Chapter 10

When Farrah woke up the next morning, Ryan was gone. He’d left his borrowed clothes behind, so she picked them up from the floor and held them to her nose to sniff them. They smelled of him and that made her tear up.

She climbed back into bed with the clothes still in her hands and cried till she was exhausted. She needed to get that out of her system before finally moving on. Neemah knocked softly on the door before poking her head in when she didn’t get a response from Farrah.

“Farrah, are you ok?” she asked when she saw Farrah’s tear-stained face. “What happened?”

“Ryan is gone,” Farrah said quietly.

“He is? Did he come here yesterday?”

“Yes. Don’t you remember? He was here last night when you fainted.”

“Oh, yes. You’re right,” Neemah said as she began to recollect the events of the night before. “When I woke up this morning, I thought I’d dreamed it all. Is it today he’s returning home?”

Farrah nodded sadly. She was too emotionally drained to keep talking. She wanted to go back to sleep and spend the whole day in bed. Alone.

“Aww, my dear,” Neemah cooed to Farrah when she saw fresh tears running down her face. “You’ve fallen in love with him, haven’t you?”

In response, Farrah cried harder. She didn’t even feel this much pain when she broke up with Alex, even though she’d been with him for two years and was only months away from becoming his wife. What she felt for Ryan was much deeper, raw, and all-consuming. It was like her world had become empty without him. Who would have thought that she of all people would fall this hard for a total stranger in only a matter of days? She was never the type to believe in whirlwind romances, but since she landed in St. Kitts and Nevis, she’d become a different person entirely. She’d felt a sort of companionship and a sense of camaraderie with Ryan like she’d never felt with anyone before, and now he was gone from her life as suddenly as he’d come in. It just wasn’t fair! She loved love, but love didn’t love her back.

“Would you like me to make you a bowl of hot soup?” Neemah asked kindly.

“No, Aunty. I don’t want soup or anything else. I just want to be alone.”

“My darling Farrah, I know you’re sad right now, but you can’t just stay in bed all day. That won’t help you at all, and besides, we’re returning to Nigeria tomorrow, so we need to start packing our stuff. You know it’s an early morning flight, so we won’t have time for any last-minute packing.”

Farrah sniffled but didn’t get up. “Can you please help me pack my things? I’m not in the right frame of mind to do anything right now, please.”

“Sure,” Neemah said graciously. “I need to go make some tea first.”

After Neemah left, Farrah stuffed her face in the clothes to sniff them again and again as if it contained lifesaving oxygen. She didn’t want to go back to Nigeria with this emptiness in her soul, but on the other hand, she couldn’t remain here either. Worst of all, Ryan was never coming back to her. She needed to find a coping mechanism to help her deal with these recurring heartbreaks in her life; maybe she needed to see a therapist who might explain to her why she had such shitty luck with falling in love. Was there something wrong with her? Was there a pattern of behavior that she needed to look out for next time?

With a weary sigh, she turned on her side with the clothes still in her hands. I can’t go back home like this, she thought. Daddy and Ma wanted me to come here to relax and recover from that disaster with Alex. I can’t go back home feeling worse than I did when I came here. That would make them so unhappy, and I don’t want that.

Well then, it’s time for you to dust yourself off and keep it moving, her brain told matter-of-factly.

That’s right, her heart agreed. We can always come back to this later. For now, keep this sadness locked away and go back home with a smile on your face. You can do it, girl.

Farrah sighed again then got out of bed to start packing her bags. It was time to be a champ and put on her big girl pants. Life had to go on one way or another, but she’d be damned if she’d just lie down like a loser and feel sorry for herself all day long. That wasn’t her style.

She threw the wardrobe door open and said out loud, “Ok ladies, let’s do this!”

******

When Farrah strolled into the kitchen with a wide smile on her face, Neemah was taken aback by the unexpected change in attitude. This was the same Farrah that only moments ago was crying a river on her bed, now here she was smiling like the Cheshire Cat.

“Are you ok?” Neemah asked for the second time this morning.

“Never been better,” Farrah responded breezily before taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Neemah already had mugs of steaming tea on the table and was busily making fried eggs on the stove. She turned off the heat and dished the eggs into two plates, her eyes darting back and forth between Farrah and her task. She was trying to figure out what her ward was up to with this sudden switch in her demeanor.

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Neemah pressed.

Farrah chuckled. “Trust me, Aunty, I’m fine. Yes, I was sad a while ago and yes, I am still sad but lying down in bed and crying all day won’t change anything. So I might as well get my act together and carry on with my life. It isn’t the end of the world.”

“Wow. That’s the quickest recovery I’ve ever seen,” Neemah said in amazement. “I thought I was going to spend the rest of today consoling you.”

“Nah! I’m good. Let’s eat and finish up packing, shall we? I’ve already started putting my stuff together.”

Neemah smiled and sat down to eat. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Breakfast was a brief affair and once they were done, they tidied up the kitchen before heading to the rooms to pack their bags. After that was done, Farrah suggested that they clean up the house even though they knew a housekeeper would come in later tomorrow to clean up the place, but Farrah needed to keep busy and Neemah was willing to go along with whatever she was asked to do if it kept her ward happy and distracted. Farrah found the bracelet she’d thrown away yesterday and she slipped it back on her wrist. It felt like she now had a piece of Ryan to carry around with her wherever she went.

When they were done with the house cleaning, they both retired to their rooms for a much-needed shower before regrouping again in the den to figure out what to do next. As they deliberated on whether to go out or not, Mr. Devon came calling to see if they needed anything on their last day in St. Kitts and Nevis. He also informed them that his family was having a small get-together to welcome some of his family friends who had just landed on the island the day before, and the ladies were welcome to attend if they liked. Farrah accepted the invitation cheerfully even though Neemah didn’t seem too excited about going. The Devons loved loud, rowdy parties and that wasn’t Neemah’s thing, but she’d go just to please Farrah.

The party kicked off at around 2 p.m. and what was supposed to be a small event quickly turned into a carnival in a matter of minutes, as nearly everyone in the neighborhood showed up. There was more booze than food, but Farrah didn’t mind. She was just happy to be amid excited party guests who were simply there to have a great time. Neemah sat inside the house at the dining area with some elderly ladies who had shown up with a Monopoly game. It was the only sane spot in the house, although they could still hear the loud music coming from outside.

By the time they returned to the bungalow that evening, they were both worn out and more than ready to call it a night. When she finally got into bed, Farrah allowed herself to think about Ryan and wonder what he might be doing at the moment. Was he thinking about her? Has he reunited with Aubrey? Was he going to go ahead and marry her after all? Would she ever get over him?

She wiped away a lone tear that had rolled down her cheek with her knuckles. She would get through this—it was only a phase, and it would pass. With that consoling thought in her mind, Farrah closed her eyes and patiently waited for sleep to come.

******

Ryan couldn’t sleep; he’d lain awake all night obsessing over all the possible outcomes of the meeting with the clan chief, which would have his parents in attendance. From the little bit of information he’d been given, he was able to glean from his cousin who worked as the chief’s P.A that Aubrey had returned home from her trip crying bitterly to her father about being betrayed by Ryan. His cousin said the chief and Aubrey had a closed-door conversation in his study for over an hour before he, Ryan’s cousin, was asked to set up the impromptu meeting with the Browns.

Ryan was even more worried that his parents didn’t even call him to ask if he had any idea what the meeting was about. He didn’t want to imagine how disappointed they’d be in him when they found out that he hadn’t been loyal to Aubrey, but instead, he’d gone and fallen in love with his holiday fling.

He exhaled slowly. Why did life have to be so complicated? Why didn’t he say something when the betrothal was announced? Yes, he was caught off guard but that shouldn’t have stopped him from speaking up and rejecting it right there and then. He just couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life with Aubrey—strait-laced, ever serious, troublesome Aubrey. The same Aubrey that would’ve mauled Farrah to death in her bed, had he not showed up at the exact moment he did.

Farrah…My sweet, sweet Farrah, he thought wistfully. She was a welcome ray of sunshine in his otherwise boring life. He cursed the fate that brought them together only to tear them apart so brutally. What wouldn’t he give now to spend one more day with her!

He felt his cock beginning grow hard just from thinking of her. If not for the fact that his family was in danger of becoming outcasts, he would have flown back to St. Kitts and Nevis to catch up with Farrah before she returned to her home country, but that was not to be. His family didn’t deserve to be shamed because of his selfish desires. He’d had the chance to stop all his impending marriage to Aubrey months ago, but he didn’t do anything about it. Now it was too late to back out.

His bedside alarm clock beeped, announcing that it was 6:30 a.m. already. Shit! It was time to get ready for work and he hadn’t slept a wink. It was surely going to be a crappy day at work for him, and then he’d have to fly to Alaska from Chicago later in the day to attend the emergency family meeting scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. He wasn’t looking forward to the long journey or the meeting itself.

Someone, please shoot me now, he thought miserably. I should have stayed back in St. Kitts and Nevis with Farrah. Damn, damn, damn!

******

The flight back to Nigeria was uneventful, and Farrah was quite glad to be home. She and Neemah made their way briskly out of the arrival terminal, heading towards the exit. Thankfully, they’d been allowed to carry their bags along with them in the cabin since the weights were within the required weight limits, so they didn’t have to go through baggage claim. Her dad had sent his driver, Patrick, to pick them up from the airport and he was waiting for them at the designated car park. As they made their way there, Farrah thought she heard someone calling her name.

“Farrah!” she heard again, but this time, she recognized the voice. She looked to her left and saw Priye walking towards her with a happy-go-lucky smile on his face. He was dressed casually, and he dragged a tan branded Louis Vuitton trolley bag behind him.

“What’s up Farrah,” he greeted cheerfully when he reached her side. “Hello ma’am,” he greeted Neemah who responded with a polite nod and a wave of her hand. “I didn’t know you were out of the country. Where did you go?”

“Hi, Priye,” Farrah greeted flatly and ignored his question. Her ex-fiancé’s long-time lover was the last person she wanted to be talking to right now, and the way he was acting all friendly like nothing weird had happened between them recently was starting to grate on her nerves.

She tried to walk past him to continue her trip to the car park, but Priye stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

“Hold on, Farrah, please,” he said quickly before she could push past him. “We need to talk.”

“I don’t want to talk to you, Priye. I’ve been on a very long flight, and all I want to do right now is to go home and get some sleep. I’m not in a chatty mood, so please step out of my way and let me go.”

He looked a bit embarrassed but didn’t relent. “I understand how you feel, Farrah, but please hear me out. Just give me two minutes, please. I’m leaving the country right now, and I don’t know if I’ll ever come back, so it would mean a lot to me if I could just talk to you now that I have the chance. I think I got lucky running into you like this, and that’s why I don’t want to waste this opportunity.”

As much as Farrah didn’t like the idea of chit-chatting with Priye, the desperation in his voice got her curious. Plus, why was he going on exile?

“Fine,” she conceded grudgingly even though she was now very interested in what he had to say. “Can we at least go under the shade? The sun is ridiculously hot today. Aunty, you can go stay with Patrick in the car. I’ll join you shortly.”

Neemah left with their bags despite Farrah’s protest to leave one bag with her. She and Priye walked over to the ticketing office to stand under the awnings in front as it provided them with the perfect cover from the harsh Lagos sun.

“First off, I just want to say that I am genuinely and deeply sorry for everything that has happened in the past few weeks,” Priye began. “I know I was the one who orchestrated the relationship between you and Alex, and I sincerely apologize for messing with your life like that. It was callous and very irresponsible of me to do such, and I had no right to do that. Alex didn’t ask me to do that; I was the one who appointed myself as the Puppet Master because I thought it was the best way to keep Alex, myself, and his family happy. I didn’t even spare a thought for you while I was plotting and scheming. I am truly ashamed of what I did, and I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive me, please.”

Farrah’s anger towards Priye melted away as she listened to him own up to his mistakes. She knew he must have thought what he was doing back then was pretty clever, but clearly, he had now learned his lesson, and she appreciated the fact that he was genuinely sorry.

“It’s ok, Priye. I forgive you,” Farrah said.

Priye's relief was obvious as he gripped her hands in his in a gesture of gratitude. “Thank you,” he said.

“You also owe my parents an apology for all that smear campaign you launched against them with the press. You didn’t have to go that far, you know. Calling my father a fraudster and implying that we were trying to exploit Alex’s family—like, really? Did you have to do that?”

“I swear by everything dear to me in this world, Farrah, that wasn’t me. I had nothing to do with all that trash,” he said passionately, and Farrah could hear the honesty in his voice.

“And the press release from Alex’s family?”

“They hired a publicist to do that.”

“Wow. They really went for the jugular, didn’t they?”

“Yeah, and they’re still going hard. Alex’s parents are the reason why I am leaving the country today. My life is in danger, and I need to run away now that I still can.”

Farrah was mortified. “What are you talking about?”

“You see after, Sophia leaked our secret to the press and the whole shit show began, Alex’s parents sent their people to start snooping around to ask questions about Alex and me. They even—”

“Wait, hold up. What was that you said about Sophia?”

“Yeah, it was Sophia who leaked the gist to the press,” Priye confirmed.

“What?” Farrah couldn’t believe her ears. “Why did she do that?”

“To get back at me.”

“For what?”

Priye sighed. “Not too long ago, she told me to increase the monthly stipend I was giving her to pose as my girlfriend, but I said no. I didn’t see why she needed a raise for doing nothing other than living the baby girl life on my dime and going out with me in public when necessary. It wasn’t like it was an actual job or that she had to do anything serious. I was paying her 200,000 Naira every single month just to pretend to be my girlfriend, plus other freebies she got along the line too. Yet she walked up to me one day and said she wanted 300,000 Naira henceforth. I was like, ‘For what?’ and she said something about being tired of getting the same amount of money from me for the past two years and bla bla bla. I thought that was just being silly, so I turned down her demand.

“Unfortunately for me, after you found Alex and me together, she overheard me talking to him over the phone about how to handle the situation, and she decided to use that as an opportunity to blackmail me, but this time around, she demanded 2 million Naira or she’d expose us. I was mad as hell and told her to go ahead and rat us out if she wanted. I didn't know she’d actually do it. I should have told Alex that she was blackmailing me, but I didn’t because I wanted to handle it on my own as I’ve always done. I wanted to fix it myself so he wouldn’t have to worry about it. But guess what: it backfired. When Alex eventually found out what happened, he blamed me. Said I should have just paid her off and none of that media mess would have happened and our secret would still be safe.”

Farrah felt awful mainly because she’d blamed her best friend, Kessiana, for leaking the news to the press. What have I done?

“As I mentioned earlier,” Priye continued. “I’m no longer safe here. Alex’s family did some digging around and found out that we were indeed lovers, so as I’ve always feared they’d do, they gave him an ultimatum to either cut off from me permanently or they’d disown him, transfer all of his inheritance to his sister, and make sure he never has access to any of the family’s resources both in Nigeria and abroad. Plus, they’d pull the plug on his membership in the political party his father belongs to. You do know Alex’s dad is positioning him to run for public office in the future, don’t you?”

Farrah shook her head slowly. She had no clue about Alex having any political ambition—heck, she had no clue about a lot of things that concerned her ex-fiancé. She had been about to get married to a stranger.

“Of course, being the coward that he is, Alex agreed to cut me off,” Priye said bitterly. His eyes brimmed with tears, but he quickly blinked them away. “After everything I’ve done for him, everything I’ve had to endure just to be with him and to be loved as I deserve, and this is how he pays me back. He simply threw me under the bus and walked away without looking back, like I meant nothing to him!”

Farrah couldn’t help but feel sorry for Priye. She may have resented him before for messing with her life, but he’d been a man in love who was desperate to hold on to his lover against all odds. It was sad to see that despite all of his efforts, he’d gotten the short end of the stick while Alex got to go on his merry way and keep living the good life as if nothing happened.

“They sent their lawyers with truckloads of paperwork to sign off my shares in the company that Alex and I started together. I refused initially, but one of the lawyers implied that if I tried to fight it by suing, they’d make the case linger till I lose all of my money on going to endless court hearings. I knew it was something they could do, knowing how powerful Alex’s dad is. But the last straw that finally broke the camel’s back was the non-disclosure agreement they told me to sign. I flat out refused to sign it; then, they threatened me again. They said I wouldn’t live to tell my story, and that if I valued my life, I’d sign the NDA quickly and get lost. That was when I knew that I had to run away.”

“Wow,” Farrah said in amazement. She couldn’t believe that Alex and his family were capable of such wickedness, but she knew Priye wasn’t lying.

“You dodged a bullet, Farrah,” Priye said with a look of admiration for her. “Those people would have made you very miserable if you’d gone ahead and married Alex. Your courage saved you.”

“Thank you for saying that,” she said graciously. “Did you ever get a chance to talk to Alex while his family bullied you?”

Priye scoffed. “Which Alex? The same one that blocked my number and wouldn’t speak to me when I called him with a different phone line? That same Alex?”

“That’s just horrible. Why would he treat you like that?”

“Because he’s weak! And he’s a user, just like his family. Do you know they’ve already found him another girl to marry? I heard from a reliable source that before the end of this year, he’ll announce his engagement to the unfortunate lady his parents have chosen for him. I heard she’s the daughter of one of his father’s political allies. Can you just imagine that?”

Farrah couldn’t. She found it quite problematic that Alex’s parents were in a hurry to marry him off to another unsuspecting woman as if that were the ultimate solution to whatever problem they felt he had. Why couldn’t they just let him be who he was? Why couldn’t Alex just grow some balls and stop cowering under his parents’ dictatorship?

“So where are you off to now?” Farrah asked Priye.

“I’m going to London. One of my friends will send the rest of my things to me next week, then I’ll leave there for another destination permanently. Alex knows my place in London, so I can’t stay there for long because it’s not safe. He could send his father’s hounds to find me there if they eventually decide to take me down.”

Farrah sighed. “I don’t even know what to say. This is all so surreal.”

“I know right. Thanks for hearing me out, Farrah. I’ll be leaving with a light conscience knowing that I was able to make peace with you before disappearing for good.”

“It’s ok.” Farrah smiled. “We all make mistakes, but the important thing is to learn a lesson or two so we don’t repeat the same mistakes in the future.”

“True,” he agreed.

They hugged briefly and bade each other goodbye before going their separate ways. Farrah couldn’t wait to get home and give her parents the 411 about Alex and his wild family. Then, later in the day when she was alone, she’d curl up in bed and dream about Ryan.

******

The nearly seven-hour flight to Anchorage from Chicago wore Ryan out. He didn’t feel up to the ride to Fairbanks, so he lodged in a small hotel which was a short distance away from the airport. It was almost midnight, so he might as well get some sleep and be ready for the long ride home at dawn.

Home, he thought wistfully. Fairbanks didn’t seem like home to him anymore; even his place in Chicago had seemed odd to him after spending those precious days with Farrah in St. Kitts and Nevis. The meaning of home had changed for him since he returned to the U. S. As far as he was concerned, home was wherever Farrah was. In fact, Farrah was his home and he’d left her behind because he’d wanted to do the right thing, to save his family from undue disgrace.

The first time in his life, he’d fallen in love, but he couldn’t bask in the beautiful experience because he had to fulfil a commitment he’d unwillingly made. Why did his life have to be so dramatic?

Still fully dressed, he laid on the tiny bed in his hotel room and thought of his times with Farrah—the way they’d clicked with each other from day one, her refreshing sense of humor, her adorable accent, the goofy way she laughed, her playfulness and how she gave all of herself to him when they made love. She was undoubtedly his other half, but she was everything his family would never approve of.

With a sigh, he rolled over on his side to sleep, willing himself to dream of Farrah. Instead, he dreamt of Aubrey who taunted him and mocked him relentlessly. She laughed at his misery, reminding him that he would never see Farrah again.

When he woke up, he was relieved to see that it was morning already. He brushed his teeth and changed his clothes before packing up his bag and leaving the room. He stopped at the hotel restaurant for a coffee. On the ride to his hometown, he called his folks to let them know that he’d meet them at the chief’s house where the meeting was scheduled to take place by 1 p.m.

He arrived at the chief’s house in record time and was ushered to the wide backyard of the grand house by a maid. The scene that greeted him looked like an intervention—his parents, Aubrey, and her father were already seated at the stylish black dining table with matching chairs. There was a pitcher of fresh orange juice and delicate finger foods on the table, along with vases of fresh flowers. He suppressed a groan and approached the table with the most charming smile he could muster.

“Good morning, Chief,” he greeted his future father-in-law cheerfully.

“Aw, stop it son. I told you to call me Gary,” the chief replied with a friendly smile. “We’re family here, remember?”

“Sure,” Ryan said. “Hey, Aubrey.”

“Hi, Ryan,” she greeted him coolly.

“Hi Mom, Dad,” he greeted his parents with a hug before settling down at the table between his mother and Aubrey.

“Now that Ryan is here, let’s go straight to the reason why I called this meeting,” Gary said. “Two days ago, Aubrey returned from a trip to this island country…What’s it called again?”

“St. Kitts and Nevis,” Aubrey supplied.

“Yes, that one,” Gary acknowledged. “And she was so upset. You all know she’s my only child, and I’ve been solely responsible for her well-being since her mother passed away many years ago, so you could imagine my concern when I saw her in that awful mood.”

Ryan clenched his teeth but maintained a straight face. He’d known Aubrey would pull a crazy stunt to get her father to do whatever she wanted. She was his weakness, and she knew it as much as everyone else in the clan did.

“I asked her what the problem was,” Gary continued in a conversational tone. “And she said she’d gone to that island to surprise Ryan, but to her dismay, she found him in bed with a woman.”

Ryan heard his mother gasp, but he didn’t turn to look at her because he didn’t want to see the disappointment in her eyes. He remained silent and waited for Gary to continue speaking.

“We all know that among our kind, a betrothal is as solid as a marriage especially if both parties and their families have fully consented to it. So I couldn’t understand why Ryan, who I have so much respect for, would betray my daughter’s trust at such a tender stage of their relationship. You knew you could have rejected our proposal before the night of the Full Moon Feast when the betrothal was announced, so why did you go along with it knowing you had no affection for my daughter?”

Before Ryan could think of a proper response to the question, his father spoke.

“Actually Gary, Ryan didn’t know about the betrothal before it was announced during the Feast,” Antoine Brown said. He was an older version of Ryan but with a moustache and a round belly. “We didn’t get a chance to tell him before the announcement, but we assumed that he’d be thrilled to be married to Aubrey.”

Even Aubrey was surprised by this revelation. “Then why did you agree to marry me?” she asked Ryan.

He shrugged. “Because I didn’t want to embarrass my parents by saying no,” he replied sincerely.

“Good grief!” Gary exclaimed. “The young werewolf was blindsided.”

“That was not our intention,” Ryan’s mother said. “We thought he and Aubrey were a great match, and besides, many of us in the clan were married by matchmaking and surprise betrothals, so it wasn’t like his case was one in a million.”

“You’re right, Rhonda, but times have changed,” Gary said. “Whether we like it or not, we must recognize that our children are not as agreeable with certain aspects of our culture as we were when we were younger. Most importantly, I don’t want Aubrey to be with a partner who does not want her in his life.”

Ryan held his breath. Whatever Gary said next could determine the course of his future, either for good or otherwise.

“Ryan, do you have any feeling of affection towards my daughter?”

He noticed Aubrey had stiffened beside him and he could feel his parents gazing at him intently, waiting for his response.

“Sincerely, no,” he said before he could stop himself. “Aubrey is intelligent, smart, hardworking, and very beautiful, and any guy would be lucky to have her as a life partner, but the truth is, I don’t love her, and I feel it would be unfair for me to marry someone I don’t even feel an iota of affection for. She deserves better.”

Aubrey hid her crushing disappointment perfectly. To hear Ryan say those words in front of everyone was not only embarrassing to her, but it was also humiliating. He was talking about her as if she were a burden that he didn’t want to be saddled with. She, drop-dead gorgeous, intelligent, and successful Aubrey? How dare he? She lifted her chin proudly where other ladies may have bowed their heads in embarrassment. What was that popular saying again? Never let them see you sweat. Ryan could kiss her ass if he thought she would grovel at his feet and beg him to love her—he clearly didn’t deserve her, and that was his loss, not hers.

Ryan noticed how Aubrey’s stony countenance slowly transformed to cool indifference. He felt bad for baling out on her, but he’d just been given a golden opportunity to back out of marrying her, and there was no way he was passing that up. Sorry, Aubrey, he apologized mentally.

“Are you being serious?” his mother asked him.

He turned to look at her. “Yes, Mom, I am.”

“Aubrey, do you have anything to say about this?” Gary asked his daughter tenderly.

She was heartbroken but she’d rather die than let anyone see the pain in her eyes. Instead, she smiled brightly and said, “No, Daddy. There’s nothing left to say. I think we can cancel the betrothal right now.”

“Atta, girl,” her dad said with pride. “It’s settled then. By the power vested in me as chief of our clan, I hereby break the betrothal between my daughter, Aubrey Silver, and your son, Ryan Brown, without any consequences. This decision will be announced officially to the entire clan during the next Feast of the Full Moon.”

Ryan finally expelled the breath he’d been holding since the meeting began. At last, he was free!

“I’m glad we were able to resolve this amicably,” said Antoine with a smile of relief. He’d been worried that the chief may not appreciate Ryan dumping his precious daughter unceremoniously, but thankfully, that hadn’t been the case.

“Well, as I said before, times are changing,” Gary said. “No need to create unnecessary strife over a matter that can be resolved through peaceful dialogue. We are one big family, so no need to stir up problems just because things didn’t go the way we’d planned originally. More importantly, I am committed to making sure that my Aubrey is happy and that cannot happen if I allow her to marry Ryan knowing that he couldn’t love her the way she deserves. My Maria and I were very much in love even up till the moment she drew her last breath. That is the kind of love I want for my Aubrey here.”

Aubrey was touched by her father’s words. In truth, she’d seen how her parents displayed their love for each other within and outside of their home, and she was honest, that was the kind of love she wanted—deep, genuine, everlasting love.

For the first time that afternoon, Aubrey felt thankful to her father for canceling the betrothal. Now she had a chance of meeting someone else, a werewolf or human, who might love her as if she were the rarest, most precious creature ever to exist on this planet.

She glanced at Ryan and a thought occurred to her. “Are we allowed to marry full humans these days?” she asked her father sweetly.

All eyes at the table turned to her. Ryan in particular glared at her because he knew what she was driving at.

Gary shrugged. “Our first ancestor was fully human initially, wasn’t he? Besides, Antoine's mother was fully human too, right?”

“That’s correct,” Ryan’s father agreed.

“It’s up to the werewolf who marries a human to see to it that our secret is kept safe because the danger to one is a danger to all,” Gary said.

Aubrey smiled at Ryan mischievously. She’d wanted to make him feel a little tense and from the look on his face, she could tell that she’d succeeded. It was a small victory, but she’d take it.

“Excuse me, everyone,” she said as she stood up from her seat. “I just remembered that I have some urgent business to attend to today.”

“But today is Saturday,” her father protested.

“Yes, I know but it’s very important,” she claimed and kissed her father on the cheek before leaving.

“I’m sorry I hurt her feelings,” Ryan apologized to Gary after Aubrey left.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Aubrey is a trooper, she’ll get over it in a minute,” Gary replied confidently.

“We better be on our way then, now that this matter has been settled,” Rhonda said pleasantly. “Ryan needs to rest after that long trip from Chicago.”

“Of course,” Gary said. “Thank you all for coming down here on such short notice.”

“And thank you for being very understanding,” Antoine said.

The Browns said goodbye to the chief and made their way to Antoine’s Ford SUV parked in the driveway. Once they were all seated and strapped in, Rhonda confronted her son.

“Was she worth it?” she asked Ryan. “I mean the woman you met on that island. Was she worth giving up Aubrey for?”

“Give the boy a break, Rhonda,” Antoine groaned wearily.

“Well, I’m just curious,” she said stubbornly. “Aubrey is such a decent, well-behaved lady. And beautiful too. Why don’t you like her?”

Ryan thought for a moment before responding. “I don’t know; we don’t have anything in common, and she’s too…Serious.” Unlike Farrah, he thought.

“Being serious is not a bad thing, is it?” Rhonda inquired.

“Oh come on, Rhonda,” Antoine complained. “The betrothal has been canceled. Leave Ryan alone.”

“What, can’t I ask him questions anymore?” she asked.

Ryan smiled at her. He knew that his mother wouldn’t stop interrogating him until she was sure that she’d gotten all the facts. “It’s cool, Mom. You can ask me any question you want.”

“Good.” Rhonda grinned. “So, this island woman, are you in love with her?”

He laughed. “She’s not an island woman, she was there on holiday, and yes, I’m in love with her.”

“Oh wow,” his father said as he started the car. “What’s she like?”

Ryan smiled broadly as he thought about Farrah. “She’s so smart, funny, goofy, and brave.”

“She sounds like a complete package,” Rhonda joked.

“She is,” Ryan agreed. “I’d like for you guys to meet her someday.”

“I’m happy for you, Ryan,” his mom said. “You went on a quest for love, and you found it. That’s such a beautiful thing to see.”

Ryan knew she was referring to the conversation they’d had on the night of the betrothal months ago when he’d gone into the forest to brood after he’d unwillingly agreed to marry Aubrey.

“Thanks, Mom,” Ryan said and leaned forward in the backseat to kiss her cheek.

“Ok, now that we’re done with all that sappy talk, can we go home now?“ Antoine asked gruffly. He didn’t like mushy, emotional conversations.

“You’re the one at wheels, it’s your call,” Rhonda said.

“And on that note, we begin our journey home for a fresh start. For Ryan, that is,” he said.

“We should drink to that,” Rhonda said as her husband slowly pulled his car out of the driveway.

******

Aubrey stood at the window in the hallway and watched the Browns drive away, after having what seemed like a playful banter in the car. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy because she wanted what the Brown family had—a loving family where they were not just kin but friends too. It was another reason why she’d wanted to be married to Ryan. She wanted to be a part of a family, where they’d sit around the table at dinner time to eat together, or hike around the snowy mountains as a united pack or throw parties to celebrate a milestone in the family…she wanted all of the things she never had while growing up. Her mother had died when she was seven years old and her dad had never remarried, although he’d dated now and then, none of them ever led to anything serious. Now, what seemed to be her only chance of becoming a part of a big, happy family had just slipped away from her. She exhaled slowly and blinked back tears.

“Are you ok?”

Aubrey turned around to see who had spoken. It was Eric Brown, Ryan’s cousin, and her father’s P.A. He was as tall as Ryan, with short wavy brown hair, piercing green-grey eyes, an aristocratic nose, firm full lips, and a square jaw on a perfectly chiseled face. He wore a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and a pair of finely tailored grey slacks. He looked like he belonged on the cover of a GQ Magazine with that smoldering stare that was directed at her right now. Aubrey couldn’t believe that she’d never noticed him like this before even though she’d met him several times since he started working with her dad about a year ago. It was like the scales had just fallen out of her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” she asked him.

Eric had noticed her checking him out, but he didn’t mind at all. He only found it weird that Aubrey was looking at him now like she was seeing him for the first time.

“I had some important tasks to tidy up for Gary in the study,” he replied.

“I didn’t know you worked on weekends too.”

“Not usually, but this particular task was urgent and too important to leave until Monday.”

“I see,” she said. She’d never had a conversation with Eric before, in fact, she barely noticed him. She wondered if he had a girlfriend or maybe a wife who was waiting for him at home right now. She knew next to nothing about him.

There was a brief awkward silence between them before Eric spoke again. “Is the meeting with your dad over?”

“Yes, it is,” she said. She didn’t know what else to say to him, but she knew that she wanted to keep talking to him. On a whim, she asked, “Would you like to join me for a drink?”

Eric blinked.

“Or would you rather go hang out with your girlfriend?” she asked coyly.

“If only I had one,” he said with a knowing smile.

“That’s what they all say.” Aubrey chuckled. “Come on, then, let’s go to Daddy’s bar, or should we go out instead?”

“Nope. The bar here is fine,” Eric said. As he followed her to the east wing of the house where Gary’s opulent bar was set up, he wondered if Aubrey was playing a trick with him or whether she was indeed coming on to him. Whatever the case, he was surely about to find out in a few minutes.

******

Farrah returned to her apartment on Sunday night so she could prepare for work the next day. She was eager to get back to work after taking nearly three weeks off to get her life back in order. Her parents had been thrilled to see her looking so happy when she returned from her much-needed holiday in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Aside from the disappointment of losing Ryan, the trip had given her the breath of fresh air that she needed. Now she was ready and fully pumped to face the world from a new perspective. Thankfully, the sordid media circus that sent her running for the hills had since died down, quenched by a myriad of trending celebrity gossips and scandalous political news. She could now walk around freely with her head held up high, not worrying that people would stare at her or whisper behind her back as she passed—those days were gone. She was a free woman!

On Monday morning, Farrah couldn’t help but notice the spring in her steps as she walked into her office building. She couldn’t tell how she knew but she was certain that it was going to be a great day. When she stepped out of the elevator leading to her office, the first person she ran into was her best friend, Kessiana. Her cheerful mood dimmed a little as her conscience pricked her.

“Hey, Kess,” she greeted her once-upon-a-time bestie.

“Good morning, Farrah,” Kessiana replied formally. “You’re back.”

“Yes. I got back on Saturday,” Farrah said. She was itching to hug her friend, but she knew that wasn’t possible now. She’d put a dent in their friendship by accusing Kessiana of something she wasn’t guilty of. “Can I please have a word with you privately?”

“Sure,” Kessiana said without hesitation. “In your office?”

“Yes, please,” Farrah said and led the way. Once they were inside her office, she went straight to the point.

“I owe you an apology, Kess. I am so sorry for accusing of leaking Alex’s secret to the press. I only found out two days ago that it was Sophia who did it. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you when said you weren’t responsible for that leak; I should have trusted you and given you the benefit of the doubt, but instead, I shut you out and held you responsible for something that wasn’t your fault. Can you ever forgive me?”

Kessiana's eyes were already glazed with tears. “I won’t lie to you, Farrah, I was hurt by your accusation. I mean, you know me. I would never share a secret that isn’t mine to share, not even out of spite. If someone had accused me of such, I would expect you to vouch for me and exonerate me, but instead you blamed me. That hurt me very much.”

“I am so sorry, Kessiana. Please forgive me. I have no excuse for betraying our friendship like that—I should have trusted you.”

“I understand, I knew you were under so much emotional strain at the time and that’s why I forgive you. Indeed, I was hurt, but that’s in the past now. Our friendship shouldn’t end because of a misunderstanding.”

“Oh, Kessiana! You’re an angel,” Farrah said and embraced her friend. “Thank you.”

“It’s ok, love. Friends fight and make up all the time,” Kessiana said.

“I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too. Where did you go?”

“I ran off to St. Kitts and Nevis for a break. Had to get away from all the madness going on here with Alex and his family. Oh, and speaking of which, I have some spicy hot gist for you.”

“Ooh!” Kessiana squealed in delight. “I can’t wait to hear it.”

“Well, you’ll have to because right now we’ve got work to do. But don’t worry, I’ll give you the full gist over lunch,” Farrah said. She’d missed hanging out with her bestie. “But remember, it’s top-secret stuff, so we can’t tell anyone.”

Kessiana winked at her friend. “I gat you babe.”

After Kessiana left her office, Farrah went to see her boss to bring her up to speed about what had been done while she was away and to give her a quick overview on the new project that she would be working on next. She returned to her office with an armload of folders containing detailed information about the new account she’d been assigned to.

Halfway through the first folder, her mobile phone rang. She checked it and saw that it was an international number. Who could this be? She wondered before answering the call.

“Hello,” she said tentatively.

“Hello,” replied the male voice on the other end. “Am I speaking to Farrah?”

The voice sounded familiar, but Farrah didn’t want to guess who it belonged to because she might be wrong.

“Yes, this is she. Who am I speaking to?”

“This is Ryan Brown,” the caller said.

Farrah’s heart skipped a beat and her breathing ceased. She couldn’t believe her ears. “Ryan?” she whispered.

“Yes, Farrah. It’s me,” he confirmed.

“Oh my gosh, Ryan! How—how did you get my number?”

“I found it on your LinkedIn profile. Farrah Ngozi Njoku.”

She laughed when she heard how he mispronounced her other names. “You’ve just murdered my names,” she said between laughs.

“Ouch. Sorry about that,” he said. “Gosh, it feels good to hear your voice again.”

Farrah’s heart melted. “It feels good to hear your voice too, Ryan. I can’t believe we’ve only been apart for a few days; it almost feels like I haven’t seen you in years.”

“I know, my love, I feel the same way. But that’s going to change soon.”

Farrah felt a flicker of hope. “What do you mean? What about Aubrey?”

He gave a summarised version of the meeting with Aubrey’s dad on Saturday. He let her know that they could now be together if the wanted.

“This is like a dream come true,” Farrah breathed.

“Literally, it is,” Ryan agreed. “It’s all about you and me now, babe.”

“Wow.” She giggled like a little girl. “I’m at work right now, but I’m sure I’m going to be useless for the rest of today after this phone call.”

Ryan laughed. He’d missed this a lot. “Can we Skype later today? Maybe when you get home?”

“Absolutely! I’ll text you my Skype ID so you can add me on your contact list.”

“That’d be great.”

“I’ve never been in a long-distance relationship before,” she said.

“Neither have I,” he replied. “This should be interesting.”

“And I’ve also never dated a real-life werewolf before.”

“Well then, allow me to give you an experience of a lifetime, milady.”

Farrah smiled. “I would love nothing more.”