Part 3
After several days of legal arguments, the judge announced a brief recess. Jane’s heart raced. She knew this battle wasn’t over, but the fact that it had gone on this long was a small victory in itself.
Just as Jane was beginning to feel the weight of the battle, something unexpected happened. Her lawyer, Tosin, called her one afternoon with urgent news.
“Jane, we’ve found something,” Tosin said, her voice shaking with excitement. “Adebayo had a will. It wasn’t the one his family presented, but it’s real.
We found it in a safe deposit box, and it contains a clause that specifically recognizes you as his legal wife and leaves a portion of his estate to you and your children.”
Jane could hardly believe it. For years, she had wondered whether Adebayo had secretly planned for this day, knowing how his family would react. He must have known that without the bride price being paid, they would fight for everything.
READ ALSO: The Forgotten Village – Part 4
Her emotions were mixed. Relief. Anger. Sadness. How could he have left this to the last minute? Why hadn’t he dealt with it sooner? Yet, at least now, there was some hope.
Tosin continued, “This will give us the ammunition we need. With this will, we can make a strong case in court. We will have the legal backing to show that Adebayo’s intentions were clear.”
Jane felt a wave of gratitude toward her late husband. He had, in a way, prepared for this, even though it was too late to change anything now.
But the news didn’t sit well with Adebayo’s family. Kola, furious, demanded that the will be invalidated. “How could he leave everything to her?” he shouted in front of the court. “She’s not even legally married to him. This will is a fake!”
The courtroom was tense, and Jane could feel the animosity in the air. But she knew she had to stay strong. Her children, who had always been by her side, deserved justice. She couldn’t let Adebayo’s family tear them apart.
As Jane’s legal battle continued, Adebayo’s family began to show their true colors. What had once been a subtle disdain for her now turned into open hostility. Kola was the main instigator, but his siblings weren’t far behind.
READ ALSO: The Forgotten Village – Part 4
“You think you can just walk in and take everything?” Kola hissed at her one day, after a particularly tense hearing. “You are nothing without Adebayo. You were just some woman he decided to live with. What do you know about business or managing wealth?”
Jane’s fists clenched in anger, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her upset. “I know enough to raise his children, and I know enough to fight for their future. I won’t let you take what belongs to us.”
Kola smirked. “You’re deluded. There’s no way we’re going to let this happen. You’ve already caused enough trouble.” The tension between Jane and Adebayo’s family was thickening. His relatives began to isolate her from the community.
Neighbors who once treated her like family now avoided her, whispering behind her back. No one was willing to stand up for her, even though many knew what Adebayo’s family was doing was wrong
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