The Moment I Met You (Chapter 401)

 By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

After a morning meeting with his commissioners in Imo State Government House, Emmanuel returned to his majestic office and was greeted with the bad news of Moon Corporation, declaring never to work with Nnaji Group again. Not only that, all their big clients had already cancelled projects with them because they were afraid to go against Moon Corporation.                                                                                            

Emmanuel was obviously shocked with the news. In  fact, this was a big blow to his person. This will not only bring ridicule upon him, it will also cripple his career.

He paced his office back and forth, making plenty of phone calls and begging many of his friends to work with them, but none of them agreed.                                 

To the Moon Corporation, Nnaji Group was just a medium-sized local construction company, though the second richest company in Nigeria, but instead of Moon Corporation to work with foreign construction companies for Moon Corporation subsidiary company, which was Moon Corporation Real Estate, they decided to work with Nnaji Group because of their century-relationship. Today, everything seems shattered.

Emmanuel didn’t know whether to cry or laugh when it dawned on him that Moon Corporation will no longer work with his company.       

‘Michael, you’re ruthless…It’s okay if Moon Corporation wouldn’t work with us anymore, but why involve other major companies that we are benefiting from?’ He sank himself on his chair, not knowing what to do.     

 Emmanuel’s eyes lit up when he saw Jessica calling. He was about to make a phone call to Jessica, but Jessica called him first, her voice was anxious. ‘Dad, what should we do? Michael threatened to take us down. I’m afraid he meant what he said.’                                                                 

‘Michael is doing all these because of that lowly girl, completely disregarding our families’ previous ties…’                                                

 ‘Dad I could feel my world imploding. Earlier before Michael asked me to make public apology   to Chioma, I didn’t even feel despair as heavy as this. But now dad, I feel that the heavy weight of despair is suffocating me. I should have made sure Chioma was completely out of this world. Dad I really missed that chance to get rid of her and now I have seen for myself how much Michael loves Chioma,’ Jessica paused. ‘What chance do I have left?’Jessica started to cry. ‘The despair of losing Michael is something my heart can never bear, dad.’                                  

‘I am still the governor of Imo State. I still have power to make certain decision.’                                                                                                   

‘Dad, with the way I see it, Michael wants you to be impeached. I am sure he would do everything to find evidence against you…Dad, I really wouldn’t mind if this whole operation was Michael’s prerogative…but he is targeting our family just to get justice for that stupid woman. The cruel reality is tearing my heart into pieces.’

Emmanuel chuckled coldly. ‘Michael wants to pin me down just to please a woman but that will never come to fruition. As long as I don’t agree to any crime, Michael will never have any proof. He had only succeeded in declaring never to work with me again, but he can’t do anything to impeach me.’                                                                                             

  ‘I hope so.’ Jessica sounded doubtful, and after a light pause she said, ‘I have lost my friendship with Michael, not only lost my dream to marry him, but also in the middle of losing everything I have…’                            

‘There is no how I will let my adorable princess become a street-walker that no one would get close to. You might have missed your opportunity to marry Michael…’                                                                                 

  ‘No, dad,’ Jessica interrupted. ‘Michael will marry me…I have lived in the lap of luxury ever since I was young, there is no way I would allow myself to end up in a deplorable state…the thought of a lowly woman assuming my position in Michael’s life and myself crumbling down to the trenches of lower society makes my heart boil with rage. It boils so hot that Chioma’s head can deliciously be cooked as hot pepper soup...I can’t accept this defeat. I’d rather die than lose everything.’                             

‘Find out where Chioma and her family moved to. Maybe I need to teach her a better lesson. I won’t let anyone hurt my family. If Michael declares war, then I am sorry, I have to fight to protect myself. How dare he act forcefully in front of me?’ Emmanuel hung up his phone after the call and glared directly in front of him in silence.’                   

‘His Excellency, did something happen?’ His special adviser guesses after seeing the expression on Emmanuel’s face. He had just walked into the office the moment Emmanuel hung up the phone, and noticing the sadness on his face, he knew that all wasn’t well with Emmanuel.                                 

‘Barrister Ambrose, I worked so hard to get where I am today, but someone wants to ruin it all…’                                                                                     

‘The strong really like to prey on the weak these days, Sir. I heard the news of Moon Corporation cancelling all company projects with Nnaji Group. And if I remember correctly, your family has been friends with the Njemanzes for a very long time. But somehow, I can’t help but wonder what could have caused this division. Could it be because of a woman? Or was it some sort of grudge? What could have caused Michael to be this furious?’                                                                                              

‘Michael was supposed to marry my daughter but in the middle of it all, he let a woman bewitch him.’ Emmanuel’s face burned with anger.                                                                                                                       

‘Michael has always been a decent young, handsome man; it doesn’t seem like he would go extreme just because of a woman bewitched him. Perhaps, he is in love with this woman…’Ambrose recalled the stories he had read of Michael. He had been regarded by many as their idol, and with everything he had read about Michael, Ambrose seem not to believe that this fire was started by Michael but rather by Emmanuel and his daughter Jessica.      

‘Are you tired of living?’Emmanuel glanced coldly at Ambrose.

‘I am sorry, Sir, ‘Ambrose said softly. ‘But as your special adviser, I will advise you to settle this matter peacefully to avoid losing everything in the end.’                                                                                               

‘I can’t stand watching the only thing that my daughter vied for in life, getting married to Michael, be taken away from her. If Jessica can’t have Michael, no one would, especially not Chioma Chima!’                              

‘But Nathan Ojukwu loves your daughter so much. Yes, it was on the news that Jessica betrayed him. But remember, Obinna is the president. I think cementing a relationship with him through marriage; can still be of help to your family. Just let it go, you can’t force love…’         

‘You said it yourself, you can’t force love. My daughter doesn’t love Nathan.’                                                                                                            

‘But not as much as Michael hates her right now…Is either you stop pushing Michael’s hands or you tell your daughter to marry Nathan. She would still live a life of luxury, instead of watching her fall into deplorable state.’        

 ‘My daughter will never lose everything,’ Emmanuel mumbled.           

‘Should I send some bodyguards to bring Jessica back to Imo State for her safety?’Ambrose suggested.                                                                       

‘You don’t need to do that. I will ask the Lagos State governor to look out for her…’                                                                                                  

‘But Jessica is in Abuja, not Lagos,’ Ambrose calmly reminded him.              

‘I think you’ve reached your end as my special adviser,’ Emmanuel said coldly.                                                                                           

 ‘I will take my leave now, ‘Ambrose bowed, picked up his car keys and left the office.

As Ambrose left the office, Emmanuel reached for his phone and dialed Obinna’s number. He waited a while, but no one answered. Then, he tried his office line. The president’s secretary picked up the receiver and answered the call.                                                                             

‘I want to speak to Mr President.’                                                         

‘Do you have appointment with him?’ the secretary asked politely.                                                                                                                   

  ‘No, I don’t,’                                                                                             

 ‘I’m sorry sir; the president is very busy at the moment.’                    

‘Stop this nonsense, I’m his good friend.’                                                        

‘All right, but if you are his good friend, then you should be able to reach him yourself. I suggest that you call the president directly.’                   

‘He isn’t picking up!’Emmanuel was angry.                                                         

‘That’s to confirm that he is busy.’                                                            

Emmanuel had no choice than to hang up. He would call Obinna later in the day. But for now, he has a meeting with some foreign investors. He stood up from his office chair and left the office with his bodyguards trailing behind in their gorgeous black suit.