Listen To Me

Chapter 14

WORK HARDER NEXT TIME. It was boldly written on Hope's report card. Her hands fell limp by her side and the piece of paper fell to the ground. Her mother would have another reason to criticize her today.

She stood in front of the Staff's room where she she had collected her report card, her head bowed. People who saw her shook their heads. She must have failed woefully, they thought.

Why? Why did I lose to him again? Hope lamented in her heart. Her teacher told her that Damilare beat her with 0.5%. Just 0.5%, I was almost there, she thought.

"Hope, are you alright?" Gladys asked, cautiously when she saw Hope's dejected appearance. She was taking a stroll around the school while waiting for Tony.

"I am fine," Hope replied without looking up.

Gladys picked up Hope's report card on the floor and placed it in Hope's hand but Hope did not grasp it and let it fall again.

"Did you fail that bad?" Gladys inquired curiously when she saw Hope's behavior. She picked up the report card again and skimmed through it. Her eyes almost bulged out, "97.5%!" She cried out. "Oh, my God. Hope, you did so well. If I ever brought this kind of report card home, my mom would buy me anything I ask for a year."

Hope sighed as she raised her head to gaze at Gladys, "It's still the second position, it is not enough. Even the Principal said so." she said referring to the Principal's remark.

"Your result is great. I came out fifth which was an upgrade from my seventh position last year. My mom is going to buy me a new laptop when she sees it." Gladys stated with a toothy grin.

Hope sighed again. Her mother would not bat an eyelash at her.

"Damilare was only 0.5% higher than you," Gladys added before giving Hope back her result.

"Where is Damilare? We were supposed to leave together." Hope asked. She wanted to leave the school premises before people flocked around her, demanding to see her report card.

"He left. He said he was running late for a ceremony and that he was sorry he left without you." Gladys told her.

Since everyone collected their results according to the school register, Damilare took his first because his surname started with the letter A, while Hope's name was at the bottom.

Hope looked at the time on her wristwatch, it was 11:30 a.m. She just shrugged and started walking towards the school gate after waving Gladys off. She was going to order a taxi home.

Immediately she got to the gate, she saw a familiar Mercedes. Chills traveled down her spine when she saw who the driver was.

"Long time no see," Efe said with a disgusting smirk on his face. Light bruises were still on his face from Damilare's beating last time.

"What are you doing here?" Hope spat at him.

"I am here to pick you up, of course," Efe replied, still looking smug.

"Thank you but I have ordered a taxi already," Hope told him before walking away. She lied, she had not ordered a taxi yet.

Efe was not taking 'No' for an answer as he slowly drove behind her, "It was your mother's orders. If you don't get in, I am going to call her."

Hope stopped in her tracks. She could not believe it. Why did her Mother hate her? Did she not notice that the reason she had been running away from home was because of him? Why was she still pushing them together?

"You can call her. It will not change a thing." Hope said without looking at Efe. She then walked away, this time Efe did not follow her. Just when she thought she had escaped, she received a phone call from her mother.

"Hope, get into that car right now. Your father is going to be signing the deal today, so you better behave yourself and enter into that car. I am sure you don't want your father to lose his deal because of your stupid action." Her mother barked out immediately she answered the call.

"Mommy, I am not comfortable with this boy. I don't want to be in the same car with him. By the way, what does my entering his car have to do with Daddy signing his deal?" Hope complained. She did not see why her father's deal concerned her.

"Mr. Edosa found out that Damilare beat up his son because of you. Why did you not tell me that they fought?" Mama Unique asked from the phone. "You are in big trouble when you get home so you better get into that car and stop making problems for us. Only then will the business deal be signed." She said, hanging up.

Hope shut her eyes in annoyance. Something smelled fishy. Those people were definitely up to something. Hope sighed. She knew she had a lot of questions to answer when she got home. Efe had probably fed her parents with lies already.

"Are you ready to go now?" Efe yelled, honking loudly behind her.

Hope had no choice, she had to go with him. I am doing this for my father, she chanted before walking towards Efe's car. As she was about to open the door to the back seat, Efe stopped her.

"Your seat is right here." He said, slapping the passenger seat. Hope was about to argue when he added, "If you refuse I will call your mother again or probably my father."

Hope sighed before entering the passenger's seat. Efe gave her a smirk of victory before driving off. After some time, Hope noticed that he was not driving in the direction of her house. Efe had diverted to a one-way road that was deserted and filled with tall palm trees, "Where are we going?" She asked in a panic.

"Don't worry, I am taking you somewhere fun," Efe answered as he bobbed his head to Calm Down by Rema playing on the radio.

"Please, take me home. I do not want to go anywhere with you." Hope told him in a hurry.

"Stop worrying. I still have not forgiven you for what you and your friend did. I could not show my face in public for days."

"It's not my fault that you were too weak to fight a 17-year-old. You deserved every hit he delivered to your face."

"Well, it's time for your punishment after which, that boy will be punished too," Efe said as he groped Hope's thighs with one of his hands, forcefully riding up her skirt.

Hope slapped his hands away before slapping him across the face. This made the car slightly swerve before Efe regained control of the steering wheel.

Efe stopped the car on the side of the road in anger. How dare she? He has received more slaps from this little brat than his mother has given him in his life. Does she know how many girls fight to be with him?

"You should not have done that?" Efe said through gritted, his face contorted in anger. He looked like a demon from hell as he straddled Hope on the passenger seat. He tore her uniform open, bursting some buttons but thankfully, she had worn a white singlet so her bra was not on display. But that did not stop Efe.

Hope struggled, delivering more slaps on Efe but they did not deter him though they seemed to annoy him because he grabbed her neck, choking her. His other hand was busy undoing his trousers. Efe did not seem to realize that she was losing consciousness. Hope could feel the air leaving her lungs, she could not breathe. Tears were streaming down her face. Is this how I am going to end? She thought.

"I am going to make you a woman," Efe whispered.

Hope tried to shout but no sound came out of her mouth. She could not fight back anymore. As she stared into space, her eyes blurry from tears, she saw something approaching them. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was a loud bang.