Chapter 3

Farrah woke up on her couch the next morning with a splitting headache. As she rose gingerly to a sitting position, the empty bottle of white wine she’d been drinking all night rolled off her lap and landed on the carpeted floor. The TV was still on and there was a rerun of a romantic movie she’d seen before showing.

It was almost 10 a.m. and she needed to get cleaned up and ready to head over to Banana Island before her mother got impatient and sent one of the family drivers to come to pick her up from home. She didn’t want to be dragged to her parents’ house like an errant child; she’d rather drive herself there like the respectable grown woman that she was.

After taking a quick shower, she dried her hair with a towel and ran a brush through it before dressing up briskly in a brightly colored jumpsuit that was a sharp contrast to her mood. Her only makeup was a Fenty lip gloss on her lush lips, then she sprayed a generous amount of her favorite Dior perfume with hopes that the rich scent would lift her mood. It didn’t work.

Farrah hurried out of her apartment a few minutes before 11 a.m. and almost collided with one of her neighbors who was also rushing towards the vacant elevator.

“Late for church too?” Dele asked her with a raised eyebrow.

“You know I don’t go to church, Dele. Good morning, by the way. “Farrah responded.

Dele chuckled. “Good morning to you too, Fa-Fa.”

“Please don’t call me that,” Farrah said with a fake shudder. They both laughed as they stepped into the elevator together. Dele was such a friendly, good-natured guy who always managed to put a smile on Farrah’s face whenever their paths crossed. He moved into his apartment last year and he has been such a pleasant neighbor ever since.

“So, how’s the wedding planning going?” Dele asked.

Farrah cleared her throat. “Uh, good. Everything is good,” she lied.

“I’m glad to hear it. My girlfriend is super pumped about the wedding, you’d think she was the one about to get married.”

“Oh? That’s…cool, I guess.”

“Yeah. Well, it’s not every time she gets an opportunity to attend a high-profile wedding, so I understand her excitement. Even I can’t wait for the big day to come too.”

“Um, great,” she mumbled with a forced smile.

Thankfully, the elevator reached the ground floor and Farrah was all too happy to dash outside and run off to the garage and into the safe cocoon of her car. Dear God, how do I tell all these people that I am no longer getting married to Alex? She thought miserably and for the first time, she realized how devastating this news would be to her parents. Her darling parents have left no stone unturned in a bid to give her a grand wedding ceremony fit for a princess. Now she was going to ruin it all and break their hearts by telling them that there would be no wedding.

For the one-millionth time since walking in on Alex and Priye two days ago, Farrah broke down and cried. Alex had ruined her life with his selfishness. What did she ever do to deserve this sort of wickedness? Why didn’t she catch on in time before their relationship got to this point? How did everything go so wrong and what in the hell was that damned Priye's game plan? Why was this madness happening in her life? Why, why, why?

Her phone rang and jolted her back to the present. It was her mother calling. Farrah sighed wearily before answering the call.

“Hello Mom, good morning.”

“Good morning, Farrah darling. Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, sure,” she mumbled.

“I doubt it,” her mother replied. “You sound exhausted. Should I send Patrick to come to pick you up? That should save you the stress of driving down here.”

Not the ever-chatty Patrick! She wasn’t in the mood for endless chitchat with her dad’s talkative driver. “No Ma, it’s fine. I’m already on my way. I’ll be there soon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Mum. I’m sure. Don’t worry, you’ll see me in a bit.”

She hung up and exhaled deeply. “Everything is going to be fine,” she said out loud. “Eventually.”

******

As Farrah drove into her father’s expansive private estate, she felt the usual warm, happy feeling that always enveloped her whenever she came home. Leaving this place to start life on her own had been a tough but necessary move that had earned her father’s utmost respect. Her mother on the other hand had never forgiven her for running off, as she put it.

“Who gives up a life of luxury where you can be catered for around the clock, to go live alone just to prove a point?” her mother had asked her on the day Farrah had packed up her things to finally leave home and move into her apartment. Kareena had believed that her daughter was just being unnecessarily rebellious, even though her father had understood her reason for making that choice and supported the bold move.

Despite being successful in her career without needing to use her father’s influence along the way, her mother still wasn’t impressed. Farrah had given up trying to win her mom over because it was no use. Her mother was the most stubborn human being she knew. Allowing her to plan the wedding was Farrah's way of extending an olive branch which Kareena had gladly accepted with relish. And now, that olive branch was about to be destroyed.

As she approached the huge gate of her father’s Banana Island estate, their long-time gateman, Mr. Gaji sighted her and immediately swung the remote-controlled gate open without leaving his shed beside the gate. Farrah slowed down to greet the jovial, middle-aged man.

“Hello Mr. Gaji, how are you today?”

“Good morning, Miss Farrah. I’m doing very well, thank you. It’s really good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too. How is your family?”

“They’re fine, thank you.”

“Great. See you later,” she said and drove down the driveway that led to the garage on the left side of the compound. She eased her car slowly to a stop behind her mother’s rarely used red Bentley. It was a birthday gift from her dad.

Farrah took her time to get down from the car before strolling towards the front door. She was terrified of breaking the news of her collapsed engagement to her parents and she was afraid of what their reactions would be, especially her mother.

Just as she raised her hand to knock on the front door, it swung open. Her former nanny turned housekeeper, Neemah, stood at the door with a happy smile on her face.

“Aunty! How did you know that I’m here?” Farrah asked in surprise.

“I heard the sound of a car driving in and since we were all expecting you, I ran to the window to check if it was you and voila!”

Farrah enveloped the adorable petite woman in a bear hug. Neemah has been a part of her life since she was a toddler. She was like an assistant mom and a best friend all wrapped in one. After Farrah graduated from the university, her parents asked Neemah if she would like to be relieved of her nanny duties since Farrah was already an adult and didn’t need an au pair anymore, but Neemah had told them that she had nowhere to go and returning to India was not an option. She was an orphan who didn’t have a close relationship with her surviving relatives, coupled with the fact that she had gone past the marriageable age, so there was nothing for her to return home to. The Njokus had let her stay on in their home but now as the head of the domestic staff. As far as Farrah was concerned, Neemah was family and she’d always referred to her ex-nanny as ‘Aunty’ for as long as she could remember.

“Oh Farrah, how I’ve missed you!” Neemah gushed and stepped back to take a good look at her former ward.

“I’ve missed you too Aunty Neemah. You look really good.”

“I wish I can say the same about you. Are you okay, Farrah? You don’t look well.” Neemah said with a small frown. “What is it?”

Farrah felt her lower lip quiver a little and her nose began to sting. Don’t you dare lose it now, she warned herself mentally. It’s too early for this. She quickly blinked back her tears and gave Neemah a brave smile.

“I’m fine, Aunty. I just haven’t been resting enough lately. I’m sure I’ll be looking better before I leave here today.”

Neemah looked disappointed. “You’re going back today?”

“Yes, Aunty. I have work tomorrow.”

Before Neemah could respond, she was interrupted from inside.

“Is that my Farrah’s voice I hear?”

“Daddy!” Farrah squealed like a little girl and ran into the house to embrace her dad.

Raymond Njoku hugged his daughter tightly and swung her off her feet, eliciting fits of happy laughter from her. He was dressed in a white Polo T-shirt and a pair of blue denim shorts. Raymond had always told whoever cared to listen that his daughter was his greatest achievement in life, and he meant it. He had always shown her unwavering support from day one.

“Put me down, Daddy,” Farrah said with feigned indignation even though she was enjoying every second she spent in her father’s arms.

“Oops! I forgot you’re a big girl now,” her dad said and set her down gently like a precious porcelain doll. “So how are doing, Cupcake?”

“Good, good…” Farrah replied without meeting her father’s eyes. She couldn’t lie to him.

Her dad was a huge man with hard features, but deep down he was a softie and very perceptive too. Farrah knew that her dad could see that there was something wrong with her, but he wouldn’t pressure her to talk about it unless she was ready to.

“Oh, Princess Farrah finally showed up,” her mother chimed as she came to join them in the hallway. “Welcome home, darling,” her mother greeted and gave her a quick hug.

“Hi Mom,” Farrah replied.

As always, her mom was dressed in one of her many chiffon kaftans. This one was teal-colored and stylishly adorned with sequins and tiny crystal stones. Her full lips were painted crimson red and her black, waist-length hair was held back in a single braid that swung down her back.

“Dear Lord, you look like a hot mess,” Kareena said after giving her daughter a once-over. “Neemah, please make her a cup of chamomile tea.”

“Of course,” Neemah replied and breezed off to get the tea.

“I don’t need tea, Ma. I’m fine,” Farrah complained.

“Yes, you do and please stop slouching. Your uncle, Ranveer can’t wait to see you. He’s in the dining room.”

Of course, Farrah thought. Uncle Ranveer's favorite place was anywhere food can be found.

“And how is Alex? I haven’t seen him in ages, and he doesn’t even call,” Kareena complained.

Hearing Alex’s name felt like a stab to Farrah’s chest, and she had to clench her teeth to prevent herself from blurting out the truth right there and then without any preamble.

“He is doing great,” Farrah said.

They walked past the stadium-sized living room which was tastefully furnished with English-style decor in warm colors. It was one of Farrah’s best spots in the house because of how inviting and cozy it was despite the enormous space. Her mom had done a great job with styling the house.

They finally reached the dining room and found Ranveer lounging lazily on one of the comfy dining chairs, reading a newspaper while munching on a cookie. He looked up when he heard the family walking into the room. His eyes lit up the moment he saw Farrah.

“Hey, is that you, Farrah?”

“Yup, it’s me,” she said and hugged her uncle. He was her mother’s only relative that was genuinely fond of her.

“It’s good to see you again, Princess. You were just a little tadpole the last time I saw you,” he teased her.

“Uncle, you saw me 5 years ago and I look the same now as I did then,” Farrah replied, indulging him.

“Really? My memory box must be malfunctioning again,” he said, tapping his head with the heel of his palm. Everyone laughed at his antics as they settled down for brunch.

Just before the meals were served, Neemah showed up beside Farrah bearing a steaming mug of chamomile tea.

“Here you go Farrah,” Neemah said as she set down the steaming mug. “This should make you feel better.”

“Oh, thank you Aunty, but you really shouldn’t have.”

“Farrah, are you ill?” Ranveer asked with a look of concern marring his handsome face.

“No, Uncle. I’m fine, just a little bit stressed.”

“Haven’t I told you to take a break from that job of yours?” her mother chided. “You have no business working this hard and you know it.”

“I’m not stressed by my job, Ma!” Farrah felt frustrated. She was tired of having this same argument with her mom. Why couldn’t her mother understand that her job brought her so much fulfillment and she wasn’t doing it just to make money? Would her mother be this persistent if Farrah were a man?

“If it isn’t your job, then what is it?” her mother wanted to know.

“Sweetheart, please leave the girl alone. Allow her to drink her tea in peace,” Farrah’s dad said calmly but firmly.

“Of course, you’d take her side,” Kareena said petulantly but didn’t continue with her interrogation.

The kitchen staff filed in with trays laden with food. What was supposed to be a light brunch turned out to be a feast featuring a mashup of Nigerian and Indian dishes. Farrah didn’t realize how hungry she was until her stomach rumbled angrily at the sight and delicious aromas of the food laid out in front of her. To her surprise, she ate heartily and ignored the judgemental voice in her head that was busy notifying her of how many calories she was consuming.

Today’s calories are for the Lord, she thought as she bit into a piece of juicy fried chicken. Besides, I need all the strength I can get to face what is coming next.

After they were all done eating and the dishes had been cleared off, Farrah’s dad suggested that they all stepped out on the patio to enjoy some fresh air while their food digested. Everyone agreed and strolled outside to settle down on the lovely black cane chairs with floral print cushions on them. They enjoyed a couple of minutes of light conversations and jokes before Farrah finally summoned up courage and decided it was time to finally break the bad news to her parents.

She cleared her throat nervously before speaking. “Um, Uncle Ranveer, could you please excuse us for a few minutes? I’d like to discuss something with my parents.”

Her mother gave her a sharp look. “Ranveer is family, so you can say whatever you have to say in his presence.”

“It’s fine Didi,” Ranveer said graciously. “It is you two that Farrah needs to speak with, not me. Besides, I need to catch up on some sports news on ESPN. I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

He gave Farrah a friendly pat on the shoulder as he walked past her on his way into the house. It was a small gesture of reassurance to let her know he wasn’t mad at her and she silently mouthed, thank you, which he acknowledged with a wink.

Once he was inside and out of earshot, her mother seared her with a look. “I don’t care about whatever you have to say, but what you just did to Ranveer was very disrespectful and you should apologize to him before you leave.”

“Don’t be such a diva, Kareena. He wasn’t even offended…” Raymond groaned.

“It’s okay, Daddy. I’ll apologize to him.”

“Good,” her mother said and took a sip of her watermelon juice. “So, what did you want to discuss it us?”

Farrah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She noticed her palms were becoming moist and she rubbed them on her pants. Where do I begin? She wondered.

“Is everything ok, Farrah?” her dad asked. “You look terrified. Is something wrong?”

Her mother frowned. “Don’t keep us in suspense, Farrah. What is it?”

“Mum, Dad…” she began tentatively. “I—I am calling off the wedding. I won’t be getting married to Alex anymore.”

The glass slipped out of mother’s hand and landed on the concrete floor with a crash, spilling its content everywhere including her expensive kaftan. “WHAT!”

Her dad got up and went to sit beside her. He took her hands in his and looked at his daughter tenderly. “Farrah, what is the problem?” he asked softly. “Why are you calling off the wedding?”

Farrah began to cry. “I can’t marry Alex, Dad. I can’t.”

“Why?” her mother yelled angrily. “Why are you doing this?”

“It’s not me, Ma. It’s Alex. He cheated on me, and I caught him red-handed.”

Her mother gasped. “He did what?”

“That slime ball!” her dad exclaimed. “He cheated on you?”

Farrah nodded slowly as she continued to cry. Her dad gathered her in a warm hug to console her. “Don’t cry my darling,” he consoled her. “Everything is going to be alright.”

Her mom looked dazed. She was trying to process the unexpected news, especially the part about the wedding.

“I'm so sorry, Mom. I know how much effort you’ve put into planning this wedding. And you too, Dad. All that money you’ve spent…Millions of Naira have gone into this already. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it, Cupcake. Your happiness is all that matters to me right now.”

Raymond continued to rock Farrah gently in his arms as she sobbed quietly. Kareena's expression slowly transformed from shock to fury.

“I don’t understand how you arrived at this morbid decision to call off the wedding,” she began. “This issue can be resolved. Have you considered going to counseling with Alex?”

“Ma!” Farrah was horrified. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about a better way to go about this issue without taking extreme measures. So, Alex cheated on you, that’s horrible but it can be salvaged. Why do you have to call off an entire wedding just because of one mistake? Even you said it just now that you know how much money and effort has gone into the wedding planning—the venue has been paid for; all the vendors have been paid. Do you want all that to go down the drain just because you can’t swallow your pride and forgive your fiancé?”

“Kareena, that’s enough!” Raymond thundered.

Farrah couldn’t believe her ears. “Pride? And who told you it was one mistake, Ma? The person I caught Alex with was someone who has been in his life even before I met him. How is that one mistake?”

Her mother sobered a little. “Well…When you put it that way, it does sound terrible. But still—”

“No, Kareena. That’s enough,” Raymond cut her off. “Farrah says the wedding is off and we must respect her wishes.”

“I quite understand that, but it is also our duty as her parents to guide her in the right direction. Calling off the wedding is an extreme measure, in my opinion.”

“You’re just being selfish,” Raymond retorted. “You’ve been carrying on as if this is your wedding but it’s not. It is Farrah’s wedding and the decision to continue with it or not, is entirely hers. Respect that.”

Kareena’s hazel eyes narrowed to slits. “This is exactly what emboldens Farrah to continue to make rash decisions because you encourage her and spoil her. I know she’s our only child but that doesn’t mean we should let her just live her life recklessly.”

“Refusing to marry someone who disrespects you and your relationship by cheating isn’t reckless. It’s a smart decision,” Raymond countered.

Farrah couldn’t believe what was happening. Her parents never argued or fought, and now they were bickering at each other because of her.

“Please Mom, Dad, stop. I think we all just need a moment to take this all in.”

“Listen, Farrah, I’ll take it up from here,” her mother said firmly. “I will go inside now and call Alex’s mother on the phone and discuss this new development with her. We just need to sit down, all of us, and resolve this matter like a family. We can’t take any drastic measures without speaking with Alex’s family first.”

“What is wrong with you?” Raymond asked incredulously. “Why are you so obsessed with this wedding?”

“I’m not obsessed!” Kareena snapped at him angrily. “It’s just common courtesy.”

“Ma, do you even love me at all?” Farrah asked in a quiet voice.

Kareena flinched like she’d been struck. “How dare you?” she whispered; her eyes were burning with rage. In one swift motion, she rose from her chair and swept past them into the house.

Farrah dissolved into another fit of crying, knowing that she has once again put a strain on the relationship between her and her mother.

“It’s ok, darling. Please stop crying,” her dad consoled her.

“I’m sorry I caused a fight between you and Ma. That was never my intention.”

“That wasn’t your fault, Cupcake. Your mother was just so determined to keep the ball rolling, no matter what and I understand her reasons. This wasn’t just a wedding to her; it was an opportunity to make a huge impression on her family who would be coming from India. It was her chance to show them her lifestyle here and also sort of getting back at them for shaming her for choosing to marry a Nigerian instead of the Indian man they’d chosen for her. That’s why she has been so heavily invested in the wedding, trying to make it the most lavish event we’ve seen this century. Give her some time to recover, ok? She’ll get over it eventually.”

“If you say so…” Farrah didn’t believe her mother would ever get over this.

“What do you intend to do now?” Her dad asked.

Farrah sighed. “For starters, I’m going to go home now and relax, then prepare for tomorrow’s work.”

“You’re going to work tomorrow?”

“Yes, Daddy. Tomorrow is Monday.”

“Farrah, I think you need to take some time off from work. You can’t just carry on as if nothing happened. You need some time to heal.”

“I hear you, Daddy but you know I’m not the kind of person that just curls up and feel sorry for themselves when things go wrong. That’s not my style. Working will get my mind off all this madness, and besides, I have a new account I’m chasing now. I need to bring in my A-game and nail it. This is not the time to fall back.”

Her dad chuckled. “I like it when you talk shop. You just glow when you do.”

She laughed. “I do love my job and I’m super great at it too.”

“Agreed.”

Farrah stood up and brushed her hair out of her face with her hand. “I better go wash my face and check out of here.”

“Leaving already?” her dad asked.

“Yes, Daddy. It’s time to face the next phase of my life head-on.”

After washing her face and brushing her hair in one of the downstairs bathrooms, she went upstairs in search of her mother. Neemah had informed her that her mom had retired to her bedroom. As Farrah had expected, her mother refused to let her into the room or speak to her. She eventually gave up and stopped by the living room to say a quick goodbye to her uncle who was typing furiously on his iPhone, probably chatting with a friend.

When she finally got into her car, Farrah realized that she didn’t feel quite as brave as she did earlier when she told her dad that she was ready to get on with the next phase of her life. She had to admit to herself that she was terrified. Once the news of her canceled wedding goes public, there would be a media frenzy by the press; her life and relationship with Alex would be put under scrutiny, bloggers would run false stories about them and the sleazy tabloids would publish front-page lies, citing fake sources just to sell multiple copies of their magazines. People loved gossip, so this would surely be a goldmine for the press.

For a split second, Farrah was tempted to run back into the house and tell her parents that she’d changed her mind and that the wedding could go on as planned. But she knew she couldn’t do that. Alex’s betrayal was something that would probably haunt her for the rest of her life, and she couldn’t just sweep it all under a carpet and marry him like it was nothing serious. How would she compete with Priye who was the mastermind of this bizarre love triangle?

She always thought she was madly in love with Alex but something deep down inside of her remained unsatisfied. She’d never felt that butterfly-in-the-belly or heart-stopping fireworks she’d always heard of when people described romantic love. Farrah didn’t know if she was being childish, but she longed to feel that way about the man she loved. And when it came to sex with Alex, it was ok but never all that. Now it all finally made sense to her.

Inserting the key into the ignition, Farrah powered her Toyota to life and made a mental note to send her mother a ginormous bouquet of pink roses tomorrow.