Duped

hurtful past

Location: David's office.

Time: 2:00pm

The next day.

"Come on, let's go have lunch" Nat said walking into David's office. They were both smartly dressed in their obviously expensive suit.

"Just give me a second, I have to confirm the transfer of money to Bella and the building construction site" he answered typing away in his computer.

"How come you are spending so much on her when you know she's just a fling and we both know you are just with her for her body?"

"Honestly bro, I don't know. I am confused myself but all I know is that I want to help her. She is just so different from the others"

"She is not a gold digger"

David not knowing if it was a question or a statement answered "I don't think so, she hasn't shown any signs of her being one".

Nat chuckled knowing what's going on. "Bro, you sure you are not catching feelings?" He had a teasing smile on his face.

"Which kind talk be that? (pigin for "what are you talking about?) Abeg make we go chop ( pigin for "let's go eat")" David said feigning anger. He didn't want to talk about it because he knew Nat will not let him off easily. Nevertheless he smiled at the thought of liking Bella which he knew was a dangerous zone to be in. He stood up from his seat and made his way out of his office before Nat could tease him more.

"Mum will be so glad to hear this" Nat said loudly in between laughter as he followed him out for lunch.

★★★—————————————————★★★

Location: streets of Lagos

Time: 6:48pm

Later that day

"So tell me more about you? How did you become a business tycoon?" Bella said.

David and Bella just had dinner and decided to stroll round the busy streets of Lagos.

"10 years ago, we were actually really poor, we couldn't fend for our needs. We feed from hand to mouth. My dad was a drunk, womanizer and a gambler. He would beat my mom and bring in young girls to our house. My mum managed a little provision store which we fed from. Nathaniel, my brother and I usually hawk around. At the end of the day my dad would take the money forcefully from my mom and spend it, getting drunk, hooking up with prostitutes and Gambling. It was like that for years, my mum couldn't and didn't do anything. She still loves him and tolerated all his excesses" His voice was choked and anger and pain was clearly shown on his face.

"I'm so sorry about that" she said snaking her arm around his as they continued walking. She expected this. She knew. She couldn't stop the pang of guilt in her chest for what she was going to do. But it must be done, guilt or not. Feelings or not.

"One lucky day, while Nat and I were Hawking, we met a man, he felt sympathy for us and offered us a job. We were to carry goods from the company to customers shops that were close by with wheelbarrows. The pay wasn't much but manageable. We never told our parents about it definitely not my dad, he would spend it even before you say jack" David chuckled and continued "we didn't tell Mom because she might willingly take the money and give our father. So we saved it, we would take things to hawk in the morning and go to work. Then dropped it at a*****e close by and the woman there will help us sell it because it was a really busy place. We continued like that for about 6 months and we were promoted. During the past 6 months when we were free we would follow the guys who delivers goods with truck and vans and learn little things about driving. So after the 6th month we were promoted to delivering goods with vehicles since we had learnt how to drive. Our pay was a bit bigger now. It was around that time, we told mum and made her promise us not to tell Dad. One year later, the man who offered us the job was travelling overseas to start a branch of one of his businesses so he gave us a job as a manager and supervisor of the company. He said we were both hardworking and trustworthy and he knew the company will be in safe hands. So from then you know how it goes and thanks to that man we are what we are today" he said smiling. It felt weird that he was telling a supposed "fling" his family's story when they was suppose to be tearing at each other's clothes and having a mind blowing s*x and him dumping her the next day with some cash. He felt the need to take things slow thereby making Nat's claim true. He wasn't going to have any of that. Love is trash because you always feel pain in the end. He was going to try as much as possible to shake this growing feelings off. Before it gets worse.

"That man is really a Godsent" Bella replied returning back the smile.

"Yeah....uhmm.... Would you like to go to my place? It's close by."

"Hmmm... alright. You sure that's not the home you bring your different girlfriends to" she said jokingly as she laughed, nudging him by the shoulder.

"Only one way to find out" he answered as he laughed too.

★★★——————————————————————★★★

Location: David's house

Time:7:30pm

Few minutes later

His lips crashed into Bella's. His hands were on her ass pulling her close. She was shocked the first second but returned the kiss eagerly tugging at his buttoned shirt. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he led her to one of the sofas. Laying her down, they swiftly pulled their clothes while planting kisses anywhere their mouths and body meet.

They were currently at David's home,it is a not so big house and was built specially for his s****l escapades. Immediately they entered David kissed her straight up. He was eager to fullfil his lustful hunger and to off course, shake those feelings off.

"Stop David aaah" it came out as a moan. She wanted him to stop but don't want him to stop. It will jeopardize everything but she was going crazy with what his mouth was doing to her body.

He began unhooking her bra. She knew her breast was very sensitive and if she allowed him continue then that would be the end of it. With all the strength in her she pushed him back.

"Am....sor...sorry, I can't do this" she said avoiding eye contact with him and trying to dress up.

He felt the need to ask her why. He was sexually frustrated. His junior was pretty much awake. But he somehow kept his calm. He did start it though and that too without her permission. He wondered if she thought he wanted to have s*x with her because he was helping her.

"Am sorry too, I got carried away" he said as he looked at her half naked body. Damn she was sexy.

"I should leave, it's pretty late" she said getting up, fully dressed now.

He nods and gesture to the door. He was still half naked with only his boxer on him. He was still with a boner.

She goes to the door as he follows her. Just as she was about to turn the door knob. He holds her hands and faces her.

"I promise you, helping you have nothing to do with this. It's something different" He said looking into her eyes. He didn't know how to explain it because he was confused as well. He needed her. He had to fight the urge to kiss those lips again.

"Hmmm" was the only thing she could say. Holding eye contact with him was very difficult owing to the fact that she could see his boner through his boxers. She smiled in her mind knowing that he couldn't resist her but what she couldn't put together was how wet she is down there just looking at his bare chest. Just hormones... She thought.

He comes close and kisses her forehead. " Goodnight" he said.

"I'll call you" she said and she was off the door. It was not how she expected it but it worked either way.

He locked the door with a sigh. The feelings were still very much present and that was bad news.

She is going to be the death of me.....He thought.

★★★———————————————————————★★★

Location: David's family home.

Time: 10:00pm

"David you are back?" David's mum voice echoed through the dark sitting room as the light was turned on.

After the "almost having s*x" with Bella, David went to a bar and had a few drinks to clear his mind. He wasnt drunk just a bit tipsy and decided to go to his parents house. It was pretty late and he thought everyone had gone to bed, so he was startled when he heard his mum's voice.

"Son, why so late? Where have you been?" She asked again.

"Oh mum, I went out to finish some business and..."

"Don't lie to me, Nat told me. Come sit" she gestured to the chair beside him.

"What did he tell you?" He said as he sits down on the chair.

"He said you have been seeing a girl lately and have been helping her with her fallen business"

"Don't mind Nat, it's nothing too serious, her shop got burnt down so I was just helping her build it"

"My dear, you know the kind of status you hold, people are majorly friendly just for your money, I hope you did a thorough background check on her".

"Yes mum, I did. She is different from the rest. She's a beautiful and hardworking woman, she is everything" David couldn't stop the smile creeping up to his face and he didn't seem in control of his words too.

"You like her son?" His mum asked, she couldn't help but smile either, her prayers were being answered. She could almost see her grandchildren running around.

"Yes....I mean No.. we don't know each other that much... I'm not sure" he stammered finally coming back to his senses.

His mum laughed, she couldn't help having the bubbly feeling and excitement for her son to finally have an interest in someone.

"This one you are smiling. Don't get your hopes up oo, I told you I'm not getting married" he said feigning seriousness.

"Oh Shut up, so what's her name? Tell me about her?"

"Well... Her name is Isabella short for Bella, she is a caterer and lives with her mother, her father is late"

"How old is she?"

"26"

"When is she coming over?"

"Aaahhh!, he exclaimed, isn't it too early? Mum we are not even dating and you are asking me when she is coming over.

"Why haven't you ask her?"

"Ermm...like I said she is in a financial crisis, so I don't think it's the right time for such"

"You are already helping her out right? So the crisis has been reduced. Dear, you shouldn't waste too much time on things like this. I need grandkids"

"It hasn't gotten to grandkids level mum, I never said I was going to marry her"

"Whatever, I have told you my own"

"Okay, good night mum, you should get some rest. Nat said you are going for your checkup at the hospital tomorrow with him".

"Oh yes, it's due already. Good night Son" she said getting up from the chair and climbing up the stairs to her room.

David sighed, his mum was a big piece of work to handle, she desperately needed a daughter in law. He made a mental note to deal with Nat for putting Isabella on her radar.

He was still lost in thought when is father walked in obviously drunk. He never repented from his bad habit even after they got rich and for some reasons his mum still tolerated it and let him stay in the house.

Olumide, David's father staggered into the sitting room knocking a glass vase on the table. The noise brought David out of his thoughts.

"What's your problem?, everyone is asleep"David said getting up with is face full of hatred.

"D..avid my son" olumide slurred as he tried to walk over to meet David, nevertheless he ended up stumbling over a stool and falling to the ground.

"Listen old man for the last time, I am not your son" David answered venomously without moving an inch to help his father off the ground.

"D..avid my son"he slurred again.

"If not for mum, IF not for mum I would have thrown you out to the streets many years ago, I don't know why she still loves you, you piece of dirt. You made her go through so much pain all because of the so-called marriage that tied both of you together" He said with pure anger trying not to raise his voice so as not to wake anyone. He hated the word "marriage" with all his being. So many people suffer so much pain under the guise of marriage.

"I'm so...rr..y" David's dad said still sprawled on the floor.

"I hate you" David said with finality in his tone. Olumide must have been trying to say something but David was long gone. Before he entered his room, the last thing he heard was the sound of his father throwing up on the floor.

Pathetic.

After brushing his teeth and taking his bath, he laid on his bed. He pushed the thoughts of his father away and settled on Bella. He still felt guilty for what happened between them. As if his thoughts called her, his phone rang and it was her on the phone.

"Hello" her soft voice vibrated through the phone.

He shivered. Her voice was just so angelic. It was out of this world.

"Hello" he replied back, "I was just thinking about you"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, like how you are one of a kind and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen"

"Awwn I'm blushing" she said laughing "I did say I will call so that's why I did".

"About what happened earlier... I'm really sor..."

"It's okay. She cuts in. We were both carried away. I felt bad because I didn't want to have my way with a man who already have a girlfriend"

"Wait what? where did you get that information from?"

"From the web..duhh.. it said you are dating one Ada Jackson. The internet is never wrong yunno"

"Firstly, you've been spying on me?.."

"I couldn't resist checking about the guy who is making my insides melt and generously helping me financially"

He smiled to the fact that he had an effect on her and he would just imagine her radiant smile right now.

"Well... The internet is not entirely wrong just outdated. I USED to date Ada but I broke up with her some weeks ago".

"Oh. Why did you break up with her?"

"I didn't really like her, my mum force her on me, she wanted me married soon, and I don't want to want to get married"

"Why? Because of your parents marriage failed?"

There was silence, David didn't know what to reply her with. She sensed it and said...

"Anyway, it is a good thing you broke up with her, now I can have you all to myself"

He chuckled at that.

"Well...am all yours" he said jokingly as he laughed.

A noise was heard at the other side of the phone. David wondered what the noise was about.

"Hello? I heard a noise" David inquired but he was answered with silence. Maybe it was the network... David thought and proceeded to end the call.

Just as he was about to end it, Bella voice boomed through the phone.

"Hello, sorry I had knocked something over with my legs so I had to go check what it was"

"Okay" David said. It went unnoticeable by David of how her voice was a bit shaken.

"Thank you for paying off my workers and I saw the building yesterday, it was maleficent and even bigger than the one that was burnt. How can i ever repay you?"

"Don't mention. I am just helping a friend"

"Thank you very much, I appreciate. I didn't want to bother you but I couldn't find any way out, the Abuja contract I was doing before the fire incident will be due next week. I either have the equipment to use or the ingredients because all got burnt in the fire"

"Oh yes, I forgot about that. Urmm... The building wouldn't be ready by next week, so..how about I send you some money to get the equipment and the rest things from the supermarket then you can... urmm... Use my family house in making everything. We have a really big kitchen and I think it will be convenient for you so you can deliver the contract on time" he said happy to have found a way.

"You sure your family won't mind?"

"No they won't"

"Alright, thanks a lot. God will bless you for helping me, he will protect and guide you" she prayed.

"Amen, I will send the money tomorrow and also the address"

"Okay, good night"

"Good night".

He hang up.

Isabella...such a wonderful soul.

Or not.

★★★—————————————★★★

Hello.

So here is another chapter just for you.

For foreign readers (non- Nigerians), I try to make more English words for your understanding. I just chirp in little pigin which I translate though. And some of the characters names are native to tribes in Nigeria so try not to get confused with olumide, omotola, Ada and all that. I believe it's still understandable.

I would love to hear your opinions.

Phew...I'm really a lazy person to get this chapter published after one week. I will try my best to get the next one published sooner.

I love you all❤️

~precious~