How could Tony say I'm the illegitimate daughter of the family?
All my life, I had been my father's favorite. He never once gave me a reason to question my identity.
I was boiling with anger by the time I got home. Tony was in the sitting room with the family lawyer, and surprisingly, my mother was there too. I wanted to scream at him, demand an explanation—but the presence of the lawyer held me back.
That was when it hit me—the lawyer was there to read my father's will. I was stunned. My father's body hadn't even gone cold. We have not buried him, yet they were already reading his will. And no one told me this would be happening today. If I hadn't bumped into Kemi earlier, I would have stayed back at the bar, completely unaware of what was unfolding behind my back.
I swallowed my anger and took my seat. At first, I wasn't interested in whatever the lawyer had to say. My mind was clouded with Tony's words—illegitimate daughter? Where did that even come from?
Then the lawyer dropped a bombshell.
My father had willed his company to me—me—because of my skills, expertise, and because I had taken my education more seriously than anyone else. I was to become the next CEO of the Evan company. Tony was only to assist me.
That was when all hell was let loose.
Honestly, I didn't understand why my father would choose me over Tony. He was the man, after all. But I guess my father wasn't one for outdated traditions.
The room grew tense. I could feel Tony's fury filling the air like heat. My mother's expression was unreadable—cold, blank. The lawyer went on to share the rest of the will: my father's other properties were to be split between Tony and my mother. But he left me one more thing—every kobo in his local and foreign bank accounts.
That was when all hell truly broke loose.
"Did you just say my father wrote that will? He gave everything to Amanda?!" Tony roared, springing to his feet.
It was then the final truth unraveled.
Now I understood why my father had always been against my relationship with the Danladi family. I was the heir to the Evans Group of Companies.
"This illegitimate daughter?!" Tony yelled.
"Tony!" my mother snapped. "Keep quiet!" she warned.
The lawyer, unshaken, continued reading:
"I know by now you all must have found out that Amanda Evans is the daughter I had with a maid. But she is still a child from my loins, and that makes her a full member of the Evans family—the only one closest to my heart.
Dear Amanda, stay away from the Danladi family now that you are about to take over my most prized possession, because life will never remain the same for you henceforth…" Written by Iwuji Amarachi Judith
Tony lunged at the lawyer, nearly punching him. My mother didn't say a word—she just held Tony back, trying to stop him from doing something reckless.
I sat there, numb, with mixed emotions. Happy. Sad. Scared.
No one in that room spoke to me again that day. The people I once called my family avoided me like I was a stranger. I wanted to confront my mother and ask her the truth about my birth, but with everything that had happened, I couldn't bring myself to do it.
Still, deep down, I held onto one thing—I was a true Evans.
Later that evening, I went to Abel's house to tell him everything—the truth I had just uncovered, and my new identity as the CEO of Evans Group.
But what I found shattered me. Abel… was on top of another woman. Abel? My fiancé? The man I had fought everyone for, even my father? He was cheating on me.
I broke down in loud, heavy sobs right there at the door. That was when he turned and saw me.
To be continued...
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