm" I look around the place. Who am I supposed to meet here. The waiter eye me up and down.
"William?!" A tall lady comes up to us with a broad smile. I wave awkwardly.
"My! Look at you!" She hugs me briefly before taking my hand to pull me to a table for four.
"Ummm."
"Diane." Dawn's sister.
"Oh my God. I'm so sorry. I didn't recognize you. It's a pleasure to meet you." She chuckle. 
"It's fine. I'm not sure we met more than once back then." She says. 
"Yes." I scratch my beard softly.
"Sit down. This is Nelson. Your attorney." She says. I pause half way to my seat. 
"Attorney?" I echo
"Yeah​. Tell him what we've got." She says. The older guy pulls a briefcase onto the table and pulls out some papers he hands to me.
"The police just apprehended a serial killer just a week ago." He points to a woman on the newspaper article among the papers.
"You see, her specialty was knifes and her last victim was similar to your case." He says. 
"How?"
"A man was killed and the prime suspect kept saying he didn't do it. Just like you kept saying when you got arrested."
"So?"
"The man who got killed was a rival to your father's company. As a matter of fact, I hired him to serve as the face to buy up shares in your father's company." Diane says. I'm confused. 
"Before my sister died. She made me promise to get your father's company back to you." My eyes bulge out. 
"She was torn that her forcing you into that farce of a wedding ruined your life. She wanted to make it up to you. To make sure you live happy after she's gone." My eyes water and I look away.
"As soon as I heard you were out of prison, I set my plan in motion. Your mother was also a big help. A lot of shareholders knew her when she was married to Mr Williams. They share a mutual hate for the new wife and her son and they want her gone. And you in your rightful place." This can't be right. 
"We were able to gather 39% of the company's shares to your side." The lawyer pass another set of papers to me.
"You need more than 50% to get the majority shares. Your evil step mother has 49%. She has been killing and threatening most of the shareholders to get their shares. Hence the drastic decision to end our inside man."
"So let me get this straight. You hire man to buy shares off my father's company so I can be the head?" I ask, incredulous. 
"That's what dawn wanted." I sigh.
"why am I here? In a suit? You could have called to tell me this." I don't know how to feel right now.
"We are meeting the last shareholder in about twenty minutes. He has the last 12%. He wanted to meet you before he makes a decision who he'll help." Diane says. I relax in my chair and ponder all these information. So mother has been up to this and she didn't tell me. Do I want​ this?
"This is your right. If for no one else but for your daughter. She deserves this. It's also her birthright. That woman stole your father away from you. She also stole Aurora's father when she framed you for a murder she ordered to be carried out." My eyes flies to Diane's
"Can you prove this?"
"The woman the police apprehended was the woman who she paid to kill your father and frame you.

Read " Stolen innocence " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. We are going to find proof. That woman also kicked your mother out of her marriage! This was Dawn's last wish. Take our hand let's bring this tyrant down. " she stretch her hand out for me. 
"Take it and let's bring her down."
"Fight my son. Don't be like your mother." Mom's voice echo in my head. 
"You deserve all the good things of life. I can't give them to you." My words from earlier with Michelle rings through.
"Daddy will be able to buy you all the chicken you want." I bite down on my teeth. This is my chance. What I pursued till I lost Dawn. I can get it now and give our daughter. I can finally have Michelle.
"Let's do this." I place my hand in hers and shake it firmly. She smiles.