Her heart thudded in her chest. Fear was a bitter taste in her mouth as she listened to the light thread of his footsteps as he approached her room. She watched the doorknob turned slowly, and the door swung inwards noiselessly. His shadow blocked the doorway. She squeezed her eyes shut, even though he could not see her in the dark. 

She laid still and struggled to even her breathing as if she were sleeping. Her eyes snapped open as she heard the zip being drawn down, and the shorts dropped to the floor. He was naked as a jaybird under his shorts. He was not wearing any top either. Her heart sank like a lead. 

***** 

‘Why did you keep this to yourself all this time? You should have told me if you were so scared to tell our sister. You need to speak up right now. Do not allow him to keep victimizing you. Otherwise, I will come over there and disgraced him.’ Her brother, Fidelis, ‘s angry voice filled her mind. She wasn’t sure what tipped him off the last time they met, but he persuaded her until she broke down and told him about her ordeal in her elder sister’s house. 

‘Please don’t come yet. I do not want to destroy our sister’s Matrimonial home. He made her happy and catered for all of us in the house. He is also the one who is paying my school fees. That is apart from the fact that Sister Cordelia will not even believe me if I tell her. The moon rises and sets in his eyes.’ Her voice was bitter. 

‘He is nothing but a rapist and a monster. You need to burst Cordelia’s bubble and let her know the kind of man she is married to. I may still be a student, but I will find a way to take care of both of us if the need arises. I don’t mind going to jail for murder because of you.’ 

‘You will not go to jail for anything, Fidelis. Please stop saying that.’  

‘Speak up or find a way to put a stop to this nonsense before the end of this weekend. If not, I am coming to kill him.’ He meant it. She believed him.  

‘I will. I promise you.’ 

***** 

He froze in shock when she sat up abruptly in bed and whipped away the duvet. She rolled to her feet and picked up his discarded clothing. 

‘What the hell do you think you are doing, Kelly?’ His sharp cold voice nearly crippled her. 

‘I am doing what I should have done since this charade started. Get out, Uncle Ramon.’ She inclined her head towards the door. 

‘Are you mad or something? Can’t you see I am naked?’ His voice was ominous, but sweat beads sprang upon his forehead. His heartbeat picked up race as he took a step towards her. 

‘If you take a step towards me, I will stab you and scream the house down.’ She brandished the broken bottle in her hand. She opened her mouth and started screaming. 

‘Stop,  please. Just give me my clothes, and I will start going. I am begging you in the name of God.’ He pleaded desperately. 

He closed his eyes in despair as the door opened behind him. He wished the floor will just open and swallow him up. 

‘What is going on here?’ It was her brother, Fidelis. He arrived the previous night when everyone had gone to bed. He was also holding his phone, and its camera was capturing the stark-naked man.  

‘Get out, Uncle Ramon.’ The sight of her hero strengthened her voice, and she gestured with her hand. 

‘I promise you both will regret this.’ His voice was weak as he covered his manhood and moved sluggishly towards the open door. 

‘Yeah. We are glad to take our chances.’ Fidelis chuckled with dark humor. 

***** 

”So you have been raping my baby sister all this time right under my nose, Ramon? You are nothing but a bastard and a monster.’’ Cordelia’ s voice was surprisingly calm as she folded her clothes into the traveling bags she set down. 

‘I am sorry, Cordelia. It is the devil’s handwork. I don’t even know what got into me.’ He was fully clothed now. It was his wife who rescued him from her siblings. 

‘Funny indeed. Did it happen once?’ She pinned him with her gaze. He looked down at his feet and said nothing. ‘No, it happened several times. The poor girl was so scared I will not believe her that she has to involve my younger brother before you destroy her life. Have you been having sex with our daughter too?’ 

‘Hell, No. How can you even say such a thing, cordy? That is incest.’ He exclaimed in horror. 

‘What do you call sleeping with two sisters born by the same mother? You rapist.’ She gave a short, humorless laugh. 

‘Please forgive me, cordy. It will never happen again. It is a stupid mistake.’ 

‘No, Ramon, it was a deliberate mistake. I was so blind with love I refused to see who you are. Who knows how many minors you have raped under my roof? I am going to divorce you.’ She paused as she stared at him. 

‘How will you survive without my support? You just want my children and your siblings to suffer for nothing. Let us settle this amicably between the two of us and move on with our life.’ 

‘Oh, you are going to be supporting us. Yes, that is the way it will be. You will support all of us because you have no choice.’ She gave him a sweet smile that put a chill down his spine. 

‘’What do you mean? You are the one who decided to divorce me. I may decide not to support you or do it at my discretion.’’ 

‘’The day you stop supporting us is the day I will release that video of you into social media. Please think carefully about any decision you decide to take.’’ She arranged her bags carefully beside the door. 

‘’When did you turn into this, Cordy? This is called blackmail. I didn’t know you can bring yourself down to this ugly level.’ 

‘’It is called sweet revenge. The same goes for you, Ramon. You are not the man I believe I marry. It is 50-50, darling. Deal with it.’’