Oathbound

The Lonely House

📖 Chapter 1: The Man Who Had Everything

Scene 1: A Toast to Legacy

The clinking of crystal glasses rang through the grand office atop Obadiah & Sons Industries. The city skyline shimmered through the tall glass windows, the sunset spilling golden light across marble floors. Obadiah himself stood at the head of the conference table, towering despite his age — a man in his late forties, his hair streaked with silver but his eyes sharp as ever.

“Gentlemen… and my beloved family,” he began, his baritone voice commanding silence. “Today, we open a new chapter. Another factory. Another hundred jobs. Another reason to hold our heads high.”

Applause followed, polite yet enthusiastic. His eldest son, Uche, in a tailored navy suit, raised his glass. His second son, Chidi, in a slightly rumpled tie, followed suit. His two daughters, Ada and Ifeoma, sat at the end of the table, radiant and smiling — though their eyes hinted at impatience. Their spouses flanked them, eager to be seen but saying little.

Obadiah gazed around the room and felt a swell of pride. Years of sacrifice, sleepless nights, deals brokered in his sweat and blood — all for this. A thriving empire and a family to inherit it. He raised his glass.

“To the future,” he declared. “And to the name we carry.”

The room echoed his words: “To the future! To the name!”

As the toast ended, a photographer snapped pictures. Obadiah posed with his sons in front of the company logo. He clapped Uche on the back, muttering, “One day, all of this will be yours.”

Uche smiled stiffly. Chidi glanced away.

Scene 2: A Feast in the Mansion

That evening, the family gathered at the mansion on Ikoyi Hill. A long mahogany table stretched across the dining room, laden with roasted goat, steaming jollof rice, fried plantains, and bottles of wine. Grandchildren darted between the adults, laughter filling the air.

Obadiah sat at the head, carving meat and serving plates. “Eat, eat!” he boomed, grinning. “What’s all this dieting nonsense you people say these days? Food is joy. Eat!”

Ada giggled, rolling her eyes. “Papa, you’re still old-fashioned.”

“And proud of it!” he replied, raising his fork.

But as the evening wore on, cracks began to show. Uche, seated at his father’s right, leaned in.

“Papa,” he said quietly, “about the new contracts — you still sign off on everything yourself? I thought we agreed you’d let me handle—”

Obadiah cut him off with a sharp look. “When I’m dead, you’ll handle everything. Until then, it’s my name they trust.”

Uche’s jaw tightened. Across the table, Chidi poured himself another drink and muttered under his breath. Obadiah noticed but chose to ignore it.

Later, Ifeoma tried to engage him in a conversation about updating the company’s image to appeal to younger clients. He waved her off. “Style and image don’t build companies. Hard work does.”

The rest of the meal passed in strained pleasantries.

Scene 3: The Veranda’s Quiet

Late that night, after everyone had left, Obadiah sat alone on the wide veranda of the mansion. A faint breeze rustled the bougainvillea vines along the railing. In one hand, he held a tumbler of whiskey; in the other, a thick cigar. He gazed out at the city lights below, a kingdom he’d built.

But his chest ached — a dull, constant pain he’d started noticing months ago. He took another drag of the cigar anyway.

His wife, Esther, joined him, draping a shawl over her shoulders. She was still graceful, though her hair had gone almost fully gray.

“You should rest more,” she said gently. “The doctor told you…”

“I’m not dying,” he interrupted, forcing a laugh. “Not yet. There’s still work to do.”

She sat beside him, studying his face. “Work won’t keep you warm in your old age, Obadiah. Your family will.”

He didn’t reply. He stared into the night, a shadow of doubt flickering in his eyes.

Scene 4: The Seeds of Resentment

The next morning, at the office, Obadiah summoned Chidi into his office. He’d discovered missing funds — again. Chidi stood stiffly as his father berated him.

“You think because you’re my son you can steal from me?” Obadiah thundered, slamming a ledger on the desk.

“It was just a loan,” Chidi muttered. “I needed it for—”

“Shut your mouth!” Obadiah bellowed. “A man who takes without asking is no better than a thief!”

Chidi stormed out, his face dark with humiliation.

At home that evening, Ada and Ifeoma cornered each other in the hallway.

“He’s getting worse,” Ada whispered.

“He doesn’t trust us to make decisions,” Ifeoma agreed. “It’s always about him.”

From the stairwell, Uche overheard and said nothing, but his face was set like stone.

Scene 5: A Family Divided

A week later, Esther tried again. At dinner, she gently suggested that Obadiah consider stepping back from work, letting the children take more control.

“The company is your legacy,” she said. “But they are your future. Don’t drive them away.”

Obadiah scoffed. “If they can’t handle me, they can’t handle the company. I didn’t build this empire to hand it to children who think everything comes easy.”

His sons stared at their plates. His daughters exchanged glances. The silence was deafening.

That night, Uche stood on the balcony outside his room, calling Chidi.

“This can’t go on,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t even see how he treats us.”

Chidi’s voice crackled on the line. “One day, he’ll be gone. Then we’ll see who’s in charge.”

Scene 6: The First Cough

One rainy morning, Obadiah sat at his desk reviewing papers when a violent fit of coughing overtook him. He doubled over, gripping his chest. When it passed, he wiped blood from his lips with a handkerchief and stared at it in silence.

He tucked the handkerchief into his pocket and kept working.

Outside his office door, Esther stood listening, her eyes filling with quiet worry.