Ana's POV

Recognizing the two people behind my scream, I calm, my heart still pounding as I take in deep breathes. "You scared me!"

"We noticed," Oluchi responds, tilting her head at an angle as she is clothed in a short loose thigh-length dress.

"How did you get in?" I ask, still aiming to call my rationale to order.

"Did you forget we live with you in this perimeter?" Joe raises a question, knotting the strings of his red and yellow mosaic shorts and staring at me as if I'm a dumbass.

"Plus the fact that the backdoor might be open and we being not only your neighbors but closest friends have full access to use it?" Oluchi interrogates, scoffing at my reaction.

"Still, that doesn't give you the right to scare me into a ghost!" I clamor, surprised at their nonchalant responses.

"But you are still alive," she shrugs, dismissing my exclaim.

"Also, we didn't mean to scare you," Joe notifies, we only caught you off guard that's all.

"Yeah, why wouldn't you, when I just got a news that has left me astounded and my reasoning faculty not functioning as it should," I confess, walking to them.

"About that.." Oluchi trails, "did we hear correctly?"

"I'm referring to what Ike said before he left," she clarifies as I seize the opportunity to seat on the armrest of the adjacent chair.

"I'm trying to confirm that myself," I assert, gawking at them in confusion. "It seems surreal, and somehow I don't want to believe it yet."

"This is what we've been waiting for so I'm perplexed at your response," Oluchi declares, coming to my position.

"She doesn't want to get disappointed in case he is bluffing," Joe speaks, ruffling the arms of his long-sleeved red shirt.

"He said something about checking the news right?" Oluchi recalls in a query.

"Yeah," I verify, nodding. "Wait, you heard?"

"Every word since you got into the house," Oluchi ascertains much to my horror that I can't stop my mouth from falling open in shock. "Don't be alarmed, you know how crazy I am."

"How?" I request.

"Do you have to ask?" Joe issues shaking his head and trudging to the entrance door, "let me put on the power generator so we can confirm the news as he clearly suggested."

"Yes dear please do," Oluchi beams, love dancing in her eyes such that it gladens and at the same time pierces my heart thus the feeling that I can't have something like that returns.

"To your question, we were camping in the kitchen," she responds, striding to the couch while I slide myself down the armrest into a sitting position a moment before the light comes on as Joe turns on the generator.

Snatching the remote, she switches on the television and swerves to me while the decoder loads. "If it's a joke, don't take it to heart, okay?"

"I know," I give a reassuring smile. "We move regardless."

"That's the spirit girl!" Joe chants as he strolls in and changes the channel hence it finishes loading the instant he strides in.

"They aren't broadcasting any news yet," Oluchi observes thus the station is busy displaying some commercials instead of the usual recent happenings.

"Maybe we should switch to another news channel," I suggest and she obliges, picking the control from where Joe dropped it after use.

"The same thing is going on," she conveys as the exact thing occurs on the new channel.

"It's 6:58 pm," Joe communicates, glancing at the time. "The news should begin in two minutes."

"I'll need to go get a glass of water," Oluchi informs, getting up, her focus shifting to us. "Anyone wants anything?"

"Bring me an extra glass," I blurt, sensing the anxiety washing over me as my orbs keep glancing at the screen every second.

"Nothing for me babe," Joe gleams at her, causing me to have the urge to either scream or smile, and so I chose to smile so as not to trigger their concern. Pregnancy hormones can confuse your emotions.

As she leaves to do our bidding the noise that indicates the headlines are about to be read commences alerting our attention and making us sit up in anticipation.

"It's starting Olu!" I holler above the sound knowing she won't like to miss a moment.

"I'm right here!" She yells in return materializing with a pair of glasses in her palms, and hands me one which I receive, securing the slippery container in my grip.

"So fast?" Joe inspects in wonder at her hasty return.

"Shhh!" We both command as the alert ends, the newscaster getting into view, the camera pointing directly at her sophisticated fair-skinned outlook.

"My name is-----" we hear her introduce but I don't pay heed to that the exact way I'm sure Oluchi and Joe don't hence we are both waiting for the headlines.

"Sports star Lionel Messi ----" Oluchi cuts off our hearing in a hiss as she mutters a "heard that,"

"Shut up Oluchi!" Joe reprimands, becoming a little annoyed at her behavior and this prompts her to pout.

"You've heard it too, why are you scolding me!" She whines, faking a cry, her lids blinking rapidly.

"Olu, I'm not scolding you, I merely implied that you should allow us to listen to what she's saying," he says in a pleading manner gesturing at the television.

"But you made me sad, and---"

"Close your lips both of you!" I shout in frustration as I sight the news we are waiting for appear below the screen. "She's about to read it so please shut the hell up!"

"Easy tiger," Joe tries to ease my anger. "We simply got--"

"Shut, up," I grit, squeezing my palm in his face to show the height of my outrage.

"Jeez Ana, I never knew you were---"

"Not a single word," I order and a pin drop silence ensures, permitting us to hear the main gist.

"According to the headlines as I read out moments ago," the broadcaster tells, a baffled expression on her features behind the screen. "It is confirmed that the wedding between 'Daniel Ike Owu,' the son of 'Senator Okwu' and 'Emily Ije,' which was earlier postponed five months back will no longer hold."

We each exchange a look as she continues.
"As you all know the power couple shifted their marriage ceremony due to personal reasons known to them in spite of the plenty rumors flying around, the most recent of Mr. Daniel having a mistress who is currently pregnant with his child."

"Mr. Daniel stated this newest development while he was briefing newsmen which he had called for an urgent press conference sometime this afternoon. It was noted that his supposed fiance Emily was absent at the scene."

After she says this, the image changes, and Ike is seen talking at the compound of the hotel I visited the day I went to inform him of my pregnancy.

"From what you have seen and heard, he didn't give many details on the matter, only that he can't go on to marry someone whom his heart doesn't belong to. This leaves the question hanging, who does his heart belong to if not his fiance? Is he referring to his mistress or another woman? This we don't know and we hope to gist you more on the matter as time progresses." She ends, continuing to later news as Oluchi turns off the gadget.

"Ana?" She calls, my name sounding like a question. "Ana are you alright?"

"I- I don't know," I stutter, eyes large as I ogle my palms like they are foreign bodies and not of me due to my shock. "I can't believe this."

"It's clarified now, you've heard it and seen it, what do you think?" She interviews, repeating the words of the reporter.

"I still don't know," I admit. "I think I'm in shock."

"We all are," she snickers and I whirl my neck to spot her shaking her head. "He fucking did it."

"Same thing I'm struggling to wrap my head around," Joe mumbles, his gaze coming off as lost in thought.

"I don't know how to feel," I confess, my palm going to rub my lids, tossing my head back on the seat while I gape at the ceiling. "The wedding is over."

"It's over baby girl," Oluchi proclaims and I sense her enthusiasm hiking.

"It's fucking over!" She goes on to shout, making Joe and me start and gaze at her in surprise.

"Come on, don't act like a prude," she chastises at our responses.

"I'm not acting like a prude," I deny, arranging my posture to sit upright.

"Neither am I," Joe retorts.

"Then celebrate with me people!" She spurs, standing up. "The devil has been defeated so why aren't you joining me in shouting Alleluyah in the highest?"

"She has a point," Joe declares.

"Duh," Oluchi snorts.

"Fuck!" I scream, the realization dawning on me.

"Yess! Scream loud!" She urges.

"Emily is no longer engaged to Ike," I say as if convincing my mind.

"Scream it out!" She yells.

"My ears are gonna bleed," Joe groans.

"No more wedding," I laugh, encasing my brain around the fact.

"Ike is finally free from that snake," Joe grins, rising. "I need to call him."

"You have his number?" I question, stunned.

"Of course I have his number," he scoffs, giving me that same dumb look.

"Wait, are we bad people?" I interview, lending them an inquisitive glimpse. "For celebrating someone's downfall? Not just any downfall but one of love?"

"It's Emily's downfall," she asserts. "That woman has no capacity to love."

"Still, she might feel emotional," I argue. "It's not every day your fiancee for months comes live on the television announcing your breakup without your notice. In my opinion, Ike took it too far."

"I can never understand you," Oluchi sneers. "Are you on her side now?"

"I'm not saying I'm on her side, it's just that I'm a woman and I feel for her," I pronounce, my stare clashing with hers. "You should too, imagine yourself in her shoes."

"I won't, because I'm not her, and I can never be," she disputes, fixing her hands on her hips.

"I'm a bad person you know?" I query, not giving myself a break as I beat myself over the matter the way I usually do.

"You are doing it again," Oluchi grumbles, shifting to me. "Stop doing that."

"How am I supposed to when that's the truth?" I question. "I destroyed her plans, her marriage, and her happiness."

"Hey look up," she orders and I do. "Emily is a gold-digging heartless bitch, if you are to feel bad for anyone it shouldn't be her, for goodness sake you can feel remorse for the devil instead of her."

"Come on Olu that's harsh," Joe speaks voicing my thoughts.

"The truth is harsh," she explains, palming my shoulders. "So what I'll like you to do right now is to bring a smile to that beautiful pouty lips of yours and celebrate the downfall of your enemy."

"You sound as if I just defeated her in a wrestling game," I mutter.

"Life is a game my friend, either you win or you lose," she clarifies. "The first rule of the game is to celebrate when you win."

"What about when you lose?" Joe raises a question.

"You pick yourself up and move on while preparing to win the next round," she gleams.

"I hail you, motivational speaker," Joe mocks.

"You said something about a phone call right?" Oluchi recalls, offering him a glare. "What are you still doing here then?"

"It should be you we ask that question," Joe smirks, snatching the moment to get her angry. "Because you don't live here."

"As if you are paying rent," Oluchi counters, her lips curling. "So you have no right whatsoever to ask me that."

"At least I offer services while you just lazy around doing nothing and not providing a dime," Joe taunts.

"Services like what, sex?" Oluchi grins, knowing she hit a spot with that question.

"Services like manning the gate and helping out as the man of the house," Joe differs, taking a defensive stance.

"Ooh aren't you a gallant gentleman," she lets out, her sentence filled with sarcasm.

I'm lost in between their slander not having the energy to ask them to shut their traps or end their fight hence I'm already drained at the news I've just been told, regardless I'm happy and excited.

A phone begins ringing, thankfully bringing them back from la-la land.

"Who's phone is ringing?" I ask, finally having the courage to speak.

"It's mine," Oluchi answers, producing her phone from her back pocket, noticing the caller she waves in our face. "Glory, she must have heard the information."

"I'll go make my own call, be back soon," Joe announces, heading to the door as Oluchi picks up the connection.

"Where's Ana, have you both checked the news?" She implores, her voice being heed because Oluchi must have set it to hands-free.

"She's here, and we heard it directly from the horse's mouth!" She squeals.

"How, Emily?" Glory interrogates through the phone.

"Eeew, no. Ike was here," Oluchi conveys.

"Oooh, nice, I'm on my way to hear the full gist," she tells and following that, I hear the clicking of a car door opening.

"You are coming?" Oluchi inquires in a bid for confirmation.

"Yes, I am," Glory scoffs. "That's what I said."

"Isn't it late already?" I ask, making my presence known.

"She finally speaks," Glory blurts. "Also the fact you are pregnant doesn't mean we all are, I'm, young and free baby girl, I can go anywhere I want, anytime I want."

"What does pregnancy has to do with this," I facepalm.

"I love you! See you soon!" She shouts, "I'll get pizza and drinks on the way." The line going dead after that.

"Time to shower and prepare for a night of celebration!" Oluchi shrieks, hugging me in excitement.

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