Chapter Two: The Truth
1119 Words
“And James is the father of my baby.”
Nobody said anything.
Tobi just stood there.
She looked at Seyi, then at James.
James wasn’t smiling anymore.
His face had completely changed.
“What?” Tobi finally asked.
Her voice was barely audible.
Seyi looked at her.
“You heard me.”
James immediately stepped forward.
“Seyi, what are you doing here?”
“What do you think I’m doing?”
“You need to leave.”
Seyi laughed.
“Of course. That’s the first thing you want me to do.”
James shook his head.
“Tobi, don’t listen to her.”
Tobi turned to him.
“Then tell me she’s lying.”
“I am telling you she’s lying.”
“Then why does she know your name?”
James stared at her.
“Because she’s my ex.”
Tobi gave a small laugh, but there was nothing funny about it.
“Your ex who just came to my engagement party to tell me she’s six months pregnant for you?”
“I didn’t know she was pregnant.”
Seyi scoffed.
“You didn’t know?”
James looked at her.
“No, I didn’t.”
“You knew I was pregnant.”
“I knew you said you were pregnant. That doesn’t mean the baby is mine.”
Tobi’s eyes moved between them.
There was clearly a lot more to this than she understood.
She looked down at the ring on her finger.
Only a few minutes ago, she had been the happiest woman in the world.
Now she didn’t even know what to think.
“James,” she said quietly.
He turned toward her.
“Please.”
“Did you sleep with her?”
James went silent.
Tobi waited.
“James?”
He rubbed his forehead.
“This isn’t the time to talk about this.”
Tobi stared at him.
“That’s not what I asked.”
Seyi folded her arms.
“Exactly.”
James looked irritated.
“Seyi, stay out of this.”
“I’m not staying out of anything. You were perfectly fine pretending I didn’t exist until today.”
Tobi suddenly felt angry.
“Both of you, stop.”
They went quiet.
She looked at James.
“I want the truth.”
“You have the truth.”
“No, I don’t.”
She took off the ring.
James’s eyes immediately went to her hand.
“Tobi…”
She placed the ring in his palm.
“I can’t wear this right now.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t even know what’s happening.”
James stepped closer.
“I love you.”
“I know.”
“Then trust me.”
Tobi looked at him.
“I want to. But you’re making it really difficult.”
James reached for her hand.
She moved away.
“I need some space.”
“Tobi, please don’t leave like this.”
“I said I need space.”
She turned and walked toward the house.
James followed her.
“Tobi, at least let me explain.”
She turned around.
“Then explain.”
James stopped.
For a few seconds, he didn’t say anything.
Tobi waited.
“I’m waiting.”
James sighed.
“Seyi and I ended things a long time ago.”
“I know.”
“We haven’t been together since.”
“Then how is she six months pregnant?”
“I don’t know.”
Tobi stared at him.
“You don’t know?”
“No.”
Seyi suddenly walked closer.
“You’re still lying.”
James turned around.
“Can you just leave?”
“No.”
She looked at Tobi.
“I have proof.”
Tobi’s stomach tightened.
“What proof?”
Seyi reached into her bag.
James immediately became tense.
“Seyi, don’t.”
She stopped.
A small smile appeared on her face.
“Why?”
James didn’t answer.
Tobi noticed.
“What is it?”
Seyi pulled out her phone.
“I have messages between me and James.”
Tobi looked at James.
“Messages?”
“They don’t prove anything,” James said quickly.
Seyi laughed.
“Then let her read them.”
She unlocked her phone and walked toward Tobi.
James stepped in front of her.
“Enough.”
Tobi looked at him.
“Move.”
“Tobi—”
“Move, James.”
He slowly stepped aside.
Seyi handed Tobi the phone.
Tobi looked at the screen.
There were several messages between Seyi and James.
She scrolled through them.
Most of them were old.
Then she saw one from six months ago.
James: We need to talk.
Her fingers stopped.
She scrolled up.
Another message.
Seyi: So you finally decided to come back?
Tobi looked up.
“What’s this?”
James took a deep breath.
“I can explain.”
“You keep saying that.”
“Tobi, please.”
She looked back at the phone.
There were more messages.
But before she could read them, Seyi suddenly took her phone back.
“That’s enough for today.”
Tobi frowned.
“Why did you take it?”
“Because you don’t need to see everything right now.”
James looked at Seyi angrily.
“What exactly are you trying to do?”
Seyi looked at him.
“I’m trying to make sure she knows what kind of man she’s about to marry.”
Tobi’s eyes filled with tears again.
She didn’t want to cry in front of them.
Not anymore.
She walked away.
James called after her.
“Tobi!”
She didn’t stop.
She went inside and closed the door behind her.
James stood outside for a moment.
He looked at Seyi.
“This is not over.”
Seyi smiled.
“I know.”
James’s phone suddenly rang.
He pulled it out of his pocket.
The moment he saw the caller’s name, his expression changed.
Seyi noticed.
“Who is that?”
James ignored her and answered the call.
“Hello?”
A man’s voice came from the other end.
James’s face went pale.
“What?”
Seyi watched him carefully.
James didn’t say anything for several seconds.
Then he whispered,
“You’re sure?”
He ended the call.
Seyi looked confused.
“What happened?”
James looked at her.
“Where did you get those messages?”
Seyi frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
He stepped closer.
“Those messages weren’t from six months ago.”
Seyi’s face changed.
James stared at her.
“They were from last year.”
Seyi didn’t respond.
James’s voice became quieter.
“So tell me…”
“Who have you really been talking to?”
To be continued…
- Writer
