Chapter 23
22 — Gabriel Gabriel was searching for his car keys as he was running late for the meeting. Although there were other cars to use, his heart was inclined to this particular one that day. And he knew better than to ignored that strong feeling. He had turned the house upside down and employed the help of Zion and Emily, who had just got back for the holidays, to search for his missing key.
He suddenly remembered he saw it last in the general living room. Increasing his pace, he walked into the room and started searching inside the chairs. He was on the last chair and about to give up when his hands hit something cold. He pulled it out and lo and behold, it was a phone. Unable to recognize the phone to belong to any of the occupants of the house, he tried switching it on but it was switched off. Lifting his eyes off the phone on his hands, his eyes caught the key at a corner. He rushed to it and picked it up. Off, he went to his car parked in the garage and got into the car. Turning the ignition with the key, the car roared to life, he plugged the phone to be charged using the car charger.
On getting to the office, he removed the phone from the charger and went straight for his meeting. The meeting held for close to four hours. As soon as he was done with that he went straight to his office. Sitting on the chair, he switched on the phone he found.
He was surprised when he saw the display picture on the phone. It was a picture of Zion and his two friends, with a girl he hadn't seen, but who he guessed was the friend Zion told him about.
The phone's notifications popped in and he couldn't resist the urge to check the messages. There were several ones from his son and his friends asking of her whereabouts and wellbeing. A certain cousin had also been sending some messages to her. Gabriel also saw some messages from the girl’s mum, so he thought to call the number so she could come get her phone.
The number seemed so familiar he couldn't think what he was seeing was possible. He dialed the number on his own phone and want he saw on the caller's ID got him on his feet. Cutting the call, he took the girls phone and read through the messages. He just couldn't believe his eyes.
He banged the table and dashed out of his office.
"Dara!!!!” He yelled from downstairs the minute he got home.
Dara, who was in the kitchen, was so shocked at how loud her husband was calling her. He had never yelled like that in all the six years of their marriage. She rushed to the living room where her husband was standing with the children watching.
"Gabriel what's wrong. Why do you yell my name like that?” Dara asked, confused.
“Here,” he said giving her Zoe's phone. “Explain those text messages!!! Now!!!"
Dara read the messages. This was Zoe's phone, how did her husband get it. The end indeed was her for her. Her hands shake as she lifted her eyes to look at Gabriel who was fuming with anger. Zion was already standing beside them.
"I…don't…know…what you are…talking…about,” she stuttered.
"You Know Dara you know!!! So, all these years you had a child I didn't know about!!!” Gabriel barked.
“What?” Zion yelled surprised. Dara was already shedding tears, there was no way she could deny it. The messages were so clear about her relationship with Zoe, and she had mentioned her new family all the time.
"Yes son. This liar here as a daughter outside. Let me burst your bubble. She is your friend!!!” Gabriel told Zion.
“My friend?” Zion asked clueless.
"Check the phone son,”
Zion collected the phone and his jaw dropped. "This is Zoe's phone.”
"I'm sorry Gabriel. I had to. When you said you can't marry someone who had more than one child. I had to let go of one!!!” Dara said.
“You liar!!!” Gabriel barked.
"You're so heartless. Only if you know what that girl as gone through just because of you. Only if!” Zion said. “I'm sure she found out I'm your stepson that's why she tried to make me miss my flight with you. She was jealous!” Zion added. “You are not fit to be called a mother!!!”
Zion rushed upstairs, leaving them all there. Emily, who was already in tears, stood up and walked towards her mother.
"For years, you made me believe I had lost my sister. At a tender age you made me go far away from her. The days I missed her you made me believe I could never see are again. Ah, mom this is too bad,” she said in tears and went to her room too.
Dara was already in the floor wailing and crying. She was indeed a terrible person, now she was about to lose everything just because of her greed and covetousness. "Now you will get up. Go to your room, pack all your things and get out of this building. Lose my number. I don't want to ever see or hear from you anymore in my life,” Gabriel bellowed and walked to the lounge at the back of the house holding Gloria.