DURU'S HOME
At Duru's home, the air filled with the suffocating smell of strong alcohol. Duru was sitting slouched in the armchair, his eyes glazed over. Kaira stood in the doorway, arms crossed tight over her chest, watching him tip back his fifth bottle of the day. the golden liquid catching the light of the morning sun through an open window as he lazily swirled the glass contents before he drained it, his eyes distant, unfocused. Since that promotion party he had attended three nights ago, he'd morphed into this shell of a man—someone who barely spoke, who flinched at her touch. She knew he wasn't a drinker, at least not like this. A beer here and there, sure, but having bottles just stacked up like the heap he had managed to gather was tearing at her heart.
She'd tried everything. Snatching the bottle from his grip only sparked raging arguments, causing chaos and unrest in their home. Last night, it'd escalated with him shouting about things she couldn't even piece together, her yelling back until tears blurred her vision. And Amara, his sister-in-law, wasn't helping. Not like she expected her to anyway, but no, she'd swoop in like some twisted guardian, siding with Duru every time.
"If you're so tired of playing nursemaid, Kaira," Amara had purred earlier, "I'd be happy to tolerate my brother. In fact, he could spend the nights in my room. I'm quite accommodating."
The insinuation, the sheer audacity, sent a sickening wave through Kaira. She and Duru had been fighting constantly, and she still had no idea what had actually triggered his descent into this alcoholic daze.
Kaira sucked in a deep breath, the strong scent from the beverage making her stomach churn. Okay, this was it! Enough!. She wouldn't watch him continue drowning in madness like this anymore. Her fingers trembled slightly as she slipped her phone from her pocket, stepping out onto the porch where the Morning air was cooler, laced with the traffic hum like music to her ears. The screen glowed as she dialled, heart pounding. Only one person could manage this mess and get through to him —Duru's mother.
The line clicked after two rings.
"Kaira? Is everything alright?"
Her mother-in-law's voice was warm but edged with concern, like she could sense the storm brewing.
"Mama, it's Duru"
Kaira whispered, glancing back through the window where he slumped on the couch, bottle dangling from his hand.
"He's been drinking nonstop since the party. There's bottles everywhere. We fight whenever I try to stop him, and Amara... she's not even helping. She keeps acting like it's normal behaviour for him to be stupidly drunk first thing in the morning. I don't know what to do anymore."
A pause, followed by a heavy sigh so quiet. If she wasn't listening intently, then she may have missed it
"Is Amara living in your house? ."
The person's voice on the other line, even if she couldn't see them, was restrained. If felt like they were holding on to the last bits of whatever patience they had with them.
''Yes, mama, didn't Duru tell you?''
Kaira asked, sensing the annoyance through the phone from her mother-in-law, But the line was quiet, so she continued
"Duru said he was going to tell you last time that she was here so you wouldn't worry."
Another long pause. The line was very quiet
''Hello, Mama, are you still there?''
Kaira asked to ensure the other person was still on the line, as she couldn't hear anything
''How long has she been living with you and your husband?''
Her voice finally came in, but very quietly.
'What? I didn't get that, Mama''
Kaira heard a sharp Breath intake
''Has it been long since she's been there?'
She said with a little more force in her voice
''Oh yes, Mama, she's been with us for a couple of weeks now''
Another long pause
''I see''
That was the last thing Kaira heard before the line dropped.
AT TONNA'S HOUSE
Amy had been meticulously avoiding him for a few days following their intense kiss at the party. He'd been unusually absent from the office, engrossed in manoeuvring against the Klarity Foundation shareholders who were trying to undermine his company, which made things easier for her by avoiding unnecessary contact with him except for work.
He came home late that night, tired but restless. He noticed the light filtering from under her door and heard the faint shuffling of movement inside. He walked to her door and knocked sharply.
Almost immediately, the door opened. She was wearing a simple tank top and short shorts, exposing her long, toned legs ending in fluffy slippers—a casual look that somehow made her look more vulnerable and appealing.
As soon as she saw him, she moved to close the door, retreating behind it, but Tonna blocked the door with his hand, pushing it open and forcing his way inside with a firm but gentle insistence.
"Hey! You can't just walk in!"
Her voice came out sharp, a little too loud for the late hour, echoing down the hallway.
Inside, her room smelled like her lavender lotion mixed with the faint sweetness of whatever tea she'd been sipping. He strode to the window, the city lights twinkling below like distant stars, before turning to face her. Amy stood by the bed, gripping the frame like it was a lifeline, her gaze fixed on the floor. Her nails, dainty and painted a soft pink, scratched idly at the foamy bedpost, betraying her nerves.
"I need to talk to you,"
He said, his tone steady but laced with frustration.
"But you've been avoiding me. Dodging me at every turn since that kiss at the party."
She mumbled something under her breath, eyes still downcast.
"That's not exactly true."
He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.
"So you didn't avoid me? Come on, Amy. I've seen ghosts more present than you these past few days."
Amy squeezed her eyes shut, her mind racing for an excuse. She'd been dodging him, alright—The kiss had constantly been replaying in her head every second. The way his lips had claimed hers with a hunger that scared her. She didn't want to talk about it, afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself, especially not now, not when he looked so devastatingly handsome, with his shirt sleeves rolled up, revealing forearms corded with muscle, his dark eyes piercing right through her. Her heart hammered like a drum, chest rising and falling too fast. Heat pooled in her belly, a dangerous flutter she had once felt many, many years ago. If he didn't leave soon, she'd do something reckless, something she might regret.
"Why are you here? It's so late at night"
She blurted, her voice breathy and heavy with so much tension and unwanted desire. She backed away as he approached, her steps awkward, bumping into the edge of the bed.
Tonna's brow furrowed with concern, closing the distance.
"You look off. Why are you sweating like that? Are you ill?"
"W-what are you doing?"
She stammered, retreating until her back hit the wall. He caught her around the waist, his grip firm yet tender, stopping her escape. The heat of his body pressed close, too close. He pressed his forehead to hers, checking for fever, oblivious to the electricity crackling between them.
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears—and apparently his too, because his hand drifted down, resting over her chest.
"Amy... your heart's racing. What's going on?"
He asked innocently before smirking slightly. If one wasn't watching closely, they would have totally missed it. He definitely enjoyed arousing and teasing her. They froze like that, silence stretching, broken only by the wild rhythm under his palm.
Boom boom
Her ears burned red, cheeks flushing. Slowly, his fingers trailed up to her chin, tilting it so their eyes locked. Hers were deep pools of chocolate, glassy with emotion, reflecting his own face back at him. He could drown in them, lose himself in that abyss. The thought jolted him back, and he yanked away, clearing his throat.
"Ahh this is going to be hard"
He muttered, more to himself, half chuckling.
"We need to talk. For real."
Amy bit her lip, shuffling to sit on the bed's edge, legs dangling. Tonna grabbed the chair by the window, dragging it over and planting himself in it, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her.
"Why have you never asked how you ended up here?"
he started, voice low.
"Why I'm doing all this for you?"
Her surprise was genuine, eyes widening before seriousness settled in.
"To be honest, it's crossed my mind a hundred times. I've been dying to know, but... I was scared. Scared of knowing. I don't have anywhere to go anymore, and knowing might not necessarily be a good thing. After that day at the beach, when you saved me, I just... sort of had a clearer mind. Decided to focus on work, rebuild myself."
She deliberately omitted the revenge simmering in her veins, that burning need to confront those women who'd slandered her, destroyed her life that never died. She'd imagined tracking them down and exposing them in front of the world. But where to start? she had no names, no leads. Meeting her husband at the party had reignited it all, and Tonna's timely arrival at the time, had made her almost forget. Unconsciously, her fingers brushed her lips, remembering the kiss.
Tonna sighed, pulling a thick file from his bag and handing it over.
"Here. This should answer some questions."
Amy flipped through it, her breath catching. Pages detailed her days in the orphanage, the sponsorship she received, her marriage to Duru, the family's cruelty, the accident that nearly killed her, and even the deaths of her children—her babies. She whipped around to face him.
"What is this?"
"This isn't our first meeting."
He said, watching her confusion deepen.
"Not officially, anyway. I've been... keeping an eye on you. Remember The Heritage Foundation?"
She nodded, fingers tightening on the file.
"Of course. They sponsored me, gave me a shot at life. I'll never forget that. But why ask? It's all here. And why watch me?"
"After my parents divorced, they bailed abroad, leaving me with my Grandpa. He ran the foundation before it shut down. I'd tag along to the orphanages, and there, I met you. You stood out, Amy—the smallest kid yet the toughest. Always helping others and taking care of them. I admired that. Hell, it made me feel small.''
He chuckled
''I had everything handed to me, but I'd whine. However, you'd just seem to figure out ways to overcome any obstacles you faced, and bulldoze through them no matter how tough they appear. It inspired me to step up, start my company from scratch. Smart Powers you see today is because of you. I thought of what you'd do in tough situations, so I toughed it up and endured everything. Learned all I could as well because I wanted to be strong and independent like you. Which was why I kept watching, even during your relationship with your husband now. But when you tied the knot, I backed off I thought you were safe, living a good life even. Until I bumped into you at that shop seven years later. one look at you and your kids told me all I needed to know... You looked broken. The once determined tough girl I once knew was nowhere in sight. It bothered me so much, so I kept tabs from afar. Good thing, I did too, else you wouldn't have made it from the accident."
"So it was you at the shop"
she whispered, piecing it together.
"Your scent... I knew it smelled familiar."
She said that last sentence quietly; he couldn't hear her.
He nodded, sliding a file on her bed.
"Take this. Do what you need with it. If you want help, say the word."
Her eyes widened as she opened the file, flipping through its pages. Held within were pictures; faces she recognised as well as info on those women: all their social media handles, birthdays, and even a USB stick.
"Those women... how did you get all this?"
"The USB contains footage from the day of your accident, also in there are videos, and details of their lives, as well as bank details too. As you can see from that file and picture, their spending doesn't scream 'married life.' Only one was hitched before, but divorced two years prior to your accident. The others married after screwing you over. From the receipts on their accounts, they received huge payments on the same day, same amount to each from an undisclosed source."
She scoffed almost mockingly, rage bubbling inside her. They'd played her perfectly, and she'd fallen for it. But there was more: The most shocking discovery for her was probably the fact that Amara wasn't Duru's biological sister. The Fake DNA tests that were done on her kids. And the truth about their deaths. It was not an accident, but something else. Something she had never imagined in her life. She just slipped from her bed and crumpled to the floor, tears streaming freely, clutching the paper like it was poison. Her hands shook, heart shattering all over again. Tonna stayed seated, giving her the space to let her cry it out. He knew that what she needed now was not comfort, but to let it all out
"Is everything in here the truth?" she whispered when she was finally calm, voice raw, eyes blazing red with fury.
Tonna sighed, but his features stayed sharp and handsome.
"I initially wanted to hand this in to the police, but I figured you'd want to handle it personally."
He gestured to the information regarding her children.
"As for the rest... let the cops take care of it."
He moved to kneel in front of her, taking her trembling hands in his.
"I won't pretend to know the pain you're feeling...But I am always here if you need a hand with anything"
"My babies... my poor babies"
She sobbed, pulling the paper to her chest. Her heart felt like it's being squeezed so hard.
"I'm sorry, so sorry. Mommy didn't protect you. You didn't deserve this. I... I'm so sorry."
Her voice cracked, hatred sharpening her words.
"Mommy will make them pay. So you can rest in peace."
Tonna held her as she broke, the room filled with her muffled cries, the weight of revelations hung like darkness in the air. Outside, the city lights flickered on, bright and colourful indifferent to the storm brewing in Amy's heart.