Gladys had called her manager to take the day off and promised to be in the next day. She was to have resumed yesterday if not for the mixed-up flight plan. Today, she had a splitting headache and couldn‘t face work. She was in the kitchen tidying up after a late lunch when she heard a knock. It was her first meal of the day, but she still ended up not being able to eat anything. Already knowing it wasn‘t Edward; she slowly went to open the door. It took her a full minute of looking at the woman standing before her before recognition came. It was Edward‘s previous foster mother.

“Good morning.” Suspicion threaded her words.

Mrs. Okrika ignored Gladys and without a reply to the greeting, marched straight into the house. Gladys was surprised but she quietly closed the door and followed her through the hallway. The older woman was standing in the middle of the living room looking around. When she removed her sunglasses and turned, there was so much open hatred and spite on her face that Gladys frowned in confusion. The woman bared her teeth in a predatory smile, moved to one of the settees and sat down with a tinkling of gold jewelry.

“Why don‘t you join me my dear?” she asked, as if she owned the place. Gladys went and sat down on the opposite armchair.

“What of Edward, the caring fiancé?”

“He has gone into work...” Gladys began

“Gone to the office already? But you just returned from your trip around the world?”

“Something important came up and he had to go.” As Gladys said this, her mind began to race wondering how Mrs. Okrika knew about the trip or their schedule.

“Well no problem as I actually came to see you. Don‘t be surprised,” she said at Gladys‘ raised eyebrows, “I want to ask you something. How well do you know Edward?”

“How do you mean? Of course I know him very well.”

The woman laughed. “Yes, you said he told you about us and how he grew up in an orphanage. Did he tell you the reason he was sent out of several homes before we took him in?”

Gladys paused before answering. “He was not sent out; they just couldn‘t keep him.”

Mrs. Okrika smirked. “No no, they all sent him away. Didn‘t he tell you that? I can see that he didn‘t.” She continued at Gladys‘ silence. “Let me tell you; Edward - or Sani, as I knew him then - is an unrefined bastard and I‘m sure he hasn‘t changed. Once he became a teenager and knew he wouldn‘t be adopted, he took to fighting at the drop of a hat. After he almost beat a boy to death once, the orphanage had to send him away. He began to live on the streets.”




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