Chapter 7

Isabel was finding it very difficult to breathe, she slapped Nathaniel Dave's hand that was on her neck repeatedly, she wanted him to take his hand away, she felt like she would die soon. She couldn't breathe. 

Nathaniel Dave finally let her go, he turned to Cecilia and bent, he kissed her gently on her lips, Isabel couldn't stand such sight, tears formed quickly on her eyes, She will prefer Nathaniel choking her than for him to watch him show affection to someone that does not deserve it. 

As far as she was concerned, Cecilia do not deserve the love of Nathaniel Dave. She looked away as tears poured easily from her face, she searched around for an handkerchief but couldn't find it, she assumed that she must have forgotten it on the dinning table. 

She tried as much as possible not to let them notice she was crying, she walked to the dinning and picked up her handkerchief, as she cleaned the tears, more tears poured from her eyes. 

"You are so good at shedding crocodile tears." Mrs Abraham appeared and said. " A woman that was disguised to marry a man that was not his but won't accept to divorce the man cause of selfish reasons is a wicked and ungrateful woman. No matter how you try, all you will ever get is hatred. You will neither find our favour nor that of Nathaniel Dave." 

"I told Nathaniel Dave in clear terms that I was now ready to sign his divorce papers.  If there is anyone you should blame at the moment about the divorce issue , it should be Nathaniel Dave." 

"If you were not pregnant, he would have made you signed the divorce papers. But you are like a green snake under green grass. Why don't you accept to sign the divorce papers when you weren't pregnant? Why must it be when you are pregnant? You know it will be tough on him to just allow you sign the papers. You are a curse, Isabel." Mrs. Abraham spilled angrily. 

"I'm your daughter but you hate me this much." Isabel lamented and bite her lips painfully. "If Nathaniel Dave truly loves Cecilia, he should bring the divorce papers,I'll definitely sign it." 

Isabel carried her small handbag and as she was about to turn, Mrs Abraham crossed her, "Was this your first time of meeting Joseph Brown?"

Isabel smirked dryly, "Why are you concerned? You want Nathaniel Dave for Cecilia, did you also want Joseph Brown for her?"There was a tone of mockery in the words of Isabel. 

Mrs. Abraham raised her hand angrily to slap her but Isabel was quick to stop her, " Hmm hmm! If you invite me in the future for events like this, I won't come." She let go of Mrs. Abraham's hand and walked away. 

The image of Nathaniel Dave kissing Crcilia flashed across the memory of Isabel and it kept breaking her heart the more as if it had just happened. 

If Nathaniel Dave ever holds her hand, it wasn't out of love but because he wanted to hit her, Nathaniel Dave had never shown her the slightest bit of affection. She was only saying she was ready to divorce Nathaniel Dave, deep down in her, she wasn't ready. Her love for that man remains as fresh as it used to be. She had lived all her life to love a man that never loved her. 

She arrived home and went straight to her bed, she sobbed like she had never done. She wished that she was not invited. She also thought of Joseph Brown, how wealthy could he have been? How can he give such amount of money as a gift? She only knew him as a doctor, maybe he was way more than a doctor. 

A message notification sounded in the phone of Isabel, the number that sent the message was a strange number, she opened the message app and it reads, "Take a gentle walk to your living room."

Isabel was confused and wondered what that meant? She entered the Nathaniel Dave's villa about thirty minutes ago, who could have sent a message to her to walk to the living room?

Nathaniel Dave wouldn't have sent her a calm message like that, all the message that Nathaniel Dave has ever sent were always about divorce. Was someone trying to hurt her? She was skeptical on going to the living room. If at all someone wants to hurt her, they were supposed to walk inside her room and hurt her, why should she go to the living room?

Another message notification sounded  on her phone again and she checked it immediately, "Don't keep me waiting." 

She summoned courage and strode carefully to the living room, once she appeared at the living room, she saw a man's image, he was backing her. She couldn't behold the man's face but the height of the man was very familiar, as a matter of fact, the person's hair was like that of Joseph Brown, short and deep black. 

"Joseph Brown!"She guessed and the man turned back slowly, it was Joseph Brown indeed. 

Her heart skipped and she looked around as if Nathaniel Dave was somewhere around the house, another scary feeling that overshadowed her was Nathaniel Dave entering at that moment. 

Joseph Brown stood elegantly and watched the woman before her without any emotion on his face, he was absolutely indifferent as if he had the right to walk inside a house with another man's wife.

Isabel couldn't understand why he came, for the first few seconds of aseing him, she was too scared to utter a word. 

"Isabel!" He called her name and took only a step forward, he tucked his hand in his pocket, "Why are you waiting for Nathaniel Dave to offer you divorce papers? You can give him one and let him sign it." 

Isabel was shocked at the man's word. Joseph Brown had told her that he was single and wasn't ready to be in a relationship, why does he sound like he really want her to divorce her husband. 

"Nathaniel Dave would be very angry if he finds you here."Isabel expressed her fears. 

" He won't come until I'm gone." Joseph Brown sounded so certain. 

"I'll work on the divorce papers and give it to him."Isabel said to Joseph Brown even though she does not really meant it, she had to agree to what Joseph Brown suggested so he could quickly leave but Joseph Brown doesn't look like someone that was ready to leave. 

"I've prepare the divorce papers for you already, put your signature and give it to him this night to put his." Joseph Brown stretched the divorce papers to Isabel.  

Isabel remained standing, she didn't make any attempt to move close to the man. She wasn't understanding him. Was he trying to help her or what? 

Isabel shook her head, "I still love Nathaniel Dave." She lowered her head pathetically. 

"He will hit you someday and you would loose your baby, when he finds out, he will divorce you easily since the only thing stopping him form divorcing you is gone." He said. 

Why was Joseph Brown speaking like he was certain of what will happen in the future, Isabel knew that Nathaniel Dave reasoned that the pregnancy she has could be for him indeed and wouldn't want to hurt her.  

"A violent man like Nathaniel Dave can be unpredictablele. He does not love you and only loves your sister. Did you see how much love he has for your sister? If you decide to act like a strong woman that you were supposed to be, give him this."Joseph Brown threw the divorce papers on the floor and walked out. 

Isabel's face moved from the man that had just faded out of sight to the divorce papers on the floor. The mere thought of divorcing Nathaniel Dave even break her heart the more. How can she ever divorce the man she had always loved since she was young. 

Even before Cecilia ever met Nathaniel Dave, she had been in love with him, she was young so was Nathaniel Dave. Nathaniel Dave doesn't live in the area that 'the Abrahams' lives, he only comes to the area once a year to greet his mother. It was his mother that resides in the same area with the Abrahams.

Nathaniel Dave in his innocency had noticed that Isabel likes him, he likes her in return too. They would play together and have fun, it kept going on for another three years until Nathaniel Dave came to greet his mother as usual and doesn't remember who Isabel was to him anymore. 

Isabel tried all his best to make him see that she was that girl that he likes and always anticipate to see every year. She couldn't really place what happened to Nathaniel Dave, she was confused but never stopped Nathaniel Dave. 

She was surprised many years later when Cecilia came to introduce Nathaniel Dave to Mr and Mrs. Abraham as the man she would marry. Was he two? Maybe it was his twin that loves her and not this particular Nathaniel Dave. 

All sort of silly imaginations and assumptions filled the head of Isabel, she couldn't believe her eyes. Why has the man that has always liked her suddenly grew cold towards her? 

When Cecilia got paralyzed a day before their wedding, Isabel thought that fate had favoured her and given her what wass rightfully hers.  

She felt like Nathaniel Dave would definitely remember whom she was to him but it wasn't so, It had been six years and Nathaniel Dave had no idea he once liked Isabel. 

Isabel at some time would feel like he probably remembered he used to like her but determined to hate her. His sudden decision to hate her was what Isabel could not comprehend. 

Isabel was already seated on the couch and was in deep thought.

"Are you deaf, now?"Nathaniel Dave's words finally awaken her from her thoughts. Nathaniel Dave had been calling her attention to him for the past one minute but the woman was only staring blankly at the air  like she was dead. 

"Oh, I'm sorry." She stood and apologized. 

She sighted the divorce papers that Joseph Brown had thrown to the ground, Nathaniel Dave was before it but didn't notice it. Isabel prayed earnestly in her heart for him not to see it. 

"I've come into conclusions about your pregnancy." He said and her heart beats slowly but heavily. Her eyes grew bigger and she anticipated anxiously for what he was about to say. 

Nathaniel Dave was about taking a step forward when his legs hit a paper that was on the floor, Isabel's heart skipped and she felt light immediately, as if she would collapse anytime from then. 

Nathaniel Dave's gaze fell on the paper, if not that the paper was neat and looked like an important file, he would have ignored. He bent and picked it. 

Isabel ran to him in an attempt to snatch it but Nathaniel Dave was quick to hide it from her. Isabel's hand missed the paper she was about to collect from Nathaniel Dave and she fell to the man's chest. She remained stiff on his chest for few seconds and gently took her body away from the man. 

She lowered her head and wished she hadn't collapsed on the man's chest. She really loves the man's scent and his firm body. His hugs had always been her dream but she knew Nathaniel Dave's hatred for her would never make her dreams and hopes come to reality. 

Nathaniel Dave ignored how the woman just collapsed on his body, he was particularly interested in whatever was in the document. He opened it and read it. 

His face grew lean at once, dissapointemt was so obvious in his face. He knew Isabel loves him so much,but there was she writing a divorce papers to him. 

Why does he even feel odd about it? Could it be that woman had stopped loving her and was now in love with Joseph Brown?