The forbidden fruit 3

Sonia's POV

After that day I was finally pulled back to my reality. I had been living in a fairytale for so long that I already forgot how painful my life truly was.

I tried to pick myself up and move on from it all but it was just so hard. I had already given everything I had to him, I had fallen deeply in love with him.

Even though I forced myself to hate him, I just couldn't let go of the guilt and shame I felt whenever I thought about my best friend Amanda.

She never failed to reach out to me but I just couldn't face her. At some time, I felt pure fear whenever I saw her name on my phone's screen. Different thoughts always flashed through my mind but there was always one question I could never stop asking myself.

Has she found out about our affair?

It was emotionally draining for me and after weeks of suffering in silence, fearing for my life, I decided I couldn't keep living like that. So, I finally moved out of Abuja.

Since I had no money of my own and I didn't want to go back to my parents' house back in Oyo, I had to finally depend on the gift the bastard had offered me despite swearing to myself that I wouldn't.

I moved into the duplex he had bought in my name in Lagos and sold the car he gave me, using it to start my very own clothing business.

Drowning myself in my work helped keep my mind occupied, slowly helping me forget but there were still those particular days I still received calls from her. Having decided to put the past behind me, I never answered nor returned her calls.

Not just her, Anthony never called once to see how I was doing and I was so happy about it. I knew that one call from him would return me back to my abyss. I couldn't afford to go back there.

Weeks and months went by and my business started to boom, growing bigger and bigger like God had finally decided to accept me as his daughter too.

Along the way, I met another man. Though I had decided to shut my heart after what Anthony did to me, Richard's endless love, caring and his will to remain by my side made me gradually pull down the walls I had built around me.

Within a few months of knowing each other, I finally accepted his fifth proposal to be his girlfriend and might I had, the best decision I had ever made.

He wasn't rich neither was he poor. He was stable enough to be called a man, loving enough for me to forget about my hurtful past with men and God fearing enough for me to envision a future with him.

Two years passed after my ordeal with Anthony and I had already managed to start afresh. A good business that kept me fed, my very own house, a new car I got myself and a loving boyfriend.

To add to the blessed list, my hands gently tapped my flat belly as a small smile appeared in my face.

Yes, I just found out I'm three weeks pregnant for my boyfriend. I didn't see any issues because we've already been discussing about our future and I know that he would be ecstatic about it.

I couldn't wait to break the good news to him!!

I was about to text him to meet at my house when I suddenly received a call from an unknown number. Thinking it might be one of my customers, I answered without having any second thoughts till I heard that familiar voice.

"So, Sonia... I had to call you with a different number before you could answer abi?" My heart jolted in fear, my guilt returning instantly.

I wanted to end the call quickly and block the number but I was too scared to do so. It's been two years and I still haven't gotten over my fear of her. Still, I wanted to know why she was calling.

"Since you decided to cut me off without any form of explanation, I had to go to your parents to find our about your wellbeing only to be told you left Abuja two years ago. Why didn't you tell me Sonia?" I felt the subtle change in her voice when she asked that question.

She sounded sad, disappointed but I wonder, how will she feel when I reveal the reason I cut everyone off? How do I even start to explain what my greed had caused?

"I'm sorry..." Was all I could mutter but she didn't seem to care the least about my apology.

"Anyway, that isn't the real reason I'm calling you. I'm in trouble, a really big one and at this moment, you're the only one I can turn to Sonia." She said to me.

Amidst the call, she explained in tears that she found out her husband was diagnosed with Aids, probably from one of his numerous side chicks. I was sure it wasn't me since I've been undergoing monthly check ups for the last two years.

Anyway, she said she couldn't stay with him anymore as the constant reminder of him cheating on her will always be there everytime she looks at him.

I was scared for her health but she assured me that she never let him touch her from the moment she started to get suspicious of his lifestyle so she was clean.

She just needed to get away from that place and she couldn't go live with her parents since she knew they would only persuade her to go back to her husband.

I was the only one she could count on now.

After hearing her story, I couldn't bear to turn my back on her. Sonia has never turned me away when I needed help so why should I allow my fear cloud my judgements?

Besides, it wasn't her fault her husband was a community dick so why should she suffer for it? I immediately invited her over to my home and the next day, she was already here.

God, it's been just two years and Amanda's appearance had undergone a very big change. She wasn't as radiant as she used to be. She had lost all her spark and looked like one who was suffering.

Who knows how long she must have been suffering in silence. The moment I saw her, I pulled her into a tight hug and cried on her arms. She couldn't help it and bursted into tears too.

It's been just so long... I almost ruined our friendship because of my greed, not knowing the one I was vying for wasn't even worth it. Now I know, she's the only one I'll ever need and I won't allow anything come between us again.

We shared our stories from the time we've been apart and might I say, hers was far sadder than how she explained through the phone. She said when she finally found out her husband was cheating, she confronted him but what she got in return was even more humiliation and violence from him.

After what Anothiny did to me that day, him being a woman beater didn't seem like something unreal to me anymore. She said she went to her parents for help but they were on her husband's side, saying marriages like that are common and she should endure it, after she gives him a child, he'll stop.

Thankfully, she didn't listen to her parents' advice and never allowed him touch her after she found out about him. Who knows how she would be able to take care of her pregnancy while suffering with depression and still being infected by such a deadly virus.

She also made me tell her about my life and I did while excluding my relationship with her husband. She was very happy for me and made me swear to make her my child's god mother.

I did.

Along the way, I introduced my boyfriend and her to each other and they got along quickly. I also told him about my pregnancy and like I had already thought, he was very happy.

He even asked to meet with my parents quickly to ask for my hand in marriage and we set up the meeting to a month later. All was going fine till two days before the said meeting when I woke up with a really strong fever.

I thought it was the usual morning sickness but Amanda urged me to run some tests since it persisted for a long time so I went to the hospital and did it.

There, I received the greatest shock of my life, I had been diagnosed with HIV! I felt a chill run down my spine. How? I didn't have it before neither did Richard, he went for tests a month ago.

Amanda told me she was clean... or... was she lying?? Ignoring the doctor's rambling on how I should take care my myself and my unborn child, I sped back home with my heart blazing with fury.

She told me she wasn't infected, she told me she was clean and now... it can't be a coincidence, I'm sure of it, it has to be her!!

Kicking the door open, I rushed to her room and was about to open the door when I heard a voice that shouldn’t be there. He wasn't just talking, he was moaning, with great pleasure.

I already knew what was going on but I still prayed within me it shouldn't be that but after pushing the door open, I saw it, the second greatest pain of my life.

Richard and Amanda... they were both...