The Last Laugh of Victory

As she winded up and down for the umpteenth time to check the progress of movement up ahead, she couldn’t help but curse aloud.

She was late for her Doctor’s appointment already. The day had begun about 5:45 in the morning and now it was 9:54, and she hadn’t gotten halfway to her destination. She looked into the rearview mirror, quickly readjusting her makeup. It was still the early hours of the day and she couldn’t afford to look anything beneath standard even though she’d been stuck in traffic for almost three hours.

She readjusted her rearview mirror, and nodded her head sharply from side to side as she listened to the renowned “thy will be done” by Frank Edwards ft Nathanial Bassey.

This song was the only thing that proffered comfort in this absurd traffic. After she tired of having the song on repeat she immediately switched to the morning radio show.

The broadcast was the popular ‘Breakfast Couple’s show’.

“Thank God!” She exclaimed excitedly, drawing her attention from the radio as she noticed movement at last.

The traffic appeared to be clearing up rather fast. After a three-hour standstill, her wheels were moving again.

Eyes fastened to the road, ears swiftly glued to the radio, she hoped to reach the hospital within the next fifteen minutes.

The broadcast topic was a dicey one, centered around a single question “what do men and women want in a life-lasting relationship?”

“Men want their women to be a soft touch of cardi-B at night, and a soft touch of Mary, the mother of Jesus during the day,” One caller opined rather unashamedly to the listeners.

What kind of Antithetical expectation was that? Stella wondered, laughing to herself. How do you place a woman on a scale of such unrealistic expectations?

“Every man should be docile and complacent to their woman’s every whim,” another caller added her opinion to the topic.

“No ooo! I refuse to have a mumu man oo!” Another woman caller added to rebuff the previous.

“Every man should be able to make their woman tremble in fear and reverence. That’s what the Bible says…any man wey no fit do that one no be man. Na coward him be.”

It was like a circus. Different odd opinions were shared by and a lot of listeners continued to call to proffer all kinds of hilarious answers and suggestions.

Indeed, even a lame man could tell that the question of what a man wants from a woman, and what a woman wants from a man was a mystery. An age-old mystery that no one has been able to proffer an answer to.

A lot of curious listeners were calling to proffer all kinds of hilarious answers and suggestions.

“Truly, a relationship can be many things and several expectations are required to make it work. There may be no stereotype rule that applies to all. However, it is built under the common thresholds of trust, respect, love, and growth. If you can identify these things in your relationship, then congratulations! You may just be getting close to ringing the wedding bells.” Mrs. Aina, the broadcaster concluded excitedly.

Stella’s mind wandered away towards her relationship.

A lot of things only sounded this easy on a radio broadcast. In real life, even a relationship that had love, trust, and all the other good things the broadcaster seemed so particular about, could still fail if it wasn’t meant to be.

She was in a worse dilemma right now, and a relationship was the least of her worries—she had to see that doctor today.

She however remembered her relationship with Demi and felt shards of sorrow prick her heart. At the beginning of her relationship with Demi, it had been all rosy and perfect. They’d been a couple of the year, serving social media goals to all that cared to see.

Four years into the drama, trouble landed in paradise the day he decided to end things rather abruptly.

The event had opened her eyes to a new type of reality that made her disagree with the opinion of the broadcaster. A relationship could kick off with all the right signs and tenets, however, that did not mean it’d remain that way for a long time. Sometimes the excitement would be lost to the wind. And you’d find that you’re indeed left in a relationship that has only become a comfortable routine.

“…and speaking of wedding bells,” The voice of the OAP disrupted Stella’s thoughts for the umpteenth time. “I’m excited to announce the celebrity marriage between Darasimi Adsina and Bella Nnaji. The couple has announced that they’d be joining in holy matrimony On the 25th of October. The media world is so excited to grace this celeb wedding as we’d be giving you live updates from your favorite radio station 53.6 FM.”

‘Oh,” the broadcaster gushed, “Don’t you just love Love!?”

Stella’s car screeched too loudly, coming almost immediately to a halt in the middle of the road.

What?!

She must have heard the wrong thing just now.

Was that her ex and best friend just announced to be getting married?!

She felt bouts of tears pour down her cheeks.

“Oh, God… God!!!” She chanted unconsciously to herself.

“What am I supposed to do?”

She asked as she reached down to fondle her already bulging stomach.

Traffic aside, she could tell that a lot of trouble was coming her way, and she had to find a way to deal with it fast.

***

Stella walked out of the hospital exasperated than ever before as tears poured out of her eyes. She had her doubts for a long time, but the doctor’s report only confirmed her suspicion to be true. She was indeed pregnant, and the only one she could place in mind that was responsible for this was her ex-boyfriend. How could she have been so careless anyway?

How do you tell a man who’s about to be engaged to your best friend that he was the father of your unborn child? She could just see the news splattered across several celebrity tabloids across the country with several disruptive headlines.

Demi adsina faces baby drama a few weeks before his wedding.

Bitter Ex-girlfriend hounds our hero with pregnancy claims.

Trouble in paradise: Demi Adsina wars girlfriend over fiancee.

It was going to be a superb mess and she could only imagine the backlash from the streets of social media. Her reputation would have to go down the drain because of this baby.

Being the jerk that he was, Stella knew he’d bask in every moment of it. He enjoyed attention of every kind. Whether he was getting the lashes or praises, he’d readily be awed with the idea of causing any last-minute uproar a few weeks to his wedding even at the expense of his unborn child.

Stella fumbled with the test results in her hand, as she got into her car and started in no particular direction. The doctor’s result was proof that she was indeed pregnant with Demi’s child.

She was here reliving her worst nightmare.

She had to clear out her thoughts and decide what step she hoped to take next.

Her ex-boyfriend was getting married to her best friend. Two individuals that were dearly important to her than any other in the world had now turned against her.

Stella’s thoughts reverberated in an overdrive.

She couldn’t understand anything at all.

Why was Demi still in the country anyway? Stella thought to herself. She remembered vividly the events that happened four months ago, the day she’d caught him cheating with her best friend.

Demi, who had been unashamed of his actions, had been quick to inform her that he was leaving the country for good the next week.

He didn’t want to take her along as he was willing to go think things through thoroughly.

Stella had been so upset with his direct lack of empathy she’d decided she couldn’t be in a relationship with him anymore. He did not deserve her.

Now, fast forward a little while after, she suddenly finds out about the pregnancy, and also here she was hearing over the radio that he didn’t leave at all, and more than that, he was getting married to her best friend—The cheat she did catch him with.

When did they even get this close? How did she go from a happy prospective relationship to this stage where she was alone, jettisoned, and pregnant.

There was only one way to find out, she had to call Demi. Stella was certain he alone had all the answers to her questions. He at least owed her an explanation about why he was still in the country. More than this, he should know that he was going to be a father soon. The jerk deserved to know this whether married or not.

She reached for her phone and dialed him.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Silence.

She tried again.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Silence.

Why was he ignoring her calls??

Surely he would know better than to avoid her calls.

She tried one more time

Ring. Ring. Silence.

Stella fumed within. The scoundrel had the nerve to avoid her calls.

A scandal was coming, She thought to herself as she turned on her car and drove out of the driveway.

She was going to be the spark of this scandal, she resolved within herself.

God save Demi for hell hath no fury as a woman scorned!

She would go to his house and speak to him herself.

***

Demi lived in a mansion fit for a king. He had a luxurious pool, huge pillars, and a magnificent state of art decor that was beautiful. Stella looked around and pools of tears began to form in her left eye. She remembered how she’d carefully picked out this lovely home-style decor four years ago.

At that time in their relationship, they had been so happy. One would think that joy would last forever.

But now, it was difficult to believe that the joy they’d once shared or she’d better imagined they had shared had been only a facade.

She approached the door and typed in the passcode.

“06060904”

It worked!

She typed in the password and watched the door open quietly. The bastard had not even bothered to change it. How vile of him.

They’d both chosen those numbers together. 0606 was the day of her birth, while 0904 was his birthday day and month.

She was thankful that he had not attempted to change it. At least, she could enter the house uninvited and unnoticed.

“Demi!!!” Stella yelled into the house as soon as she got in.

“Demi, come out right now!” She demanded.

Although the house was quiet and as still as a graveyard, she knew that he was in there…the house was big enough to hide a thousand people.

Stella paused to catch her breath and began to yell again.

“What’s the noise about eehn?” Demi barked as he appeared from the stairs. His handsome face is still as resplendent as ever.

He had no shirt on, and the better part of Stella just wished this was all a bad dream that she could close her eyes and wish away.

She wished she could run into his arms again and get lost in his strength.

“What are you doing here?” The frown on his face brought Stella back to reality faster than anything else.

“Why aren’t you answering my calls?” Stella demanded an equal scowl determined not to bend to his whims.

“I did not notice them,” Demi replied faintly.

“Oh, you didn’t? What a convenient thing to say even though your phone is right there in your hands.” Stella opined sarcastically.

“Why are you here anyway. What do you want…?” he replied barking with a scowl that resembled that of an angry dog.

“I came to see you. Why are you still in the country? Didn’t you tell me you were leaving for good already? Was that a ploy to end our relationship?” Stella asked, tears forming in her eyes again.

She realized that the hurt and anger from the past still had a massive effect on her, and with everything happening suddenly, she was reopening fresh wounds.

“I don’t have time for this. We can’t keep going back and forth, Stella. As you can see, I’m a very busy man. My hands were quite full before you came in.”

Stella furiously felt a plan crystallize within her mind. This was the only way she could make both of them pay forever, She thought as she reached for her phone.

“I’m not gonna have it from you!” Stella demanded fiercely, her voice pitching louder than she’d expected.

“I need you to leave right now. like I said earlier, I’ve been busy, and I don’t owe you any explanations.”

“Well, guess what?” Stella replied. “Unless you get Security to throw me out, I’m not stepping out of this house because I’m…I’m pregnant.!!”.

As she uttered the words, she felt it weigh heavily on her tongue. It was surreal. That word did not feel like it was describing her at all. She thought she was saying something about somebody else.

Demi scoffed.

“Is this a new ploy to get my money? And how many months has it been since the breakup? Three to four months approximately. How superbly convenient for you to show up pregnant a few days to my wedding. Get out of my house now, you slut! I’m certain that the child is not even mine!”

Slut???

Stella felt like she’d been dunked into a well of ice. He had the guts to question her morals and call her a slit when he was the one who had been caught cheating with her best friend!

The unscrupulous nerve of the bastard!

Upset and enraged, Stella reached into her bag and brought out the pregnancy test result flinging it at his face.

“Here you go. I’m four months gone. Do you know what that means? I was pregnant before we had a breakup, and if there’s been anyone cheating around her, it hasn’t been me!” She stared sarcastically.

Demi picked up the paper and eyed it like it was a bomb about to go off.

“How dare you, Demi? Of all the girls to cheat with, you chose my best friend. You son of a bitch! How dare you?! How could you have a heart that’s as dark as your soul! How?!” Stella demanded rapidly. Her eyes were red with anger.

“Did you think it was okay to sleep with my best friend at the office and come home to me too? What kind of a sick player are you?”

“And now, you’re suddenly in love three months after our breakup? Hoping to get married and tell the media that you’ve been dating for the past three years?!”

“Lies!! Lies!! The very sight of you repulses me, and your behavior is overtly absurd and unacceptable. I’m ashamed that my child would have to call an animal like you… father…You disgust me!!”

“Well then, do us all a favor and get rid of that thing growing inside of you,” Demi demanded. “Just get rid of it. I don’t need that extra mess,” he concluded.

“What?!” Stella screamed at him. “Well, guess what? I would never do such a thing, and you know it. Cowards like you need to learn that you cannot always have your cake and eat it!” Stella screamed.

Just then something or rather someone bounded down the stairs dressed in the most revealing lingerie ever. It was Bella, Stella’s best friend, now Demi’s supposed ‘fiancee’.

“Baby, what’s going on here? What’s taking you so late to come up… I’m waiting,” Bella uttered aloud in a seductive voice.

Stella was filled with utmost disgust. She could not believe it. Alex had been upstairs in the apartment all the while.

It took her best resolve not to head towards Bella and slap her lying betraying face.

“You wench!” Stella gasped as she wondered to herself how she could have once called such a person of low morals her best friend, and how she’d once been in love with a monster like Demi.

Her nightmare was staring back at her.

As if just noticing her presence, Bella turned towards Stella and paled almost immediately. She hadn’t seen her in the room.

“Hi bestie,” she stated sarcastically, as she watched bouts of shame wash over Bella.

“I’m sorry Stella,” Bella replied almost immediately. Guilt reflective over her.

“Sorry? Please keep your mouth shut! Perhaps I forgot to thank you for servicing Demi 24 hours, 7 days a week in the office.”

“I should never have convinced him to give my supposed ‘best friend’ a job a year after we started dating. At least, that was the biggest mistake of my life. I trusted you and this is how you pay me back with a fleeting ‘sorry’? I had thought you had some shame in you.”

“How could you even do such a thing to our friendship? For God’s sake, we had a bond before Demi came into the picture. Yet, you’d do this to me. You should never be in the same room as I, don’t ever take my name in your mouth, you conniving slut!”

“Stella. Please forgive me…” Bella attempted to plead again.

“Now you’re saying you’re sorry? How convenient! Because I caught you both cheating? If I had not found out about your affair would you still be sorry?”

“Now Demi, you’re a big celebrity in the country. Imagine what the headlines would read if I released this scandalous tale to the hearing of everyone else. You’d trend for all the wrong reasons. Your stocks will plummet, your investors will desert you. Should I still go on with the possible damage a single tale can cause to your love life, marriage, and career?”

“Now here’s my deal. Stella stated fiercely without batting an eye. “I’d walk out of this door if you both agree to my terms… As you can see, I’ve refused to be the victim in this story.”

“For your betrayal and conniving acts against me, you both would have to pay a damages fee of 10,000 dollars every year.”

“Ehhh?!!! ” Demi and Bella both yelled at once.

“Shut up, I’m not done yet?!” Stella retorted with a scowl on her face. She was enjoying their misery. Plus a non-negotiable fee of 5,000 dollars for the upkeep of the baby.”

“This child would only see his father when I decide that you’ve amended your ways and turned a new leaf…” Stella said, staring fiercely at Demi, silently challenging him to utter a word. “This wench would have nothing to do with my child.”

“What child??…” Bella asked in confusion.

“Shut up!!” Stella and Demi both echoed together.

“You play too much Stella. Surely you’re joking. I can’t do any of this, I won’t do it… Who do you think you are to demand an outrageous amount of money from me?” Demi muttered in laughter.

Stella smiled for the first time in a long time.

“I was expecting you to say this Demi. I’m not a fool, as opposed to popular opinion. Now, I have a recording of everything that went down today. If you make a move against me. You’d be in the tabloids the next moment. Trust me, you can’t play me fool twice.”

“And there are no negotiations on the matter. Everything we said here today has been recorded against you. I now hold your stocks and future career in my hands.

She watched as the color drained from Demi’s face. Stella could have sworn there were few droplets of sweat on his forehead.

“My lawyer will be with you shortly to sign the agreement.”

“Good day, and may God bless your marriage,” Stella stated with the final laugh as she bounced out of the house in victory.