THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 88

I looked at the purple ribbon on my wrist.

I looked at the courtroom. At Patricia's team with their papers organised. At Henry sitting very still beside me. At Yemi on my other side.

I looked at Victoria's back.

She had not turned around once, not even slightly. Maybe she was feeling the guilt now or maybe not.

She sat facing forward in her dark clothes with her perfect posture and her careful composure and she faced the front of the room and gave nothing away.

The defence finished.

Judge Adeyemi said the first witness would be called tomorrow morning, then she adjourned the court. The people stood up and the noise returned.

Then people began to leave the courtroom. I stayed seated for a moment.

Henry stayed beside me without saying anything and Yemi stayed on my other side. It just seemed like they were waiting on me. Like they didn't want to do anything but wait on me.

I took my time not because I wanted to keep them.waiting but because I really had to gather my thoughts.

After a moment I stood up and I buttoned my jacket.

When I looked at the front of the courtroom one more time. At the chair where Victoria had been sitting. She had already been taken out through the side door.

She was gone. She wasn't there anymore but something was sure, definitely. We will be back tomorrow.

And the day after that.

And the day after that.

Until it was finished and everything ended.

I came home to a quiet house.

Lily was back from school already. She was upstairs in her room. I could hear her moving around above me. Small footsteps. The sound of her chair.

I took off my jacket and hung it up and loosened my tie and went up to her room. I was tired, really tired and it had nothing to do with the fact that I did something strenuous.

I mean, I didn't do anything strenuous by the way. I was just drained mentally and physically. I didn't want to speak to anyone but Lily.

I had to see how she was doing.

Her door was slightly open.

I pushed it wider.

She was sitting at her little desk drawing. She had her rabbit on the desk beside her and her butterfly notebook open and her purple crayon in her hand.

She looked up when I came in. It was a slow, careful look.

She looked at my face carefully the way she always did.

Then she asked the only question she needed to ask.

"How did it go?"

I sat down on the edge of her bed, not eager to answer that question.

"It started," I said. "It is going the way it needs to go."

She nodded slowly, then asked.

"Is she scared?" she asked. Meaning Victoria.

I thought about it honestly. Lily knew how to ask.the most weird questions but they always turn out to be the best questions if only I gave it a little bit of thought.

"I do not think she shows it," I said. "But yes. I think underneath everything she is.

Honestly I couldn't say that Victoria is scared. I'd never for one day since I knew her, ever seen fear in her eyes. If she was scared, then she knew how to manage it properly.

But then, Victoria hadn't expected that I would have taken this step. She must have imagined that I would fail just like my mother did. So yeah, I could say she was cut unprepared.

But Victoria was the kind of woman that would always get prepared no matter how short notice the time is.

Lily considered this.

"Good," she said simply.

Then she went back to her drawing. It just seemed like she didn't want to have a conversation but only to know how I was doing.

I sat on the edge of her bed for a while and watched her draw. She has been getting more used to the new drawing set I got her.

Sitting here made me know that I wasn't alone, I had people around me so I didn't need to worry.

I looked at Lily again, I knew I needed to lesson up. All my life, I've been alone, I've been through a whole lot of things and I thought that no one was coming to save me.

Outside the window the evening was coming in. The butterfly garlands between the garden trees were catching the last of the light. Everything will pan out by tomorrow.

Hopefully, I'd know the people on my side and the people who only smile at my face. Tomorrow would expose me to the friends I need in my life and also to the ones that I do not need. I'd know if my colleagues are also here because I'm their boss or if they truly believe me.

Tomorrow Dr Chen would take the stand and the evidence would start being heard. I wasn't even as anxious as I was yesterday.

Hopefully I'd feel better the next morning like I felt this morning. I actually needed someone to hug me or say something confirming at least.

I checked my phone. No calls from Yemi.

I knew she wouldn't try calling. She'd be wondering if she was imposing or not. But yet, I waited for my phone to ring and I desperately wanted to see her name on my screen.

But tonight Lily was drawing at her desk with her purple crayon and her rabbit was sitting beside her and the house was warm and quiet and I was home.

That was enough for tonight. Even though I wanted more.

But that was more than enough. I waited for Lily to finish one of her drawings before she suggested that I go upstairs to go to sleep.

I nodded, not trying to argue. I wasn't feeling sleepy but I knew I had to force myself to sleep.

I was about to wash my face when I received a message. It was from Yemi.

“Hectic day, wasn't it?”