Till Death Do Us Part- Episode 4

                    

                                                                            4

I remember the first day I met Stan. It was at a Conference organized by the Consulting Company I was with then in Orlando.  From the stares I got, I knew  that I looked like a crazy person holding 2 folders, a MacBook and a bag that was definitely too big for my shoulders. But where the hell are these IT guys when you need them?! I had a presentation to make in less than 20mins and my MacBook has decided not to come on so, yea I could care less about the stares honestly because I had a mission to accomplish and I was running out of time! As the Lead Designer for the company, I  doubled as the Project Manager and Spokesperson for the company as is necessary. Today is one of such days where I have my Spokesperson hat on and it really isn't going as planned!

Do you need help? A voice asked from behind me when I stumbled for the umpteenth time with all I had. 

No I- I turn around and see this interesting looking man. He didn't have regular  "handsome guy" look. He had this almost rustic hard feature that made him both appealing and scary with the distinct scar he had on his temple. I clear my throat and continue;

Umm yea, but I really don't want to be a bother. I quickly adjusted my statement. Wait till I tell Ife the hunk I met today at the conference she said would be "boring"!  While awaiting his reponse, I take the time to truly check him out as a sharp girl that I am na 😉. First off, bruv is TALL! I pride myself in not being short but I am almost a dwarf next to this man! Next, he has this warm, rich, golden and buttery brown skin tone that would give snickers a run for their money... Full shiny beards, check! Proper african features check-check! Sense of style... Yum!! To top it off, he now looks like he has sense... Okurrrrrr

It's no bother at all. I offered. He responded. I smiled in response but in my head, I was really saying "meowwwww". 

Of course he was my knight in shining armour who helped me fix the situation with the MacBook and so, it only made sense to go for late lunch with him as a "Thank you". After our first outing and proper conversation, you could say that the rest was history. That is of course till he threw me under the bus to secure a promotion at work. Remembering the events that led to that has left a bitter taste in my mouth... again.

As an individual who is a firm believer in integrity and hardwork, Stan knew just where to hit me by ensuring that my name was dragged irrepairably through the mud. Being the lover girl that I am, I have never been one to mix business and pleasure. In fact, I took it to the extreme by stating that I'll never have anything to do with anyone I meet at any official function because... Men talk!

The fact that my colleagues knew this about me didn't work for my good when everything blew out of proportion weeks later because they figured that it must've been something very serious, for me to break my "protocol".  As the days went by, Stan and I were inseparable- going to work together, spending lunch breaks together, picking each other up from work, going to functions together (The typical Barbie and Ken situation) etc. What can I say? When I fall, I fall... hard! 

Weeks had gone by, we had gotten even closer ( we were the cheesiest of cheesy couples) and so when Stan officially asked me to be his girlfriend in one of the most romantic fashions ever! All I could say was a  resounding YES! It was truly stuff that was out of one of my books and I couldn't be happier. Our closeness progressed to the extent that our colleagues called us Mr. & Mrs. Smith. 

Having all these at the back of their mind, it wasn't strange to anyone at my office to see Stan  pick up my work PC since he has done that a thousand times before. On Thursday, the 19th day of July, 2019 my world came crumbling and everything I had taken years to build went up in smoke. 

You know how people say that when something weird is about to happen, they get some sort of inkling? I think I might have experienced that because, when I woke up on Thursday, I had this weird feeling and not knowing the reason why. I figured it was the sickness just doing its work. I had been ill for over a week and Stan (being the caring boyfriend) was there for me, taking care of me and even telling Ife to chill because he "had it covered". When I complained to him about the fact that work had been piling up on my desk and he offered to go bring my laptop so I could get some work done, I was excited and thankful to have someone this thoughtful in my life!

Imagine my shock when I come out of the bathroom to see my phone buzzing and checking to see messages and missed calls from my line manager, my branch head, and surprise-surprise my regional Manager. All messages (although couched differently) had the same meaning;

What the hell have you done?! 

What did you do it for?! Money?

Why???

Two hours later, no Stan, phone still buzzing, I'm finally fully aware of the mess I'm in. There's no time to do anything other than call my dad, brief him and tell him I need a lawyer. Apparently, not only did Stan make away with my company's PC, but since he knew my passcode, he logged into the company's private documents vault, took vital secrets for an upcoming project (I had excitedly spoken about because we're in the same industry and he'll understand right?) and then within an hour, his company had announced their "new project" with Stan as the Project Manager. 

4 months, 2 weeks, 12days, 146 hours, 320 seconds (Yes, I was counting) later.

My company has finally agreed to the ruling of the Arbitration Court. I will be summarily dismissed, lose all my benefits, come up with a new project plan (for free) and I will pay back for the cost of the MackBook pro stolen. Thanks to the bad ass lawyer dad hired and loop holes in my NDA, it was proved that I had no knowledge of all Stan had been planning (Yes, had been planning becayse this wasn't a one-day plan) and that I will work with the company for 2 months (unpaid) to come up with a new project, work plan and implementation calendar and then, take a bow (in other words, they will rip my baby from my hands and have someone else who had zero knowledge of how the project came about to manage it). 

It was honestly the best possible outcome because, if it was someother unlucky person, they would most likely be lounging in jail by now so, yea, I should be grateful. So why then do I still have this bitter taste in my mouth? 

Papers signed, parties in agreement, I finally take a deep breath. Standing directly outside the Arbitration Court, all I can think is... Life is so random! One day you're at the top and the next day, you're struggling to come up for air from a pit that you've somehow fallen into. 

*bing*

Heyyyyyyyy. I just heard the good news! Congratulations! Lol. Ife and her addiction to texting. Of course she has heard the good news since my lawyer is her new "obsession". Ife has a thing for what I have termed "Dapper men"- she says there is something about a man in suit that does something to her insides😅. Who am I to judge?

Hey. Yea, thank you. In the past months, Ife has been for the lack of a better word "rallying" around me, trying to get me to "express" and let things out so that I can (in her words), "Begin my healing process" Whatever that means. I have told her times without number, I am okay! I'm just ready for this whole phase to be over with and thankfully, starting today, I can begin taking steps to be over this. 

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I wake up to snooze my alarm... again. What time is it?! I check and I see that it is just 4pm. I have lost track of time in the past days with the blinds always shut and lights all turned off. Knowing all I need to do can be done remotely has helped this new hermit lifestyle I've adopted pending when I can leave the States for Nigeria. It also helps that Ife has returned to Nigeria. She's been worried that I have not cried through all of this and was determined to stay to pester me. However, family emergency had her return home in a hurry. 

How do I tell her that all I feel is numbness? OR that I just want to lay in bed and disappear?And that right now, tears is the last thing on my mind. Revenge, reprisal, retaliation etc take the front seat of things on my mind Or at the very least an answer to the question that has been on my mind 'why me'? 

I knew the why already so that made it bearable... sort of. What I needed was why he thought I was the perfect 'candidate'. So, weeks after the initial matter had taken place, my curiousity wouldn't rest and so I paid Private Investigators to dig into the whole situation. And it was found that apparently, Stan is known is quite a number of states as one who uses his "masculine wiles"  and other unconventional means to forward his career. He has managed to advance in the ranks with such speed that everyone assumes it's his amazing "charisma" that has helped. I personally can understand why they would have that assumption

When I found that out, I decided that I was going to be the last person he messes with. I will bring him down! I don't care how long it takes. But first, I have to sort myself out, get back on my feet and Stan wouldn't know what hit him in the head!

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Hola!

I decided to take you down memory lane in this episode. 

What do you think happens next? 

Love always,

Princess 💕