The Deceptive Love

This is about a couple who pretended to be in love with each other but it turned out they both had an ulterior motive in their relationship.

''You're so different from every other woman I've met. Give me the chance to love you, to show you how much you mean to me''. ''How do I explain this feeling? I don't know how to make you understand how much you've captured my heart. I think about you every second, and being with you is all I desire''. ''Let me love you my cherry. Let me take care of you and take you around the world. I'll always treat you right; you have nothing to fear sweetie. Just allow me, and I'll bring the who universe under your feet''. That was Felix, the man that has sworn never to let me rest. I tried my possible best to make him understand that I wasn't interested, but he was adamant. And to make the matter worst, he went behind and bought the heart of my best friend Lilian.

Lilian, being someone with a high level of materialism, loved this man without reservation. Felix went behind and asked her to help get me to accept him. ''Babe, I don't understand why you don't like good things o. This man loves you na, you just dey dull anyhow. Even if you no won marry am, make we chop the money na''. Lilian was just being her usual self, and I didn't blame her for her kind of reasoning; I only blamed the society and the environment she grew up in. When I say I'm not interested in someone, I usually don't change my mind about it. I wasn't looking for anyone to beg or try to persuade me into being with Felix, his money was nothing to me. Yeah, I was still struggling but it was better for me than eating from a man I knew nothing about. Lilian did her best but it wasn't working on me, so one day she told me that she was going to go diabolic if that's the only thing it will take her. I just laughed over it and thought it was a joke as usual.

A few weeks later, Felix came to my apartment. Lilian and I shared two-bedroom flat. I was on the balcony when Felix entered, but Lilian had gone to fix her nails at a salon close by. I never told Felix where I lived, although I wasn't surprised to see him show up just like that because I had a crazy fellow as a friend, I needed nobody to tell me that it was Lilian who gave him the address. When he came in I acted all cool; I greeted him, offered him a seat and waited for him to start up a conversation since I didn't invite him to my house. Felix was all mute, staring at me like one who just saw a ghost. He acted very strangely, and I didn't know what that was all about. When I couldn't take the silence anymore, I asked him if I could offer him anything and he declined, saying he was okay and was waiting for Lilian. Oh, I see! When I heard that, I just nodded and went into my room since I wasn't the reason why he came.

Lilian got back minutes later and was all happy to see Felix in the house. I peeped through my room door and saw them kissing and hugging as nothing else mattered in the world. Who cares! I wasn't moved at all, I never wanted him after all; and I was even happy that he was out of my way because I was already tired of him bugging me all the time. After that day, my lovely friend Lilian could not look me in the face. I saw how difficult it was for her to speak to me or initiate a conversation between us. She wasn't the same Lilian I knew before, and I guessed she felt very guilty for what she did. Lilian, you did nothing wrong, I told her. I never wanted Felix in the first place, you're my friend, if Felix is all that can make you happy, then it's okay by me, I support you hundred percent. After what I told her, I saw her brightening up again. One thing I wouldn't want is to have issues with anyone because of a man, it doesn't make any sense to me. Even if I should have issues with anyone, it shouldn't be Lilian because she's been a good friend, I thought.

Two months later, she came back from a date with Felix all excited. ''He proposed''! She screamed at top of her voice, jumping around the house. This was the first time I ever saw her this happy. I joined her in the celebration, we popped champagne and she took me out that very night, we had fun I must say. We had a wedding to plan and everything was going smoothly. Felix was like a puppy to Lilian, she could control him anyhow she wanted. He followed her every instruction and adhered to all her demands. I knew she was all in for the money, but there was nothing I could do than to support her on her wedding day. I just wished Felix knew better; poor him.

Three days before the wedding, we were on our way to book the wedding gown. We all know that planning a wedding is stressful and it wasn't easy for Lilian and me. She had collected money for the wedding plan from Felix, instead of hiring a wedding planner, she decided to do it by herself, with my help of course. I couldn't say no to her, because she was my friend and I wanted the best for her. That very day is a day I never wish to experience again in my entire life. She was plumpy, average in height, with a light skin tone. I wouldn't call her beautiful but she was pretty and good-looking. She wore a yellow gown with palm slippers, hair neatly packed, and was heavily pregnant. I first saw her approaching our direction, her eyes fixed on Lilian with a mean face. I thought maybe she was just one of those who liked looking at people anyhow, so I focused on what we went there for. ''Na you be Lilian abi''? She asked, touching Lilian on the shoulder. Lilian was about to say yes when this woman landed her a hot slap. My friend held her ears and was about to ask the woman why she did that, she tried slapping her the second time then I held her hand to prevent the second slap. Madam what's the problem, why are you hitting my friend like that? I asked.

''Oh, she's your friend, birds of the same feathers''. She was shouting the whole premises down, drawing everyone's attention. Lilian on the other hand was still confused, ''why on earth would this woman slap me, what did I do to you ma''? I was even more confused because whatever she might have done to this woman, I have been involved since she's my friend. ''Leave my husband alone, ashawo, leave Felix, my husband, alone''. Ahhh, Chineke God! What did she just say? Same Felix that I ran away from, so I would have been a victim if I had accepted this man into my life, this life self. Lilian felt so embarrassed, so we had to leave immediately because people were already gathering there. On our way home, she was all in tears, she couldn't hold or control her emotions. The joy she had a few minutes ago was replaced with pain and hurt. I felt for her and wished that this day never came.

Felix was busy calling throughout that day but Lilian never picked up. He came to the house in the evening to apologize to Lilian but she didn't want to see him. I had to beg him to go but the man was adamant, he said that the wedding must hold. He can't think of any other woman but Lilian. I asked about his wife, he told me that he had already given her divorce papers to sign, he was going to divorce his wife who's heavily pregnant for Lilian, interesting right? This wasn't ordinary, I thought within me. Initially, this man was all over me, then suddenly he switched to Lilian and even to the point of wanting to marry her, knowing fully well that he's already married. There must be more to this. ''I'm finished babe, what do I do''? Lilian asked, still in tears. I tried to console her, but she was acting like one who was going crazy. What is this? I asked. Talk to me Lilian, I know it's painful, it hurts for you to find out your dream man is already married but that's not the end of the world. Just calm down and pull yourself together, everything will be alright.

''Babe, can I confide in you''? She asked. Of course, you can, I replied. ''Look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was jealous of you having Felix, I know you didn't want him but still, I was jealous he wanted you instead of me. Call it greed or anything, I wanted him all to myself, especially his money''. ''Babe I wanted him to love me, to see just only me. I wanted to be the only woman in his life, the only one he values and respects. I wanted him to worship the ground I walk on, so I did the unthinkable. I used a charm on him, babe, I never knew he was married''. ''How do I face my family, what do I tell them that happened? I don't want to be a second wife neither do I want to be the reason why another woman will run out of her home''.

Lilian sobbed as she spoke. She was in a dilemma, confused and broken. I saw a lady who's compassionate but her avaricious motive was about to destroy her. She wanted Felix by all means and that led her into using charm. No wonder she told me that she would go diabolic, now I understood. What if I had accepted Felix, who knows if she would have been happy with me. The quest for material things has endangered a lot of people. Life is very deep, a lot is happening. Try and be careful out there brethren.

Monica Ama

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