44.

Nikki




“Nikki, come on, we need to get going, we are going to be late,” Xander yells for the fifth time this morning.




“Yell at me like that again, and I’m going to kick you where the sun doesn’t shine,” I yell back.




It’s been a few weeks since Charles and Damien’s engagement, and this is the final week of testimony in Aiden’s case. I am exhausted and could not wait for it to be over. They had a pretty strong case against Aiden, and it looked like he was going to be facing some serious jail time.




I pick up my handbag and I make my way downstairs. Xander is on the phone, and he looks stressed, he has been for the last few days, but he doesn’t seem ready to talk about it, so I won’t force him to.




He looks at me and smiles and ends his phone call.




“You ready to go?” he asks as he kisses my forehead.




I nod, “Yeah, I’m sorry I took so long, I couldn’t pick out an outfit, this baby seems to be growing a little too fast, and I’m getting fat.”




“More ass for me to grab,” he smirks, I hit the arm and he laughs.




“And I am sorry for yelling at you, a lot is going on back home and I don’t know what to do,” he sighs.




I frown, I felt bad because I was the one keeping him from going home, apart from the case itself. I was scared that if he left, he wouldn’t come back, and I’d be stuck here alone.




“But it’s okay, I’ll figure something out,”




He takes my handbag and holds it, and we leave the house, X is our driver for today because our usual driver, had a personal matter to attend to, so I was stuck with my cousin.




“Xlanti, did you speak to your uncle about the lobola?”




“Ey, mtasekhaya, you know how malume is, he’s being difficult about this whole thing, he wants Xander’s uncles to come here and be the negotiators,”




“But I said that I don’t know anyone from my father’s side, I’m the only person I know,” Xander explains, “I don’t know what else to say.”




“Why don’t we ask you, mother?”




Xander sighs, “I don’t know baby, would that be okay with your uncles, I want to do things the right way.”




“We just need family representatives, two uncles and an aunt and Damien can go in as a plus, he’s wonderful with people,” I say.




“Okay, I’ll speak to mom,”




I kiss his cheek, “Thank you.”




A smile forms on his lips and I giggle, I love this man.




We get to the courthouse, and it is packed, more than usual. The closing statements in any court case are the most crucial and for the biggest trial in South Africa right now, trust and believe that everyone is going to be listening.




We are safely escorted into the building by Damien and X, and we meet Chantel and Charles inside the courtroom, already seated.




“Hey guys, sorry, we are late,” I say, as I sit beside Chantel.




“No worries girl, are you good?”




I nod, “Just exhausted, I forgot how tiring being pregnant could be.”




“I’m sorry baby, but after today, you won’t have to come here anymore and I’ve handled Damien’s case, he’s been cleared,”




I let out a sigh of relief, “Thank God, I was worried I was going to have to tell him to find a new profession.”




“Which shouldn’t be difficult for him, I mean, look at him,” Chantel says, giving him heart eyes.




“Girl, that man is gay and taken,”




Chantel shakes her head, “Bisexual you mean.”



I laugh, “No, he likes dick girls.”




“That’s what he wants you to believe,”




I am confused by her statement but before I could ask what she meant; the judge was being announced.




The court proceeds and both the state and the defence lawyers make their closing statements. It felt so surreal that justice was finally going to be served and he was going to pay for what he did to me and my family. I was going to sleep better at night knowing he wasn’t going to harass another woman again.




I over at Aiden and he looks like he hasn’t slept in a few days, he turns to look at me and he gives me a weak smile and I turn and face forward.




“Sentencing will be held on the 4th of November, which is exactly, two weeks from now, I expect everyone to be in attendance. The court is adjourned.”




We all stand, and the judge leaves the room, Aiden is escorted out and the rest of the courtroom is excused. We get outside and I pull Chantel to the lady’s room.




“Spit it out now,” I demand.




Chantel looks at me in confusion.




“Chantel, now!”




Guilt washes over her face, and I already know what she’s going to tell me.




“You didn’t.”




Chantel frowns, “It just happened okay, we were working on the case, and I felt the sexual tension between us, and we fucked.”




I gasp, “You did what?! Oh my god, Chantel Marie Pieters!”




“I’m sorry,” she cries, “I feel so fucking bad, because Charles and I have become so close, and I betrayed him. This was before he thought of proposing to him.”




“At least tell me you used protection?”




She remains quiet.




“Fuck!”




I couldn’t believe that she would do this, to Charles, of all people.




“And have you and Damien ever spoken about it?”




“No, it’s like I don’t even exist,”




I was angry at her, to say the least, and why didn’t she tell me sooner? I needed to talk to Damien but first I needed to tell my husband.




“This stays between us, understood. Never did I ever think that you would mess up like this.”




“But they don’t have to know, no one does.”




“The truth will come out eventually, Chantel. I wouldn’t be surprised if Charles already knows about this, Damien wouldn’t keep something like this from him, he’s too honest.”




“What do I do?”




I look at Chantel and sigh, “Nothing, like you have been this entire time. If it never comes out, you take this to your grave.”




She sighs, “Thank you.”




I turn and leave the bathroom and she follows close behind me, we get to the parking lot and Xander gives me a weird look.




“Are you okay? You took a while in there,”




I nod, “I needed help with my bra, she had a seamless one and I needed it.”




“Women are weird,” X says, and gets in the car.




“I’ll call you later, okay,” I kiss her on the cheek, and we hug.




Xander and I get in the car, and we make our way home. X drops us off at home, we get into the house and throw my bag on the couch and sit. I take off my shoes, while Xander gets whiskey and apple juice for me.




“Babe, I’ve got some piping hot tea for you,” and within seconds he’s sitting beside me.