💔 NEVER LET GO – EPISODE THIRTY SEVEN: “Wrath and Redemption”
Sleep never came to Stanley that night.
He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, watching shadows move like restless spirits. Every time he closed his eyes, Ivy’s face appeared, soft and wounded, then Stacey’s cruel laughter followed, echoing in his mind. His heart would not rest. His body refused to relax. He kept thinking of the night Ivy was driven away and the fear she must have felt. The thought alone was enough to keep him wide awake, burning, boiling, plotting.
He sat up and dragged his hands down his face.
“How could you let this happen to her?” he whispered to himself.
He checked his phone again and again, waiting for messages, waiting for it to ring. But no new messages. No new calls. His fingers tapped nervously on the edge of the bed. The urge to get up and start moving around almost broke him, but he forced himself to wait. He had already put the wheels in motion. All he needed now was the final piece of information from Oscar.
Minutes crawled by. Then finally, his phone rang.
When it finally did, the sound was sharp and urgent. He grabbed it instantly.
“Oscar,” he said before the other man could even speak.
“Yes Sir,” Oscar replied. “She does not live there anymore.”
Stanley straightened, fully alert.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
“I managed to trace someone who used to live very close to her former place. He did not want to talk at first. He said Stacey is his friend and that she warned him not to reveal her new location to anyone. She didn’t even tell him she was relocating. He only found out by accident when he ran into her near a different neighborhood one evening. He confronted her, asking why she did not inform him. She claimed it was for a clandestine reason and begged him not to mention it to anyone.”
Stanley’s jaw clenched. “And now?" He asked, his voice dropping dangerously low.
“I made the offer he could not refuse. He finally talked. I have the address for you now. Although she is not alone. She is living with some of the same girls that helped her threaten Ivy, including the one who made that strange call and drove her out of Port Harcourt.”
For the first time that night, Stanley smiled. But it carried no warmth. No happiness. Only vengeance.
“Send her new address to me,” he ordered.
A second later, the location flashed onto his screen.
“Well done, Oscar,” Stanley said. “Expect your reward to be doubled.”
“Thank you Sir.”
He ended the call and stared at the address, his mind already moving at the speed of war. He knew exactly what to do next. Every nerve in his body vibrated with purpose. Without wasting another second, he went through his contacts until he reached a name that very few dared to save on their phones. The call was answered on the second ring.
“Stanley?” the voice said. “It has been a while. You do not call without a reason.”
“I need a favor that will not go unrewarded,” Stanley replied calmly.
“What kind of favor?”
“There is a group of women involved in grievous criminal acts. Threats to life. Assault. Abduction. Intimidation with the intent to cause harm and force a young woman to flee Port Harcourt. They must be arrested immediately.”
“You have proof?”
“I will send you everything. Address, names. The case is sensitive but important. They almost destroyed an innocent life.”
There was a brief silence on the line.
“Send the details. I will dispatch a special unit,” the voice finally responded.
Within minutes, everything was set in motion.
By the next morning, the walls around Stacey’s new home were shattered by the sound of heavy boots and loud commands. Officers stormed the building. Stacey barely had time to grab her phone before her arms were twisted behind her back. Her girls panicked, screaming, pleading, running, but there was nowhere to go.
They were arrested and taken away in handcuffs.
Stanley arrived shortly after, his presence commanding immediate tension in the facility. Every officer who crossed his path knew this was not an ordinary case. He walked through the corridor like a man walking into battle.
He walked down the corridor with slow, controlled steps, his heart pounding like a drum of war. The air was heavy. The lights above flickered slightly. Then he reached the cell and saw them.
The door had been left open for him.
He stepped inside.
Stacey stood at the center, her face marked with anger, not fear. Her eyes burned with hatred as they locked onto Stanley. The same eyes that once looked at him with love now looked as if they could kill.
“So you finally found me,” she sneered. “You always like to play the master, don’t you?”
Stanley looked her up and down slowly.
“You threatened her life,” he said quietly. “You laid hands on her. You drove her away like she was nothing. You nearly destroyed the only woman I ever truly loved.”
“And you destroyed me,” Stacey shot back. “You convinced me to get rid of a child that cost me my womb. You made me believe you loved me, then you threw me out of your house like an animal and beat me with your belt. Where was your mercy then?”
Some of the girls shifted nervously. Two of them had already begun to look frightened, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation, but Stacey remained unperturbed.
“Mind you, woman; I did not tell you to destroy your life,” Stanley snapped. “You chose that path. But that does not give you the right to destroy another innocent soul.”
One of the girls laughed wickedly. “You think you are a saint now because you found another innocent girl to play hero for? We enjoyed watching you suffer. You deserved it. You ruined lives, Stanley. We are only returning the pain.”
One of the girls laughed bitterly. “You think you are a saint now because you found another innocent girl to play hero for? You ruined lives, Stanley. We are only returning the pain.”
“Yes,” another victim added. “We watched you use and dump women without remorse. Seeing you suffer felt good. It felt like justice.”
Stanley’s fists curled.
“How dare you touch the woman I love because of your bitterness?” he thundered. “She did nothing to you. Do you know what she has been through because of you? Your jealousy and foolishness made you criminals.”
Stacey’s lips curved into a dark wicked smile.
“If you think this cell will hold me forever, you are mistaken. You were lucky we were caught unawares. But listen carefully, Stanley. One day, I will step out of here. And when I do, I will find the only girl who has finally humbled your ego. I will find her and will finish what I started. I will make sure she is out of your life and you regret ever crossing paths with me. I will use her to frustrate your emotions forever," Stacey threatened viciously.
The room seemed to freeze.
That was the moment everything snapped inside him.
Without another word, Stanley moved with a force that shocked even the officers outside. His hand flew through the opening and landed hard against Stacey’s face. The slap was deafening. Her body spun and hit the ground with a painful cry.
Gasps filled the corridor.
He struck her again.
“Do not ever speak her name like that again,” he roared. “You have already done enough. You will not touch her. You will not breathe near her. You will not even think of her.”
He moved to hit her again but suddenly strong hands grabbed him from behind. Security rushed in, restraining him as Stacey tried to lift her bleeding face from the floor.
“Get him out of here,” one of the men shouted.
Stanley struggled like a man possessed.
“You will all rot here,” he yelled at them. “All of you. You made your choice when you touched her. I will make sure you never see freedom again.”
Two of the girls fell to their knees.
“We are sorry,” they cried. “Please forgive us. It was Stacey that pushed us. We were foolish. We were angry. Please have mercy.”
But Stacey spat on the floor.
“Go to hell, Stanley. May you and your Ivy burn together," she cursed furiously.
Stanley laughed darkly despite the hands still holding him.
“You just signed your own fate.”
He was dragged out of the cell and led into an office where the high commissioner sat waiting.
“You lost control in there,” the commissioner said.
“She threatened the woman I love,” Stanley replied, breathing heavily. “For that alone, she deserves worse. I want them to remain here. No bail. No mercy. I do not care what it costs.”
The man studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“They will remain in custody until further notice.”
Stanley placed an envelope on the table and slid it forward. The man glanced up at him, then at the envelope Stanley placed on his table. When he saw the content, his expression shifted involuntarily. The amount inside was what he struggled to earn in three months. He tried to hide his excitement, but the value was clear in his eyes.
"This is one million naira for now. It is appreciation for doing your job well," Stanley said.
“This is generous,” he breathed.
"And more will come if you do your job more perfectly by giving those women what they deserve," Stanley promised.
The commissioner slowly slid the envelope into his drawer and nodded.
“They will not see the outside world again unless you say so.”
A flicker of satisfaction touched Stanley’s eyes.
“Good.”
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Cindy.
He answered immediately, his voice softer now.
“Stanley, be prepared,” she said. “We will soon be leaving for Lagos today.”
Everything changed in that instant. All the anger, all the darkness, all the vengeance seemed to dissolve. In its place came light. Hope. Anticipation so strong it almost made him weak.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I am ready.”
He ended the call, rose to his feet and walked out of the building, leaving the prison behind him. But ahead of him was something far more powerful than revenge.
Ivy.
And the love he was about to fight for again.
To Be Continued ✍️ ✍️ ✍️ #NeverLetGo #Episode37 #WrathAndRedemption #StanleyVsStacey #JusticeForIvy #LoveAndVengeance #PrisonConfrontation #HopeRestored #LagosCalling #NeverLetGoSeries #EmotionalStorytelling #WritersOfFacebook
Sleep never came to Stanley that night.
He lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, watching shadows move like restless spirits. Every time he closed his eyes, Ivy’s face appeared, soft and wounded, then Stacey’s cruel laughter followed, echoing in his mind. His heart would not rest. His body refused to relax. He kept thinking of the night Ivy was driven away and the fear she must have felt. The thought alone was enough to keep him wide awake, burning, boiling, plotting.
He sat up and dragged his hands down his face.
“How could you let this happen to her?” he whispered to himself.
He checked his phone again and again, waiting for messages, waiting for it to ring. But no new messages. No new calls. His fingers tapped nervously on the edge of the bed. The urge to get up and start moving around almost broke him, but he forced himself to wait. He had already put the wheels in motion. All he needed now was the final piece of information from Oscar.
Minutes crawled by. Then finally, his phone rang.
When it finally did, the sound was sharp and urgent. He grabbed it instantly.
“Oscar,” he said before the other man could even speak.
“Yes Sir,” Oscar replied. “She does not live there anymore.”
Stanley straightened, fully alert.
“Where is she?” he demanded.
“I managed to trace someone who used to live very close to her former place. He did not want to talk at first. He said Stacey is his friend and that she warned him not to reveal her new location to anyone. She didn’t even tell him she was relocating. He only found out by accident when he ran into her near a different neighborhood one evening. He confronted her, asking why she did not inform him. She claimed it was for a clandestine reason and begged him not to mention it to anyone.”
Stanley’s jaw clenched. “And now?" He asked, his voice dropping dangerously low.
“I made the offer he could not refuse. He finally talked. I have the address for you now. Although she is not alone. She is living with some of the same girls that helped her threaten Ivy, including the one who made that strange call and drove her out of Port Harcourt.”
For the first time that night, Stanley smiled. But it carried no warmth. No happiness. Only vengeance.
“Send her new address to me,” he ordered.
A second later, the location flashed onto his screen.
“Well done, Oscar,” Stanley said. “Expect your reward to be doubled.”
“Thank you Sir.”
He ended the call and stared at the address, his mind already moving at the speed of war. He knew exactly what to do next. Every nerve in his body vibrated with purpose. Without wasting another second, he went through his contacts until he reached a name that very few dared to save on their phones. The call was answered on the second ring.
“Stanley?” the voice said. “It has been a while. You do not call without a reason.”
“I need a favor that will not go unrewarded,” Stanley replied calmly.
“What kind of favor?”
“There is a group of women involved in grievous criminal acts. Threats to life. Assault. Abduction. Intimidation with the intent to cause harm and force a young woman to flee Port Harcourt. They must be arrested immediately.”
“You have proof?”
“I will send you everything. Address, names. The case is sensitive but important. They almost destroyed an innocent life.”
There was a brief silence on the line.
“Send the details. I will dispatch a special unit,” the voice finally responded.
Within minutes, everything was set in motion.
By the next morning, the walls around Stacey’s new home were shattered by the sound of heavy boots and loud commands. Officers stormed the building. Stacey barely had time to grab her phone before her arms were twisted behind her back. Her girls panicked, screaming, pleading, running, but there was nowhere to go.
They were arrested and taken away in handcuffs.
Stanley arrived shortly after, his presence commanding immediate tension in the facility. Every officer who crossed his path knew this was not an ordinary case. He walked through the corridor like a man walking into battle.
He walked down the corridor with slow, controlled steps, his heart pounding like a drum of war. The air was heavy. The lights above flickered slightly. Then he reached the cell and saw them.
The door had been left open for him.
He stepped inside.
Stacey stood at the center, her face marked with anger, not fear. Her eyes burned with hatred as they locked onto Stanley. The same eyes that once looked at him with love now looked as if they could kill.
“So you finally found me,” she sneered. “You always like to play the master, don’t you?”
Stanley looked her up and down slowly.
“You threatened her life,” he said quietly. “You laid hands on her. You drove her away like she was nothing. You nearly destroyed the only woman I ever truly loved.”
“And you destroyed me,” Stacey shot back. “You convinced me to get rid of a child that cost me my womb. You made me believe you loved me, then you threw me out of your house like an animal and beat me with your belt. Where was your mercy then?”
Some of the girls shifted nervously. Two of them had already begun to look frightened, suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation, but Stacey remained unperturbed.
“Mind you, woman; I did not tell you to destroy your life,” Stanley snapped. “You chose that path. But that does not give you the right to destroy another innocent soul.”
One of the girls laughed wickedly. “You think you are a saint now because you found another innocent girl to play hero for? We enjoyed watching you suffer. You deserved it. You ruined lives, Stanley. We are only returning the pain.”
One of the girls laughed bitterly. “You think you are a saint now because you found another innocent girl to play hero for? You ruined lives, Stanley. We are only returning the pain.”
“Yes,” another victim added. “We watched you use and dump women without remorse. Seeing you suffer felt good. It felt like justice.”
Stanley’s fists curled.
“How dare you touch the woman I love because of your bitterness?” he thundered. “She did nothing to you. Do you know what she has been through because of you? Your jealousy and foolishness made you criminals.”
Stacey’s lips curved into a dark wicked smile.
“If you think this cell will hold me forever, you are mistaken. You were lucky we were caught unawares. But listen carefully, Stanley. One day, I will step out of here. And when I do, I will find the only girl who has finally humbled your ego. I will find her and will finish what I started. I will make sure she is out of your life and you regret ever crossing paths with me. I will use her to frustrate your emotions forever," Stacey threatened viciously.
The room seemed to freeze.
That was the moment everything snapped inside him.
Without another word, Stanley moved with a force that shocked even the officers outside. His hand flew through the opening and landed hard against Stacey’s face. The slap was deafening. Her body spun and hit the ground with a painful cry.
Gasps filled the corridor.
He struck her again.
“Do not ever speak her name like that again,” he roared. “You have already done enough. You will not touch her. You will not breathe near her. You will not even think of her.”
He moved to hit her again but suddenly strong hands grabbed him from behind. Security rushed in, restraining him as Stacey tried to lift her bleeding face from the floor.
“Get him out of here,” one of the men shouted.
Stanley struggled like a man possessed.
“You will all rot here,” he yelled at them. “All of you. You made your choice when you touched her. I will make sure you never see freedom again.”
Two of the girls fell to their knees.
“We are sorry,” they cried. “Please forgive us. It was Stacey that pushed us. We were foolish. We were angry. Please have mercy.”
But Stacey spat on the floor.
“Go to hell, Stanley. May you and your Ivy burn together," she cursed furiously.
Stanley laughed darkly despite the hands still holding him.
“You just signed your own fate.”
He was dragged out of the cell and led into an office where the high commissioner sat waiting.
“You lost control in there,” the commissioner said.
“She threatened the woman I love,” Stanley replied, breathing heavily. “For that alone, she deserves worse. I want them to remain here. No bail. No mercy. I do not care what it costs.”
The man studied him for a moment, then nodded slowly.
“They will remain in custody until further notice.”
Stanley placed an envelope on the table and slid it forward. The man glanced up at him, then at the envelope Stanley placed on his table. When he saw the content, his expression shifted involuntarily. The amount inside was what he struggled to earn in three months. He tried to hide his excitement, but the value was clear in his eyes.
"This is one million naira for now. It is appreciation for doing your job well," Stanley said.
“This is generous,” he breathed.
"And more will come if you do your job more perfectly by giving those women what they deserve," Stanley promised.
The commissioner slowly slid the envelope into his drawer and nodded.
“They will not see the outside world again unless you say so.”
A flicker of satisfaction touched Stanley’s eyes.
“Good.”
Just then, his phone rang.
It was Cindy.
He answered immediately, his voice softer now.
“Stanley, be prepared,” she said. “We will soon be leaving for Lagos today.”
Everything changed in that instant. All the anger, all the darkness, all the vengeance seemed to dissolve. In its place came light. Hope. Anticipation so strong it almost made him weak.
“Thank you,” he said softly. “I am ready.”
He ended the call, rose to his feet and walked out of the building, leaving the prison behind him. But ahead of him was something far more powerful than revenge.
Ivy.
And the love he was about to fight for again.
To Be Continued ✍️ ✍️ ✍️ #NeverLetGo #Episode37 #WrathAndRedemption #StanleyVsStacey #JusticeForIvy #LoveAndVengeance #PrisonConfrontation #HopeRestored #LagosCalling #NeverLetGoSeries #EmotionalStorytelling #WritersOfFacebook
