By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu
Later that same day, Jessica headed to Chioma’s house after she received the address from Patricia. She wore a pair of sunglasses that covered half her face. She had a pink Chanel handbag with her, and was in a white body hugging sports attire which made her seem incredibly vivacious. She put lollipop into her mouth and headed to Chioma’s house with the address.
When she reached the place, she wrinkled her nose at the sight of how slummy the environment looked. Of course, she knew that she shouldn’t be here, but because she wanted to put Chioma in her place, she had to endure everything.
Knocking at the door, Jessica didn’t wait to be invited in; she pushed the door open and invited herself in.
Chioma who was in the living room watching TV furrowed her brows. She wondered what Jessica was doing at her house. She wanted to oust her out, but if she did that, it would seem like she was trying to take revenge and so, she let her in.
If Chioma had known Jessica was coming over, she would have called to stop her from coming.
Jessica lowered her sunglasses and rolled her eyes as Chioma fixed her gaze on the TV. The news was covering the annual party that was to take place in one week time. After glancing at it, Jessica turned back to Chioma and said,‘The Annual Party, I’ve looked at the guest list. Both you and your family are not invited.’
‘There is no reason for you to come here just to tell me this, right?’
‘Are you afraid Michael will pick me instead?’Jessica asked coldly. ‘Chioma, you think too highly of yourself. Don’t waste your time to come because I will make sure you never stepped in.’
‘I am completely aware that you are already defeated.’ After speaking, Chioma went to the fridge to take a can of coke. She took a mouthful.
‘Chioma, you must be desperate to destroy yourself. Are you really going to enjoy seeing tears in your mother’s eyes?’
After hearing this, Chioma footsteps stopped for a moment. ‘I think you should care about you and your parents first.’
Jessica’s gaze fell on the invitation cards at the centre table. She quickly reached for them. ‘Congratulations Chioma! As you are one of the invited guests, you have also been invited as the special guest. Of course, your slummy mother and brother are also invited…but…’ Jessica held up the invitations cards in front Chioma and tore them in half. ‘You shouldn’t dream of going.’
Chioma smiled as she raised the coke can and took another large gulp before saying, ‘Stop making your life so cloying. It’s so boring; it’s bad to add too much sugar in your tea as anyone would spit it out. No one wants to die of diabetics.’
‘Don’t tell me you want to be covered in wounds.’ Jessica walked over to the bin and threw the torn invites into the bin.
Chioma took out a small mirror and checked herself out smugly, as if to trigger Jessica.
‘Chioma, I am warning you nicely. Stay away from Michael.’
Chioma admired her reflection in the mirror, enjoying the anger on Jessica’s face. She glanced sideways at Jessica, ‘Is it my fault that Michael chose to invite me and made me his special guest? Due to my relationship with Michael I have benefited quite a bit. I am now popular in entertainment circles and my family will share from the spotlight too, moving from being a slummy girl to the wife of Michael Njemanze.’ Jessica was furious at what she heard and furrowed her brows. ‘Michael was obviously my fiancé but you stole him away from me. Of course I have to get him back. I won’t give up just like that. If I do that, wouldn’t that be letting you off easily? No, I won’t.’
Chioma smiled wryly at how defeated Jessica was. She touched her face tenderly in the mirror and said faintly, ‘I am not with Michael because of his money. Even if he was the poorest man on earth I would still love him no matter what. I understand that you love him very much, but the truth is, he doesn’t love you back. Nathan loves you so much, and I know that very soon you will realise that he was the one meant for you. I hope you don’t curse yourself for not realising it early,’ she paused. ‘Jessica I know that you are angry with me because we love the same man. I wish I could do something to make you happy…if Michael never loved me back I was determined to still love him from a distance without having to hurt anyone…if Michael would be happy with you, I promise to give up…but please, we love each other, I wish that you start looking at Nathan, for he is your destiny.’
Jessica pulled out her invitation and flaunted it in front of Chioma, ‘I have it…but you don’t. Oh, that’s right, not only do you not have an invitation, you don’t even have fitting dress. Who’s going to stand your tattered and unwanted pair of shoes and torn dresses? You see, you are not fit. I shouldn’t have wasted my time tearing the invites.’
Chioma simply replied, ‘Don’t think too much. You might end up being sick.’
‘Chioma, for peace to reign between us, break up with Michael again…’
Chioma yawned,
obviously not interested in continuing the conversation and interrupted,
‘Jessica, I’m tired. I need to rest. I will chat with you later at the party!’ Jessica
wanted to say more but Chioma was already lying on the sofa yawning, so Jessica
had no choice than to leave. After
she was sure that Jessica was gone, Chioma got up and went to the kitchen to
cook dinner. The conversation she had with Jessica just now probably made her
understand that Jessica was still planning something, so she would have to be
careful, for she didn’t know what exactly Jessica was planning this time. But
then, that doesn’t mean that she would let Jessica have her way.
Celine and Catherine had left the library after reviewing their books and doing their homework, once they reached the dorm; Celine took a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes, then asked Catherine to shower before leaving with her wallet.
When Catherine came out from the bathroom, Celine had already returned with a bag of food she placed on the desk. After eating, Celine changed the bed sheets before pulling open the bathroom door and picked up the basket piled with clothes that she had washed today and took it to her walk-in-wardrobe to hang them.
Celine actually wanted to sleep, then setting the alarm for 2 hours from now, she lay down on the bed.
Catherine was surprised as she looked at her roommate lying on her bed, ready to sleep.
‘Celine, you actually want to sleep now?’
‘Yes, Cath. I feel sleepy already,’ Celine yawned. ‘I’m a lazy girl.’ The blankets covering her were soft and smelled of sweet fragrance, the exact same scent that Prince had bought for her. Subconsciously, the scent flustered her, and she smiled.
Catherine smiled, sitting in front of her laptop, she had brought to Celine’s room, and she turned it on.
Before she drifted off to sleep, Celine took out her wallet, forcing a few hundred dollar notes into Catherine’s hand and mumbled, ‘I don’t want to go to the D-hall today. So, please you can go to any of the cafés and buy dinner.’
‘Okay,’ Catherine said.
Finally,
Celine stretched her arms, and then shut her eyes to sleep.
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