“What? Are you serious?”Aunt Isioma looked surprised.
“Yes I won‘t report him to the police. I‘ve decided to let it go.” He turned to her fully. “Gladys told me about you, her mother and forgiveness. I never forgot that.” He watched the tears suffuse her eyes and turned back to Chief Okrika to give her privacy to compose herself.
He pointed directly at the man‘s face. “You were my foster father once and I can‘t forget that. Your wife mistreated me and you were an unknowing tool in her hands but that is in the past. I doubt that without both of you I could have made it to where I am today. My only condition is that you sign an agreement here and now to sell back those shares to the company as agreed at the general meeting.”
Chief Okrika exhaled a big gust of air. He adjusted his cap and the neckline of the dropping outfit. Aunt Isioma brought out a booklet from her tote and pushed it across the table to him. He nodded and withdrew a fountain pen from an inner pocket. He wrote up a page, signed with a flourish and returned it towards Edward with a flick of his wrist. “There you have it.”
Edward read the agreement and nodded. “Thanks, this is acceptable.” He looked up. “By the way, I know you were working with Mr. Odusote but who was your insider in my office?”
Chief Okrika snorted. “It was your secretary. He was paying her for information, but she jumped ship when she got a big payoff. That man is the most incompetent fool I ever met, a complete waste of the money and time I spent on him. I‘m done with all this.”
In his mind, Edward shrugged. What did he expect? Those that played with pigs should be ready to get dirty. It served them both right.
Chief Okrika stood up. “If that‘s all, I‘ll take my leave.” He adjusted the agbada arm that kept sliding off one shoulder and walked to the door where he stopped. “Edward, I hope you and your fiancée work through this. She didn‘t deserve to be put in the middle.” With that, he left the room with a quiet click as the door closed after him.
Edward sat in silence with Aunt Isioma for a while. “I didn‘t know any of this.”