CHAPTER 20 – AN ENCOUNTER WITH RILEY

Riley walked down the aisle of the clothing mall with her friend, Davina. They are both shopping for a

few clothes. They chatted and moved from one section to another as they make their selections.

Occasionally, they stop to try on some of the clothes and shoes to see how fitted it is on them, and on

the approval of the both of them, the cloth would be picked.

“You think it’s cool Davina?” Riley asked.

She was referring to a red blouse that she was putting on. She wanted to get Davina’s confirmation

before she goes ahead to pick it.

Davina carefully looked at the outline of the blouse to see how well it fitted her friend Riley before she

replied.

“Yeah, it is. I will pick it over the other one. You can go with it”. Davina said.

“Okay, I actually thought the same too. I think the colour is cool” Riley concurred.

Riley kept the cloth inside their shopping trolley and they went on with shopping for other wares.

After a while, Riona walked into the clothing mall, she was also here to do some shopping. She walks

down the aisle making her selections. And all along, she was not aware of Riley and Davina’s presence

in the mall.

Riona was going to pick a gown from the line when she noticed Riley and Davina right in front of her

going over some clothes. She rolled her eyes and decided to ignore their presence. She thinks the

gown was cool and decided to put it inside her shopping trolley.

She takes a look at another gown and was not sure if she should go for it. She decided that she needs

a second opinion, so she said to the lady that was shopping right beside her.

“Hey dear, what do you think about this gown?” she asked.

Davina heard the voice asking someone about what she thought of a gown. She felt she knows the

voice, and that it must be that of Riona. She decides to confirm if truly she was the one that just spoke

behind her, so she turned to see the person and discovered that it was really Riona that had just asked

the question.

She was excited to see Riona in the mall and she quickly drew Riley’s attention to Riona. When Riley

realized the reason Davina had called her, she was indifferent about it. She turned her face away and

continued with what she was doing.

“Come on Riley, don’t tell me you are going to act like you did not see Riona behind us just now,” Riley

said.

Riley did not say anything to Davina. She would rather prefer Davina to let her be and forget about

seeing Riona. However, Davina was not having any of that. She was eager to go say hello to Riona,

and also shop together with her if she agrees.

“Let’s go say hello to her. We can all do our shopping together” she suggested.

Riley hesitated, but Davina was having none of it. She practically dragged Riley to Riona’s side.

Riona noticed the two of them, but she, however, ignored them and acted like she had not seen them.

“Hey, Riona” Davina was the first to greet her.

“Hello, Riona” Riley greeted.

By this time, Riona realized that she could no longer comfortably avoid them and so, she turned to look

at them. Instead of replying to their greetings, Riona turned back and continued with her shopping.

Riley was not surprised by Riona’s attitude. The truth is, she was actually expecting an even worse

reaction from Riona. She had wanted to stop Davina and tell her that there was no need, but she did

not know how to do that without appearing hostile.

For Davina, Riona’s reaction towards them was unexplainable, it left her speechless. Riona had always

been cool with her in school and had also been friendly whenever they meet at any other place. And

thus, she wondered what might have caused Riona’s coldness.

Riley drew Davina by her hand for them to start going, but Davina still ignored her. Riley knowing how

persistent Davina could be decided to leave her, maybe she needed to get the full dose of Riona’s cold

treatment before she finally decides to respect herself and to stay on her lane.

Davina decided not to reach any conclusion just yet based on a singular hostile treatment from Riona,

she wants to give Riona the benefit of doubt, who knows, something might have necessitated her

reaction the first time.

“I can see you came for some shopping Riona, we can all do that together if you don’t mind. We

actually came here for some shopping too” Davina said.

Davina tried to appear as friendly as possible, she wanted to make Riona know that she bears to harm.

However, she never expected the next action of Riona. She had believed that Riona would see through

her and accept her offer.

To Davina’s dismay, Riona dropped the cloth she had just picked, looked hatefully at Davina and Riley,

and then she sighed and walked away from where they were standing.

Davina looked at Riley with shock, but Riley gave her the ‘I told you so’ look. Davina was speechless in

the meantime.

Davina was going to ask Riley about what had just happened and the meaning of the attitude that

Riona had just put up in front of them. Was Riley not going to be Riona’s half-sister in just a few

months' time, what has been going on between them because it was so obvious the two of them do not

see eye to eye?

On second thought, Davina decided to allow it to slide. If Riley has not seen the need to discuss such

with her, then she was in no position to meddle in their affairs. She only hopes that they both get along

soon.

………………………………………………………

“Riona”

Riona could hear her father’s voice call her from the sitting room. He was just coming back home.

Riona had overheard him in the morning making a phone call with Maeve, and he had assured her that

he would visit her after work today and so when he had not returned when he was supposed to, she

never bothered about his whereabouts.

“Yes dad, I am in the library” she responded.

Riona wondered why her dad would be looking for her just immediately he entered the house. Or is it

possible that Riley had told him what happened at the mall with her?

Thinking of this, Riona cursed Riley under her breathe. “Bitch. Is she a baby to have run to daddy over

such a minor issue?”

Anyways, Riona was ready for whatever her dad wanted to do about that.

Wright walked into the library carrying a pack of food for Riona. He saw that she was studying and he

went to sit on one of the chairs.

“You are studying honey, sorry to bother you” he said. Têxt belongs to .

“That’s not a problem dad, I was just about leaving” she replied.

“I got this for you, Rio” he said.

He handed her the pack of food. Riona was glad to take the food from him and she appreciated him for

the food.

“Thanks, dad, I am starving already. I have not had anything since I got back” she said.

“Alright, Rio” he said.

Riona noticed that her dad was staring at her, and she could tell that he wanted to discuss something

with her. She thought he wanted to talk about the event that transpired between her and Riley at the

shopping mall. She was not sure how she would react about that, and she was hoping he does not

bring that up.

“We need to talk, Rio” Wright said.

“Okay dad, I am listening” she responded.

Wright had decided that he was going to pick his words very carefully this time around. His decision

has already been made and Riona must have to accept it. In as much as he believes that he is doing

the right thing but wants to marry Maeve, he would not want to hurt his daughter’s feelings intentionally.

He must let her know that whatever plans he made, that whatever decision he intends to execute, that

she was always part of it and that he always puts her welfare first.

“It about the discussion we had some time ago, about my wanting to remarry” Wright began.

“I want to know if you have given that a thought” He added.

“I am not against you getting married again dad” she said.

Hearing Riona’s response, Wright’s face brightened up. He was happy his daughter finally decided to

see things as he did. However, his happiness was immediately cut short as Riona added.

“I am only disagreeing with your choice of a wife” Riona said.

Wright was flabbergasted. And he wondered if they must continue to go on about this back and front.

Why can’t she just accept his choice of a woman? He said to himself. Right now, he was not in any

mood to negotiate with her anymore. She would just have to put up with his decision and that is final.

“I am sorry if this would disappoint you, Rio, I would have to fix the wedding for next month. And to tell

you how I feel, I am disappointed with your level of selfishness” he said.

Riona was shocked by what she just heard from her father, that she was selfish? How can he call her

selfish when he was the one that had immediately moved on when her mum passed away? He thought

about only himself all along. She was not going to allow him to sit in front of her, and try to guilt-trip her.

She was going to make him understand that she knows what being selfish is and who was selfish

between the both of them.

“You are the one that had been completely selfish all along dad. Okay, tell me. What did you do

immediately mum died?” she asked.

She was already furious with him and her voice was beginning to rise.

“Or hold on let me rephrase it for you. How did you react to mum’s death? You immediately jump into

the hands of the next woman as a hungry lion dad. She just appeared from nowhere and you instantly

grabbed her. You jumped dad, you jumped right into the hands of the next available whore…”

Wright on hearing Riona refer to his fiancé as a whore could not condone such insulting and degrading

word from her. He raised his hands and slapped her for the first time ever.

On receiving a slap from Wright, Riona held her face and tears drops from her eyes.

She was shocked that her dad would resort to hitting her. He had never done that before and now

because of Maeve he had hit her. Right now, Riona detests that name completely. She had always

known that she spells nothing but doom, doom to her family. And more than ever before, Riona was

determined to stop the marriage.

“You don’t address my woman that way Riona, you have no right to, absolutely no right” Wright

thundered.

He could take anything from Riona, but no disrespect to the woman that he cherish and hold dear, the

woman that would soon be his wife.

“You hit me dad for the ever first time, for a woman you know just how much I despise. I had always

thought that she had no respect for my late mum, but right this moment, I can see that even you too

never had any regard, not even an iota of respect for my late mum dad, for Evolette whom you have

always claimed to love. And just so you know, I will not let that marriage happen. I will stop at nothing to

prevent it” she said.

She turned and head for the door. As she opened the door, she turned and looked at Wright and said.

“I meant every bit of the words that I have just spoken dad”

She walked out and shut the door so hard.

Upon the closing of the door, Wright lamented “What have I done?”

He could not believe he had let himself loose. He could not blame the girl, she was only doing what she

thought was right and he should have approached her diplomatically and taught her that she was

wrong.

He saw the look on Riona’s face when she made her threat and he knew that she must definitely carry

out her threat.

And now how was he going to tell Maeve what he had done? He knew she would definitely not forgive

him for this. He was meant to draw her close, and not push her far away as he has just done. He has

pushed her to a point where she could not be reached.