Her Baby’s Secret

Arike’s POV

Shalewa laughed out loudly. “Do you think you can fool me, Arike?” She said.

And I frowned at her words. “What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Do you think I will believe that you are on my side?” She laughed. “How can I believe that you are not worried about Dayo when I can read you clearly. You are in here, dressed in a nurse uniform just to see me. If you are truly worried about me then you could have booked appointed with my PA and walked in here without a disguise. Do you know how I feel right now? I feel like it a role I once played in a movie.” She laughed again.

This plan is not going to work.

“If anyone doesn’t believe Dayo, I am sure you will believe him and also you used to be a very skilled criminal attorney who has never lost any case.” She paused with her eyes sizing me up.

“So stop pretending, I know you are here to use your tricks on me. You are probably here to make me admit that I am not the victim in this case. And come on if my instincts are right, we can as well play the game of who will be the best actress.” Shalewa laughed as if she was insane.

I felt like dragging her out of bed and strangle her to death but I control myself. I am not a bad person. How can she detect that I was here to make her confess that she framed Dayo? Suddenly my mind went back to what Bamidele had said about barrister Prosper. Perhaps are did he meet up with Shalewa and told her about our plan? No it can’t be.. barrister Peosper was the one who brought this whole idea!

My expression hardened. “Fine.. I am on Dayo’s side because I believe that he never did those things you accused him of doing to you!” I gritted.

Her expression lit up with a frown. “Oh really?” She snorted.

I stood up from the couch and started towards her. “Yes.. you threatened to kill yourself because Dayo asked for a divorce. He found out that he wasn’t the biological father of your son, Jamal.” I said.

Terror over took her face. “Oh I can see you already met Dayo. I was right.. I knew you would never be on my side!” She shook her head.

“What do you expect from me? To support your feigned campaigns of getting justice for you?” I said, my eyes blazing with anger.

“What campaign? I never did anything wrong to Dayo!” She snapped at me.

“I swear to God, I will get Adedayo out of this mess. I will defend him in court with all the evidences we have gathered and I will put you behind bars for homicide, assault and attempted murder. You will rot in jail forever.” I grimaced.

“Jail? I will never go to jail!” She said.

“I will so that you go to jail.. you shameless whore.” I pointed at her.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Fear crossed her face but was soon replaced by confidence in God knows what.

Shalewa eyebrows snapped together. “You think that you can win against me in court? Fine if Dayo told you that I cheated, you should know that adultery is not prosecuted under the criminal code of Lagos state.” She seethed her teeth.

“And the same law sees adultery as a matrimonial wrong which can entitle a person to divorce if they find out that they can’t live with the party who committed adultery. And you refused to accept the divorce from him just to cover up your shameful act and to protect your reputation.” I said with confident.

She shouldn’t act like she knows the law.

Shalewa glanced up to the ceiling for some seconds. “You can’t win against me.” She gave me a stern look.

“I will win against you.” I said.

“Come on, you should know better, the law of this country is always on the side of those who can pay their way through. Look, Dayo doesn’t have anybody or anything…” she laughed wickedly.

“His family doesn’t believe him, they think he is a killer or no..” she paused and continued after some seconds. “Adedayo is actually a murderer. He tried to kill me by throwing me off the stairs and then our baby died.” Tears swanned up in her eyes.

Here she goes again shedding crocodile tears. I am sure she would put up an act like this in court just to gain pity.

“You liar! You framed him!” I scrunched up my face.

“Did I? Why are so worked up? Oh! I almost forgot that you loved him but you couldn’t be with him when I came into the picture.” She laughed.

“I still love him.. and I had only let him go to you because I thought that you deserved him.” I said.

She shook her head in disagreement. “No.. that can’t be the only reason why you let him go easily. His father chose me.. and you didn’t stand a chance with him because you were poor.” She laughed.

I clenched my fist in anger. Control.. control.. control… I told myself.

“And if you think Dayo will be with you after everything is over, then you are wrong. He will rot in Jail and I will see to that.” She gritted.

A tears slipped down my right cheek at her words and determination in her eyes. I knew she meant what she just said.

“Why are you doing this to him knowing that he is innocent?” I muttered.

Shalewa’s hard heart and cruelty towards Adedayo amazed me. I thought she loved him but how could she do all these things to him and still claim that he was guilty.

“Did you just say innocent? Adedayo Awosika is not innocent! He and his father connived to use to me to get what they wanted from my father. They knew as the heiress to my father’s business, if Dayo married me then it would be easy for my father to help them. Our company would remain loyal to their company. I loved him but our marriage was just a contract he signed with his father!” She flared in anger.

So this was it? The reason why she was angry at Adedayo!

“Shalewa-” I called out to her.

She shot me a glare. “Don’t try to persuade me to drop this case. I am not backing out until I see him suffer.” She said.

“It wasn’t Adedayo’s fault and I think you should be after his father not him?” I said, my eyes boring into hers.

“No.. no.. I won’t go after his father.” She answered.

I raised a brow in confusion. “But why?”

“Dayo was in the best position to reject his father’s offer but he chose to play me and my father.” Shalewa responded, her eyes sparkling with anger.

“This is why you are angry?” I asked.

“I was supposed to marry the man I love but my father thought it was best for me to marry into the Awosika family because he was close friends with Mr Awosika. But father and son deceived us!” She said.

“But you told me that you loved Adedayo.” I reminded her.

“Dayo was the first one to fool me into this marriage making me believe that he loved me after a few dates with him. I grew to love him in the process not knowing that it was a deceit!” she grimaced.

More tears streamed down my face as I listened to her words. A part of me felt pity for her but another part reminded me the reason why I was in this room was to get evidence that would help free Dayo.