THE FIRST BETRAYAL
522 Words
The gunshot echoed across the empty road.
“CHIKE!”
Amara screamed.
She ran toward him.
But Chike was standing.
The person who had fallen was Emmanuel.
Blood stained his shirt as he collapsed onto the ground.
Chike's mother stood behind him, holding a small pistol.
Everyone stared at her.
“You shot him,” Chike whispered.
She lowered the gun.
“He was going to kill my son.”
Emmanuel coughed and laughed weakly.
“You still haven't told them everything.”
Amara knelt beside him.
“Tell me the truth.”
Emmanuel looked at her.
“Your father didn't die because of your family business.”
“Then why?”
“Because he discovered that Adaeze was my daughter.”
Adaeze froze.
“What?”
Emmanuel continued.
“Your father discovered that I had been secretly working with powerful people to take control of his business. When he threatened to expose me, I panicked.”
Amara's voice trembled.
“You killed him?”
Emmanuel nodded.
“I caused the accident.”
Adaeze began crying.
“And my mother?”
Emmanuel looked at Chike's mother.
“She tried to stop me.”
Chike stared at his mother.
“That's why you disappeared?”
She nodded.
“I knew Emmanuel would come after you next. So I made everyone believe I was dead.”
Amara looked at her.
“But why did you let me believe Chike didn't love me?”
“Because I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“That if you stayed together, Emmanuel would use you to destroy my son.”
Chike shook his head.
“You should have trusted us.”
His mother looked down.
“I know.”
Then Emmanuel suddenly grabbed Amara's wrist.
She screamed.
“Listen to me!”
His eyes were filled with desperation.
“There is one more person involved.”
“Who?”
He pointed toward Adaeze.
“Her.”
Everyone turned.
Adaeze stared at him in disbelief.
“What are you talking about?”
Emmanuel smiled.
“Adaeze knows exactly what happened the night your father died.”
Adaeze's face went pale.
Amara stepped toward her.
“Adaeze?”
Her sister began shaking.
“I… I didn't know.”
“Didn't know what?”
Adaeze covered her face.
“I was there.”
Silence.
“You were there when Dad died?” Amara asked.
Adaeze nodded.
“I was only a baby.”
Amara frowned.
“That doesn't make sense.”
Adaeze looked at Chike's mother.
“Tell her.”
Chike's mother slowly approached.
“Adaeze wasn't a baby when your father died.”
Amara's eyes widened.
“What?”
“She was six years old.”
Amara stared at her sister.
“But Adaeze is younger than me.”
“Yes.”
Chike's mother swallowed.
“Because the girl you've known as Adaeze isn't actually Adaeze.”
Amara stepped backward.
“Then who is she?”
The woman looked at Adaeze.
“She's her twin.”
Everyone went silent.
And somewhere in the distance, a phone began ringing.
The caller's name appeared on the screen:
DAD.
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