Life hasn't been a bed of roses, but it hasn't been a bed of Thorns either. Munachi grew up like every Igbo girl, sheltered from the harsh realities of life until she wasn't anymore. Finding a way to make ends meet when things became really difficult for her family, she had to face things she never knew was in existence. Making choices costs most of the time.
Prologue
A gasp left me as I took in the person in front of me. Standing before me is the exact stranger I insulted when he asked me for directions when he got lost.
If I begrudgingly thought he was handsome that day, then today he's more handsome than he was then, standing on the other side of the door wearing clothes that look as if it was specially made for him.
His hair was gelled back and whenever I inhale I perceive his sweet scent that's purely male.
What's he doing here,
how is he related to Mr. Kalu?
Maybe he's their errand boy?
I tried to convince myself, but based on his dressing, you can deduce he's nothing like the errand boy I pegged him as.
I browsed through my memory of how I looked that day.
Recalling how snappy I was that day made me blush hard in embarrassment.
Seeing him here made me regret applying for the job, what if he tries to exact his revenge on me?
What if he humiliates me in the presence of Mr. Kalu?
What if_?
"Earth needs your awesome presence, miss," he said in a smug.
I looked up to find him smiling at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Chapter 1
Looking back on this carriage life that they call life with a smile on your face, you will come to the same conclusions as I have.
#
The harmattan weather is always harsh.
This year's harmattan season isn't like the others. In Nigeria, harmattan season starts in December and stops around February time, but last year's harmattan season didn't start until February of this year after two months of intensive heat, making it the first late harmattan witnessed in Nigeria.
The streets were filled with layers of dust, a compliment of the season it is.
Snow falls in some countries during wintertime, but in ours ggetseye tearing dust.
I trudged along the paved way which is the only safe place to walk on if you want to escape the dust, although I was putting on three layers of clothing, I can still feel the stinging claws of harmattan on me.
My bones ache as though I ran a marathon with time.
Most of the children playing in the streets had split lips, and some unfortunate ones were burdened with calloused feet.
The stings of the season were mainly visible on the poor, they are recognized by the signature white of their body.
"Auntie good morning!!" Chorused the happy kids as I walked past their playing space.
They weren't bothered about the cold since they have friends to play with.
"Morning, ole otu unu di?" I smiled at them, "we are fine, thank you!!" They chorused as they resumed their game of tag.
I smiled at the cute little creatures, the children are the main reason I like walking to my mom's shop every morning instead of taking a motorcycle there, their smiles brighten my day as they have contagious smiles.
*
Walking towards Uzoma street, I frowned when I saw Kachi in his mother's shop, my brightened countenance turned sour.
I don't consider him an enemy, but he's certainly not a friend.
I turned my face towards the left pretending I haven't seen him, knowing it was a futile plan as he has already seen me, but it didn't deter me from hoping.
"Well, well, well, if it's not my pretty pretentious wife," he cooed pathetically as I side stepped him with my face still turned.
As much as I love walking to shop to see the children, his also the reason I hate walking to shop.
"You know you can't ignore me forever nwanyim, the more you run from me, the more I give chases", he threatened.
I didn't reply to his taunt I walked past him.
"You can't run forever!" he shouted as I turned a corner.
*
Almost near our shop, I stopped frowning.
I tried to smile, as my mom gets a kick whenever I frown.
"Madam sees the time you are coming to shop, I your maidservant has already swept the shop for you, "my friend Ifunanya joked.
I kept a long serious face, "oh sorry madam, I don't know you arrived earlier. I'm I apologize for my tardiness, it won't happen again," I sarcastically said.
She laughed at my poker face, "gama Biko, I don't have your time, your mom is expecting you, and you know how she is when she's kept waiting. " She joked.
I laughed as I entered our stall.
" This one you are smiling today, itutara counter? Federal government onyeregi scholarship?" mom joked.
"Some people are just enemies of progress, ekwutumekwu, my enemies must be put to shame.
So, you want me to be sad abi?, okwalagi," I chuckled as my mom lightly spanks me.
"I don't have your time," my mom countered as I walked into her production office.
My mom came from a rich, aristocratic family, but her entitlements were transferred to her younger sister when she got married to dad against her parent's wish.
They didn't only deprive her of her right, they disowned her.
My dad, on the other hand, came from a humble family of artisans, his father was a furniture maker and my father inherited his business when he _my grandpa_ passed on two years ago.
"Muna, Muna, Munachi!!" I jerked from my thoughts, my mom was giving me a funny look.
" Good to have you back, earth requires your presence," she looked at me as if I've committed an abomination by thinking.
"Mom, I was just lost I thought, you know", I babbled.
"You better not get lost again, and better still don't go there at all. What were you thinking of exactly?", she folded her arms.
"Wow woman, you've become an expert in bead making", I tried to beg the question, I can tell she knows what am up to, but decided to give me a break as she continued making the bead bag in question, I let out a breath of relief.
"A for being an expert, wait until you see the teddy bears and flower vase I made, that when you will truly realize you have a professional mother", she beamed with pride as she-cats walked out of the shop flaunting the beads she was putting on.
My mom was a model before she got married to dad, although she doesn't complain much about it, I know she misses those good ole days.
"You might be an expert in beading but you and I know am the professional wrapper, ana amakwanuaka?", I scoffed.
" Mtcheww, I don't blame you, I blame your father for spoiling you rotten with praises when it's obvious you didn't merit them",
"hmm, I don't have much to say, my work speaks for itself. Good wine doesn't need an advertisement", I pursed my lips.
We bickered back and forth as we got the shop ready for the day's sales.
Distance separated them, but fate brought them together. Separated when they were little because of a medical problem, Marble and Mabel grew up in different homes. Marble the sick one was sent to live with his biological father, while Mabel lived with the mother and father. Over time, they forgot about each other, until fate brought them back, together. They parent desperate to put a lid over a secret of many years, and you will get one dramatic novel. Other Info
Taking a stroll on a rainy night isn't what a sane person might do, but Rabel is far from normal with her snowy white hair. An injured Wolf lying close to your cottage isn't also considered as normal in a place often plagued with werewolves and their onslaught on humans. Despite her bitter feelings, she takes the wolf into her house out of the goodness of her heart; she nurtures it back to life, and the wolf left after it was fully healed. Weeks later, the rumored dead werewolf king is back with a vengeance; slaying the humans in a one-sided war. When a truce is called and peace pleaded; the werewolf king agrees to the words of agreement with only one condition: to have Rabel in his palace as his bride.
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.