THE SERIAL MASK BY MORUFAT AJANI CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

 THE SERIAL MASK BY MORUFAT AJANI

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

At home, Leila stirs from sleep. She stretches her arm toward the bed desk, intending to check the time on her phone but her hand touches nothing. The phone is not where she left it. Due to her being a cheat and her phone being her tools for it, her eyes snap open immediately. She sits up quickly, blinking away the sleep, and scans the bed, the floor, then the desk again finding the phone but still nothing is there.

Her heart begins to pound aggressively in her chest because she was so sure she put it on the desk last night.

She jumps out of bed and rushes into the sitting room, thinking maybe it's her mind that put it on the bedroom desk but she actually forgot it in the sitting room.

Her eyes dart around the couch, the table, under the cushions, still nothing. She can't find the phone. Her chest tightens with panic. She hurries back into the room, yanks the wardrobe open, and pulls out her second phone from the drawer. She dials her main number, pacing around the house as the phone rings. She checks the kitchen, the bathroom, everywhere she can think of but there is no ringtone sound around the house which simply means the phone is no longer at home.

And then when she thinks of the possibility that maybe Badru took the phone, her eyes widen in shock and her mouth opens ajar. She finally found her voice a few seconds later.

“Badru took my phone?  Why? Why?”

Many questions spin into her mind at the same time.

Why would he take my phone to the shop? Did he suspect something?

No.

Leila shakes her head.

I have never done anything that can make him suspect me. I never do video calls with Akin if Badru is around so he definitely hasn't found out. But why?

Her throat feels dry. Her palms are sweating.

No, it’s probably nothing. Maybe he needed to use it for something. It's definitely not what I am thinking.

But still, she can’t shake the unease wrapping around her chest. But when she recollects that her phone is locked. She feels a little bit relieved, thinking Badru doesn’t know the new password so he can’t get in.

And then her heart be-at rises higher than before when the thought of Badru taking the phone to the expert to unlock it?

She grabs her second phone immediately and types a message to Badru. “Are you with my phone? Did you go with it to the shop?” She sends it. Then type another. “Just tell me if you took it, I need it.”

She waits a little bit for Badru's response but nothing so she sends another. “If you don’t reply, I’ll come to the shop myself.”

Still no reply.

Leila stands there, staring at the screen. Her foot taps the floor nervously. Her stomach feels tight. She doesn’t know what Badru has seen or what he’s thinking. Her hands are shaking now. She types another message;

“I am on my way to your shop.”

She stands up immediately, dresses up and runs outside where she boards a cab.

***

At the shop, Badru is sitting quietly while his mind is in turmoil, watching Leila's messages pop up one by one. He reads them all but doesn’t respond. His jaw is clenched and his eyes are blank.

Seeing the last message that she's on her way to his shop, Badru stands up immediately, takes his car key, walks out of the shop and goes to where he parks his car. He gets into it and speeds out of the parking lots, going home.

He feels seeing her at home is better than in the shop because he doesn't know what he might do to her.

Inside the cab, Leila sees Badru's car going home and she immediately tells the cab man to make a U-turn and go back to where he took her from. Getting there, she pays him and rushes inside the house.

Badru is parking the car when Leila enters the compound. Badru goes inside the sitting room, waiting for her.

As Leila is entering the house, Badru's lips twist in disgust. “You… you this slut,” he says, his voice is soft but intense and with a deep frown on his face.

Leila freezes with her eyes widened.

“What…what do you mean…by that…? She stammers.

“Common now. You don't need to pretend anymore. I am sure you know I have caught you. You’re cheating on me, don't you?” Badru says, voice thick with irritation and anger.

He stares at Leila like he’s looking at a stranger.

Leila's breath is rapid and heavy. Her face is soaked in sweat. Then he starts saying,

“You this useless woman… I picked you up from nothing and gave you everything. And this is how you repay me? Opening your legs for another man behind my back? Sending nudes to another man and many other erotic messages?”

Leila stammers, “I’m sorry, please, it’s not like that… I was…” Her whole body is shaking now.

“Shut up! You were what? Because I give you small freedom? Is that why you’re spreading your legs for another man like a d-og in heat?” He pauses a little but to breath and then continues,

“You’re cheap, Leila. You are cheap and empty. I should’ve known. I should’ve known from the way you were too quick to get moved in with a man who barely finalised his divorce. The way you were sl-utting with me while I was still married. I should have known that it's a d-og that ate your placenta.”

He rubs his face roughly. Ins-ulting Leila likes that is relieving like 0.5/100 of his anger.

Leila's head is banging at everything Badru is saying, especially the part where he mentioned his past marriage with Hanan. So she's contemplating whether to respond to him harshly or just keep her cool since she's the one at fault and in order not to complicate matters.

Badru is still talking. Sounding loud and aggressive.

“I married a complete disgrace! A pros-titute in disguise! You sit in my house, eat my food, enjoy my money, and all along you’re badmouthing me behind my back. Chatting nu-des, talking s-ex, mocking me. I read everything. Every single disgusting word of your chats with that stupid guy. You and that Akin will suffer. Mark my words, I will make it happen.” His eyes burn. He stabs a finger at her.

“You called me a fool. You said I’m not man enough. You even told him I can’t satisfy you in bed? You said my joystick is useless? You said you fake it every time? God punish you, Leila.”

Leila's patience is exhausted. Badru's too much talk exhausts it.  she can't take it anymore. Her mouth is itchy to talk. Then suddenly, she burst into a loud giggles and then when she's done, she frown and start talking,

“Wait, did I lie? Where is the lie? Isn't your joystick useless? Ehn Ehn? We will suffer? How? How will you make us suffer? Will you k!ll us?” She laughs out loud again.

“Why won’t I cheat? Look at you? A chronic cheat. When we were dating, I thought you were cheating with me because I was different or maybe because you loved me but unfortunately I was wrong. Hanan's Karma came at me so fast. You started cheating on me as soon as we got married. And you even be-at me till I lost my baby. You are contributing nothing in this marriage except money. You are not emotionally available like you were when we were dating? Not even se-xually satisfying me anymore. You will just climb me, do eh eh twice and c-um within seconds. Two minutes man.!”

Badru’s eyes widen and his head is knocking off a big headache. He tries to stand but stumbles back into the couch. The belittling is too much for him to handle. He doesn't expect Leila to talk back. He thought she will at least keep quiet today being the fact that she's at fault and let him be in charge, allow him to insult her so seeing Leila talking back almost makes him want to collapse.

How dare you talk to me that way? Who the h-ell are you to dare call me names? How dare you look down on me to the point of comparing me with the guy you cheated on me with? How dare you?

Leila keeps going. “You’re useless in bed. Your joystick is small and you still don’t know how to use it!”

Badru’s mouth opens slightly, feeling extraordinarily ashamed.

“There are men with your size who still satisfy their wives. But not you! You think money is everything? You offer nothing but cash and complaints. No fun. No intimacy. No adventure. Just pay bills and your arrogant face! Low quality man.” Leila hisses loudly.

“I’ve always heard that most men can’t take half of what they dish out. Omo, it’s not a lie at all. Look at you, acting like a rain-beaten goat just because you got a taste of your own medicine. You’ve always been a cheat, so why are you shocked that you’re being cheated on? You cheated on Hanan, you cheated on me, and you even bragged about it. If they ask you to describe ‘how e dey do person,’ this is it. You can feel it, right? You feel like d-ying, right? Good. That’s exactly how we felt too.”

Badru’s whole body is trembling. Sweat pours from his head. His lips are quivering. He’s never felt this amount of ra-ge and humiliation before. And coming from the woman he is feeding makes him feel the hit more. And also he doesn't expect that belittling insult from her. He finally finds his voice.

His voice is barely a whisper. “So…why did you stay with me when I am that low quality to you? Why didn't you divorce me and be free?” Her voice is shaking. That's one of the insults that got to him the most.

“Answer me!!!” Badru yells angrily and Leila scoffs.

“Why will I leave you for that reason when I am not dumb. Of course I will stay married to you because you offer me money and security. I mean, see cars in the compound nah. See this big house nah. Expensive as shit and in vogue. If you were me, would you leave you for not satisfying you sexually? Of course not, you will do as I do. Find someone that will be doing what you lack for me. And that's exactly what I did. So why are you sounding like it's a big deal?” Badru grips his head in both hands.

His entire body shakes with the weight of the insults Leila is hurling at him right now. He can't believe his hearing.

And then GBA!!! Badru lands a big bl-ow on Leila's neck and begins be-ating her.