Amy still held the leader of the women, whose name she didn't care to know, pinned hard against the tabletop. The woman's scream was muffled by the sticky soup and smooth wood.
"You homewrecker! Leave our husbands alone! My husband brought this witch into our bed!''
Amy hissed, her black lipstick did nothing to hide the malice and irritation bubbling inside of her.
"Don't you remember saying those words to me some years back?"
The woman struggled, her voice strained. "W-what are you talking about?"
The other women tried to step closer, but Amy, releasing the leader momentarily, expertly snatched a bread knife from the table and brandished it, waving it just enough to keep them terrified. Everyone in the restaurant, captivated by the escalating drama, was backing away frantically.
"I am not even married and have never been married!" the leader yelled, panicking as the knife came dangerously close.
"Please relax! You've got the wrong people."
One of the women pleaded, her voice high and thin.
"Only two of us are married, and it's just recently. It's not even up to a year! There's no way we would have said that to you years back!"
"So none of you were previously married, say about two years ago?" Amy's voice was cold, challenging.
"That's why we are saying that you have mistaken us! Only one of us was previously married, but is now divorced, and that was four years ago! We have never met each other until we became friends in the last year!"
The woman spoke in a rush, scared for her life.
"Are you sure you six never met me two years ago, accusing me of sleeping with and seducing your husbands?" Amy pressed, her eyes boring into them.
"Of course, we never have!" the leader insisted without hesitation.
Amy threw her head back and laughed—a harsh, desolate sound that made her look truly unhinged. She looked pointedly at the other five women. She saw the quick, terrified flicker of realisation in one woman's eyes; the reels were running in her head. But it was too late.
Amy pulled her phone from her back pocket, opened the video incident from two years ago, and maximised the volume. The Busser reappeared then.
''May I?''
She looked at Tonna subtly, who nodded a sly smile on his face. She handed the phone to him. He connected the Bluetooth to the restaurant's four large TVs and speakers. Soon, the audio of the public lynching blared through the expensive restaurant speakers.
The people who were too far away either stood up and came closer, or turned around watching the show, wanting to know why this mysterious, beautiful woman was harassing these six women. One of the women lunged to grab the phone, but Linda, the waitress Amy had defended, immediately snatched the device away.
The video played, clearly showing the six women loudly bullying a heavy-set woman on the floor, kicking her and calling her vile names, accusing her of snatching their husbands.
Linda turned, looking from the TV screen to Amy. Amy looked Linda squarely in the face, pushing her dark weave fully back.
"Can you really not tell?"
Linda's eyes darted between the past on TV and the present in front of her. "No way… t-this is you?"
From the corner of her eye, Amy saw two of the women trying to melt away through the confused crowd.
"And where do you two wenches think you are going to?"
Amy's voice snapped across the restaurant, stopping the escapees instantly. The whole crowd shifted their attention to the two, trying to hide their now soup-stained faces.
Amy addressed the entire restaurant, her voice rising with great fury and heartbreak.
"Didn't you say that none of you were married two years ago, and the one previously married was divorced two years before this incident? How can I be a husband snatcher in that case? I have never even seen or met you ladies before, but you chose to slander and assault me on social media for what? Cheap publicity stunt, as you called it, or easy pay?"
Tears began to pool in her eyes, real and devastating, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. She had wasted enough tears for these idiots.
"Do you know what I suffered because of you? I lost my husband, my children, my dignity, and I almost lost my life. Did you know that with all the injuries you inflicted on me, I was involved in an accident that almost claimed my life? I was in a coma for a year plus and spent the first half of this year recuperating when I learned my kids had died because I wasn't there with them to pay their hospital fees when they were ill."
The crowd's support shifted abruptly. Gasps of horror replaced the earlier judgment. People started recognising the viral video and checking their phones.
"Do you have any idea what your lies have cost me? My previous family believed I cheated them, and my children were branded bastards! They told my husband they were one of your husbands' offspring. And you bozos are here eating, drinking, and laughing so happily, living your lives so well. Didn't you think the evil act you committed would come to bite you in the ass?"
Her voice shook, genuine sobs threatening to rack her body.
"I lost weight from being in a coma for so long. Imagine my grief when I woke up and found out that my babies were dead. They were in the hospital fighting for their lives because the doctor found out that they had an autoimmune disease. They had been hospitalised and were waiting for a donor due to organ damage. I came home that day to get some money to pay for their medical fees, but I was unfortunate to meet you lot and then encountered an accident. Hence, I could not get money for my children, and I guess my husband believed what he saw and heard because our children passed on with no one caring for them. Tell me how I should deal with your nuisances, huh? You assaulted me, slandered me, and harassed me, constituting a nuisance to the public. There's proof and eyewitnesses. Do you want to deny it?"
She threw the leader's arrogant words back at her, twisting the knife.
The women immediately dropped to their knees, their earlier defiance shattered.
"Please forgive us! We were blind and were misled by someone!"
The leader cried out, desperation replacing arrogance.
"They told us to act out and lie because you were a bad woman and wife. They said you were troublesome to the family and even showed us a DNA test stating that the kids are not your husband's kids!"
"Yes! Yes! That's right!"
Two others echoed in unison. The other three nodded furiously.
"And who would be so well-informed to have that information?"
Amy demanded, her voice cutting through their apologies.
One of the women spoke, trembling.
"We don't know. They approached us anonymously through email and sent all the proofs there. Based on the detailed information they posted about you, we thought they must have known you very well and had access to your daily activities, especially since they had accounts of your… nudes… on the social media handles they sent us. Maybe someone from the house close to you did it. We have it, all the things they sent us, and I can even send it to you right away!"
The woman fished out her phone and quickly sent the files to Amy's number. Linda handed the phone back to her. Amy used her finger to enlarge the picture of the fraudulent DNA test.
"Doctor Ife? When did he conduct a DNA test on my kids without my consent? This is his name and signature."
"You know Doctor Ife from Spring Life Hospital?"
Linda asked, suddenly stepping forward, her attention focused sharply on the name.
"Mmmm"
Amy muttered, lost in thought, then snapped back to attention.
"You know him, too?"
Others at the table nodded, singing his praises as a
'Good, caring doctor.'
Linda scoffed loudly.
"That wicked man!"
"Why do you say so? He was the one in charge of my kids and even diagnosed them"
Amy asked a little surprised at the hostility the other woman showed why talking about the doctor.
Linda walked up to Amy and held her hands as a means of comfort, a genuine act of solidarity.
"Just from looking at you, you seem like a big sister. You protected me, so I am going to tell you the truth. First of all, I am sorry for your loss."
Linda leaned in closer, dropping her voice.
"That man, Doctor Ife, is a doctor of death. I know many people would disagree with me, but that man has two faces."
Linda began to tell her story, eyes flashing with anger.
"My mom and I were estranged because of her drinking. She was rushed to Spring Life Hospital with alcohol poisoning. The doctors asked her about her family, and she truthfully said she had none. Two days later, Doctor Ife approached her, acting like a saint, taking special care of her, buying her food, and even offering to pay her fees. My mother, though annoying, was smart. She started taking note of his odd kindness."
"One day, he walked into her room, looking sad, and told her her liver was badly damaged from drinking, and she would, unfortunately, need a transplant or else she would die within a week. He said dialysis wouldn't work. Even though we do not see eye to eye, I always make a note to check on her without her knowing. When I learned she was at the hospital and was dying, we cried. But I just refused to believe that my mother would soon be gone, so I discharged her and insisted on another test at a different hospital."
Linda's grip on Amy's hand tightened.
"Guess what? The test said my mother's liver was still healthy. She was only advised to stop drinking a lot. She was discharged and i brought her to live with me and my siblings. However, I couldn't shake the creepy feeling from what happened to her, so I went to Insta life and casually asked if anyone knew Doctor Ife. A number of people reached out to me, each with a story. There was a pattern: this doctor asked all of them or their family members if they were alone or had any family members, and then misdiagnosed them. They thought it was a mistake, but I knew something was deeply wrong with that hospital."
"I went to the police, but nothing was done. Instead, I was warned they would sue me for defamation. I lost my job as a perfumer as I was labelled a whistleblower, which is why I'm working here. But since you've mentioned it, I feel the same thing happened to your kids. If I were you, I would go to the hospital and find out what actually happened. Did you see the actual test result with your own eyes?"
Amy seemed to think for a while, the devastation on her face deepening.
"Actually, now that I think about it, no. Doctor Ife just talked to me about the findings. I actually never read the results"
Linda took out her phone and quickly took screenshots of the information she had gathered on Doctor Ife, sending them to Amy.
"I think you and I were fated to meet here, sis. Thank you for helping me out."
Amy nodded, completely drained but incredibly grateful for this unexpected ally. She looked over at Tonna, who was smiling at her—a slight, acknowledging smile. She wasn't entirely sure, but she felt Tonna might have arranged for Linda to be here as well.
She turned back to the kneeling women. She wore her gloves and sunglasses, her demeanour now back to being ice cold.
"Without proper proof of the allegations you heaped on me and, in the process, destroying my life, I hope you willingly receive punishment to the full extent of the law. Thankfully, you called the police yourself. So report to them what you did. Don't forget to hand over all the evidence you have in your possession."
With that, she turned, tied up her long black weave, and walked out of the restaurant.
Tonna was waiting outside, leaning on the bike. As soon as Amy stepped out, the emotional toll she had been holding hit her. She immediately felt woozy, and Tonna rushed forward, grabbing her just before she collapsed.
He gently sat her on the motorbike, made her rest her head on his shoulder, while putting the helmet over her face, covering her face so she could cry to her her heart's content.
After about five minutes, the silent, deep sobs subsided. He wore his helmet, climbed on behind her. The strong woman he knew was back. he smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. As she started the bike, two police cars drove in, siren wailing. She swerved the bike sharply to the left to avoid a collision, giving the police passage. After they drove in, she drove out, Tonna hugging her back like it was his safety net.
THE OFFICE OF BUIKE
Later that same day, the news was blaring everywhere, dominating all channels.
"Please give it up for President Buike Robinson, who won with a total of Fifteen million votes from all across the country. Congratulations, Mr. President!"
In a secure location, Tonna was on a call, the celebration soundtrack playing in the background.
"Boss, I have sent the info out to Inspector Ade as you instructed."
It was Arnold on the other end.
"Good. One last thing, how about those ones?" Tonna asked, referring to the shareholders he had blackmailed.
"I was about to report, Boss. They went to see Mr. Achebe a week ago, and he verified the voice and video as being authentic. They have just sent a message asking for a meeting. They want to switch sides."
"Okay. Is everything ready?"
Tonna asked, his eyes focused on the televised celebrations.
"Yes, Boss. The stage is set."
"Good. Make it dramatic. A grand finale for a grand thief."
"Sure, Boss."
The phone clicked. Arnold took a deep breath, a grim expression on his face. He shook his head as he watched the man celebrating his victory on TV, oblivious that his political life, and perhaps his actual life, was about to end. Arnold knew Buike had been trying to find out who THE MASK was, but he had blocked every medium. They had been lucky, but not for much longer. Before Buike could discover their true identity, he would be done for.
Flashback: The Strategy
Tonna and Arnold had visited Governor Hanye in prison. They had discovered that Hanye was best friends with Kanyi Madu, Mrs Robinson's late fiancé, whom Hanye had betrayed and joined Buike to frame.
Hanye, consumed by guilt and seeking revenge against the snake Buike, he had provided evidence he'd secretly kept: proof that Buike never attended school, that his certificates were fake, the depraved videos, and the names of the secret members of the Klarity Foundation.
Crucially, Hanye provided proof that the two girls were not actually Buike's children, but twin sisters he had adopted without his wife's knowledge, and that he was drugging and sexually assaulting them.
From the story Governor Hanye told, Tonna had gotten the idea to incorporate it in the paintings and display them at the Spectrum gallery using the pseudonym 'The Mask'—to tell the exact narrative of Kanyi's life and Buike's betrayal. The artistic exposition was meant to expose Buike to the police.
All the proof Hanye had given them was meticulously packaged and sent to Inspector Ade. When Ade, in his curiosity, sent a message asking for the identity of 'THE RECRUITER,' Arnold (operating under Tonna's instruction) had sent that information as well, to keep Ade invested.
With the help of Governor Hanye and now Mr. Achebe (who had lost the Klarity Foundation to Buike and was eager for revenge), they had located the whereabouts of Doctor Ife, who was hiding out on a small private island. Both Hanye, and Achebe provided evidence of the doctor falsely diagnosing people to harvest their organs for rich, privileged members of the Klarity Foundation. They also provided proof of him faking the DNA test of Amy's twins, Jessy and Jaden, as well as administering pills to make them sick so they could be brought into the hospital for "treatment," which was a cover for the organ harvesting.
Tonna had sent all this evidence to Ade.
The plan was now in it's final phase. Mr. Achebe had agreed to cooperate fully. After Buike won, he had simply ignored Achebe, blocked his number, and cut off all contact. The President was about to get a taste of his own medicine.
No deity would be able to save him from the demon that was Tonna Ziko. The show was about to begin.