EPISODE 5
The In-Laws
A hand tug me out of my sleep and when I finally opened my eyes, I saw the bitch’s face. I turned to the other side ignoring her
“Come out, someone is here to see you” she ordered
“Is it Kylian?” I jumped up with hope
“No” and just like, my hope came crashing down
“Then I don’t want to see anyone” I laid back on the bed facing the other direction
“You need to come out” she insisted but I don’t give a fuck. She can go and die for all I care
“What is taking so long” a sullen familiar feminine voice said. I recognize that voice anywhere. I turned toward the voice and here she stood....
Fazya Lamari, my mother-in-law.....
I dashed out of the bed and was instantly before her on my knees
“Mother” I said with the utmost respect
“I told you to call me Fazya and stand up please” she corrected snappishly
“Back home, mother-in-laws are like one’s mother, I can’t exactly call you by your name” I explained
“Back home you said but you are no longer in Nigeria, you are in France now. So Fazya” she insisted. Then I guess I have no choice, so I stood up
“Dress up and come out” she ordered and left with that bitch
I made my way into the closet to dress up while BTS's We are bulletproof: The Eternal plays in the background.
“I will get to my heaven, no matter who throw stone at me, I have no fear anymore” I tried to pet talk myself into been strong with the lyrics of the song “Even if the winter comes again, I am bulletproof, no matter who blocks me, I walk forward strong because I am forever bulletproof” I let out a loud sigh because my life is the extent opposite of that song right now.
I am alone and I am not bulletproof. At least not with who I am about to go see
Back home in Nigeria, Mother-in-laws played about 40% role in any successful marriage. To tell you how important they are to a marriage, most women pray to God that their mother-in-law dies before they marry their husbands. My Mama even had her difficulties with my grandma before she died. So they are important.
I tried my best to be in a good relationship with Fazya but she always put me at an arm’s length. I guess she does not like me which is not surprising.
I mean out of all the girls Kylian could have chosen for a wife, he chose me… A nobody from a village in Nigeria. I get her dislike towards me, there are other girls that are more qualified than I am and deserve him better than I do.
I made my way out of the bedroom to the living room where apart from Fazya, Melissa, Kylian’s sister-in-law also sat with his lawyer. I can’t remember her name again. The bitch also sat with them. This must serious if the lawyer is involve.
“Alice, kindly excuse us” Fazya said and the assistant stood up and went towards her room.
So, her name is Alice. Such a lovely name for someone of a rotten character.
“How have you been doing, Bewaji” The elderly woman asked “I trust Alice has been treating you right”
I guess this is the time to spill the bean and have her fired but I am more concerned about my husband
“How is Kylian doing?” I asked in a subtle voice.
It has been three weeks since he had an injury. Torn his ligament muscle and will be out for some matches. Three weeks since that spiteful Alice made that utterance that almost had my world crashing into pieces but was able to keep myself from falling apart because there is no way he would marry me if he didn’t want to see me. There is something I don’t about know, I just have to wait and get the answer and everything will fall in place.
I guess my wait is about to be over and I will have all my questions answered
“He is doing okay, as you know he would be out for some matches but he will be fine” she tried to explained
“No one told me anything”
“What?”
“I said no one told me anything” I added. I know I shouldn’t do this, I am trying to get her to love me but I can’t help it. I have been abandoned for over a month, I just need to know why
“I have been stuck in this house for more than a month with a spiteful assistant who tells me nothing and would not hesitate to be rude to me anytime she feels like it. So no, I don’t know anything and I will love for you to tell me what is going on. Why has Kylian abandoned me in this house” I complained to their surprise
“I am sorry, it took us this long to get back to you” Fazya replied after she got over her shock over my boldness “We had some preparation to make”
“Preparations? I didn’t know the French also have some ritual they do before a bride can be with her husband’” I retorted and the lawyer cracked up while the other women remained stone faced
“Trust me there is no ritual, we are just preparing your house” The lawyer said finally speaking
“My house? Where am I then?” I asked in confusion
“Did you think this is your house” Melissa questioned
I think this is the first time she is speaking to me, I tried striking a conversation with her but like her mother-in-law, she held me at an arm’s length also. In fact, if I am not wrong, they all did, the whole Mbappe Family never smiled nor wanted to talk me… Kylian included unless he had no choice. I thought it was because they didn’t know me but I think something else is at play here
“Is it not” I threw back at her
“This is a hotel”
“What?” I have been living in a hotel. Then that explains the takeout I having been having for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“We have the deed to your house with your name on it” The lawyer spoke up dangling a brown file in her hand
“Why do I need a house when I can just move into my husband‘s house” I asked with confusion while they all looked at me with indifference “What am I missing here? What are you not telling me?”
“Okay, I am just going to rip off the bandage” Stoic Fazya muttered
“There is a bandage to be ripped off” I tried to joke even though I was nervous as fuck
“Kylian will not be living with you”
“What?” What is she taking about? I watch the lawyer hand Fazya the brown file in her hand.
“In this document, there are three documents for you to sign” she brings out all the documents “The first file is the property deed. Like I said earlier, there is a house to your name with two cars and a boat. You will receive a monthly allowance of a 100,000 Euros but that will increase as you start to have children.”
“Ahh God!” I held my head as I tried to comprehend everything they are telling me “Please wait, go over everything again please”
“I am sure you heard me but if you are not clear about anything, you are free to go through it again before signing. Melissa and Delphine will come for the files tomorrow. The second document is the NDA”
“I have to sign NDA too?” I grunted
“Yes, it is a document you have to sign. You are never to disclose the details of your marriage to anyone, not even your parent. You have to promise to be of your best behaviour as Kylian’s wife and never taint his reputation”
“If I do any of that, what would happen to me?”
“First, all assets you acquired from the beginning of your marriage to Kylian will be seized” with her eyed farrowed, Fayza replied calmly with a subtle hint of threat “Secondly, you will have to divorce…”
“Divorce?” I cried out
“You will have to divorce Kylian with no alimony” She glared at me for reasons not other than the boldness to interrupt her “and finally, you will be sued for defamation for a fee I am sure you can never be able to pay even if you have sell your body parts and that of your family on black market” she warned.
I have to say, this woman is really scary. Did she have to go that dark? I guess mother-in-laws are the same in every part of the world.
“Let me guess, the third file is the prenuptial agreement or in this case, postnup” I chuckled mockingly
“You are right” The witch confirmed my guess “I want you to know that you have no right to any of Kylian’s properties”
“Oh! I can tell” I retorted sarcastically
“Good because if you decide to divorce Kylian before you have three children, you get nothing from him not even if there are two children between you two”
“I am sure when that happen I will have enough money to fight for my own kids”
“There will be no custody battle between you two, your actions will determine if you get to share custody with him”
“What actions?”
“Like I said earlier, you get nothing if you decide to divorce Kylian before having three children”
“I got that, what happens when I have three kids?” I asked
“In the case where you instigated the divorce, say you are no longer interested in the marriage or you cheated, you get twenty million dollar with some visiting privileges. That is more than enough to start over”
“You mean money you would pay a surrogate” I chuckled sarcastically “What happens when he instigates it?”
“He won’t” she uttered
“What do you mean he won’t” I blurted out looking at her in amazement at the way she thinks “Do you think your son is immune to love?” I hit my chest vigorously “The heart is an independent entity, it does whatever the fuck it wants. So when the day that your son has no control over his heart arrive, what the fuck is going to happen”
“You get 50 million dollars and you get to share custody with him”
I chuckled out loudly
“So in short, I should never instigate a divorce if I want to be in my future children’s lives”
“I am glad you get it and in case of his death…”
“His death?” I asked in shock, why will they even think of him dead?
“You get 10% of his properties and that is if you two are still married in the event of his death with full custody of your kids. 60% goes to the kids irrespective of the number of children you have for him and of course, it will be in my care until they are twenty-five years of age”
“This is slavery” I retorted
“You are allowed to feel whatever you want… a public announcement about your marriage with Kylian would be made after you have your first child” she explained further “Of course, it can be done now but you need to be refined into a proper French lady, starting with learning French”
“I need to be the prefect wife for the camera you mean”
“Like I said, you are finally getting it”
“I don’t get it, why would Kylian want to marry me if he does not even want to live with me?”
“I guess, you are not that smart. The one thing he is getting from you is children.” Fayza retorted “he is not interested in marriage, he just want to focus on his career, I am sure you can understand how important it is.”
“But he also want kids but he only want them in a marriage. He loves to keep his life private and definitely hates scandals that follow that most players’ relationships” the sister-in-law added
“He wants to be married and enjoy all the benefit but not the horrors of it”
“So, you are smart after all”
“Then how will we have the children if he won’t live with me” I asked angrily
“Calm down, you will be seeing a gynecologist in three days and a date will be set for you to be inseminated with Kylian’s sperm”
“What?”
“You have a house worth five million dollar on the market and will be receiving a generous stipend every month. You should count yourself lucky, you will be living every woman's dream” My wicked mother-in-law stated “You will be well taken care, you will lack nothing, I promise you that” she tried to assured me and tried to make me feel like I haven’t just made the biggest mistake of my life.
I don’t feel lucky, it felt like a knife has been directed to my heart and stabbed at so many places. She and the other ladies stood up
“You are to move in this afternoon, If you have any problem, you can tell it to Alice and she will get across to us… see you when you have your first baby” she concluded and made her way to the elevator.
“What if I don’t” I rose up. Fazya and the other turned back to me with a stoic expression. “What if I choose not to sign the papers”
“Then you go back to your poor pathetic life” Melissa taunted with mockery
“Poor, yes but I was happy and I could have found someone that loves me and want to be with me. Money is not everything you know” I retorted with every strength I have in me to try and fight for my marriage even though I knew I was powerless
“You are right, money is not everything” Fazya stated “You can chose not to sign, the good thing is that the marriage is yet to be consummate, we can simply have the marriage annulled with no consequence on both parties” she turned and went in the direction of Alice’s room with Melissa. The marriage can be simply annulled and someone else can take my place…These people are using money to control other people, where the hell have I landed myself
“You are a smart girl” The lawyer muttered softly “You should take the deal” Even since, these women have arrived, she has been the only one that has speak to me like a friend
“Why me” I questioned her. I don’t know why I asked her but I felt she is the only one on my side and I hope to get some truth from her
“What?”
“Out of all the ladies, Kylian could have chosen from, why does it have to be me?”
“Because you are in love with him”
“What?” now it was my turn to be confused
“I read your messages to him, you love him and all you have ever wanted for him was success. There was no ulterior motive with the way you chatted with him, well except for that fact that you want him for yourself but you will never harm him and that made you the perfect candidate. Also, there is the way you look at the world, you look at it with this special kind of naivety and that makes you innocent”
“You mean a fool, it makes me a fool”
“I am sorry that is the way you feel about yourself” she said and left
I crashed to the floor dumbfounded and not knowing what to do. Alice came and said her goodbye to them. I watch her smirk at me.
She was right after all, Kylian does not want to see me.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT SATURDAY
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