"Everything comes to you at the right time. Be patient and trust the process."

-Businessmindset101.

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C H A P T E R 44:

"When i found out about your pregnancy, i told you to abort the child because I wasn't ready to become a father," Edric continued, "But you refused."

"But.. But I remember telling you that i was scared." May reminded him, "I couldn't abort the child. By the way, you recommended a quack doctor and I couldn't risk my life. What if something had gone wrong? Like my womb got damaged and I couldn't get pregnant again, would you have accepted and married me?"

"May, you could've just swallowed the contraceptives I gave to you. It could've prevented you from getting pregnant.."

May rolled her eyes at him, "Well, you shouldn't have eat it raw then."

"May, I didn't invite you to my room that night. Remember that." Edric pointed out, "You came to me. To my room and of all times, you came during night. What were you expecting us to do at that ungodly hour? Prayer and fasting?"

"He..he." She stammered, finding the right words to defend herself, "You know I was naive then. I was seventeen and you were twenty years old. I only wanted to cuddle but you decided otherwise. Sing for me? You refused and said you wanted sex. Okay, I agreed. Wear condom? You said you want it raw because it's sweeter. Oya na. Raw gave us Maryam and then you said I should flush my baby away?" She threw her hands over her head and snapped her fingers, "God forbid bad thing. Eh.. You can't blame me for throwing away the contraceptives or refusing to abort Maryam. What happens when you release inside a woman? Do you expect the sperm to produce money? Maryam you put inside of me, Maryam I gave birth to. Don't blame me, please.."

"See? That's the problem I have with you. You've always blamed me for your misfortunes and that got me real mad. You blamed me for being the reason why your father disowned you but you seem to forget that you are also at fault. You'll never accept it but I'm telling you this. Whatever you faced throughout these past years, you're the cause of it. As a child, there were decisions you shouldn't have made. You shouldn't have put yourself in a situation whereby you gave something you didn't want to give just to please someone. That was very dumb of you. You shouldn't have being in a relationship with me. You should have been focusing on your studies instead of sneaking into a man's room at night. Did you ever thought of all this?"

May looked down at her feet, unable to speak because she knew Edric was right.

"No, you didn't. Instead, when you were thrown out of your home and you started living with us, all you did was nag, spit and ask me to make tea for you or massage your legs like I were your servant and you were my queen. You didn't even consider that I was labouring my ass off just to make ends meet and just maybe, my body was aching too. You didn't even for once think that I was going through emotional trauma." For the first time in May's life, she actually saw tears in Edric's eyes, "I was given a golden opportunity to study abroad by your father but your unwanted pregnancy tore that chances away. I had big dreams. Dreams to become wealthy and change the condition of my family but I couldn't accomplish my goals because i stopped school and started pushing wheelbarrow in the market just so I would feed you and your unborn child. I was sometimes, humiliated, cursed and mocked at by my peers who saw me pushing wheelbarrow at the market. They called me all sorts of names but I endured, no matter how much I wanted to just kill myself. I began to hate you. I hated you because if you had done all what I had asked you to, i wouldn't have been in such a mess. It would have saved us both a lot of trouble."

May who has always been known to be emotional, couldn't hold her tears as they flowed, "I'm sorry. You know, as of then, I was only but an overly pampered teenager. I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. This explains why you treated me so badly but you shouldn't have. You should have just throw me out of your house instead of hitting me. But guess you wanted me to feel the pain you felt. But trust me, the pain I went through was much worse Edric and if I hadn't met someone like Iby, I would have been dead by now." She sniffed.

"I'm sorry too, May." He apologized. "I actually mean this from the bottom of my heart. I'm sorry for hurting you like I did. Real men don't do that. I don't deserve you and I never did. You've always been a good woman amidst everything you went through and I'll always regret losing you. Maryam would always remind me of that. You have the heart of pure Gold, May. All what you deserve is happiness and I'm sorry I couldn't do that for you." He went down on his knees, "Please accept my apology and also send away all those disturbing nightmares from me."

"What nightmares?" May asked, having no idea on what he had just said.

"Sleep is far away from me, May. Whenever I close my eyes, I see a little girl in my dreams crying and tormenting me.. I think this is as a result of one of those things you said to me after I raped you. You even said something about deceit. Look now, Bella deceived me and ran away with all my money. I am helpless and I can't deal with nightmares too. Please relief the curse from my head, I beg you."

"I know our tongues are powerful and maybe, anything we proclaim with our mouths might come to pass but.." May bit her lower lip, "I didn't exactly curse you. I don't think my words has anything to do with your nightmares."

"Please May.." Edric insisted, holding the hem of her dress.

"Okay. I forgive you and I cancel anything evil that I've said against you with my mouth." She said.

"Thank you so much, May." He appreciated, standing up to his feet.

"Do something for me." She said.

"What's that?" Edric asked.

"Restore that relationship you once had with God." She adviced.

He smiled with a nod. She smiled too. They kept smiling at each other with the heavy weights lifted off their chest until they were interrupted with someone's voice, "Edric man, you kept me waiting over there.."

May's eyes almost plucked out of its socket as her eyes met with the voice owner, "Iby?" Her voice didn't fail to carry surprise. "What happened? Did you escape prison?"

Iby laughed, "No."

"Then who released you?"

"Edric did. This morning." Replied Iby.

May turned to Edric in disbelief. Edric confirmed Iby's words with a nod of affirmative.

"Why?" She needed to know.

"Why else? If not that I want to turn a new leaf. I want to start my life afresh. I know I can't change or amend what transpired between us in the past but I can change some things now. Iby is whom you love and you're happy with. I want you to be happy again. I don't want to ever be the reason why you cry or you're sad-" Edric hadn't completed his sentence when May suddenly pulled him into a hug. It felt awkward but she didn't care.

She patted his back and said, "Thank you so much for Iby's release. If you truly turn a new leaf, Maryam would be lucky to have a dad like you."

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I rushed this chapter but
What are your thoughts about it?

Next chapter would be the last chapter of this story. See you when I update it.