Misfortunate (Completed)

Chapter Eight:. A scandal

"Was that all he said?"

I hummed to my aunt as I prepared my own mixed cocktail using a fizzy non alcoholic drink. I pick the two cups and a beautiful wooden tray I use for my advertisement pictures and do the difficult to my room with my phone balanced on my ear.

"What do you suggest Ma?" My aunt sighs. "I'm short of words. If your uncle heard this, he'd ask you to move back home, I can condone anything but fetish things. That one is too much." I set down the tray on my filming table and sit in the brown leather chair.

"I do not know what to do Ma. Tired is an understatement for how I feel. He keeps showing me sides to him everyday, I'm scared for my own life." I sigh. Putting down the cocktail cup cover I was holding.

"Just be careful. Since you said you use camera in your room, keep using it till you find another apartment." I shut my eyes in tiredness. "But Ma, I paid for this house, with my money. Remember you and Uncle did the paying before I moved in? The only thing he owns in here are his clothes." My aunt hissed before saying;

"Labeebah dear, this man, will destroy you if you send him out of your house. Already, my friends are asking me what you did for him to marry another wife just two years after your marriage. Asking maybe he suspected some infidelity. It's taken all my will power not to block them." I laugh out loud, cackling even.

"Ah Ma. I'm proud of you. You even know your block button?" My aunt laughs some more with me. "I know my restrictions too. I'll just restrict you. If you like send me one million dms it will not deliver. Rubbish." I hold in my laughter and giggle hard instead.

"Just tell them that he is a man that doesn't like loneliness. That's all." She stops laughing and makes me winded, remembering all my stress with Abdul.

"You know, not everyone is like your uncle who let me live my life, who adopted you wholly, who is proud of you as his daughter, I've heard of people who disown their children the moment they become actresses. We saw your talent, we could not let it waste because of crippling culture and tradition. Don't let anyone, anyone apart from yourself bully you into making a hasty decision."  I hum and lean back.

"I want to say thank you Ma. Thank you so much for being my ma. Thank you for taking me on." My aunt sniffles, letting me know that she's crying.

"I love you my lovely. I love you so much." Her words open a floodgate of tears from my eyes. She calling me lovely, is the best thing after wadding through the waters of suspicion and infidelity.

******

"She's on her way here today." I stop at the door, Nafeesah behind me. I turn to her brows arched, she turns on her phone immediately, recording the conversation.

"Why did you invite her? Knowing she's bitter about second wife wahala. I don't want wahala oo." I decipher the conversation, it's between an older actress and a make-up artist who had invited her to advertise her work.

I push the plastic like door open and greet both of them with my smile wider than anything. "Aunty Raliya, good afternoon. Dazzy, hello." They both lose their arguing faces and smile widely at me.

"How are you Beebah?" I nod as I sink into a nice lavender sofa in the studio. "I'm fine. Very fine." Aunty Raliya nods and Dazzy gets her makeup box. I nod at Nafeesah who stops recording and passes me the phone.

*Did you get everything?*  Nafeesah nodded when she got my text. I bit my lower lip as I took videos of the shop, advertising it on my social media pages.

One thing I've noticed amongst older actreses is; they like to behave holier than thou, they give off clean, untouchable vibes when they're worse than snakes. Aunty Raliya knows everyone knows she's dating a married popular musician but no one is calling her out for it.

One hour later, I'm done, I get dressed in the Nupe traditional attire, nice Ankara skirt and blouse and a black veil that falls to my stomach. I'm motioned unto a chair waiting in front of a black backdrop and I begin to pose for the photographer.

While cleaning the makeup off my face after changing back into my floral kimono, I hear Nafeesah and the make-up artist gasp. I don't turn, knowing that they may be checking the photos from the shoot.

"Ma." Nafeesah reaches me with my phone outstretched. I take it and see my picture with that of Ali mixed in one picture. "Has our favorite good girl gone bad?" Is the huge caption written in capital letters. I shut my eyes, sigh and scroll downward, someone took a photo of Ali and I when he cornered me the other day. I shut my eyes again, this is one scandal I cannot wash away.

"Turn off my phone, let's go." Nafeesah nods and carries her handbag, I carry my mini purse and walk out of the studio. I have to reach Abdul and tell him before he gets this news elsewhere.

"What are we going to do?" Nafeesah is wringing her hands as we walk to the carpark.

"Nothing. I'll speak to my Barrister Shonekan, see what exactly my choices are and give a statement. Okay? I didn't do anything of sort." Nafeesah nods and opens the car doors, I get into the passenger side and swipe my seatbelt on.

"Your husband ma." I lower my lashes. "He'll have to take my word for it, if not, he can go to hell. All that mattered is that my parents believe me. No one else matters." She sighs and starts the car.

*****

"I suspected you a long time ago. Now see, the world has seen you for what you are. You're the talk on everyone's lips, I'm embarrassed to be your husband." He declares angrily, throwing his hands about in gesticulation.

"But I just told you that it was a completely different thing that happened. Seconds after that picture was taken, I ducked out of his hold and waited elsewhere. I'll explain that in my statement later. I did not nor will I have anything to do with Ali. He's not my type." My husband's eyes widened and I knew I'd spoken out of turn. 

"Oh, so if he were your type, you'd let him do it abi. You're shameless. And a bad example of a woman. No wonder my mother and friends warned me not to marry you. Actress is just a cover for prostitute!" I don't speak, I just wipe the sweat on my face with a tissue I picked from the box on the table.

"Why are you hell bent on not believing me? You have the truth right in front of you and you choose to believe a lie." He hisses and turns to his phone, scrolling back and forth on what seems like Twitter.

I chuckle, I know what exactly is wrong with him, he is using reverse psychology on me, he cheated on me, got engaged to be married while lying to me, and now an opportunity to alleviate him from all his guilt is here, he'll take full use of the opportunity.

"Just get ready. Know that if I catch you, you're leaving my house." I get up and go to my room.

*****

Wassup guys, thank you for almost three thousand reads on Misfortunate. It's been only a about a week and we're here.

For three thousand reads, I'll update two chapters. So tag your many friends to come and read so that we'll read more chapters. 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

See y'all when we get to 3k reads,

TheOmoope 💙