Chapter 5

Nathaniel Dave's fist was clenched, he felt like hitting the Joseph Brown but his father was his business associate, for the sake of his father, he would let him go. He turned to Felix at once, "How did he find out?" 

"I'm also bewildered." Felix answered. He didn't expect Joseph Brown to suspect what he was planning to do to him. The more he tries to understand Joseph Brown, the more mysterious he seems. 

"You shameless woman!" Nathaniel Dave felt like pushing her angrily but because it was public, he had to control his anger. "Follow me." 

Isabel followed Nathaniel Dave and Felix to the car. Felix drove while Nathaniel Dave and Isabel sat at the owners seat. 

Isabel wondered how Joseph Brown knew what her husband was planning for him, he even knows almost everything about her. If not that he said he wasn't interested in relationship, Isabel could have thought that he was trying to win her heart over to his or was probably waiting to receive her after she had signed Nathaniel's Dave divorce papers. 

Isabel was bewildered, same with Felix, as he drove, he kept thinking about the mysterious man. His father was a popular man, it wasn't like he appeared out of no where, why was he so hard to understand. 

Once Felix arrived at Nathaniel Dave's Villa, he packed and quickly went to open the side of the door for his boss. 

Isabel got off the car and stood, she did not know whether to walk inside the villa or not, she was also scared of what Nathaniel Dave would do to her. He hates her so much and wouldn't care to hit her. Isabel didn't want that cause she was trying to protect her pregnancy. She had heard of cases of women who got beaten and in the process , lost their pregnancy. She does not want to be a victim of such. 

Nathaniel Dave dismissed Felix and faced Isabel, "What are you waiting here for? go inside now." His voice was hard. 

Isabel walked in slowly and then remembered that the mysterious Joseph Brown had told her that if her husband lay hands on her again, she should report to him. She wondered what Joseph Brown would do to the mighty Nathaniel Dave. As much as he tried to see Joseph Brown as a wealthy man, as far as Isabel was concern, the wealth and influence of her husband surpasses that of Joseph Brown in all dimensions.  

Nathaniel Dave then walked in, unexpectedly, he went to sit. Isabel at that time remained standing, unexpectedly what his husband next move would be. 

When she realized that her husband was not ready to say a word, she had to speak, "Did you say all you ever wanted from me is to sign the divorce papers, why won't you let me sign it?" 

Nathaniel Dave could only shoot her an annoying look, he was yet to come up with a concrete conclusion on what to do concerning the pregnancy. He did not love the woman standing before her, reasons why he had tried all his best to avoid the woman for the past six years that they had been married. 

How would it look like for him for a woman that he did not love to give birth to his own son. What if the child wasn't his? What if it was for that bastard Joseph Brown? They might have been keeping affairs for a very long time and he does not even know about it since he doesn't stay at home. 

He was angry at both the woman and that bastard Joseph Brown, he gritted his teeth and asked the woman standing before him, "Are you aware that I did not love you?" 

"You've made it obvious, how can I not be aware?" Isabel was speaking with courage. 

"I loathe you with passion, how can you be so deceptive to get pregnant for me? I didn't expect a shameless woman like you to say the truth, I know you are full of lies and deceit. Can you however speak a single truth to this question I'm about to ask. This pregnancy that you have, who is it for? Joseph Brown or Nathaniel Dave?" He asked. 

"It's for my husband. It may be hard to believe but it's true, I never stopped loving you, even when you showed your worst side to me, you treated me like I was not a human being, as if I did not have feelings. You hit me severally like I was a punching bag but I never stopped loving you. Reasons why I had never thought of sleeping with any man. I waited for six years hoping you would change your heart someday and begin to love me but it seems you will never love me. I've tried but it's obvious you have made up your mind to favour my sister only." Isabel said from a bleeding heart. It was one of the few times that she had an opportunity to pour her heart to her husband. 

Nathaniel looked inside her eyes but couldn't feel anything. Was this wiman suppose to accept to disguise as her sister? Even when he found out that he had been deceived, he implored the shamelsss woman to sign the divorce papers so he could marry her sister but she wasn't willing. 

No matter how the woman standing before her tries, he would never have the tinest feeling of love towards her. 

"Did you now love Joseph Brown?" Nathaniel finds himself asking. Maybe he doesn't necessarily need to ask but he was curious to know. 

"You shouldn't be concerned about the love life of someone you did not love, rather be concerned about my sister, you need to be sure if she truly loves you or have an ulterior motive, you can't tell." Those words that Isabel just uttered made Nathaniel Dave angrier. 

He stood at once and approached the woman intimidatingly, "You are the woman with ulterior motive, your sister truly loves me and I love her." 

Isabel was expecting the man before her to hit her but he didn't, he watched Nathaniel Dave walk inside one of the rooms in the villa. Was he scared that she would report to Joseph Brown if he hits her? Isabel couldn't help but smile. 

Isabel was sewing a cloth at the backyard of the villa on a Saturday evening when her phone rang, on checking the caller ID, it was from Mrs Abraham. 

She answered the call, "Hello Isabel." 

"Hi." Her reply was brief. What could she be calling her for? she was their daughter but has never experienced parental love. 

"Well, your sister would be celebrating her birthday tomorrow. You should remember that?" Mrs Abraham asked. 

"I did not." Isabel lied. How can she forget her sister's birth date? But even though she remembered her birth date every year, it had been of no value to her cause no matter how much Mr and Mrs Abraham celebrates the birthday for their beloved daughter, Cecilia, they would never invite her. 

"Such a bad sister, you are not just a thieve that stole her husband, you also didn't care about the slightest thing that concerns your sister, I have never seen a woman as heartless as you. You only rejoice when evil befalls people." Those words went deep inside the bones and marrows of Isabel, how can they think of her in such a way. She cried softly and was unable to say a word. 

Maybe they weren't her parent after all, maybe she was abducted, cause how can they hate her that much? 

"Well, make sure you come to our house tomorrow, your sister will love to see you." Mrs Abraham said and hung up. 

Isabel placed the phone down gently, she dropped the cloth she was sewing and buried her face in her palm. She sobbed quietly. If not for Joseph Brown that had made her smile twice, she would never had had a record of happiness in the past six years. 

It looks to her like the goodness of life was reserved to some while the worst side of life was reserved for people like her. 

Isabel got dressed the following day, she examined herself and realized that she looked beautiful, she only have few opportunities of going out to attend a function. 

She got inside her car and drove to Mr and Mrs Abraham's house. She was supposed to be happy for visiting her parents but she was sad instead. She had no idea why her sister suddenly wants to see her on this birthday of hers but she will soon found out. 

She appeared at the room and met Mr and Mrs Abraham dressing beautifully, Isabel was well dressed too. As soon as they sighted her, they shot her a look of disdain as if they were not the one that Invited her. 

"Come and have your sit, sister." Cecilia said with a welcoming smile. Isabel obeyed gently and sat beside her. 

Just then, some other corporate people walked in, "Welcome please, please be comfortable."Mr Abraham gestured for the three men and two women that just walked in to sit at the living room. 

" Welcome, sister." Cecilia welcomed her sister gladly and Isabel only nodded. 

Nathaniel Dave walked in and went to hug Cecilia, he even kissed Cecilia in the lips as if they were couple. Isabel became extremely broken, She that was the wife do not earn such love and affection, it hurts Isabel so bad. 

"Happy birthday, sweetheart?" Nathaniel squatted before Cecilia and said 

"I've been expecting you." Cecilia said happily. "Won't you greet your wife?" 

"She's a shamelss woman, you shouldn't have invited her over." Nathaniel Dave said and kissed the back of the palm of Cecilia. 

Cecilia went to look at her sister pathetically, Isabel had her eyes closed , she was seriously fighting tears from falling from her eyes.  She doesn't want to look so pathetic, she wished she can stop the tears from falling but she was scared that if she opened her eyes, tears would fall. 

"Little sister, are you alright?" Cecilia asked and as Isabel opened her eye, tears fell heavily from her face. 

"She can fake tears."Nathaniel Dave kissed Cecilia one more time and stood. 

" Please sit, Mr Nathaniel." Mr. Abraham gestured and he sat right beside Cecilia. 

"We are still expecting one more visitor after which we will start the party."Mrs. Abraham said happily and threw her hands up in the air but quickly rolled her eye at Isabel. 

Isabel wondered why they had invited her, they had being treating her with contempt ever since she came, she felt like leaving already. 

"I need to leave." Isabel finally said, she couldn't stand the romantic display that kept going on between her sister and Nathaniel Dave anymore. 

"You see that? Always behaving like an evil woman. What does it take you to celebrate with your sister?" Mr Abraham asked.

A maid came to whisper into Mrs Abraham's ear and she nodded. The maid then walked away. 

"The guest we are waiting for had arrived."Mrs. Abraham said. 

" Oh! Beautiful." Mr Abraham exclaimed. "I had thought he wouldn't come, he's so influential, you would love to meet him, Mr. Nathaniel."  

"It should be my pleasure." Nathaniel answered indifferently, he wondered why the man was valued that much. Maybe he's a very wealthy man after all. 

"I'll go and bring him here."Mrs. Abraham stood happily and walked out. While she was away, Nathaniel Dave never stopped showing his affections to Cecilia. 

Cecilia who tried so hard not to watch them find her gaze on them, she was jealous, hurt and broken. But she had once heard her sister say that the love she had for Nathaniel Dave was because of his wealth. Cecilia had further said that she wants her child to be the heir to all of Nathaniel Dave's properties home and abroad. That was a day before she had an accident and got paralyzed. 

Unlike her, she loved Nathaniel Dave genuinely and selflessly but Nathaniel Dave had always perceived her as a shameless and deceitful woman only. 

Mrs. Abraham appeared with a very slim and handsome man, The aura of his presence filled the atmosphere that everyone present had to set their gaze on the special guest. 

Isabel had her head lowered at that time as a result of her sad state, she rose her head up when Nathaniel Dave suddenly exclaimed loudly," What!" 

Isabel rose her head at once and was shocked to see that the special guest of honour at her sister's birthday was Joseph Brown.