Chapter 9
When Prisca reached Tina's house gate, she stood and knocked heavily on the small gate, banging loudly while impatiently waiting for Tina to step out. She pounded on the gate again with her fist.
Tina woke from her sleep, startled by the loud knocking on the small gate. She sprang up from the bed and rushed out to see who was there, remembering that she had locked the gate before going inside to sleep.
As Tina approached the gate, she peered through the small hole and saw that it was Prisca. This made her frown as she finally unlocked the gate and pulled it open, glaring at Prisca.
Although her mother had warned her not to allow Prisca into their compound again, Tina still wanted to know what Prisca wanted. She immediately asked coldly, "What are you doing here, Prisca?"
With her arms crossed over her chest, Tina stared irritably at Prisca. Prisca frowned and looked Tina up and down before asking, "What happened, Tina? I mean, between you and Patrick? Don’t think I won’t find out."
Tina frowned again, biting her lower lip as she tried to hide her anger, looking around the street before her gaze returned to Prisca. "I don’t know what you’re talking about, Prisca," she replied.
Tina attempted to deny what had happened between herself and Patrick, but Prisca pressed, "Hmm. Don't deny or lie to me, Tina! I saw the dried blood stain on Patrick's bed myself. Did Patrick touch you when we left his house? Tell me the truth, Tina. What really happened between you and him?"
Irritation washed over Tina as she recalled everything that had happened with Patrick. She felt betrayed, as if Prisca had known the truth and had taken her there deliberately. She screamed at Prisca, "Just get out of my house, Prisca! I don’t ever want to see your face here again, and I don’t know what you’re talking about! So please leave and don’t come back!"
"I should’ve known you were an evil friend for leaving me behind! For your information, nothing happened between me and Patrick. I don’t know what you saw or whatever nonsense you’re talking about. Just leave and stay far away from me from now on, as our friendship is over starting today!" Tina yelled angrily, startling Prisca, who stood stunned at first.
After a moment, Prisca calmed down and responded, "Really? Well, you should start by returning all the things I lent you and paid you back for. I should’ve known you were a pretender. You couldn’t even wait for us to leave the house before you went and slept with Patrick—even after saying you didn’t want him and that you wanted to keep your pride for your husband. Nonsense!"
Tina's anger intensified, and she wanted to slap Prisca and silence her, but she shook her head sadly, knowing she had to be strong and avoid falling into Prisca's trap. She recognized the kind of gossiping nature that Prisca had. Although Tina was unaware of the dried blood stain Prisca mentioned, she knew that even that slight evidence would lead Prisca to gossip about her to everyone, including their classmates, as they had just completed their high school exams and were preparing for their scholarship exams.
Tina understood that Prisca would likely spread rumors, claiming she had been deflowered, just as Prisca had gossiped about others to her in the past. Tina shook her head in sadness and shut the gate on Prisca, refusing to reveal the truth. It was better for Prisca to remain with her assumptions than to confirm the truth through her reaction. Besides, the deed had already been done.
Finally, Prisca left Tina's compound after yelling at her to return the items she had borrowed. Tina sighed and locked the small gate before heading into the house to prepare dinner for her mother and two siblings, who would soon be home.
Patrick arrived at his furniture workshop but struggled to concentrate on his work, as memories of what he did with Tina the previous night kept invading his thoughts. He also hadn’t slept well due to Tina’s continuous sobbing until dawn. He felt worried since he hadn’t used protection and couldn’t focus on his tasks. He specialized in making wooden furniture, including carved pieces, doors, and designer beds with dining seats and tables.
Patrick excelled in his craft and had developed international connections to ship and export his furniture brand to other states and countries. His business produced some of the finest home and office furniture in their state.
Earlier this year, Patrick’s business had expanded, allowing him to purchase his first house, where he lived with his younger sister, Sharon. He also had an older brother, Victory Scott, a certified graduate from a well-known university. However, due to the poor employment rate in their state, Victory later joined the military. Patrick didn’t bother taking university entrance exams or pursuing further education, opting to focus on business after graduating high school.
It wasn’t that Patrick’s parents lacked the means to support his university education. He had told them, "Mom, Dad, I want to be a businessman instead of going to university. Many graduates here struggle to find sustainable jobs in our state, and I don't want to end up like them."
Patrick thought the same reasoning applied to his older brother, which led Victory to join the military. Early on, while still in high school, Patrick decided that after completing his college exams, he would enter business training. After graduating, while his parents still lived in the city, Patrick registered as an apprentice to learn the craft of making various types of wooden furniture and seats. He later furthered his skills in creating gold-carved furniture for home and office use.
Patrick excelled in his craft, earning love from both near and far for his beautiful designs. He made significant amounts of money from his furniture-making business, becoming a young millionaire in the state at just 25. Thanks to his wealth and connections, Patrick appeared older, resembling someone in his thirties.
A tall, dark-skinned man with a strong physique, Patrick had fine jawlines, six-pack abs, and a charming appearance. Yet he couldn’t focus on his work, so he closed for the day, dismissing his workers and driving back home to his mansion.
When Patrick got home, he found that Sharon wasn’t around, so he went to his bedroom. He was accustomed to living with a promiscuous sister. Once inside, the memory of his encounter with Tina flooded back, intensified when he saw the dried blood stain on his white bed. Heartbroken, he cursed himself, "Why did I do it with her? Why couldn't I control myself?"
He felt guilty, knowing many high-class women desired him for free, and yet he was able to resist them. Why couldn’t he do the same with Tina? He questioned himself again, "Why couldn’t I avoid her the previous night? I love Tina, and I never intended to sleep with her like that."
Patrick approached his bed and yanked the bedspread away. "I couldn't control myself. I just wanted her, and all I craved was to make sweet love to her. Tina is the most beautiful, pretty, and seductive young lady I’ve ever seen—fair skin, cute blonde hair, brown eyes, and stunning without makeup. None of the classy women I've seen in the city come close to her beauty. Even with their full makeup and seductive dresses, none compare to her. Why?"
As he touched the stained fabric, he reflected, "Tina seemed so pure, innocent, and calm, unlike those city girls who are flashy and exposed. I should have realized she was still a virgin."
Patrick shook his head sadly. "I believed it when Prisca told me Tina didn’t want a boyfriend. I felt happy when I first saw her at the market square helping her mother sell fruit. From that moment, I knew I wanted to make her mine. But when I approached her, she refused. She wouldn’t even look at me. She’s so stubborn and refused to speak to me."
Patrick continued to lament, knowing he would be haunted by the memory of hurting Tina and sleeping with her against her will, especially since she wasn’t ready to have a boyfriend yet.