Chapter 14: A perfect lie

Pamela held Leah's hand and looked at her. The latter looked away, she was avoiding meeting her gaze. What will she tell Pamela, that Louis vehemently refused the union. Pamela saw how uneasy Leah was. Is her fear coming through, Louis didn't accept her? She looked past Leah to Ellis and the older man looked helpless. He sighed and pinched the bridge between his eyes. "Just tell me, you shouldn't be afraid to choose your words. What did Louis say, he doesn't want me as his wife, right?" Pamela asked and Leah nodded helplessly. Pamela's eyes welled up with tears. She cleaned the tears quickly and sniffled. She tried to appear as casual as possible. "I'm sorry, Pamela. But this is not the end of the story, Louis will come around and accept you as his wife. But you will have to be patient and watch him regain his strength. Everything will be fine, dear" Leah coaxed her. "You have our backing, dear. All that we want from you is time, give Louis a little more time and he will eventually accept you as his wife" Ellis added. Pamela nodded with a smile. She's smiling facially but deep in her, she's sobbing aloud. The worst had happened. "Mrs Pamela, Mr Hayden wants you out of his room. I suggest you move your things to the guest room" Romeo advised. "Ok. I will do it right away" Pamela agreed and went back into the room. Louis Hayden sat with his back supported by a pillow and his eyes closed. Romeo helped Pamela pack quickly and dashed out of the room. When Pamela looked around, she didn't find Louis' parents. Had they left already? Romeo helped her settle her things into the guest room and said "Mrs Pamela, I'm sorry you have to experience this" "Thank you for your concern, Romeo" Pamela appreciated. She smiled as the latter bowed slightly before her and stepped out. As soon as Romeo left, Pamela shut the door and sank into the sofa. Now, she had always looked forward to Louis' recovery. But not in the slightest had it ever occurred to her that his recovery would come with a different nut to crack. Leah and Ellis Hayden were unhappy with their son's outburst. Did he know what they went through emotionally during the period he was in coma? He wouldn't even listen to their explanation and to why they did it, he just wasn't interested in whatever the reasons were. He told them to send the woman away. If they had stopped there, perhaps his temper would subside but he would have spilled the beans and told him she might be pregnant with his child. That was when Louis became so furious. He told them the foetus in her better not grow. If it does, he would kill it before it ever has the chance to see the light of the day. How can he be so blunt? All their efforts and hardwork will go down the drain without any bit of appreciation. What about Pamela? They couldn't tell her what Louis said, word for word. Thank goodness, Romeo was able to think of a better option to keep her away from Louis' bedroom and presence. "Was I wrong with my suggestion of having a surrogate mother for Louis? How was I supposed to know that he would be fine so soon? The doctor had said his chances of survival were slim. Now, he is not pleased nor was he interested in our good act that was done out of the purest intention. Was I wrong,Ellis? Just tell me" Leah asked, feeling disappointed at her son's actions. "This is not your decision alone. It was our decision. We meant no ill when we got Pamela married to our son and were excited when she agreed to the surrogacy. Why are you blaming yourself now? Louis is hard to please. He should be grateful but he turned out to be ungrateful. I am only worried about what Pamela will do or feel when Louis sends her away from the Villa. I just hope she remembers to come back to us. I will see that we give her a shelter under our roof" Ellis declared. "Pamela on one hand, the foetus in her another thing. Will Louis keep to his words by forcing her to terminate the pregnancy?" Leah showed concern again. Ellis couldn't answer that question as well. He and his wife exchanged glances and sighed. "I must tell Pamela not to let Louis know if she ever finds out that she's pregnant" Leah quickly decided and took her phone and called Pamela. The news of Louis Hayden's comeback from coma was broadcasted on every channel. Many were expecting the news for a long time. On all social media, his pictures were uploaded and several comments followed. Many left comments that they missed him and others said they are glad his company didn't get dissolved in his absence. Louis Hayden went through the social media and saw the various comments about him. Some called him their idol and the youngest billionaire in Oak city. The doctors kept checking on him at every interval. He couldn't stand for long, his knees seemed to wobble. His weight seemed very light and when he looked himself in the mirror, he saw how emaciated he had been. It seemed like yesterday when he was involved in an accident. He drove at night after leaving the club and didn't bother to ask any of his bodyguards or even his assistant Romeo to come over and drive him home. He had a tipsy feeling and yet went ahead to drive. He got into the car and was going at a high speed. He remembered that too. His reason back then was to reach home early before the effect of the alcohol took his sanity away. But he was wrong, he didn't get to reach home before he ran into a trailer. A car crash as he thinks about it now. The next thing he knew was waking up in his bedroom to find a woman almost nude before him. His parents and the doctors said he was in a coma for four months. It seemed like yesterday to him. As he kept staring at himself in the mirror, he saw that he had deprecated into being referred to as a vegetable. They were simply waiting for him to die. He would watch himself back to health. He will stay indoors and have a conference with his staff and managers. He would equally have a zoom meeting with his shareholders and tell them he was back. Next morning, Louis came downstairs all by himself. He staggered though but supported himself by holding the trail of the stairs. The servants all assembled and welcomed him back. They said they were as excited as his parents when they heard he had woken up the previous morning. Louis Hayden didn't look at their direction but got to the dinning and waved for them to leave. They exchanged glances and walked away one after the other. Is his temper now worse than it was before the accident? Despite their excitement and show of love, he wouldn't even spare them a glance nor say a word to them. The cook quickly served his meal. Because his health was not stable, and he needed strength, his meal was specifically prepared with dark chocolate. It was mostly leafy green and fish, some other combination of food rich in vitamins and minerals. The aroma of it made Louis' throat water. He sat down to eat a few bites and then he couldn't take more. Just then Pamela stepped out of the guestroom and went to the dinning. She was shocked to find Louis seated. The latter saw her and saw how shocked and confused she was. His facial expressions changed into a dark one. "This is my house, why do you feel shocked to see me?''Louis demanded. The sight of her irritates him. How can his parents get him married to this low class riff raff. "It's nothing like that. Was not expecting that you could come downstairs all by yourself" Pamela gave a random reason. Actually, she didn't know what to say. She indeed felt shocked to see him that morning. Louis didn't say anything else. Pamela, confused, decided to return to her when Louis ordered back. "Come here" Louis ordered in a hoarse voice. He needed to talk to her and now is the best time for that. Pamela, like a robot, walked back to where Louis was seated. The latter didn't offer nor ask her to take a seat. He was holding his phone and didn't spare Pamela a glance. "I heard you are my wife, the one my parents Married. First, I want to clear a misconception here. I am not the one who married you, so I do not recognize you as my woman. My parents were the ones who married you. But because I want to be an ideal son to them, I will let my lawyer prepare the divorce papers to be signed by the both of us. Secondly, I also learnt that you might be pregnant with my child, right?" Louis asked, looking away from his phone and at Pamela irritatingly. His eyes lingered down to her flat belly. Without waiting for Pamela to answer he continued "I don't want any child from you. I will send you to my doctor and flush out the distraction in your belly that you might think is a child. Then you get the fuck out of my house with whatever compensation I seem fit to offer you. So get your mind ready, my lawyer would do that in a few weeks time" Louis concluded. Pamela felt like yelling at him. She wasn't happy that she got married to him back then,but she was powerless against her foster parents. "I am not pregnant. The surrogacy wasn't successful" Pamela lied. She was told the previous day by Leah that whatever happens, she mustn't tell Louis that she was pregnant. Louis paused and glanced at her. "Are you certain about it?" he demanded, his eyes penetrating into her eyes, as if wanting to read her thoughts. "Yes. The insemination failed and I am in my period" Pamela lied again. Oh gosh, when did she become a perfect liar like this? A lie would lead to another lie. There is no way she wouldn't be telling another lie to cover up for one. Mrs Leah had only told her not to let Louis know a thing about the foetus until check up. But now, she had lied again to cover up the one she was told to tell. Soon, she would tell another one to cover up the first two. Lie goes in succession. "That would be better for us all" Louis declared and waved at her to leave his sight. Pamela turned and went back to her room. She got dressed quickly and took her bag. As she stepped out, she saw Louis exercising by taking some gentle steps, walking to the sitting room. She saw his full height in his body fitted white polo on blue jeans. His hair was styled and she could tell how cute the man was. Despite the fact that he was just recovering, he had begun to regain his handsomeness again. Pamela came over without thinking and gave him support, holding his arm and helping him to get to the sitting room. As soon as Louis got down on the sofa, he shook her hands off his arm. "Do I ask you for help?" He demanded, glaring at her angrily. "You should have asked me the question the moment I came to help. Why ask now after sitting?" Pamela snapped at him. She quickly placed her hand on her lips. When did she say that? When did she become so annoying with her words? Louis felt embarrassed. She was right. He needed her support that moment and didn't push her away. Now that he's sat down, he pretended not to need her help. "You! What did you say?" Louis thundered, covering up his embarrassment. He won't allow her to talk to him disrespectfully. "I meant to say I will be off to see mother, I mean your mum" Pamela lied again. She felt a lump of saliva was in her throat. Just then, Romeo walked. He saw Louis sitting on the sofa and Pamela a few distance from him. He wished things should remain the way they are. "Good morning Mrs Pamela" Romeo said, walking towards the duo. Pamela smiled and was going to answer when Louis asked "You arrived late and still have the audacity to greet some random peasant?" Romeo was lost. He arrived at the nick of time. But it seemed he was unhappy that he showed some respect to Pamela. What he wanted Pamela to hear was the word peasant. He had worked with Louis for a few years before his accident and knows his temperament and his tolerance level. Pamela was angry and Romeo glanced at her briefly. Her eyes had welled up with tears. She didn't say anything else but walked through the door and didn't bother to ride in any of the cars in the garage. "Good to see how fast you are improving," Romeo chimed. And like medicine, Louis' expression became less tense and a bit accommodating. "That's what I expected you to say and not calling someone Mrs whatever" he reprimanded Romeo and hissed between gritted teeth.