THE FORGOTTEN HEIRESS-Chapter 119: In Love With His Best Friend’s Wife
"She is such a daring fireball, too hot to handle. No wonder my poor friend has not been able to convince her all these months, despite all his charms and wealth." Steffan muttered after he recovered from his coughing bout.
With this thought also came the painful realization that he was in love with his best friend’s wife.
"Why am I so unfortunate that the first woman that stole my heart happens to be married to my best friend."
"Damn you Shawn," he cursed. "You are always having the best of everything. Now I can’t even live a happy life with the one I love."
With that he got into his car and drove back home, perhaps after resting, he will be able to think clearly.
He had made such a huge sacrifice, denying himself of his much needed rest just to help his friend, only to hit himself in the foot with this horrible truth.
When he got home, he wanted to make a quick dash to his room to rest before anyone in the family could see him, but it appeared luck was not on his side as he heard his sister in-law’s voice the moment he took the first step towards his room.
"Steffan," she called out, her forehead creasing in a frown when saw his dejected appearance.
He was a shadow of the lively young man that sent Sophia to school this morning.
"Are you not supposed to be in your office by now? Steffan asked before Candace could say anything.
She was the founder of Living Hope Foundation, an NGO that caters for women and children living with disabilities.
She had taken up the cause after she went on a one week tour with a group of social workers ten years ago and saw the poor living condition and discrimination people with disabilities were facing.
When she came back home she wasn’t herself for a whole week. Then her husband suggested doing something for the ones she could see around her.
She started by sending individual aids, later in groups which later developed into "Living Hope Foundation."
Through different empowerment programmes and initiatives throughout the years, including the provision of early head start and high quality education for children, to housing, nourishing food, vocational training, and rehabilitation for those who were in need of that, the foundation has helped disadvantaged women and children find opportunities in the society.
Although there were so many people working under her now, in the three different branches which the foundation has expanded into, she was still actively involved in the day to day running of the foundation and would visit each branch at least once a week to oversee how things were going.
"I’ve planned to accompany your brother somewhere this morning to see a potential sponsor for the organization whom he spoke to some days ago. Later I will drop by at the head office when I get back," she explained. "But why are you looking this way?"
"You were alright when you took Sophia to school earlier, what suddenly happened to you?"
"I’m fine. There’s nothing to worry about." Steffan said and turned to go to his room.
"You know you can’t fool me "little brother,"
"Don’t just start," Steffan warned. She always used that name whenever she wanted to coax him or make him do something he doesn’t want to do especially in times like this when he decides to lockup on people.
She made a "What did I do?" gesture with her arms.
"Do you need a shoulder to cry on? I’m always available if you do, someday," she volunteered jokingly.
Steffan couldn’t help but laugh at her attempt to liven him up.
"He doesn’t need my wife’s shoulders to cry on. What he needs is a wife, and mother has the perfect candidate for him."
"Brother!" yelled Steffan, he felt like disowning his brother immediately. "Why am I so unfortunate, even my own brother wishes me an early death," bemoaned Steffan.
"What is there to die from?" Stanley Rosse taunted. "Is it not just a marriage?"
"If it is just a marriage, we can swap," he shot back, preparing to flee before his brother would pounce on him.
"Are you seriously courting death? How dare you have your eyes on my woman?" He stretched his legs to kick Steffan but the former had already disappeared like a shadow.
"Stan darling, you had better stop provoking him. You know quite well that Benita is something else. No man in his right senses would want such a spoilt brat for a wife. I wonder why mother chose her for our outstanding Steffan?
"Since he has refused to pick a woman himself, why won’t mother shove one down his throat?" Stanley Rosse retorted.
"All he is concerned about is cutting open people’s bodies all day long instead of starting a family of his own."
"Look at who is talking. When I married you, were you not already an old man of thirty two years, but Steffan is barely thirty," scolded Candace.
"At the rate he is going, he will be way over forty before he settles down," her husband fired back 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
"At least I was already in a relationship with you before I clocked thirty. If you hadn’t insisted on going from one tour to the other, you would have given birth to five children by now."
"Shameless," Candace smacked her husband’s arms. "If I had known you wanted a baby manufacturing machine, I wouldn’t have married you."
Stanley Rosse chuckled, "Who would you have married if not me? Was it not because nobody wanted a mobile wife that I married you out of my kind heart?"
"So I was a charity case, poor me. Now I know I wasn’t married because of the epic love I thought you had for me," Candace wailed, wiping a non existent tear from her eyes.
"Starting from tonight, I will move to the guest room until I find someone who loves me sincerely for who I truly am."
