Aunt Lisa stood in the lawn her hands crossed on her chest acting so unbothered.
Pretending like she didn't know the crime she had committed didn't fit her one bit. She wasn't deceiving anyone with that look.
She was putting on a black gown and black accessories to match her fair skin.
She had visibly lost some weight since I last met her a few weeks ago.
The usual sparkle in her eyes was lost replaced by a darkness that wanted to burn things to the ground.
To burn me and my mother down I suppose.
The thought of pushing her off the pedestal she put herself on gave me so much joy. After all she was one of the reasons why I had grown to this girl who wasn't so pure anymore.
Maybe she would start to realize that I was not your normal girl after today.
The twelve year old girl she had betrayed, hurt and didn't give two fucks about her predicament was dead and buried. This girl was new and didn't care one bit about Lisa.
She had hurt me so deeply but that was not why I was here. I was here because she continued to try to hurt me over again and this time with Scar by my side I was sure ready to take her on.
But before I could really do anything
my mum who had never laid her hands on me for so many years rushed to Lisa and slapped her thrice in seconds.
Aunt Lisa's eyes widened in shock, she was taken aback and terrified just like I was.
I had never seen my mum exhibit such rage before let alone violence.
Lisa stared at my mum, her eyes watery from unshed tears. I gaped at both of them my heart beating wildly in my chest in fear and anticipation for the exchange that was sure to happen.
"You bitch! How dare you! How dare you put me and my daughter at risk. How dare you?!" My mum yelled.
Scar rushed to my mum and held her hands firmly, pulling her away from a teary eyed Lisa.
"How dare you call me to threaten me!" My mum continued to yell, struggling to get out of Scar's grip.
"You are the bitch!" Aunt Lisa yelled back. I stood still watching the whole scene unfold before my eyes. My mum was defending herself so I did nothing.
I was proud of her.
"You slut! Just because you sleep around doesn't mean I want to. What is wrong with you? why are you being demonic?!" My mum screamed.
"You are crazy I've always known that Lisa, but do not try me otherwise you would be surprised at what I am capable of doing. You bitch stay the fuck away from me and my daughter!"
My mum was still struggling to get out of Scars grip but his hold on her wrist was too strong. She looked ready to commit murder so although I wanted her to defend herself I didn't want her to do something that she would later regret.
Anger was highly inflammable and I knew that if not for Scar she would have clawed aunt Lisa to death.
"That's why your husband left you, you are nothing but a mad woman Amelia. A jealous conniving bitch! Same with your useless daughter who goes around fucking any ugly criminal she lays her eyes on!" Aunt Lisa fired back.
I walked further into the compound now so I was few inches closer to Lisa.
I could not let her insult my mum, me and Scar any further.
She was wrong and she had the audacity to call us names. The nerve.
"What are you here to deny it? To deny that you didn't fuck Ken!" She growled.
***
Bella and a little boy who I assumed was her brother ran out of the house with Anita trying to hold them back from rushing to their mum.
Anita succeeded in keeping them away from the lawn so they stood at a distance, hanging by a swing at the right side of the garden.
Both kids stared at me with teary eyes making me feel as though I were the villain.
The boy was just about four years old and his large eyes were on me, Begging me.
I was present when Lisa was pregnant for him, but because of what had happened I hadn't seen him when he was born.
I hadn't seen any of them after the day I left.
Although I really wanted to have Lisa arrested seeing her kids looking so small and vulnerable reminded me of my brothers.
I couldn't imagine a life without my mom for any of us, but I couldn't also let Lisa go without any form of punishment or she was bound to attack us again if she had nothing to lose if she was caught.
How many more times would Scar be there to save me?
I just couldn't let the Demons from my past continue to hurt the man I loved. I had to tame them.
"Do you still have my account number?" I asked Lisa, exhaling as a lump formed in my chest.
I wanted to say more to her, like how I had trusted her and expected her to defend me against Ken but I didn't want to sound weak.
She didn't deserve to have a glance at my vulnerable state.
What she said about me sleeping with Ken didn't hurt me so tangibly after all I had expected such hurtful words from her and both she and Ken were going down.
The justice I couldn't get before I was sure going to get it now.
"Oh my, so you came here to blackmail me, family of blackmailers and sluts!"
"Yes of course. I do love money and yours seems to be quite easy to get." I retorted, starting to get really pissed.
Scar and my mum had backed away from us- he seemed to be trying to calm her down. I could hear his soothing voice repeating "Ma'am please calm down."
I was more than grateful for him.
I turned to Bella who didn't seem to recognize me anymore and it hurt. I wanted to hug her but I doubted if her mother would want that.
I had missed her so much.
I wondered if Ken had gotten any further with her before he was arrested. I wondered if she had confided in her mum what she had said to me that morning.
Anita refused to look up at me. She pretended to want to play with the children, but I knew that shame, fear and guilt was what was keeping her from facing me.
"You will never get another dime from me Mira!" Lisa screamed forcing my eyes back to her.
"Do you still have my account number? I asked once nicely and I'm asking nicely again which is a rare occurrence. I am not my mother, mistaking me for my mother is bad. The knowledge of the difference between I and my mum should be the beginning of wisdom for you. Do not make me ask a third time Lisa, it would not be be nice."
"Yea....Yes I do and so." She stuttered.
"Good, now your phone is here, you will send the sum of..." I paused and thought of the amount that would really hurt her to part with. "100 million naira now,___"
She tried to speak but I walked further to her and grabbed her wrist.
Digging my nails dug into her flesh. I screamed. "Never interrupt me again!"
"Yes," she whispered, crying.
I felt no pity for her, she deserved everything and even worst. I felt pity only for her children and her husband. Living with a toxic person was sure poisonous and I had a first hand experience of it so I knew exactly how it felt.
It was the pity I felt for Bella that made me extend mercy to her mother.
I let go of her wrist and she backed away from me inspecting the almost non existent damage my fingers had inflicted on her arm.
"Now as I was saying you will send the sum of 100 million naira to me. That is for the inconvenience caused to me any my mother. But this is your last warning." I said through clenched jaw, coming close to her so our faces were inches apart.
"If you should ever plan an attack like this again you will be going to jail and no amount of money will save you. I will have no Mercy on you! The only reason I am giving you another chance is because of your daughter, even if you are toxic I have seen how you love her and she doesn't deserve to grow up without her mother."
" If you ever play a prank like this again, I swear that it will be the end to your freedom. I am invisible, Don't try to take me down. This is your last warning."
I didn't yell but there was a slight edge to my voice that sent shivers down my own spine.
"Now you can leave town for all I do not care."
She brought out her phone and called her bank manger and in a minute I saw the alert in my phone and nodded.
"Do not let me come to your home again or you will be leaving with me in cuffs." I spat.
I turned to my mum who was now calm and away from Scars grip.
"Mum let's go." I said, walking to her.
She nodded but just as we were about to go, she looked back to face a startled Lisa, "You can never win because even within you a battle lives. Win that first and pray that your husband does not find out who you really are. I feel horrible that I once thought of you as a friend."
While my mum spoke I turned around to search for Bella only to see that she was already glaring at me.
There was recognition in her eyes now. But as she tried to make her way to me Anita held her back.
My heart tore into pieces as my mum grabbed my arms softly and led me out of the gate.
I was forced to leave my best friend behind without having the opportunity to ask her if Ken had succeeded in taking advantage of her innocence.
Something's we would never know.