The fill-in wife - Episode 35

 

Final episode:

"You better not try to lie to me again, Lola." Priscilla warn as she glare at the old woman crying on a wheelchair. Normally, she would be moved by the spectacle but not when said woman has something to do with her daughter. The last time she trusted her, she was stabbed right in the back as her few months old daughter was dragged from her hands while she cried and begged. Priscilla look from the old woman to the young woman sitting on the floor looking lost . Maybe they were both in cohorts, she thought.
"You don't have to look at her like that." Grandma Lola say quietly when she see Priscilla's hateful eyes on Maya. The kid she'll ever remain sorry and indebted to.
"I don't trust you. Hell, I don't trust the lady either. you two could be up to something. With the locket and making sure Jordan saw it. It was all staged wasn't it?" Priscilla was already losing her patience and it was clear to everyone in the room. Maya just looks on confused but refusing to say a word. She wanted the whole truth from her grandmother. Grandma Lola could feel Maya's eyes on her and knew time was up. She needed to confess everything and now but the words just wouldn't come out. She couldn't bear to let Maya down.
"It wasn't staged." She finally then pause when Priscilla starts laughing

All episodes of this story can be found here >> https://www.ebonystory.com/story/the-fill-in-wife

. The poor woman looks to be slowly losing her senses slowly.
"It wasn't? What do you take me for huh?! She isn't my daughter so why did she have my locket if you didn't hand it to her?! For what anyways?! To get money from me? You've got some nerve old woman. What did I ever do to you? Enough of all these! Give me my daughter! Where is she?" She yell hysterically as she lunge at grandma Lola one more time. Maya startle at the sudden attack on her grandma who is just few feet away from her. Was she to help or let the hysterical woman take her anger on Lola? She couldn't decide
"Give her back to me! I want my daughter!" Priscilla continues while pulling on the tattered clothes on Lola's back. The words were almost out of her mouth but she was scared to say it so she just pleaded and apologized over and over again.

"Please. I'm sorry." Lola cries.
"Shut up! I want my daughter! Where is she?!" The last few words are followed by slaps to the face which are enough to force those words out of Lola's mouth.
"She's dead ok?! Your daughter is dead!" The words seem to echo around the room as silence falls except for the audible gasp from Maya. 
"Wh--a-- but I-- you-- the locket. How---" Maya stutter. 
"What?! I don't believe you! You're a liar!" Priscilla yell.
"You don't believe me? Maybe you should ask your father then. He started all these almost three decades ago." Lola spit out. Till this day,she still hated that man. Conniving and ruthless.

"What are you saying? That's impossible. My father never even knew about my pregnancy till he died!" 
"He's dead?" Lola ask
"That's not the point right now." Priscilla grind out.
"What do you mean he started all these?" She continue.
"The one thing your father never wanted to happen was disgrace to fall on his family. He was prepared to do anything to erase anything he considered disgraceful in his family." Lola say as she go down memory lane, everything fading into the part. she could just remember cooking the twins' favorite meal. The junior one had been choosy for a few weeks back then and she decided to cook her favorite. To try and persuade her to eat something.
  She was excited because her son Tom,also loved jollof rice. He was going to enjoy the meal. She just had to call the ladies down to the dining room. Prisca was already ready to go downstairs for dinner when she called but Priscilla wouldn't open her door. After knocking for some time, she decided to let herself into the room to make sure the lady was alright. That was when she found her bent over the toilet sink vomiting her guts out. There was a pregnancy test kit lying on the floor beside the toilet.
 That was the start of misery in her life. If only she hadn't been the one to see Priscilla's pregnancy test!

"Your father knew something was up with you. I shouldn't have told him Priscilla. I thought I was helping you." Lola say quietly.

"He never said anything." Priscilla point out and Lola nod absentmindedly.
" He didn't want to be the bad father. He pretended oblivion while plotting on how to get rid of the disgrace as he called your child."
"My God..." Tears burn the back of Maya's eyes as she listen quietly.
"He was listening when you and your sister plotted your escape. That was the perfect opportunity. No one would know about your child. He just had to get rid of it without getting his hands dirty. He just needed a tool." Lola bite out angrily.
"You..." Priscilla intone and Lola nod.
"Tom was already getting into trouble with the police back then. He was a sickly teen who got in contact with the wrong crowd but that was the perfect tool your father needed. He was going to wipe Tom's criminal record and pay for his surgery. We just had to wipe the disgrace off." 
"Jesus Christ!" Priscilla's tears were already flooding her cheeks. Her father wouldn't do such a thing.
"I said no at first bu--but they were going to arrest Tom the next day. It was all his plan. I had to do it." Lola sob as she hit her chest a few times to eliminate an ache there.
"Grandma--" 
"I know. I couldn't do it. Couldn't kill an unborn child even though it would be easy so I took Tom and tried to run away. But the police found us. Tom got arrested and his heart gave way in that cold cell. Maya I almost died of grief back then. I was vulnerable. He made me sign an agreement. Tom was saved but we had to fulfil our end of the bargain."
"You had your son kidnap my baby.." Priscilla finish for Lola who nod solemnly.
"It wasn't hard finding you. You always kept in touch with your sister. You had already giving birth by then so I planned to just take the child and drop her at an orphanage at least. It was easy. You, sitting in that park. Alone. Everything would be easy. Or so I thought."
"But?.."  Maya ask when Priscilla isn't able to find the strength to ask.
"Your father had other plans. Tom was still holding your baby in his hands when he had an accident. Your baby died on the spot." Lola deadpan and Priscilla break down on the floor crying and wailing out loud.
"No. It's not true. I can't believe that. I can still feel my daughter. she can't be dead." She wail.
"Grandma. why then did you give me that locket. why lie to me about it belonging to my mother?" Maya ask
"Because you deserve a mother. Because I'm most sorry to you. You deserve those riches." Lola insist.
"Stop talking in circle! Who the heck am I? Another trash someone threw out?!" Maya spit.
"No my love. no. You are gold. Not trash. Nobody abandoned you. You are just an innocent victim in a man's need for perfection in his family." Lola state as she try to caress Maya's face.
"What are you talking about?" Priscilla ask amidst sob.
"Yes, your mother really own that locket." Lola say. Two pairs of confused eyes glare at her and she let out a mirthless laugh.
"Prisca." She simple say as Priscilla's eyes go wide in shock while Maya stare in confusion.
"No, my sister died at child birth. I visited her grave as soon as I got back." Priscilla point out.
"Did she, really?" Lola ask.
"Her burial was with a closed casket. It was empty. I can swear my life on it." She continue.
"No. That can't be true. Why would it be?"
"Your sister and Tom were in love back then. That's why, Even after your child's death, Tom went back to that house! He should not have!" Lola look more agitated now. This was the bigger of two secrets she has been carrying around for years.
"Let me guess, my father found out." Priscilla add in and Lola nod.
"He didn't really know who it was back then but after the love letter he intercepted, he was sure it was one of the servants. Tom wasn't a part of the staff so your dad was oblivious. He fired all the staffs and made your sister marry a rich man, to save the family name."
" What does this have to do with me and the locket?" Maya ask impatiently.
"Well,  Tom couldn't let the love of his life slip out of his hands so he told prisca everything your father did to kill Priscilla's baby. Prisca was doubtful at first but after Tom convinced her, she wanted nothing to do with her father and husband. She started talking to the police. As usual, her father found out. and do you know what he did?" Lola ask,disgust clear on her face.
"He started feeding her psychotic drugs. She started seeing things and losing control of her senses and people tagged her crazy. The police couldn't believe the words of a lunatic, so the case was closed."
"This is unbelievable." Priscilla spit. This was too much to wrap her head around.
"You can believe whatever I say now or don't." Lola say quietly.
"You still haven't said how I fit into all these." Maya state. Nothing was still making sense to her.
"Prisca was said to have died during child birth. I thought so as well until her father showed up at our house with pictures of us kidnapping Priscilla's baby. He had another job for us unless he was to release the pictures to the police."
"Let's say I believe this insane story. What was the new job then?" Priscilla mock. Grandma's eyes move to Maya instead. She needed someone to at least believe her.
"Your father couldn't kill his own daughter so we were to watch prisca while she remained a prisoner in one of your dad's beach house far away from the city."
"Still doesn't explain me." Maya point out again.
"Of course it does. What happens when Tom gets to be with the love of his life in a secluded Beach house?" Lola ask
"They rekindle their affair." Priscilla say quietly.
"And begat me?! That's impossible! Tom can't be my father, he hates me!" 
"Oh my dear, that's because you are the reason he lost your mother. Her father found out and threatened to kill Tom. Prisca was going to kill herself except he let both you and Tom live."
"Rubbish! Lies! You're a liar!" Priscilla yell.
"Your sister is alive Priscilla.

Read " Star-crossed " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. You just have to find out where your father kept her because he could never kill his daughter. That was his only weakness." Lola say but Priscilla is no longer listening.
"This is nonsense! I've wasted my time with you both. God! I'm out of here!" Priscilla March pass Maya and out the door.
"Grandma." Maya sob, completely lost for words.
"Maya I'm sorry. For how your father treated you. For starting all these. I'm sorry." Lola cry as she manage to hold Maya's limp hand.
"No. No." Maya sob as well.
"I'm sorry. I'm--- argggh" Sharp pain shoot into Lola's old heart. It felt like a hand grabbing unto her heart and squeezing it as her face contort at the pain.
"Grandma? Granny! No! Stop it. Please!" The old woman's hand coil up painfully as her teeth start clashing together continuously.
"I'm sorry Maya." She force out of clenched teeth before she goes slack on the wheelchair.
"No!! Grandma!!" Maya yell into the dark house.
"Mother? Mother!" Tom comes running into the house with lightening speed as he pushes Maya away from his mother.
"Get away from her, you bad luck! Mother?! Mother!" He sob into his limp mother's lap as Maya watch him, numb. Could he really be her father?