The Best Revenge

By Mariam Campbell

As a teenager Sarah has a crush on her neighbour Chris. He comes home from the university during the summer. Sarah decides to pay him a visit like she usually does and gets raped by her crush. She gets pregnant and her father threatens to kill her if she stays in his house. Chris denies the pregnancy and ever having sex with her. She gives birth to a baby boy but the child dies a few days before his second birthday. Sarah has always believed that the best revenge for any wrong is to work hard and be successful and this is what she does. Twenty years later she is a very successful entrepreneur but finds it hard to give her heart to any man until she meets Eric when she vacations in the Caribbean.
Eric is a self-proclaimed bachelor who has refused to get serious about anyone because of what life has taught him. As the owner of the resort where Sarah is staying for two weeks, mixing business with pleasure is not on the menu. The two of them must overcome past pain and prejudices to give love and relationship a chance.
Can these two overcome their past pains to live a fulfilled life that gives room for another person in their life or will the need for revenge ruin it all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mariam Campbell
• Release date: Aug 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9791222434070

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE: PROLOGUE

Sarah

Twenty Years Ago

"I ’m going to kill you !

I run towards the door of the living room trying to get away from the man brandishing the knife with murder in his eyes, I stand by the door staring in fear at the man and the woman trying to calm him. The living room is large even for houses in this part of town which puts a bit of distance between us. While considering if I should open the door and flee, it occurs to me that there is simply nowhere to go and no one to run to. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that telling my parents I was pregnant would result in an attempt at murder, my murder. This would have been a very good part in a movie or book, if not for the fact that, this is real life!

George, take it easy, let’s allow her to talk

I will kill her. Come back here ungrateful child! What the hell where you thinking stupid girl? Getting pregnant at eighteen?

That’s my dad, Mr. George Cole, the kind loving man who has since turned into a self-made potential murderer since this morning when my mum, Julie Cole told him I was pregnant. You see it took me a while to know I was pregnant and neither of them knew as well until I had gone past my first trimester. Who am I? I'm Sarah Honey Cole the beloved daughter who has fallen off the pedestal of been the ever-good girl of her parents and all-time daddy’s girl. I have always been the beloved of my parents, a girl that would never do wrong especially when it comes to my dad but that road ends here. You see, I did the one thing that no parent wants their teenage child to do, something my parents were sure their level headed, stay at home, no parties or friends, daughter would never be accused of. My dad has not even given me the chance to say one single word.

Daddy please..... I try to plead with him, maybe if I am able to tell them what happened or how it happened things would get better.

Shut up Sarah! mum says as she looks at my dad with the knife in his hand. Just put the knife down and let us talk calmly about this.

You want to talk calmly about her getting pregnant? She just finished secondary school for God’s sake! George looks at Sarah and pointed the knife at her. He looks back at Julie and takes a step forward like he was going to chase after Sarah but then shakes his head and puts the knife down on the table beside him. He walks to the chair and sits with his head in his hands.

Tell me, what did I do wrong? What did you need? Was it money? New clothes? Food?

Come here Sarah and tell us who the father of your baby is my mum pats the seat beside her but I carefully walk towards the chair furthest from my dad and sit. My eyes are down and I try not to fidget as I wait for the interrogation to start.

So, tell me who did you go whoring with says George

I was raped daddy Sarah replies

George roars loudly and jumps to his feet. What!?

Calmly I narrate what happened to them about my friendship with Christian our neighbour from the next compound. He comes home from the university every holiday to visit his brother who is a manager in a food company in Lagos Island and I guess the sponsor for his younger siblings, since their parents died. I told them that sometimes my sibling and I would go to visit with them and they would help us with things like our school assignments, I explained how the rape happened and all.

Why would you go to a house filled with single guys all by yourself? You were alone with him and expect that a stupid guy like that won’t take advantage of a naïve little girl? says George

Why would he take advantage of a girl that trusted him to do the right thing? Did you hear what she said? She was raped by that idiot Christian! Julie screams at her husband.

Now what happens? Clearly, he isn’t back from school George looks at his wife.

Well, his brother still lives in the next compound says Julie

I tune out as my parents continue to talk about how to approach the matter and what to do about the baby I am carrying, then think back to the day I realized that I was pregnant.

What is going on? My period is 3 months late and even though I’m not regular I should have had it this month. I haven’t seen Chris since that day at his place and I can’t go to his brothers. I keep getting the anxious feeling that something was wrong.

I have always had irregular cycles and mostly gets to see my period once in every 3 months which makes things a bit confusing and difficult to know what to think. The fact that I was a virgin until 3 months ago before being raped by the guy I had a crush on. Someone I really trusted and looked up to, is one reason to be concerned because even considering the quarterly visits of my period by my calculation, it should have happened by now. So, yes I am worried that my continued lateness could be as a result of what happened and I don’t even know what my strict parents would think or how they would react if I was truly pregnant.

I shut my room door knowing anyone coming in would knock first because it is a rule my parents put in place and the only other person at home at this time is my mum who is in her office grading scripts so I have time to myself for what I need to do. I just came back from the pharmacist and had to go to the one a short distance from home so no one would see what I was buying.

I look at the home pregnancy test kit that the lady at the pharmacy sold to me. The lady said to wait 10 minutes and if there are 2 blue strips it means I am pregnant After what seemed like ten months instead of minutes I check the colours on the stick and I am still shocked to read what it says. I try the test again twice maybe the first one was faulty but they are all the same and I start to cry quietly in on my bed with my primary thoughts being how to tell my parents or if it would be better to just run away.

The door to my room opens and mum walks in. Seeing me crying she rushes towards the bed with concern written all over her face but stops when she sees the test strips on the bedside table, the shock on her face makes me cry harder.

Are you listening to us Sarah? mum asks looking at me angrily and her question refocuses my concentration back to the present and my current predicament. Dad is quiet now and seated like a statue beside her, I can’t even recall when he moved.

I nod and she continues.  You will be going to stay with my sister in Porto-Novo until you give birth and then we will decide what the next step is mum looks at my dad as she says this and I just wanted my life to be over. I have never been away from my family; my parents were very particular about family always being  together and dad especially always said he wouldn’t allow any of his children to live outside his house. Now I am being sent away which makes everything worse.

In the meantime, we will talk to Christian’s brother and ask him to tell his brother to come home so we can talk to him Dad says as he stands. He looks at me with disappointment and sadness, shakes his head and walks away.

Go to your room and pack a bag, we will leave tomorrow morning. I will call my sister to let her know we are coming.

I stand slowly from where I was sitting and walk out of the living room.

Waking each morning is always disorienting because I haven’t been able to get used to the newness of this bedroom or living in my aunt’s house; this bedroom is smaller than my bedroom back at home and cramped, more like a storage room with little windows. I am closer to my time of delivery and hoping I can go home after the baby is born. For now, I have no idea what will happen with the baby because mum hasn’t told me anything and neither has she come to visit. She only calls every weekend to know how I was doing. After my parents found out about the pregnancy I was hurriedly shuttled off to my aunt’s place where I have been living for almost 6 months. The doctor says anytime soon I will be having the baby, it’s a boy and I am secretly happy. Mum would be taking some time off her work as a lecturer to be with me or so she said.

The door of the bedroom opens and in walks mum, she looks tired like she hasn’t been sleeping well and I know that is probably because of me.

How are you, Sarah? You sister said to give you this she hands her an envelope. I am the middle child with an older brother Michael (we all call him Mike) and a younger sister (Mary). Dad wanted more children but mum said no and did some sort of family planning thing that prevented her from having more children.

Thank you. Did you just get here? I ask her as she hugs me quickly very unlike the tight long hugs I usually get before Chris ruined my life.

No, I was talking to your aunt. I got here about an hour ago and I will be here till you have the baby then we would be returning home together mum stands awkwardly away from me as if the pregnancy was contagious or something to stay away from.

What is going to happen to the baby after he is born? I ask her in a small voice

Let’s leave that till then. Read your letter she says and walks out of the room.

I open the envelop and took out the note, as I read the letter a few words jumps out at me and I stare at the words in shock.

Chris has denied ever having anything to do with you and his brothers claim that on the day you mentioned he left early to return to the university for the new semester. Ossai insists that he called them from school that evening to let them know he arrived safely. Dad is furious and talking about calling the police but mum says to not cause a scandal. According to her, involving the police will mean everybody knowing you got raped and with a child. Mary, her sister, says in her letter. 

I couldn’t finish reading the letter. I let it drop to the floor and cried silently into the pillow.

He is the most handsome guy I have ever seen. I think he the youngest of the brothers. I wonder why he isn’t always around. Sarah is outside her home and watering the flowers near the fence of their compound. The guy walks over and leans over the short wall of fence separating the two compounds.

Hi, my name is Christian. You can call me Chris

Hello, I’m Sarah she replies shyly

I'm at the University and I just came home for the long vacation. Do you live here? I haven’t seen you since we moved here, although I haven’t been around. I’d like for us to be friends.

Huh friends?

Sure

They keep talking and getting to know each other.

I wish I had refused to be his friend that summer two years ago as I think of how much my life has derailed from the wonderful, happy one I had with my family.

...................................

Sarah

The best thing you can do for yourself now is to move on and make a success of your life. You no longer have anything holding you back so go to the university and excel

I remember the words of my mother as I walk towards the lecture hall for the first lecture in my first year at the university. It’s been two years after I gave birth and a lot has happened, most of which has been pushed into a box and locked in a corner of my mind... never to be opened again. My father is yet to forgive me, but at least he doesn’t want to kill me anymore. Christian’s brothers moved away and we have a new neighbour now, a couple with little children.

Everyone, have your seats and welcome to your first year at the university. This is a general course and it is compulsory for you to pass it if you plan to graduate says the lecturer as he stands before the students in the lecture hall.

Yeah, this is the beginning of the rest of my life I say as I take my seat at the back of the class.

.........................

Eric

Eleven Years Ago

I stand at the entrance of the hall inside the hotel staring at my fiancée and best friend. They just got married and there they are having their first dance as a couple. She didn’t even have the kindness to call off our engagement and let me know she wasn’t interested in marrying me anymore. My best friend? Really, who does that to a best friend who took you in and helped you put your life back on track? Well, it seems like this jackass does.

I walk towards the happy couple as they both turn and see me. Both of them look around in fear and that makes me smile wickedly.

I see that congratulations are in order I say as I approach them

Look Eric, it’s not what you think says the jackass...ex best friend

Of course, it isn’t but I wonder why I wasn’t invited to my best friend’s wedding or asked to be the best man was my reply as I reach the happy couple. I do the one thing I came here to do...took a swing at the groom right in the face and broke his nose. People at the wedding reception gasp and the bride screams as we start a fight on the dance floor.

You didn’t even have the decency to let me know that I was no longer engaged and you were marrying the woman I was sleeping with? A couple of the groomsmen finally separated us and I storm out. People are screaming and asking questions as I walk out, leaving them to explain to their guests why the groom’s best friend beat him up at the wedding.

At a bar close to the airport, I order another drink while I continue to have a one-way conversation with myself.  Five fucking years! All for what?

You alright man? the barman says as he passes me the third or is it the fourth shot of whisky I ordered.

I look at him all smiles Oh, all peachy here, nothing to see or worry about.

Whatever it is I’m sure it isn’t as bad as it looks. With time you are going to look back and thank your lucky stars that it happened just the way it did and he shuffles off to another customer.

I look at the bar man as he walks away and considers his words. I shouldn’t have bothered to come back here after my trip. Once I got that email telling me my best friend was getting married to my fiancé, I should have gone to Pirate Island. Remembering how I acted earlier that day at the wedding reception and the fact that there were a couple of journalists at the wedding makes me grimace.

Then I grin and shake my head. Who needs a woman anyway? The only thing they are after is money and the guy who can give them that.

I thinks of all the sacrifices I had to make and how my Ex, Claudia, kept insisting we wait before setting a date for the wedding. I barely have any savings because I kept trying to give that woman everything she asked for.