The fill-in wife - Episode 5

 

Maya:

"Grandma you should wake up now, okay? I'm super late for work." I whisper silently to her immobile form. Those medications must be super strong because she doesn't even rouse. I check the wall clock above her bed to see it's few minutes past 9am. I should already be at work by 9am. Where is Angy for Christ's sake . This is one of the times I wish I have a phone. I rub my finger against my temple soothingly.
  The door suddenly bursts forward and I whip my head towards it to see Angy and an angry looking Tom.
"Hey, thank God you are here. I have to go to--" my words gets cut off by the surprising slap against my face. What the hell. I clutch my stinging face and slowly to stand up to stare at Tom, confused and stunned at the same time.
"You left the house wide open and went to God knows where so late at night huh? Growing wings? In my house?" He spit and my brows furrow deeply.
"What? I was here with grandma. I found her unconscious when I came home last night and Angy was nowhere to be found." I cry out.
"Shut up you liar." I brought Granny here. You didn't come home last night and just as I went home for a change of clothes early this morning you probably found out she's here so you sit down here to try to fool my dad." Angy spits and I am beyond incredulous at this turn of event.
"Where were you, you dirty sl*t!" Tom fires as he grabs my hair. I try to contain my scream by clamping a hand over my mouth

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

. I can't wake grandma to this.
"Please. I'm telling the truth. Let me go." I plead.
"So I'm the liar huh? How dare you!" Angy gets in a few scratches on my arm with her fake nails while Tom pull me by my hair around the room calling me all sorts of names. An idea strikes me suddenly. The nurses can testify of my being here since last night.
"Please, stop. You can ask the nurse. I brought her here. Angy isn't telling the truth." I say but suddenly get pushed against the wall. I'm not fast enough this time as my face slam against the wall. Immense pain radiate through me and I can taste blood in my mouth. Tom isn't done yet as he grabs my mouth and pull my face down to his level. I can smell alcohol on his breath and I know no amount of reason will get to him now so I just close my eyes and await the torture.
"Hey what's----"
The room's door flies open suddenly and my disoriented brain identify my stranger's voice. I open painful eyes to see the look of confusion then realisation and finally anger flash over his face but he lunges himself at Tom.
"No!" Angy and I yell at the same time but my stranger is too far gone in rage land. He takes Tom to the ground and punch him continuously. The noise must have reached outside because a nurse and two men rush in at once and pry my stranger off Tom.
"Let go of me!" He yells and manage to free himself. I think he's going back to destroy Tom's face but instead he grabs my hand and start to pull me out of the room with him. I don't argue because I'll obviously choose my Prince charming over a beating anytime but I quickly take his jacket which I have against my chair before we exit the room.

Derrick:

I am boiling mad. How could a man hurt a defenceless girl like that. What would have happened if I hadn't gotten there at that time. Who's he to her anyway I look down at Maya who's looking up at me with doe eyes and all I see are the bruises around her left eye and a cut on her lip.
My hands fold into fist and I turn right around. I need to beat the bastard to stupor.
I'm suddenly hugged from behind and small arms wrap around my waist.
"Please. Don't leave." She sob against my back and for some insane reason my chest feels uncomfortable. I loosen her hold on me only to turn around and engulf her small frame in a firm hug.
"Shhh. It's okay to cry." I say soothingly.
"I__I don't cry." She stutters out and my heart goes out to this girl.
"Everyone cries, sweet girl."
"Everyone but me." She says firmly and pull out of my embrace.
"Thanks for letting me hug you. I needed that. And you smell so nice." She says and smile a little, showing me traces of the girl I saw last night.
"No need to thank me. This hug is yours whenever you need it." I wink at her and she blush.
"That man at the hospital who__"
"Oh! Look at the time. I got to go to work." Maya doesn't let me finish before she flee. I frown a little as I watch her skip off.
Why am I so concerned about a girl I just met at a cemetery last night? I scratch my head sheepishly.
"You look dashing." Her small voice echo in my head and I realize she's crept into my mind with her sweet and naive nature.
I get a text from my sister Deana informing me that she's at the mansion and currently going crazy from grandma's lectures and this makes me smile. Deana. Always the feisty one. I wonder what she has done this time? I remember how she Crept into my heart when I just got to the mansion years ago. Even with the stiff rule of no friendly contact between the three of us, Deane who was never good with rules will sneak into my room to kick my butt at video game. She was never like every other teenage girl back then and it was always inevitable for her not to get into trouble with Grandma Catherine. I shake my head, and chuckling, I enter into my red Mercedes and turn the ignition.
The smile on my face vanishes as soon as my phone alerts me of a text from Rose.

Baby, we need to talk.

The nerve of that woman. With all thoughts of sweet Maya replaced with murderous thoughts for Rose and my brother, I press down on the accelerator and zoom towards the house I am beginning to despise so much.

******
"Brother!" I am still halfway through my room's door when the cannonball which is my stepsister crash into me for a tight hug. Thanks to my daily hour at the gym, I don't fall on my ass but hold on to her tighter.
"You smell so nice." She says and the smiling face Maya flash through my mind's eye. I grin crookedly as she pull away from me.
She plop herself on my bed and throw me a PlayStation pad. I barely catch it before it hits the ground.
"You are getting old, Derrick. Let's see if you have gotten better at video games." She tease and I feign an angry growl before diving onto the bed beside her.
"So what's up with the emergency message you sent. You still need me to save your ass Deane?" I ask and I see her face visibly fall. I use this opportunity to get a few blows in and she mock gasp.
"You cheat! I'm done going gentle on you!" She spit and with few moves, she levels me to zero.
"Yes!!! Take that!" She cheers and jump around all around me while sticking her tongue out at me.
"Grow up sis."
"Come on. Don't be a sore loser." She fires back and I chuckle.
"On a serious note, what's going on?" I ask and she stops jumping then shrug.
"Grandma's setting me up with Jordan Pierce. He'll be here soon for lunch with the whole family. I just needed you to help buffer the situation." She says. I can't help but burst into hard laughter.
"You?! Get Married?! Well f*ck me sideways!" I laugh so hard my sides hurt.
"Ouch!" I yell when Deane punch my arm.
"Are you done?" She pout and I try to contain my laughter.
"I am sorry. It's just so funny. And Jordan of all people. Didn't you always laugh at him in high school because he was so damn fat and those geeky glasses he always wore?" I ask and she giggle.
"He was such a geek. Imagine me getting married to him! A disaster in the making!"
"What was grandma thinking?"
"His coming back from London to take over his dad's company here so the witch saw it nice to use me to obtain a merger." She spits and I shake my head.
"Didn't know he went to London." I state.
"Well, yea.

Read " Falling For Innocence " by the same author ( Ameh juliet )

. He left few months after you did."
"He might look different now you know."
"Yea. Probably got fatter!" Deane fumes and laughter bubbles inside me.
My door flies open and we both look up to see Rose standing by the door.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't know you were here Deane." She says.
"Did you miss your way? This is the wrong brother's room." Deane says coldly and before I can find my voice, Rose slam the door shut behind herself.
I release the breath I didn't realize I was holding when I feel Deane's hand on my shoulder.
"She's not worth it." She whispers.
"Maybe I was too slow."
"No Derrick. As soon as she found out grandma is giving the company to whoever gets married first, she seduced Nelson. She must be here to grovel now that you are back and you didnt let her wedding to Nelson push through yesterday. I am sure of this!" She spits and I stare at her completely stun. So, the marriage didn't push through?!
"I think you should go prepare for your hubby." I say and Deane frowns.
"I'll be okay. Just have to think." I give her a reassuring smile.
"Fine. The fat geek should be here soon. Later, Derrick." She says and leave me to my thoughts.

So whosoever gets married first gets the company? I smirk as a plan comes to my mind.

I guess I need to marry soon and make life hell for these greed consumed people. They won't expect my next move.

Happy good Friday people.