Juwon got to the club his friends were at and noticed the barely clothed girls stripping by the poles. He saw his friends laughing over something and went over to the table they were seated at to join them. Roman hugged him and patted his back as a stick of cigarette hung from his mouth. Gbenga and Femi hugged him also before he sat beside Roman.

"Muna told us you got married, man," Roman started.

"She's right."

"We didn't deserve an invite apparently."

Juwon watched a stripper slide to Gbenga. He frowned when she wriggled her ass on his crouch.

"It was rushed. I proposed, she joked that we get married immediately and I went along with it."

"How is that ever possible?" Femi asked.

"I know a guy."

"Don't you mean I know a guy?" Roman asked.

"You introduced him to me, yea."

"For your business needs not for you to take advantage of his greed. He only does hasty marriage arrangements for people in trouble with the law not for overzealous lovers."

"I asked if he could do it and he said he could."

"What were you expecting him to say when you tossed that much cash his way?"

"Are you upset because you weren't invited or because I used your guy?"

"Both."

"I'm sorry then."

"How is married life treating you," Gbenga asked.

"Gini knows about the whole revenge plan so you can imagine."

"Oh shit!"

"And she had kids I didn't know about."

"What do you mean kids? More than one?" Femi asked with eyes wide opened.

"Triplets."

"Oh my God. You're lying," Roman said.

The stripper left after Gbenga tucked some cash in her bra.

"They're mine."

"Hold up, yours? Weren't you guys like ten?" Gbenga asked.

"Fourteen, buddy. We were mature too. I was looking seventeen while she was like eighteen."

"How did you take the news?" Femi asked.

"I was shocked at first but they look like me so there wasn't much to deny. Three ten-year-old boys that look just like me."

"Are you serious?" Roman asked.

"On my dad's grave."

"Oh shit. This just got so complicated." Roman filled their glasses with brandy.

"I know right." Juwon rubbed his stubble.

"Can we meet the boys? They have to know their uncles," Femi said.

"I'm sorry, guys. Gini doesn't like you lot."

"So we can't see your kids because she doesn't like us? Well, we don't like her also."

"Roman, I'm on her side."

"Of course, you pussy ass nigga." He drained his glass and poured himself some more brandy.

"Roman, calm down," Gbenga said.

"You guys called her a gold digger, what did you expect?"

"We were taking your side, asshole. Should we have just watched her fill your head with more lies, you said it yourself that she lied that you raped her," Gbenga explained.

"I remember telling you guys to stop throwing sly comments her way."

"Jay did you tell her I didn't say anything bad about her?" Femi asked.

"Really, Femi?" Gbenga asked in annoyance.

"What? I just want to get to know the kids."

"Without the rest of us?"

"Well, I wasn't the one yapping about how she's so bad for him."

"How wonderful."

Femi shrugged and Juwon smiled.

"It's funny to you, dick head?" Roman asked.

"Actually it is," Juwon replied and started laughing.

"What do we get them when we're coming to visit?" Gbenga asked.

"Maybe toys but Gini still doesn't like you."

"Oh shut up. She'll come around."

Juwon took a sip of his drink then took the cigar Femi passed to him.

"What happened after you told her about the revenge plan?" Roman asked.

"I didn't tell her, I showed her."

"Showed her how?"

"I used to write it all in a book."

"Like some schoolboy..."

"You would know."

"I don't own a diary."

"Whatever, man. She was pissed, like livid. When I told her I forgave her, she looked at me like I was crazy."

"Crazy for her for sure. You forgave her, that's something I wouldn't have done."

"It was easy to. I mean, there's no one like Gini."

"Why didn't you tell her you stopped whatever plan you had for her? Did you even have a plan?"

"I did."

"Your plan was stupid, bro. You wanted her to fall in love with you so you could live happily ever after. What's that? Does that even count as revenge?"

"Can you just shut up, Roman?"

"Femi, come get your mans." Roman left the table and went to an empty one.

Juwon watched as Roman beckoned and several girls joined him at the table.

"He's always in a bad mood," Juwon said when Gbenga saw him looking at Roman.

"We're all miserable so it's understandable."

"I'm not."

"You used to be before Gini came along."

"I suppose."

Juwon lit his cigar and took two puffs before dropping it on the ash tray. They later joined Roman on his table and when some of the girls left him to dance on them, they didn't complain. He returned home late at night and saw Gini on the sofa watching TV.

"Why are you still up?" he asked as he took off his shoes.

"Was waiting for you."

He joined her on the sofa. "Are you okay?"

"Just wanted to talk to you about our issue."

"I don't have an issue with you, Gini."

"You think I'm this gold digger who set you up for your land to be stolen. I was fourteen, how could you ever put that on me?"

He heard the crack in her voice and quickly spoke before she began crying. "Your dad himself told me everything that happened. If he was lying, I wouldn't know because you never explained yourself."

"Did I have to? I left town because my dad wanted me to tell the police that you raped me. I didn't want to go along with it at first and he kept hitting me till I agreed. I ran when he went out to get the police."

"This is news to me. He did accuse me of rape but the police never came."

"Because I ran, there was no one to corroborate the lies. I called my sister on my way out of town and she gave me her address. Dad didn't even try to find me afterwards, he never cared."

"Gini, I didn't know."

"Then I found out I was pregnant."

"Which was my fault, I wasn't thinking back then."

"We shouldn't have been fooling around that young."

"I agree."

"Why would you go to that length for revenge?"

"I was angry at the world. I had no one, my dad died after selling the land. I had to go through hell and when I made it, all I wanted was revenge."

"He died from it, don't you feel terrible knowing that?"

Juwon sighed. "A little."

"We were meant to be better than them. We used to promise to be better."

"You're right. I should have let it all go, and I didn't really get the satisfaction I was hoping for after he died."

"You can stop hating me now that you know I had nothing to do with any it."

"I don't hate you, birdie."

"But you wrote about it a lot."

"I thought I did then I saw you again after so many years and I just couldn't. Do you know how pathetic I felt knowing I couldn't hate you despite thinking you did those terrible things?"

"Why did you agree to get married then?"

"Because I was stupid in love, still am."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't hate you, birdie."

"And you don't have a girlfriend tucked somewhere?"

"I'm married. I have a wife, that's it."

"Why do you have lipstick on your cheek then?"

"Oh," he said in surprise. "I was at a strip club with the boys." He quickly wiped his two cheeks with his palm.

"You went with your friends to the strip club knowing how much they hate me. They probably want you to cheat on me."

"They don't. They were only looking out for me when they acted like assholes but they don't hate you. They even want to meet the kids."

"After you tell them I had nothing to do with what happened to you."

"Sure."

"Do you want more kids?"

"What?"

Gini smiled. "I want to experience pregnancy the right way."

"I'm in. I love a full house, one more wouldn't hurt." He smiled also then took her hands.

"Or two or three. It could be twins or another triplet, I hope not but the possibility exists."

"We would welcome them with smiles and love."

"Can we stop fighting now? I love you, I was upset but I still love you."

"I love you too, Gini. Like I told the boys, there's no one like you."

"That makes me so happy."

"Let's go to bed."

They made their way upstairs and Juwon held her closely as they slept.