“Scarred To Stars” Part 2 By Rhoda ‘Keji Onaderu
By Rhoda ‘Keji Onaderu
ANDREA
“My husband married my closest friend”. Andrea said suddenly.
Isabella opened her mouth wide in surprise.
Clotted potatoes stuck in Damilola’s throat as she tried to swallow while Sakiya’s heartbeat escalated, her breath got stuck momentarily in her throat. Amma was so shocked that she fell off the sofa right onto her buttocks.
“Genevieve was my friend from university days, we started being roommates until we grew into close friendship”. Andréa continued.
Tears floated on the rim of her eyes as she remembered their friendship.
“I was her chief bridesmaid on her wedding day, she married the man of her dream”.
“So why are you accusing her of marrying your husband. You couldn’t have been the chief bridesmaid if that was your man?”. Isabella asked, her face was in a confused state.
“Chill, darling, just hold on”. Andrea replied.
I got married two years later to Dennis, a successful realtor. We met through a cousin of mine who was his marketing manager. Meanwhile, Genevieve lost her husband a year after and being my closest friend, my husband and I travelled to give our support during the burial”.
“Okay, and you caught them sleeping with each other?” Amaa asked, impatience was on full display.
“No, Amaa” .
“Maybe we should wait and hear the full gist then”. Damilola said in between sipping her orange juice.
“As we were about leaving the second day and I sat inside the car, my husband uttered some ridiculous statements that I have never heard in my life”.
“Which was?”. Sakiya asked.
“I like Genevieve “. Andrea replied.
“Okay” Nalla said.
“Well, everyone likes her, if not for her husband’s death ,she would have entertained you with different jokes. She should have been a comedian”. I said.
“I don’t mean that” My husband interjected.
“So , how do you mean darling?” l twitched my mouth as I asked him.
“I mean I don’t mind marrying her”. Dennis replied me slowly.
“What! I exclaimed and shot him a hateful glare. I was shocked beyond words, I glared at him furiously afterwards. My eyes burnt with pain.
Instead of replying, my husband inserted the key in the ignition and we started our trip back home. We never spoke about it until my husband told me a year later when we were planning for his birthday that he has married another wife and the new wife would be at the ceremony”.
Andrea suppressed the roiling emotions in her heart as she remembered.
“Just like that?” Nalla asked as a gust of air blew over her.
Andrea nodded and excused herself to use the bathroom before continuing with the story, she wiped the tears that rushed down her face immediately she entered the bathroom.
“Some men can wrench your heart”. Carol said.
“I am really speechless”. Ann replied.
“You just wonder sometimes if they really think about the impact of their actions on their wives, maybe they are just selfish and self centered “.
Terry added.
Andrea came back and adjusted her seat.
“The news of the new wife was shocking because I never had any hint but what was flabbergasting two days after was that the new wife happened to be my best friend “.
“So what happened?”. Sakiya asked through her gritted teeth.
“I wasn’t surprised she was at the party because I had personally invited her to the party and I was expecting her to come a day earlier but she had given an excuse to come later. So when she came, I was excited and ready to introduce her to my new acquaintances. I however noticed a little resistance from her but I thought it was the stress of the trip, few minutes later, my eldest sister in-law called me into the living room on the first floor of our house where the shocking news was given to me as if I had no choice but to accept”.
“Well Andrea, my brother said he had told you about his new wife”. She had started with an indifference tone.
I didn’t utter a word.
“She is here and we will like to introduce her to you. Please be mature about this”. She said with a mischievous giggle.
“l was shocked Lucyanne my sister in-law got herself involved in this. Firstly, she was my senior in high school and the closest to me among my husband’s relatives”.
“Women betraying each other since 1700. Would she have loved it if someone did that to her?” Carol emitted a long-suffering sigh.
“l looked towards the door as someone tried to enter, it was my best friend. I thought she had come to comfort me, so I motioned my hand to her to sit besides me but instead she went ahead and sat besides my husband and he hugged her. I was stunned for a split of second, at that moment Dennis whirled around and had the satisfaction of seeing the shock on my face”.
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