5• Smelling Trouble

Sirens wailed tirelessly outside the Campbells' residence. The ambulance and the police, doing all they could to save the patriarch, Chris Campbell.

The family was torn apart by the untimely death of their father who reportedly slept and never woke up.

It was like a mystery and medical reports showed that he died of a heart attack.

Daphne was sad that her husband was dead but a part of her seemed relieved by the fact that Roman would not get a penny from his wealth as she had feared.

From them, Roman began to experience the viciousness embedded in the Campbells.

“Now, father is dead. I bet you, you will regret ever accepting this marriage proposal,” Amanda threatened him over breakfast one morning.

“As a matter of fact, you should start getting ready for a divorce because my sister will not keep up with your ill luck. She has given her beautiful youthful years to you,” Jemma added , gloating over his misfortune.

Daphne smiled at her daughter's cruel words. She appeared satisfied with it and she even added to the taunts.

“It does not end there,” she sneered at him, “some rules have to be put in place for your existence here to be assured else, you will be thrown out to the streets.”

Roman shifted uncomfortably in his wheelchair feeling like he was in the middle of a war.

A part of him wished that he could sink into the soil.

“From now henceforth, you will never have meals with us on this table. You do not belong to our class!” Daphne warned, flashing a sinister gaze at him.

Jemma suggested, “In addition mummy, I think he should move out of Amanda's bedroom, his ill luck would rub off on her and delay her chances of having potential husbands.”

“A valid point,” Amanda nodded, rolling her eyes at Roman with disdain, “I haven't gotten a good sleep in two years because when I remember this piece of shit is lying beside me, I feel uncomfortable.”

Roman sneaked a peek at her and bent his head before she could catch his glance. She was lying but he could not speak.

Their words flew across the table like bullets, directed towards him and crushing his heart and his confidence.

He could not wait to eventually walk away from them and he knew that soon, that day would come when he gained his freedom.

“The most important privilege I think you need to cut off is the Physiotherapy visit. Mother, that costs an average of twenty thousand dollars every month. Can we keep up with that?” Jemma asked, a look of contempt etched on her face.

“Hell no! I cannot keep up. He has got to find a way to recover without it, after all, it has been two years now.”

Daphne was determined to make his life a living hell and she was not joking about it.

When they mentioned the physiotherapy, Roman was stunned at how vile they were.

“How could they do this?” He had queried himself imagining how he would pull through without a Physiotherapist.

From this point onwards, Roman experienced hell and it was no shock when he sat on his wheel, listening to his wife tell her testimony of being pregnant for her lover with excitement dancing in her eyes.

“She detests me,” he whispered to himself, trying to control the tears that threatened to flow down his cheeks as he woke himself from the reverie of the past.

As much as he wanted it to be a lie, it was his reality.

***

Tormenting days followed the pregnancy announcement.

He continued his hellish lifestyle in the Campbell's Residence.

He barely got time to rest and was always up and about on his wheelchair.

“You would have to do those dishes from that wheelchair of yours,” Daphne warned him, “I cannot feed you for free and you sleep in my home. Do you pay rent?”

Roman shook his head, filled with shame.

“I wonder why he is still here,” Jemma joined in, serving herself food from the pot.

“The right time for a divorce will certainly present itself, Jemma. No need for the rush. I trust Amanda.”

Jemma nodded and moved away with the plate of food she had in her hands.

She had barely walked a distance when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

“Wait a minute, I cannot be serving myself when there's you!” She sneered, turning to Roman and walking back to.

Without warning, she dumped the hot bowl of food on his lap and Roman jerked, causing the plate to fall off and shatter to the ground with the food.

Daphne was red with a gee and so was Jemma.

“How dare you waste my food?” Daphne scolded, slapping him across his face. “How much of this meal can you afford? You just wasted a whole plate of it!”

Roman was dumbstruck. He parted his lips to defend himself but quickly decided against it as he could see how fruitless it would be.

“I say we deny him his next meal for wasting ours,” Jemma scorned and hissed at him.

“I cannot wait for Amanda to tie the knot with Colton for you to disappear from our lives for good!”

Daphne heaved a sigh and stormed out of the kitchen and her daughter Jemma gave him a look of disdain before joining her mother.

When they were out, Roman reached out for the broom to gather the food particles and the broken pieces.

His heart was heavy and his back hurt badly but he did not have a choice other than to live like that.

After he was done sweeping he wheeled himself out of the kitchen and once he got to the living room, he saw Daphne standing before him, her legs apart. She was blocking his passage.

Disgust was etched on her face and her nose stood tall with mischief.

Roman could already smell trouble but he had no idea what to expect.