The Moment I Met You (Chapter 452)

 By Nightengale Ben-Onyeukwu

Meanwhile, Chisom was in a room taking care of Chioma who was receiving treatment from the medical director of City Hospital who was sent over to give Chioma a thorough examination. Just then her phone began to ring. She looked at her screen and saw that it was Louisa calling. Before picking up the call, she gently tucked Chioma in her quilt. 

‘Aunt Louisa we are still at the party,’ Chisom said in a low voice as she headed to a corner.                                                                                    

‘Is already late, Chisom.’                                                                             

‘Well, you see, Jessica hired some men to beat Chioma. I don’t know why Jessica really hates Chioma…’                                                         

‘Where is my daughter now?’Louisa was afraid that something serious must have happened to Chioma.                                         

Chisom glanced over at Chioma who was lying peacefully on the bed but was unable to sleep. ‘She’s here with me.’                              

‘Wait for me, I am coming there right now.’                                        

Before Chisom could stop her, Louisa had already hung up. Chisom took a deep breath and left the room, and then she returned back to the scene to see Jessica still yelling at Michael.                                                        

  A murderous aura was radiating off Michael. He wanted to beat Jessica to death but he was still able to control himself.                                         

‘Michael what was wrong with what I did? Tell me? I only wanted you to love me back.’                                                                     

‘Jessica, you had a group of men beat up my woman. I know that you actually know the consequences of that?’                                              

  ‘You insured the body parts of your slummy girl,’ Jessica scoffed. ‘What a complete waste of money, Michael. I thought you have brains, but no, you only have puff-puff into that handsome head of yours.’                                                                                         

 ‘Michael, stop this nonsense now all I will call the police,’ Emmanuel couldn’t stand the humiliation anymore so he yelled at Michael.                                                                                                              

‘When the police get here, you will never go scot-free,’ Rebecca added.      

  ‘Any police officer that steps in here to arrest Michael or Chioma will be fired for life,’ President Obinna said with authority.                       

This shocked Emmanuel and Rebecca. The president would rather side with the slummy girl than with them.                                                         

‘Mr President, you can’t be tricked by this slummy girl. My Jessica was simply in love with Michael. What’s wrong with fighting for her love?’                                     

 ‘Michael, I’ll really do anything to love you.’                                   

‘My daughter is right,’ Rebecca supported Jessica.                               

A flash of smugness crossed Michael’s eyes. ‘Yes, Jessica did nothing and both you and your husband are involved in corruption and criminal bribery…Your husband has done worst than Lucifer, which is why he should be punished.’                                                                                  

‘You’re threatening my family,’ Emmanuel said furiously. ‘I will make sure to pursue this.’                                                                                         

  ‘Then what about I show the proof right now?’ Michael extended his hand and Robert handed him a notebook and Emmanuel’s hand began to tremble as the notebook was turned on.  Michael’s fingers typed on the keyboard with ease and in a few minutes, almost everyone’s phone sounded with Whatsapp message notification.                 

‘You all can look at the messages, they are the proof, and Edward had wanted to see for a long time now. By tomorrow, I wish to see him impeached and arrested.’                                                                                

Jessica was shocked that she quickly took her phone, and was surprised to see their Whatsapp bombarded with pictures. Before now Robert had collected all the Whatsapp contact of everyone here and created a group with their number, and this made it easier for the messages to be sent quickly.                                                                                    

Edward was really surprised with the first picture that he clicked on. In that picture, Emmanuel was seen in a secret meeting with a CEO who supposedly ran an illegal company. The man was pushing a suitcase of cash towards Emmanuel.

 Not only that, there was also a picture of Emmanuel with a woman in bed, plus other pictures and messages that were enough to send Emmanuel to prison. He had embezzled the state’s money, and wasn’t able to fulfill most of the promises he made during election.           

‘Emmanuel, who is this woman you cheated on me with?’ Rebecca asked Emmanuel with tears in her eyes.                                                   

‘Honey, I will explain later,’ Emmanuel said in a low voice.                       

‘Who are any of you to hurt my daughter?’ Just then Louisa walked inside the hall and yelled. Two security officers were trying to stop her but Louisa still found her way inside. ‘How much do you people want for my daughter to be allowed to be in peace. We might really be poor but at least I know how to make all of you cry.’                     

  ‘That’s mum,’ Andrew mumbled when she heard Louisa’s voice. Everyone turned to the sound of the voice.                                                           

 Louisa approached them without fear, ‘Please, Jessica how much do you really hate my daughter? My daughter has done nothing wrong to any of you. Yet, you hate her as though she committed a crime. Yes, my daughter is a slummy girl, but what right do any of you have to crucify her? Was it her fault that Michael chose to love, huh? Was it wrong to fall in love with someone? What is wrong with you rich people? You want to control people. You want to always push them to a corner and make them unable to breathe.’    

Meanwhile, Michael returned to see Chioma who now sat down on the bed hugging her knees as she buried her face in her lap and remained silent in that posture.                                                                            

When Michael entered the room, his heart ached from seeing how helpless she looked. He knew that she might be regretting coming to this event today. Sitting lightly on the edge of the bed, Michael reached out and smoothed her hair gently and said, ‘I’m sorry that you have encountered so many dangers because of me. I’m really sorry.’                                                                                                                                     

Chioma was silent, but Michael’s tender words made her eyes well up with tears.                                                                                        

‘Those men will never go free, I promise,’ Michael consoled as he continued caressing her long hair.                                                          

  Michael’s words were soothing, but Chioma could not handle the fact that she was beating for the reason of being in love with her dreams. Tears flowed from her eyes at the thought. she wondered if it was wrong to love someone.                                                                                

‘I promise to make Jessica pay for her crimes,’ Michael said and after a pause he added, ‘Even if the whole world is against us, I will never stop loving you. I’ll do whatever you want for their punishment, please don’t cry.’

She really wanted to stop crying, but tears couldn’t stop flowing. Michael had said everything he could possibly think to make her happy, yet she kept on crying. Still not knowing what to say to stop her from crying, he gently lifted her head up from her knees, and gently wiped her tears.                                                                                                                   

Michael didn’t know what to say to console her but he knew that just a simple tight embrace was better than any words could say. Chioma buried her head into Michael’s chest, still crying softly. ‘I don’t want to break up with you,’ she mumbled.                                                         

  ‘We won’t,’ Michael assured her with a smile. ‘Your mother’s here so I should bring you to the ballroom before she gets worried.’              

Chioma nodded and Michael helped her up and he carried her to the ballroom to see Jessica yelling.

 ‘How much money do you need?’ Jessica yelled at Louisa.                  

‘I don’t need your money,’ Louisa turned to Jessica and said.              

  ‘Oh, you don’t need money but you use your daughter to get the money,’ Jessica scoffed.                                                                                   

  ‘Jessica, watch your attitude,’ Chisom pointed at Jessica as she yelled. ‘Even though your family owns the world which is about to collapse anyway, you are still no match to Aunt Louisa. Plus, you don’t know her too well so don’t you ever judge her. She’s going to be Michael’s mother-in-law soon, so what right do you have to speak loudly to her?’                                                                                                              

Louisa was silent for a moment before asking, ‘Is Edward, Patricia, Isabelle and Nicholas here? My daughter told me that it might be true that I have met them before.’

 ‘Yes, they are here…why?’ Sharon asked. ‘Aunt, please we can resolve everything another day.’ Sharon thought that Louisa wanted to fight them. But no, she only wanted to answer her curiosity.                         

They watched curiously as Louisa strode towards them. Edward was dressed in a dark blue Versace suit. Because of his attractive charisma and noble presence, even though he was in the midst of so many people, there was still no way he would be ignored because he still emanated an aura that was difficult to resist. Nicholas still possessed such aura, Louisa thought as she saw them clearly. Patricia and Isabelle were still looking graceful and beautiful.                                               

They were both stunned to see Louisa. She was the same Louisa that they had wanted to see. She was here now, but was furious because her daughter had been treated badly. Patricia wanted to embrace her but was afraid that Louisa would push her away.                     

Louisa stared at the four of them and she was temporarily lost in thought. This was the first time she had met the four of them after so many years. When Edward left her to marry Patricia, she felt hurt and her heart would ache with longing every time she remembered his birthday and the moments they had spent together. But then, she didn’t know that despite being surrounded by luxury of life, Edward was missing her too as well as Nicholas, Patricia and Isabelle. They had always missed her and had tried so many times to find her.                                                                                                                                     

At this moment, Louisa wished she could pull back time to relive those years she had missed. However, she was thankful, thankful at least her daughter was the one to enjoy the relationship she had lost. She was glad that Michael’s father was the Edward that she knew, his mother was the Patricia that she knew, and both Nicholas and Isabelle were also the same friends that she had years ago. But the question was, with the way Patricia had treated Chioma, would she still accept her daughter now that she had found out that she was Louisa, her friend of old?