Scandalous Twists (Entangled Love: Seduced Into Forbidden Passion Book 2)

by Boadi, Lilly

  Of course, Haida got her point. But if only she knew what happened between them months ago! If only she knew what a Casanova and cheat he was Haida was sure her mom wouldn’t talk about gentility and trust and all that about that imbecile! Not to mention involving God in this matter.

  “Do pray about your relationship too. Know that I’m praying for you too. God might have given him to you but that is not all. You should pray for the relationship to work and stand firm against all the storms of life that will blow into it,” said Mrs. Morgan once more.

  “Mom? God did not give him to me…. I allowed my flesh to lead me on, yes. I am guilty, and I accept that now!”

  Mrs. Morgan smiled and that confused Haida. “Just pray…” and she kept smiling. Haida felt her mom knew something she didn’t know.

  “Did you not get my point, mom? I am quitting with him!” Haida was about to say this when she remembered she would have to give tangible reasons for her decision. But she couldn’t talk about Mellis’ cheating when she believed to talk of it will expose her own lies. Morever, the sound reason of Mellis being non-Christian didn’t seem to be sound to her mom at the moment. So, she felt exhaustive of her reasons. With all these thoughts running through her mind, she

  “Prayer?” thought Haida. That was the last thing she would do as far as Mellis was concerned. If she would pray then it will be to take that cheat and unbeliever out of her life forever! And praying to know God’s will concerning their union, she needn’t waste her time on that, for it was clear they were not meant to be. She had known this at the beginning, but was so stubborn to persuade God to give him to her. Maybe God was only punishing her for being so stubborn. Somehow, Haida couldn’t believe her mom was bidding so highly for a non-Christian! “Thanks for making your point, mom!” she thought to herself sardonically.

  “Can I sleep now, mom?” said Haida lazily and then collapsed into bed again, dismissing her mom.

  At the door, suddenly, Mrs. Morgan turned, “Phoebe, my dear, never forget that I’m always here for you if you need me…” she said sweetly, grinning into Haida’s eyes. Haida grinned. As she closed the door behind her, Mrs. Morgan sighed deeply and thought indefinably “I hope I gave her the right advice… I hope I did right…”

  Immediately she was gone, Haida smiled broadly. She was genuinely happy to see her mome give her what she had yearned for all these while - her care and time, especially as far as her relationship is concerned. But when she realized how difficult it was to tell her in details what have ensued so far between Mellis and her, she started sobbing “Oh mother! The time I needed you most, you were not there” she said pathetically. “Now, it’s too late. Things are already shattered! But even it’s difficult to trust you mom…I simply cannot easily open up to you. You didn’t make it easy for me and it’s so difficult for me now…. It’s so hard…” and then she collapsed on the bed with tears. After few minutes of bitter crying, she fell deeply asleep.

  Kelly desperately wanted to find out if she was winning. Who else could she count on to know what she wanted to know? Suddenly, she stood up and grinned “Yes!” she exclaimed in excitement and then rushed through her make-up and dressing, rushed outside and sped off without saying a word to Laura. Laura stood tongue-tied “Where the hell is this crazy girl off to?” she wondered.

  Of late, Laura has been busy with her newly-found lover and hardly spent the night with Kelly at the hotel. She’s hardly aware then, how things were going with Kelly and Haida. In fact, the two ladies had been lucky enough to have won the favour of their managing director (MD), who immediately gave them permit to be part of the group undertaking the project in Ghana. Kelly had explained the severity of her mom’s ailment to the MD and had pleaded a part time duty in order to take care of her mom whiles in the country. With the responsibilities of a mobile administrator in the company, and a competent one for that matter, she only needed a day to write up her weekly report. Same was with Laura, a competent and smart secretary, who needed just a couple of hours to write her report for the day. Owing to this, the two ladies had all the time they needed to take a break and enjoy a partial holiday of a sort in their motherland. But Kelly’s mom, the main reason for her coming, had not even heard from her daughter for close to a month now. Kelly knew immediately that if her mom knew she was in the country, Mellis would be the next to know. She would complete her very main task before seeing her mom. But time wasn’t on her side; she had barely a month to go back to the UK. Hardly had she imagined things would be tougher this way.

  Fifteen minutes into her driving, Kelly dialed Meg’s number

  “Hello Meg”

  “Hey Kelly! I’m surprised! I wasn’t expecting your call”

  “I know. I’m around your area and I thought I should pass by to say hello. Are you at home?”

  “Yes. Where are you now?”

  “Newton Street junction.”

  “Great. You’re not too far from my house. Just wait there and I’ll be there in a jiffy!”

  “Give me directions to the house and I’ll drive there.”

  “The houses here are very similar you know. Don’t worry, it won’t be long and I’ll be there. See you!”

  The first thing that caught Kelly’s attention in Meg’s room was a cute wedding gown, beautifully displayed on a hanger beside the wardrobe.

  “Wow! This is beautiful” said Kelly, examining the gown all over. “The wedding is really coming off, huh?” she said, and Meg responded with a sullen face. Kelly watched her for a second “Hey. Aren’t you happy about your upcoming wedding?”

  Meg sighed deeply and looked away.

  “Hey, what’s the matter?” asked Kelly somberly.

  “This wedding gown is as good as garbage, so is the wedding!” said Meg through gritted teeth

  “What are you saying?” asked Kelly, lost.

  “This wedding is not coming off!” said Meg blatantly.

  “What do you mean? What are you talking about?” asked Kelly very surprised.

  Meg walked towards the wardrobe and ran her hand slowly over the gown “I’m not the one to wear this” she said sadly

  “Oh, who then?”

  “Haida!” said Meg, tears filling her eyes

  “Why are you talking like this!?” snapped Kelly

  “Osborn has always been in love with that girl and not me!” retorted Meg

  “That’s not true! He loves you, else he wouldn’t want to marry you!”

  “Oh please! Stop trying to make me feel good! If he truly loves me, he wouldn’t be kissing that blowsy in full glare of everybody who knows we’re getting married!” shouted Meg amidst tears

  “What did you say?” whispered Kelly, more surprised

  “She’s as shameless as a rat! Not even the presence of her boyfriend could deter her from flirting with someone else’s fiancé!” said Meg bitterly and Kelly was lost the more

  “Wait, wait. What are you saying? That Mellis saw them kissing!?”

  “What does she care!? She’s a shameless tramp!”

  What could have happened that could make Haida agree to Osborn’s romantic advances? She had said so long as Mellis was in her life, she couldn’t be romantic towards any other guy; Mellis was all she needed, and not even Osborn, though she really liked him, could win her over him. Maybe her plan did work! Even if it didn’t, she was sure what Meg was just telling her could create problems between Haida and Mellis, and possibly, be a sure basis for their breakup - Mellis could never stand a partner who flirts with other men

  “Do you think they are having problems?” asked Kelly

  “I don’t know! But even if that’s the case, Osborn isn’t the antidote for their problems!” shouted Meg, tears rolling down her cheeks

  “I understand Meg. Please calm down” said Kelly, caressing her arm “You’re very beautiful and good. Osborn would soon realize your value. Don’t give up yet, please? You must make him forget about Haida completely! For Christ’s sake, you are the one he’
s getting married to! Once he gets legally married to you, you’ll have him under your control - with all those attractive features you possess, you’ll have everyday of his life to charm him with your beauty!” Kelly said this with a smile, intending to cheer Meg up.

  But Meg passed a quick glance at her and wasn’t enthusiastic. She knew having Osborn under her control with her beauty was out of the issue; it definitely wasn’t like Osborn couldn’t resist her. Though she had always done her best to look sexy and attractive, and she was, she hadn’t been able to do much to attract all his attention for the past six months they’ve been together. Therefore, trying to do so after marriage might only make him crave for Haida’s arms all the more. Maybe, the right thing to do was to be patient and rather show off her inner value which she believed Osborn would appreciate more than her physical beauty. Initially, though she was aware he was crazy about Haida, she had believed she was more beautiful than her and could win him over with her physical beauty. Yet, she had come to realize Osborn wasn’t the type of man, who valued outer beauty over virtue when it came to women, and in fact, the opposite was the case.

  Kelly needn’t ask Meg about what was up with Haida anymore; from what Meg had said, she could gather things weren’t the best between her and Mellis. On her way back home, she dialed Haida’s cell phone number to find out clearly for herself, how things were going with her and Mellis, but her phone was switched off. “Damn her! Why has she put off her phone?!” mumbled Kelly. She dialed again impatiently and hit the phone hard on the seat “Stupid wench!” She wished she could drive straightaway to her house, but she wasn’t ready for Mrs. Morgan’s cheeky gestures towards her.

  FOUR

  Soon, the Accountancy Weekend Bash - a yearly cocktail event held to associate staffs of the various accountancy firms in the country - was on. Quite a large number of people, formally dressed, filled the large conference room. The formal inauguration of the event was to begin about thirty minutes later. As Haida entered the room, her eyes immediately fell on Mellis, who was sitting at the high table, chatting up her boss. His dressing and gestures were with a touch of professionalism; he looked divine and more heavenly when he smiled. She greeted few people and sat at one edge of the room, hoping Mellis hadn’t noticed her. She kept staring at him, seeing a beautiful man who captured her soul and made her heart leap out with joy, each time she saw him. The events of the previous days rushed through her mind and tears filled her eyes - how sad that they were not having the best out of their relationship of late. Suddenly, Mellis looked at her and kept staring. She quickly looked away and fidgeted on her seat, trying to exhibit total control. Thank God she wore her dark spectacles, and so Mellis couldn’t have seen the tears in her eyes. She had quite a number of eyes to avoid at the conference, and her dark ‘amasha’ spectacles were her good companion at the moment.

  Haida glanced through the crowd, and then kept glancing at the entrance, to catch a glimpse of either Osborn or Meg. She wondered what she would do if she saw them; would she have to smile at them as a sign of professionalism, or would she have to consciously ignore them. The latter made much sense to her. She wasn’t sure if she should attend their wedding ceremony next two days. Deep within her, she really didn’t want to go; she couldn’t stand the sight of seeing the couple together - not that she was jealous, but she knew Meg was a person who could stop at nothing just to make her miserable: she would flaunt her wedding gown and show off her beautiful teeth in a guffaw just to annoy her; she’d hook to Osborn tightly and glare at her in a way that would say ‘He’s all mine now. I conquered you, and you are a loser!’ The last word echoed continuously in her ears, and in her thoughts, Meg was hurling it endlessly at her; her strong voice was loud and heavy and it irritated her. Yes, she was a loser; she lost a true love and a good friend. Loser! Loser! Meg’s voice echoed louder now in her ears and she clapped her ears with her hands and closed her eyes, as if that would make her hear the imaginary voice no more. Suddenly, she heard her say, “Join me here darling”. She heard this right in her ears, it wasn’t Meg’s dreaming voice; it was real and it came right from behind her. Opening her eyes, she turned immediately, and her eyes fell on Osborn who was just some few steps away from her. They exchanged eyes and he smiled swiftly. The seat beside her was vacant, and she feared he was making his way for it ‘Oh no! He shouldn’t!’ she thought, ceasing her breath. Osborn gave her one of those looks that got her flurried, and he coupled that with his killer smile, before he sat next to Meg and directly behind her. Haida sighed deeply, but she hardly exhaled fully before she caught her breath again, when Meg’s voice echoed loud and clear again in her ears

  “Sweetheart, I hope we’ll not be attending the party tomorrow?” she heard her say

  “Of course we will. Why not?” came in Osborn

  “Darling, it would exhaust us and leave us looking pale the following morning; not on this big day in our lives? We must look fresh and hale on this most important day in our lives - our wedding day” she stressed on the last three words and giggled. Haida felt uneasy on her seat. “Please, we shouldn’t attend the party, promise me we won’t, please” Meg sobbed playfully

  “Ok, ok! I promise!” Haida heard Osborn snap; perhaps Meg was being a nuisance and he said this to hush her.

  Then the next second, she heard the sound of kisses. ‘How daring! How could she be blowing kisses all over him at this place, and how could he watch her do that?’ thought Haida dejectedly. She was somewhat sure Osborn was playing a passive role here and she felt quite disappointed. She wanted to turn and look into his eyes questionably, but she knew she wouldn’t like the sight she’d behold. Was she becoming jealous of Meg, or she already was? Either ways, she wouldn’t really mind. After all, Osborn was a man any woman would want by her side, and losing him as a close friend was enough to make her jealous. One thought which made her heart jump out was the question of if she was falling in love with him; or was it Meg who was making her feel this way, for she’d do anything to make her feel jealous of her? She was sure Meg sat behind her on purpose - to say things to annoy her and make her feel jealous as always and she had succeeded this time again. Such an imp!? She wished she could retaliate to her offensive behaviour. Oh, but why? Does the ‘What will Jesus do?’ anecdote really mean ignoring annoying people like Meg? She just didn’t think so…anymore. Few times, she had been tempted to get it even with Meg but found herself thinking she was at fault for flirting with Osborn at the first place when she knew he was someone else’s fiancé, and that blunted her defense. But did she do anything wrong at all, when Osborn loved her and not Meg? Not only had Osborn told her this, but she knew that for a fact. Again, she knew Osborn appreciated her beauty more than Meg’s, though she knew her weight as compared to Meg’s was a minus. She knew she wasn’t obese, but perhaps overweight, and shedding off some few pounds could make her look more beautiful and sexy. Pablo, a colleague at work, had told her swimming could make one lose some weight. She had decided not to attend the beach party tomorrow – Meg would flaunt her beautiful body and cling to Osborn throughout; Mellis would flirt with all the beautiful girls around, and all these will annoy her. It would then make Kiara more suspicious and she’d have to explain herself immediately or lose her friendship. Already, she had given Kiara a scanty explanation when the latter questioned her about the incidence with Meg four days ago. Mellis had also refused to say anything to her, she had told her, and Kiara had been more on the look recently. Yet, Haida has been very secretive and they have not been the best of friends lately.

  Though Kiara would not say a word, Haida was aware of the fact that she was hurting her. She had thought of the possibility of losing Kiara’s care and great friendship, since she was gradually pushing her away with her seemingly cold attitude. It wasn’t that she couldn’t confide in Kiara anymore, but the difficulty in which she found herself to explain everything to her was greater than the confidence she had in her. She was so ashamed to know where to start. Kiara ha
d been acting unmindful of her, but Haida knew deep within her, she still cared for her. Haida wasn’t ready for all these presumed tension and would that she coil herself on her large bed and miss all the excitement the upcoming party promised. Yet, the thought of swimming to trim down made her ignore all the possible tension. Besides, Osborn and Meg were not coming after all, and for Mellis, she was sure she could handle him. She would swim all the excess fat into the sea which the waves would roll away forever, so that, from tomorrow, she would be a new person, ready to face the harsh world before her. She was actually thinking of getting even with Meg, and perhaps, contending with her over Osborn if it got down to it, just to play the game of greed, knowing also that she will win - she had it, the beauty, both inside and out, and the love of Osborn. But what was the point, when he’d be legally and spiritually bound to Meg less than forty eight hours away? Yet, she was going to show Meg that she was the one with the upper hand; that even if Osborn became her husband, he’d always love her instead.

  The conference had been a success. Haida pushed her way through the crowd, and hurried out of the hall to avoid encounters with the eyes she’d been trying to avoid. Just as she reached her car, she heard Kiara calling after her

  “Why the rush? Trying to avoid some people?” Kiara teased, knowing she was right.

  “Oh no. I feel tired and would like to take enough rest to prepare myself for tomorrow’s party” Haida lied “I hope you’ll be coming?”

  “Unfortunately, no. I’d have to prepare too, but for Osborn’s wedding; he invited me, and I’ll be attending for his sake, not that wench’s! You’ll be there won’t you; I mean the wedding?” Haida sighed