Broken and bruised episode 45&46

BROKEN AND BRUISED

Episode 45

"I have been holding my peace since Saturday when we ran into Ronald, I thought your reaction that day was something normal but right now I can't hold it back anymore..... Melanie I'm so jealous, so jealous" Tobi is trying so hard not to sound so emotional but it's failing him

"You don't have to feel jealous Tobi there is no need to"

"Really, are you sure there is no reason for me to feel the way I do?..... well I'm human and I have feelings too, seeing you in that man's arms, I...I couldn't take it"

"That meant nothing my love....it meant nothing"

"How about to him....do you think it meant nothing to him, it certainly didn't" Mel holds his hands and begs him to understand her

"My heart is yours, I might have probably reacted the way I did because his presence is still shocking to me but that's how far it is, there can't be anything between us when I have you, you're my family and I'm your wife"

"You're not my wife Melanie..... you're not my wife, we're only two people who have something in common that's a daughter.... we're only cohabiting and you know why?..... it's because you want me as a boyfriend or something but not as your husband"

"Calm down Tobi please...... you know very well I see you more than what you just said, you're my husband and in love you"

"How about Ronald.... what do you feel for him" she keeps quiet and this time he's the one holding her hands

"What did he want.... be honest and tell me"

"To ask for forgiveness and also explain what really happened"

"And what was his explanation"

"I didn't give him a chance to talk"

"Is that all that is about it" he asks narrowing his eyebrows

"That's all" she lies to him

"Let's just forget about Ronald, he's not going to come in between us I Promise" for now they make up and Tobi asks her not to hide these things from him............

Ron's next stop is at his sister's office where Perry asks where he's coming from dressed like that

"You're the last person I can ever lie to Perry so I have to be honest with you, I went go see Melanie" Perry opens her mouth to say something but no words come out

"I had to see the condition under which she lives in and I must say she's doing pretty well, a successful husband, a well furnished office of her own and a beautiful daughter in a beautiful home"

"Why do I smell jealousy in that tone"

"Because I'm jealous Perry" he points to his heart

"I can't give up on Melanie..... I can't do that, my heart won't let me.....guess what, I'm so confident she feels the same way too"

"Don't be so stupid Ronald, you're only hallucinating, didn't you see how in love she was with her husband that day"

"Appearance sister.....appearance can fool, have you forgotten so soon Mel and I were each other's greatest love"

"That was five years ago"

"Exactly.... but the look in her eyes today told me there is still a possibility that I might have a chance to win her over...... and above all, there is nothing on her ring finger" Perry has no words for her brother who won't hear reasons no matter how much she tries but she's so afraid this won't end well...........

Meanwhile at home, Becky who has started smelling something unusual about Ronald is pouring her heart out to her favourite sister in-law

"We were fine in Zambia.... he was so loving and caring until when we came back.....it was OK still until when we ran in to that woman" this gets Patience's attention

"What did you say her name was"

"I don't remember her name, it just skipped my mind"

"How was she....I mean her condition"

"She looked Rich, she was not just an ordinary person like these useless girls you see scattered around in town..... she should be doing something for herself and has her money.....I mean she's Rich"

"Hmmmm! that can't be Melanie" she wonders out aloud

"Wait!.... did you just say Melanie?" Becky finally remembers that was the name

"Yes Melanie..... was she called Melanie?..... though I have my doubts after hearing your description"

"I'm sure that was the name Perry called, who was Melanie to Ronald"

"Arrrgh.....some low life idiot who didn't know her boundaries and fell hard for him, no one except Perry and Dad loved her for brother.... they eventually parted ways and that was the end of it" Becky is not convinced

"What if she's the same person"

"It can't be.....she was impregnated by some fool she didn't even know....she never got to sit for her final papers and you can just imagine..... I'm sure you might have heard Ronald mention her name once or twice back there in Zambia, that's it...just chill but we're going to find out who that woman responsible for his sudden change is, Ronald used to be quite a ladies man back then"....... for now Becky is relaxed............

Two days later

Perry and Ron have met with her ever busy boyfriend Patrick in a restaurant for a dinner after so much persuasion from Perry that her brother wanted to get to know who the man in her life was......they are settled at a table near the entrance and there are only a few people in there.....they continue to have their dinner and chat getting to know each other more...........

Tobi drives his car to the restaurant and packs it, stepping down..... he comes out to open for Melanie who is dressed in a very long evening gown..... after their makeup, he had ordered for a romantic dinner just for two where he can be able to spoil his wife a little, Mel has not given him a reason to doubt her love for him in these past two days, she's so excited as well because his surprises are always extreme

"Ready my Lady" he's trying his best not to laugh because he's acting in a funny way, the ever beautiful Melanie in her blue dress steps down as he takes her hand

"So ready Sir..... so shall we" he locks the car and takes her hand

"Let's go...." they walk into the restaurant hand in hand, with Tobi not taking his eyes off his beautiful wife, all eyes turn to their direction as they walk and Mel felt on top of the world...... they have just stepped in when someone calls Melanie, they turn towards the direction of the voice and it's Ron who is with two other people, he had stood up on seeing them and Mel looks shocked, Tobi too is taken up by someone but not Ronald, it's the man who is seated with Ronald......

"David......" he wonders within himself

"This can not be happening...... what are doing with Ronald" his heart races first, Mel herself is shocked for Tobi's reaction........ David looks at his ex Friend and wonders what the hell Tobi is doing there, he swifts his gaze towards the woman with him, he wonders who she could be, she looked familiar to him

"Where have I seen you from.....where" he can't tell but right now he's more afraid of Tobi unmasking him but all of a sudden, Tobi grabs Mel's hand and pulls her along and they exit the restaurant

"Get in....we are leaving right now" Mel thinks he's acting out of jealousy so she keeps quiet and gets into the car with no complaint or what so ever....... the drive home was a quiet one, it didn't take Tobi long to reach home and asks Mel to go on in, he's going to follow her but that was it, he never came in to the house.............

David lies on his bed starring at nothing in particular but with his mind so taken up by that woman with Tobi and why he reacted the way he did

"Think David think...... where have you seen her from" it took him longer than he thought but finally he does he remembers when they watched her come to the place they grabbed her from

"That's it.....that's it, she's the one....Hahahaha.... she's the one, that babe he raped Hahaha..... or poor thing, let's wait and see what happens Tobias, I'm paying you a surprise visit tomorrow".........

Tobi slept outside in his car and never came into the house giving Mel the scare of her life, down in his car, he couldn't even sleep a wink, he was trying to come to terms with the fact that he was finally going to face his worst fear, paying for his grave mistake....... he remained in the car till morning at around five when he now sneaks into the house, Mel was sleeping but this time she was sleeping on his side of the bed, holding on to his pillow...... he leans over and kisses her head

" I'm so sorry my love.....my heart is broken into pieces already ......if only the love I feel for you was big enough to cover all my sins against you".......he walks into the shower and didn't take long there, he comes out and dresses up quickly, he leaves before anyone was even up, but he stops at Mira's room to give her a kiss, he leaves the house and it's only the gateman who is aware..............

Melanie wakes up to an empty bed and empty room.....she looks around and realises Tobi really never came in......this is the very first time in five years when Tobi has slept outside apart from a few time when he had traveled, she's smelling something is wrong somewhere

"Was it that man in the restaurant???..." she wonders and gets out of bed, grabs her nighty and covers herself, she comes down to the kitchen where her mother is preparing breakfast

"Good morning mum"

"Mel....you're up already, how was your night"

"Bad......very bad have you seen my husband" Ofelia is surprised, Tobi doesn't leave this house before saying Hello to Everyone, he Normally comes for Mel's breakfast himself to prepare it if he chooses to serve her in bed so this is so shocking to her

"Did you guys fight or what" Mel didn't respond but walks out, running towards the gateman who tells her Tobi just Left this morning not at night like she thought, she's relaxed a bit.....she walks back inside to get ready as well

"You have some unfinished explaining Tobi..... I'm coming for you"...........

David now Patrick meets up with his two other friends Eddy and Clems to discuss this latest development, he was able to find out last night from his girlfriend that the woman who came in with Tobi was his wife and the ex girlfriend of Ronald, she explained to him the condition under which they parted ways, this was after he remembered who the lady was

" This is the best news I have heard in a long time....in fact since I came back to this country " says Eddy

"Now is the best time to get back at him for the way he treated us" Clems says

"What do we do.....how do we go about it"

"Good question guys, we are going to pay him a visit in his office today..... Perry also informed me that Ronald would do anything to get the man who destroyed Melanie..... how about we send him a little text with and unknown number, just to let him know we mch know who the man is" they hi five and get so excited

"It's time the whole world gets to know who the righteous Tobias Akankwasa really is he thought by marrying her, that would be the end of it ......"......

Episode 46

6:30 am finds Tobi at his mother place taking everyone especially Lisa is so surprised to see him there after so long he rarely comes there, she heard his car outside as she made Monica's breakfast, she quickly comes out to receive him, she's so happy to see him

"Good morning boss....Glad you came to see us today"

"Lisa how are you" he walks past her and she could sense something was not right, Tobi walks some metres and then turns to her

"Is mother in"

"Yes, she's already woken up but still in her room" he finished the rest of his journey to Monica's room by talking to his heels......he knocks at the door and this makes Monica jump, it's not just some normal knock

"Lisa what is it" she tells from inside

"Mother.....it's me"

"Tobi....." she picks her phone and looks at the time and it's still six

"What has happened.... why are you here this Early" she was afraid it might be her grandchild

"Can I come in"

"The door is open please.... come in" Tobi pushes the door and walks over to his mother's bed, Monica studies him from head to toe and sees his red eyes, she can tell he never slept a wink

"Did you and Melanie have a fight" she asks and doesn't even wait for him to respond first but she goes on and on and on

"It's Normal for couples to fight, even the pastor and his wife do fight, the president and his wife do that, talk of the marriage counselors, no marriage is perfect a hundred percent so I don't encourage you as man to be accumulating these things without solving them" Tobi just looks at his mother who has nothing, no experience in marriage or whatsoever giving him advice

"I wish that was the case mother......I wish it was just that Mel and I were only having a normal couple arguments and fights" Monica looks at him

"You slept out didn't you"

"Yes.....I did but not out of home" Monica is dumbfounded

"Don't give me that look mother..... I just needed time alone to cry"

"Now you're confusing me the more.....what's happening" Tobi gets up and starts pacing up and down

"What's It please talk to me son"

"Mother, my past is here to destroy me finally" Monica gets up to and walks over to him, holds his hand and leads him back to sit down

"Can you explain that to me......, I'm not understanding this"

"The guys....those who kidnapped Melanie, who drugged my drinks and.......and" he could not finish it and Monica's arms drop

"Tell me you're pulling my legs just"

"I wish I was mother..... what am I going to do"

"Wait.....how did you know they are back, have they started blackmailing you"

"No no....that's not it, I don't even know when they got back but last night, I ran into David, Mel and I had reservation for a dinner fro two....we ran into him"

"Did he recognise Mel"

"I don't know mother.....I can't tell, we left immediately and I have not talked to Mel ever since, I'm sure she's now aware there is something going on and she would want answers yet I have non" he gets up again

"What are we going to do" Monica wonders

"Simple..... I have to do the right thing"

"And what is the right thing if I may ask" he comes back and scouts, he takes Monica's hands

"I have to tell Melanie the truth before someone else does" Monica takes away her hands

"Is that what you said simple?..... is that simple"

"But I have no choice mother......... do you know who he was with"

"Who??"

"Ronald.....Melanie's ex boyfriend, so you can imagine what this means...what if he gets to know Mel is the woman Ronald almost got married to, how sure am I even that he hasn't told him something already"

"Calm down and listen to me...

you're not going to tell anything to Melanie, I know people like David, I know what they are capable of.....all they want is money and that's all they re going to ask for"

"But that's blackmail mother"

"Yeah it sure is...."

"No mother, I won't stoop that low....do you know that once you starts giving a blackmailer money, that's the beginning of your end, the money giving will not get over with and in the end they betray you anyway"

"We have no choice right now son.....this is our only option right now but I can assure you, a mother is capable of anything just to see her children fine.... I'm capable of that to see that you're well protected go back to work and let me handle this....don't say a word about this to your wife..... let's wait and sew if the stupid losers are going to open their mouths" for now Tobi accepts his mother's advice and heads to his office that's not very far from there...........

Melanie who is in a hurry, didn't wait for breakfast to get ready before she leaves, she had no patience to wait for it especially now she has no idea where her husband is and he's not even picking her calls, she comes out of gate standing waiting for a cab, she now regrets why she has always rejected her husband's offer to get for her a car of her own.....her husband has two unused cars he has packed at his mother's where the workers there can once in awhile drive them.... he only has his favourite Lamborghini which is enough for him and his family...... she stands at the road side for about five minutes and yet no cab is coming, it feels like she's been there fie hours, she checks her phone and it's already seven plus some minutes, she gets going and tells herself she will get some cab on her way....she has only walked like two minutes when a car pulls

"Good morning beautiful" she looks inside and it's Ron, she ignores him and decides to increase her speed but one can't compete with a car and the stubborn Ron follows

"Get in the car and let me give you a lift"

"No thank you" she continues and he finds and open space where he pulls over and covering the pavement

"What's wrong with you... what part of NO don't you understand" she's furious and Ron who is still inside raises both hands up

"OK OK... don't get mad at me.... i just want to help" she looks likes she's going to give in

"Melanie..... trust me I won't say or do whatever that's not OK with you"

"Promise"

"Cross my heart" he does the cross sign and comes out to open the door for her, Mel gets in and he starts the car, the first three or five minutes of driving in the busy morning jam was a bit awkwardly quiet but for Mel, her mind and heart was on Tobi, wondering where he might be and what's eating him up.......Ron keeps on stealing glances at her.....he finally says something

"Did husband and wife have a fight" he asks out of blue and Mel shoots him daggers

"Don't look at me like that....I'm only asking because last night you two looked so happy when you came into the restaurant though I myself can't understand why you left in such a manner" she looks at him and says nothing

"Your husband has money, what could be stopping him from getting a car for you"

"How do you know I have no car"

"Because I know Melanie..... I know very well"

"Have you been stalking me"

"Just a little..... I can't seem to control myself ever since I came back....i just want to see you, and yes I have been stalking you"

"You're sick"

"I'm just a very helpless man in love that's all ......Melanie please listen to me, I need your forgiveness for all my sins against you" she doesn't want to look at him

"Take me to work faster, I don't want us to talk about something that don't exist anymore"

"Who says this doesn't exist Melanie?.... huh...who says that" they are confronting each other and before Melanie knows it, Ron is talking another direction and not headed towards the direction of the office

"Where are you taking me to Ronald"

"Somewhere far away where we can talk and listen to each other like responsible adults we are" he responds gently

"Drop me....stop the car, I said stop the car"

"I'm not letting you go Melanie before listening to me......you have to hear reasons and if you wish to rerun home early, you better calm down and let me continue in peace so we can reach our destination and we talk like adults" Mel is cursing her luck, just when she thought she wanted to go see her husband and they talk, now all this is happening, she's thinking on what to do next and then remembers the best would be calling him once again, maybe will receive this time around, she gets her phone from her purse and scrawls through the numbers, she dials and put the phone in her ears, only for Ron to take it from her ear and shuts it

"What's the meaning of this Ronald"

"You can't talk to that man in my presence Mel.....I can never allow that"

"Well I don't need your permission to do so...he's my husband"

"Stop that..... stop referring to him as your husband because he's not, he has never been your husband so don't use that stupid excuse on me because it ain't working....." she's so stunned and decided to surrender it all, she shuts up as Ron continues to drive his car to God knows where............

Tobi arrives to the office and packs his car, he finally locates his phone that has been on silent mods since last night, he has set it that way so no one could interrupt their romantic dinner so he forgot to change it....he checks and finds so many missed calls from his wife, he's so frustrated he didn't get to talk to his wife.....he dials her number and it's off.....he just stands in front of his company building and dials his mother in-law

"Hello son.... good morning"

"Morning Mum.... has Mel left, I needs to speak with her and her phone isn't going through"

"She's gone.....she left for the office especially after learning that you were gone.... she didn't even take breakfast"

"Thank you Mum" he ends the call

"Where could you be at Mel..... by now you would be here in the office, he fixes his phone back and walks inside

" Good morning Friend..... long time" Eddy who is seated next to the entrance door greets the very shocked Tobi who can't even afford a smile to cover up...........

To be continued