Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 2
The Rejected Ring
Episode Two
Benjamin returned to his small restaurant later that evening. The place was busy as usual. Customers were sitting on plastic chairs, eating rice, beans, and fried plantain. Some were waiting in line to buy takeaway food.
Benjamin stood behind the counter, serving food and collecting money. But his mind was not there. He was working with his hands, but his heart was far away.
One of his regular customers, an elderly man, noticed his mood. “Benjamin, what is wrong with you today? You are not smiling. You always greet me with a big smile, but today your face is dull,” the man said.
Benjamin forced himself to smile. “Nothing, sir. I am fine,” he said with a shaky voice.
But deep inside, he was not fine. He was thinking of Evelyn. He was thinking of her harsh words.
“I cannot marry a poor man… Love cannot pay bills… I have seen a rich man who will marry me.”
Those words kept ringing in his ears.
As he served another customer, he dropped a spoon by mistake. His hands were shaking. He picked it up quickly, but his eyes were already filled with tears.
After a while, he could not take it anymore. He walked to the door and locked it.
“Everyone, please, I am closing for today,” he said. Some customers complained, but Benjamin did not listen. He packed the remaining food inside the fridge, closed the cash box, and left.
When he got home, he went straight to his room. He locked the door, removed his shirt, and fell on his bed.
The tears he was holding in the restaurant flowed freely now. He wept like a child.
“Eight years… Eight years of my life wasted. Evelyn, how could you do this to me? How can you throw away everything we shared because of money?” he said to himself.
He sat up and looked at the wall. His eyes were red. His chest was in pain.
He remembered how he met Evelyn. She was a student in the university then. He was struggling, but he made sure he sent her pocket money every month. Sometimes, he would not eat well because he wanted her to be comfortable. He sacrificed so much.
Now she had rejected him. Just like that.
Benjamin shook his head. “So because she thinks I am poor, she said no to me? If only she knew the truth. If only she knew what I have been hiding all these years,” he said quietly.
Benjamin had a secret. A big secret he never shared with Evelyn.
For the past ten years, he had been saving money from his restaurant. He lived a simple life so that nobody would suspect him. He pretended to be struggling. But the truth was different.
With the money he saved, he built a fine house at the edge of town. A big house with modern furniture and decorations.
He also bought two cars, which he kept inside the compound of his new house. He never drove them. He wanted to surprise Evelyn after marriage. His plan was to give her one of the cars as a wedding gift.
Not only that, Benjamin also opened a supermarket in another part of the town. He put it under the management of his staff. The supermarket was doing very well.
And in his bank account, he had N20 million.
But Evelyn did not know any of this. She only saw him as a small restaurant owner.
Benjamin lay back on his bed. “I wanted to surprise her. I wanted to make her happy. But now, all my plans are wasted. She rejected me because she thought I was poor,” he said bitterly.
He wiped his face and sat up. “No. I will not let her words destroy me. I will show her. I will show the world who Benjamin really is,” he said with determination.
The next week, Benjamin hired workers to break down his old restaurant. People in the neighborhood were shocked.
“Why is Benjamin destroying his shop?” they asked. Some thought he had run into debt. Others thought he was moving away.
But Benjamin had a plan. He rebuilt the place into a modern fast food joint. He painted it beautifully, bought new chairs and tables, and installed air conditioners. He even bought new cooking equipment.
When he opened it, the place became the talk of the town. People came from far and near to eat there. The restaurant was always full.
Benjamin also started driving one of his cars. A shiny black Toyota parked in front of his restaurant. Customers were surprised to see him driving such a fine car.
“Is this really Benjamin? The same man we thought was struggling?” they asked one another.
Benjamin just smiled. He was no longer hiding.
One sunny afternoon, Evelyn was walking down the street with a friend. They were laughing and chatting when she suddenly saw a black Toyota stop in front of her. The glass rolled down slowly.
It was Benjamin.
Her mouth opened in shock. She could not believe what she was seeing.
“Benjamin?” she called out in shock.
Benjamin smiled at her calmly. “Hello, Evelyn,” he said.
Evelyn stepped closer to the car. She looked at the steering, looked at the seats, and touched the body of the car. Her eyes were wide with surprise.
“Benjamin, is this your car?” she asked.
Benjamin looked at her straight in the eyes. His voice was calm but firm.
“Yes. This is my car. In fact, I have two. I wanted to give one to you as a wedding gift. But since you rejected me, I parked it at home.”
To be continued
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