– Another Shock

*****

Of all the things Xavier had visualized his first meeting with his fiancée would be after five years, this definitely was never one of them.

He remained dumbstruck for a long time, gaping, with his head pounding hysterically in disbelief as he stared at the couple who wouldn’t tear from each other even after his intrusion, only stopping after they finished having their climax.

They finally glanced toward the door, wondering about the person who had dared to intrude on their room.

“Which motherf*cking bastard are you?” Victor, a short man with an unremarkable appearance, demanded with rage while Jennifer’s eyes grew cold, unable to believe that someone had dared to barge into her room while she and her partner were together.

Infuriated, Jennifer quickly rolled herself into the duvet on the bed and leaped to her feet, pointing aggressively at Xavier.

“You!!!” She barked, wanting to curse but then she went into a daze the next second, unable to believe her eyes.

“How—how could it be you? Weren’t—weren’t you only supposed to be back 15 years from now? How—“ she stuttered with shock, disbelief, and panic, staring at the face she had almost forgotten.

As soon as Xavier, who was still struggling to process what he had just witnessed, heard Jennifer, he found himself smiling in the most heartbreaking way anyone had ever seen.

“Yes, how could I be back now when I was sentenced to 20 years in prison?” he asked self-mockingly, his voice raspy and unlike his usual tone.

Meanwhile, a frown immediately spotted Victor’s face when he heard the exchange between his woman and the stranger, and being the possessive sort of person he was, became so ugly in an instant, glaring at Jennifer.

“I…” Jennifer immediately returned to her senses from this glare and subsequently, the expression of panic and disbelief on her face disappeared, only to be replaced by mockery.

“Don’t you know him?” She inquired, pointing at Xavier in disgust.

Still infuriated by how his woman had communicated with another man, Victor’s eyes flashed aggressively. “How am I supposed to?” he asked darkly and Jennifer smiled wickedly.

“He was the bastard you threw away into prison 5 years ago.”

“Huh…”

“Huh…”

It wasn’t only Victor who was dumbstruck, Xavier was as well.

His face returned to being dazed as he heard Jennifer, unable to believe how she had just addressed him.

“Did—did you just call me a bastard?” He asked with shock, making Jennifer give him the sort of stare he had never received from her since knowing.

“Aren’t you one?” She inquired with derision before seeming to have recalled something.

She immediately smirked. “Isn’t even calling you a bastard me trying to respect you when I was supposed to address you as a…. Priisoonner.”

That was all Xavier needed to hear.

His heart shattered into millions of pieces in an instant and he became suffocated.

“You… you… you just called me a—a prisoner?”

“And so what? Aren’t you one?” Jennifer snapped back, with contempt and sarcasm, causing Xavier to tremble, almost fainting the next second.

His ears began to ring hysterically as those words echoed repeatedly. Xavier’s eyes turned crimson red as he pointed at Jennifer in disbelief. “You… you actually dared to call me a prisoner?” His voice shook badly.

If anyone who had known Xavier during his time in prison saw him now, they would be completely stunned, feeling the need to repeatedly check their eyes and ears to believe what they were witnessing. The man who was always known for his unwavering calmness was now shaking uncontrollably.

“You—you… have you forgotten the reason I was imprisoned?” He suddenly inquired.

“Hahahahah! Obviously, I sent you to prison!” Victor, who had initially been too stunned after what Jennifer revealed to him abruptly laughed out loud.

He was a young master of an influential third-rated family, and for this reason, he had always been having his way since he was a child.

One thing he particularly enjoyed was taking other people’s women, especially right in front of their partners, but he had never experienced this level of fervor before.

He couldn’t help but tremble with excitement, wondering what Xavier must be going through, returning from prison and finding his fiancée and the person who sent him to prison making out in his house and on his bed.

….

After he finished speaking, Victor thought Xavier would completely lose it, thereby giving him the chance to teach him a lesson for the second time.

Contrary to his wish, however, Xavier did not react.

He only spared Victor a single glance before ignoring him, dumbfounding both Victor and Jennifer.

“You…” Jennifer opened her mouth, but then Xavier interrupted.

“My eyes might be deceiving me but isn’t that the guy who almost raped you five years ago?” he suddenly asked, glancing back at Victor as though he just recalled the face.

Both Jennifer and Victor instantly exchanged gazes, but in the next second, beamed.

“And thanks to you, we got together,” Jennifer responded making Xavier’s tongue become tied for a second with astonishment.

"I—I attacked him five years ago when I caught him trying to assault you and was arrested for it, eventually being charged with attempted murder," Xavier suddenly began, his voice trembling so severely that anyone who knew him would be chilled to the bone. "I wasn’t given the chance to get a lawyer and was immediately sentenced to 20 years in a prison meant for hardened criminals." He concluded before his eyes suddenly flashed with hatred.

“Not only have you betrayed me upon my return, but with someone like that?” He inquired with disbelief, curling his fists so much with pain as he felt his heart being clenched tightly.

Jennifer remained silent after hearing Xavier and Victor did not say anything, waiting for how Jenifer would react.

With that, the room turned silent for a while before suddenly, Jennifer scoffed with ridicule.

“You said you were sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for defending me?” She inquired coldly but continued before Xavier could respond, her voice turning icy cold. “Did I send you to defend me back then?” She demanded, stunning both Xavier and Victor to the core.

Xavier wasn’t able to react for a long time, while Victor, after struggling to control himself, finally erupted into laughter only after which Xavier regained his senses and felt his body go cold. Yet before he could say a word, Jennifer continued, her voice still dripping with coldness and scorn.

“You acted as though you were unjustly thrown into prison. Did you not attempt to murder my man five years ago? Criminal!”

Xavier’s vision immediately darkened while his head became light.

“You—you—you—you…”

“Me what?” Jennifer snorted with disgust. “Did I lie?” She asked, making Xavier finally unable to hold it anymore.

“To think I rushed out of prison for you, hoping to give you a lifetime of happiness and make up for everything you desired for the rest of my life!” He suddenly laughed bitterly, his voice dripping with pain, self-mockery, and disappointment.

No sooner had he finished laughing, however than two jeering voices responded to him.

“Did you just say you rushed out of prison?” Victor inquired.

“And you, an ex-convict who had stopped having life 5 years ago dare to tell me how you wished to give me a lifetime of happiness?” What a joke.”

The couple laughed as though they had heard a joke, but Xavier didn’t show any painful emotion, instead, said seriously after a moment;

“I could have given you the best life and made you the envy of all the ladies in this world if you had waited.”

“Fool,” Jennifer scoffed, her eyes filled with disdain as she stared at the plain dress on Xavier’s body.

“You couldn’t give me one percent of the life given by my man before you were imprisoned and you think you’d be able to do that now that you’ve become an ex-prisoner?” She asked with sarcasm.

Perhaps because his emotions were too disordered or for another reason, Xavier neither got angry nor hurt by Jennifer’s words. He simply realized that the Jennifer he had always loved might have disappeared the moment he was sentenced to prison five years ago.

With that, Xavier breathed deeply. Although deep down, he wanted nothing more than to destroy the cheating duo, he chose not to act on those whims.

“Since you’ve already moved on with your life, can you and your man at least get out of my house now? Also, I will need my company back,” he said calmly, his demeanor having turned indifferent.

The moment Jennifer heard him, however, she finally panicked.

“I…” she opened her mouth to speak, but then was interrupted.

“Which stupid company and house?” Victor asked, not hiding the mockery in him.

"Since you were rotting away in prison, and I couldn’t squeeze a dime out of you for the damage you caused, my babe and I decided to sell off everything you owned, tossing whatever pathetic scraps were left to your parents after deducting my medical bills."

”This!” Xavier’s eyes widened with disbelief.

– The Feeling of Betrayal

*****

Xavier, with no background nor support whatsoever, had withstood the rain, blood, and hunger alone to create his company from scratch seven years ago and in a matter of two years, managed to turn it into a slightly successful company, with more than twenty employees.

He had handed it over to Jennifer after he was sentenced to prison five years ago, hoping that she’d manage it and from the profit made, take care of his parents.

Never in his life had he imagined that not only would she not take care of his parents, but would also team together with his oppressor and sell off his properties, a lie he obviously did not believe.

Xavier began to fume frantically, but eventually, clenched his fists to calm the rage that was on the verge of bursting out.

Meanwhile, seeing Xavier in this state, the adulterous pair before him had wide grins on their faces.

Jennifer felt not even the slightest trace of pity nor remorse for him and for betraying betraying him. She was even more pleased that she had quickly abandoned him, considering his present poor standing which was worse compared to five years ago.

“Are you going to weep now?” She suddenly inquired with a taunting voice, finally jolting Xavier back to his senses.

The following second, Xavier, who had never imagined any of what is as happening erupted with laughter, deeply startling the adulterous duo.

They exchanged confused gazes, wondering why Xavier would laugh when he was supposed to be loosing it, but then they smirked, realizing that it was a laughter of pain.

Perhaps, had the couple known the sort of person Xavier had become like those from the prison, they wouldn't have mocked his laughter, instead, they would have been scared to death and quickly kneel to beg for mercy, but unfortunately, they had no idea.

Xavier laughed with so much despair in his voice for a while before stopping all of a sudden and glance at Jennifer with an emotionless face.

“The guy who almost rapped you five years ago said you guys sold off all the properties I left in your care to manage and use its money to pay off his medical expenses, right?" he inquired coldly, causing Jennifer to go blank for a moment before her eyes nearly shot out flames.

“How dare you low-life ex-convict entity call my man a rapist?” she cursed but Xavier ignore her, coldly continuing, interrupting her outburst.

“I will leave everything to you then, but one thing I can promise you is that you, Jennifer Steezers will recall this day soon and regret it," he stated emotionlessly, then with his heart shattered into millions of pieces, turned around and walked away.

Earlier, Xavier had entered with a heart overflowing with joy and love, but now, as he left, his heart was burdened with sadness, disbelief, and hatred.

“Fool,” Victor snorted with disgust after a moment of comprehending Xavier’s threat.

“I will look back on this day and regret my actions? Jennifer asked ironically ignoring the sudden discomfort she was feeling. “Did he think this life is a Nollywood movie?" she chuckled loudly with derision.

With that, the two adulterous couple burst into laughter, heartlessly mocking Xavier without the slightest trace of pity for him.

Just then, Victor looked back at Jennifer, his heart filled with victory. “How about we go for another round?” He inquired playfully, making Jennifer blush.

“You naughty boy,” she murmured beneath her breath and then tapped Victor seductively on the chest, her face crimson red, and with that, Victor’s breathing became heavy.

Without a moment of hesitation, he hauled Jennifer into the bed and they started another round of action, not affected by the return of Xavier or his threat for revenge.

….

Meanwhile, outside the door, Xavier, who hadn’t left immediately clenched his fists with all the strength he could muster, even cutting into his flesh till blood sipped out.

Before long, his palm was covered in blood, but he didn’t notice. Instead, his eyes were filled with an expression he had never had before, not even on the day he was sentenced to prison or during his initial weeks there, which were marked by relentless bullying.

“What was I even waiting for?” He mumbled to himself after a while, recalling his foolishness of waiting outside the door, thinking he would be able to eavesdrop if Victor had forced Jennifer.

“To think I kept her in my mind all these years, using her promise of waiting for me to motivate myself whenever I felt weak,” he mumbled to himself, chuckling in the most painful way imaginable.

With this, Xavier cast one final glance at the door and then decisively walked away another moment of hesitation.

He did not even know how he reached the living room, but just as he was about to exit, however, he saw two people walking in, laughing.

They were Jennifer’s mother and brother, who noticed Xavier the instant he saw them.

“Burglar! What are you doing in my house?” Ava abruptly yelled, glaring cautiously at Xavier.

Xavier, seeing her, his eyes immediately reddened slightly, not offended as he understood that Ava had not recognized him.

She had been very good to him back then and she was the one he always ran to report Jennifer to whenever she offended him, given how she always sided with him and make Jennifer know her wrong.

“Aunty,” Xavier opened his mouth and called out with a raspy voice, dumbfounding the duo of mother and son who were getting ready to attack him.

They stared blankly at Xavier for a moment before; “Aren’t you that prisoner, Xavier?” They abruptly inquire in unison.

- Jennifer’s Hatred

*****

“Huh?” Xavier went into a daze and couldn’t react after hearing how he was addressed.

‘Let’s assume Jennifer’s love somehow disappeared after years of him being away, what about them?’ He thought blankly.

Although Xavier was from a poor background before starting his company, Jennifer’s background had been worse than his.

They were homeless when Xavier met Jennifer, and Xavier, in his little, had gotten an apartment for the family, furnishing it. He also enrolled Michael, who had dropped out of high school into college, paying all his tuition in advance.

That did not still end there. Xavier even placed the entire family on a payroll, giving them the exact amount he was giving his parents every month, yet they still addressed him as a prisoner despite knowing the reason behind his time.

This was what Xavier was busy thinking when;

“Who release this prisoner?” Michael suddenly laughed, breaking Xavier’s dumbstruck state. “Weren’t you supposed to rot in jail?”

“And what if he was released from prison?” Ava inquired angrily, glaring fiercely at Xavier who became even more stunned, and then continued without giving him a chance to react.

"Don’t you realize this house belongs to me now, the in-law of the powerful Amodu family? How dare you, a worthless ex-prisoner, come here? Are you trying to stain the Amodu name?" she shouted, and Xavier trembled

Amodu was Victor’s surname, and now…

“You—you…” Xavier pointed, his mouth dropping with stupefaction.

“You what?” Michael rudely interrupted him, but then recalled something and a look of fear appeared on his face.

He quickly looked back at his mother and asked. “Did we not leave my brother-in-law with my sister before we left for the market?”

“This-“ Ava was stunned as soon as she heard this, then glared even more at Xavier.

“You bastard! Hope you hadn’t disrupted the relaxation of the two?”

“That’s not even the problem, mother!” Michael cried before continuing when he saw his mother’s confusion. “Have you forgotten that brother-in-law promised me a new car and you a new change of wardrobe? Would he still fulfill them if he misunderstands things and thinks my sister still cares for this prisoner?!” He yelled, dumbfounding Ava.

“This!” A look of fear appeared on her face as she panicked, and then without hesitation, she rushed away, anxiously yelping. “I need to go beg my son-in-law and convince him that my daughter has nothing to do with this low-life prisoner anymore!”

Michael instantly glared hatefully at Xavier once Ava was gone before growling. "I swear I'll take your life if you make my brother-in-law break his promise," he threatened and pointed at the door.

"Now, get your filthy prison-ridden self out of my house before I have you dragged back to where you belong," he growled ferociously.

Xavier feeling that everything was a nightmare shook slightly, but still; “Your house?” He inquired emotionlessly.

“Yes,” my house, Michael responded affirmatively, smirking arrogantly. “My brother-in-law bought it for my family,” he added spitefully, making sure Xavier understood after which he continued coldly. “Now, get going before I throw you out!”

Xavier unable to react for a moment chuckled, the massive pain in his eyes returning.

He eventually released a heavy sigh before deciding to leave when without any warning, Michael lounged at him.

“Bastard! I told you to get your useless prison-ridden body out of my house!” He yelled, throwing a heavy punch at Xavier’s face with all the strength he could muster.

Looking at Michael's well-built physique, it was obvious he was a gym enthusiast, making Xavier seem like a dwarf beside a giant, and for this reason, anyone's first impression would be that if Michael ever hit Xavier with his full force as he intended, Xavier’s face would immediately shatter and he would pass out, a reason why Michael decided to attack.

Contrary, however, just as the fist was on the verge of hitting Xavier, a sort of invisible force radiated from his body, sending Michael hurling back until he crashed into the wall.

He shot out blood from his mouth the next second and his face paled significantly.

He was dumbstruck for a moment, then his heart began to pound hysterically in his chest, staring at Xavier in horror as he couldn't understand what just happened.

Xavier, who hadn’t even moved a single finger from the beginning looked down at Michael, then not saying a word, he sighed heavily and walked out, no longer looking back.

No sooner had he disappeared, however than Michael, who had been scared out of his wit returned to his senses.

“Argh!!! The prisoner is trying to murder me!!!" he howled, his voice so loud it seemed to echo throughout the entire villa.

”This…” Ava, who had been excitedly peeping into her daughter’s bedroom through the keyhole was dumbstruck, but before she could react, the door was opened and a scared couple rushed out.

They were instantly dumbstruck upon seeing Ava but hearing the terrified voice screaming nonstop, they had no time for her, so they rushed away and Ava also ran after them.

”What happened? What happened!!”

They asked with fear, rushing toward Michael, who was seated in front of the puddle of blood before him.

Michael immediately sobbed as soon as he saw his family. He had thought he was going to die earlier after he felt the aura released from Xavier.

“Boohoo! Th-that prisoner suddenly attacked me out of nowhere! He tried to murder me in revenge!"

“This—” The trio were dumbstruck for a moment before their eyes became filled with rage.

Ava began to curse at Xavier and all his generations, wishing them all the evil in this world while Jennifer looked toward Victor, breathing heavily.

“You must avenge my brother,” she said with eyes filled with hatred.

Apart from her mother, Michael was the next person Jennifer loved most in her life, and now… she felt like tearing Xavier apart for daring to touch him.

She instantly regretted her slight hesitation back then when Michael and her mother pressured her to go to Michael after Xavier’s sentence.

‘I should have dumped him even before he was sent to the place he deserved!’ she thought hatefully.

As for Victor, he immediately smirked upon hearing Jennifer’s request. “That’s a little thing,” he responded, but when he saw that Jennifer didn’t seem convinced, he continued.

"I had him imprisoned five years ago with just a single call, and that was before my family became this powerful. Do you think getting him a death sentence now will be difficult?” He inquired and it was only then that Jennifer became relieved.

Unbeknownst to Jennifer, she harbored deep guilt for betraying Xavier, and unable to accept this guilt, she unconsciously transformed it into hatred, wishing every possible misfortune to befall him.

“Thank you,” she responded before urging her mother to take Michael to the hospital for treatment, then although she was no longer in the mood after the duo was gone, she had no choice but to follow Victor back to the room, seeing how excited he still was.