Bound by Tension
59

"Are you out of your mind?" I hollered.

"I should be asking you that. You're shirtless." He frowned and picked my shirt from the floor.

"I could've caught the devil. Shit!"

"Without a shirt? In the presence of our employees? You're crazy." He wore my shirt over my body.

I sighed. "Sorry, I was only interested in catching her and forgot that another crazy person made me shirtless."

"Another crazy person? Seriously?" He rolled his eyes, buttoning my shirt for me. I could do that on my own but what was the point in arguing? "We should get going."

"but-" he glanced at his laptop.

"Can't you forget work tonight?" I tucked my shirt in.

"Uh..." I glared at him. "Fine." He sighed.

I grinned, stood on my tiptoes and pecked him.

***

"Hey, Mom." Hames smiled, pulling his Mom into a hug.

"My Hamzy is such a big boy now." She giggled.

"I'm not a boy." He pulled apart from the hug and kissed her forehead.

"Hey," Amanda grinned and also hugged Hames. A feeling of jealousy twitched in me; she had no right to hug my husband.

"I realized I haven't been getting along with my daughter like I ought to." Trisha hugged me too. "And I don't like that."

"Me neither." I chuckled.

She pulled apart from the hug and held my hand, walking with me toward the dining area.

Amanda hadn't stopped hugging Hames so I stopped to hold his arm, stealthily pulling him from her. "Dinner."

We all left for the dining table. Mia, Lila and Nikita had already had their seats.

"Thank you all for being here. My wife and I really appreciate it." Hames said.

"Yeah, we understand that." Trisha said. "Let's eat, I'm hungry."

"Me too." Mia added. "Let's all join our hands to pray."

Oh no, this was going to last forever.

We all joined our hands while Mia prayed for the meal we were about to eat. Of course, it lasted for probably a billion years till we were done and finally started eating.

After eating, we all left for the sofas. Mia, Lila, Nikita and Hames were chatting with Amanda trying to cling to my husband while Trisha and I were chatting.

She was such a cool mother-in-law to get along with and she insisted I called her Mom because I'm the daughter she never had.

"Hames, I need to discuss with both of you as a married couple. Mia, if you don't mind either, you can be present."

"Sure, no problem." Mia nodded.

Nikita and Lila excused us though no one asked them to, then Amanda followed suit.

"What's so important that you had to send them away?" Hames asked, sitting beside me.

"Everyone was present here and is aware of the fact that I didn't say they should leave. Let's forget that, I've been giving Imogen relationship advice to keep your marriage forever. I know your marriage was rushed but I can clearly see that you both love each other very much."

"Of course we do." Hames said, curling an arm around my waist.

"That's so great." Mia beamed.

"I'm so happy about that. To be truthful, I thought my Hamzy was going to get married at 50." She admitted and we, except Hames, burst into laughter. "I was in the process of arranging his marriage." "Imogen would've died if that happened." He smirked at me.

I only rolled my eyes.

"You're so lucky to have each other. I'll always pray for your union that no harm comes upon you." Mia smiled.

"Thank you so much." Hames returned her smile.

"So..." Trisha cleared her throat. "I don't want to seem like I'm poking my nose into your business but may I know when you plan on giving us grandchildren."

"It's all in God and my wife's hands. I think she wants a good space after marriage before letting children dwell in there for 9 months." He rested his hand on my tummy.

"Oh." She said disappointedly. "I know Hames like children a lot..."

"Yeah. If I have the chance, I'll make sure we have a child every year."

"She doesn't want babies? I think we'll have to discuss this at full length, Imogen." Mia spoke with that scary motherly tone.

"I don't think so, Mom. Hames and I would discuss it together." I wanted to dismiss discussing this with her at all costs.

Trisha changed the topic then they both lectured us on how to strengthen our bond, gave us good marital tips and advice for about an hour till they drifted to other funny topics.

"It's getting late, I think I have to go now." Trisha said, looking at her wrist watch.

"Me too. I hope you don't mind dropping me off at home?" Mia rose to her feet.

"Of course not." Trisha grinned at her.

This rich husband of mine needed to get a new car for my mother.

We accompanied them to Trisha's car and waved them off, returning to the living room. Nikita and Lila were already seated on the couch.

"I guess we should get going too." Lila yawned.

"Imogen, I clearly remember something that happened when you thought someone had killed Hames." Nikita said seriously.

"What is it?" I asked nonchalantly, taking a seat on a sofa with Hames.

"If you remember this: Hames can't be dead. Is it because I didn't love him back? I promise to love him if he returns to me, I promise to bear his children and give him everything he wants." She said and chuckled while my eyes widened. "Oh yeah, I definitely remember how hard Imogen was crying while saying that." Lila said between her laughter.

"It doesn't sound like something she can say."

"Nikita, I swear I'll kill you for bringing that up again." I growled and charged towards her but Hames held me back.

"Calm down, tigress." He laughed.

"I think we should get going." Lila yawned again.

"No, please sleep over again tonight." I pleaded.

They shared a glance at each other. "If your husband permits." Nikita shrugged.

"Hames?" I smiled at him.

"Of course you can sleep over, I really don't mind."

"I'll also be sleeping over tonight." Amanda said, strolling down the stairs.

Her presence made my face contort.

"No, you're not." I retorted.

"Of course I am. I always have and always will. If you can permit your best friends to sleepover then you shouldn't have a problem with Hames' best friend doing the same." "Hames-"

"Let's go to the terrace." He cut me off, rose to his feet and lifted me to my feet.

"Why?"

"Amanda, you too. We have to talk."

Amanda half-shrugged and followed us to the terrace.

"What's going on?"

"Listen Amanda," he started. "Imogen said you confronted her about being in love with me. I wanted to tell you this earlier but I kept forgetting but I'd let you know that that has to stop. I noticed it but I wasn't certain if it was just my imagination and didn't want to point fingers. Please don't feel that way for me. We're simply friends. My wife is my life and the only person I will ever love so don't waste your time on me, I'm taken." He said authoritatively and her gray eyes became glassy with tears.

"Most importantly, Imogen has been receiving crazy threat messages of someone claiming to want to kill me and has killed me." "Threat messages?" She reiterated.

"Yeah. And she suspects it might be you because you claim to love me and want me to think she's crazy so you can take her place."

She scrunched her face up. "Wait wait wait, this is crazy. Imogen has been receiving threat messages, she's putting the blame on me, and you believe her?"

"Of course she's my wife and I have to trust her and pay close attention to her words." He shoved his hands into his pocket.

The person I had seen in the office had red hair but Amanda had dark brown hair. It was clearing my doubt of her.

She could have also sent someone to spy on us instead of her so she was still a suspect here.

"Has love really made you so blind and foolish?" She spat, making Hames' face twisted furiously. "We've been friends for ten years and you should know what I can and cannot do. Of all people you could only suspect me? Are you so stupid that you couldn't suspect Samantha?"

"Samantha? Who's that?" I asked.

Hames' face turned red. "How dare you?"

"How dare I mention her name in front of your wife? Oh, really? You didn't think twice before pointing fingers at me."

"Who the fuck is Samantha?" I asked again.

"I think I'd let you know." She feigned a smile.

"AMANDA!" He barked, causing both of us to flinch.

"Why? Are you afraid to let her know the truth?"

"Just shut the hell up!" He said through gritted teeth, clenching his fists and jaw.

Oh my God, what was he hiding from me?