EPISODE 2: PHANTOM IN THE SHADOWS

In a flash, he had stripped me naked. Time went by slowly as Winston tore the inner chambers of my heart with the unthinkable. He looked at me like a predator while he had his fun with my body, moving it in unbearable positions. This wasn’t the person I saw on my first day of honeymoon! I stayed on the hall floor that night as the tears that clouded my vision brought sleep to me, reminding me of one of the saddest days in my life.

The first thing I thought of when my eyes opened the next morning was to dash to the main entrance of the house. Instead, I fell off the bed after the attempt. I got up more confused than the previous day. I had the pyjamas Winston had gotten for me before the wedding on. “Did he carry me into bed while I slept on the hall floor?” I quizzed myself. Everything looked as though it was a nightmare with peace restored the next morn but no! The nail marks on my skin were evidence that I had lived the nightmare.

Just then the bedroom door opened. I grabbed the nearest pillow and stood in an attacking position ready to do anything that came to mind. In came Winston, wearing his dashing smile and carrying a loaded tray of breakfast with fruits. He smiled wider as he put the tray on the bed. “Guess who is awake! My sleeping beauty!”

I went blank. He got closer and tried to get me to sit down. I backed away in fright and sat on the floor beside the bed. I wept bitterly. My whole body shook as I wept. This is not what I signed for. A bipolar person? When do I get my first beating?

Winston held me as I cried. I didn’t push him away. Perhaps I was too tired to do that. Softly, he apologized, “I received bad news from my mom and that brought out the beast in me. This is of course no excuse but please forgive me. I regret deeply what I did”. “This heart”, he said while placing my hand on his chest, “beats for you and you alone. Vee, I can’t even forgive myself”. I sniffed and raised my head to look at him. Tears had welled up in his eyes. That was how our morning ended; in tears.

Weeks quickly flew by and it was time to go back to work. Things had gotten back to normal. I didn’t bother calling his mother again. I had dignity. I was trying to put on my shoes after weeks of serious weight gain and eating, which I could not comprehend.

My husband was taking his bath. Everything was just peaceful. His phone rang and I looked at the caller ID. It was his mom. I grinned as I watched the call end. It rang again and again. This time, I used the ringtone to move my hips in a dancing rhythm till it stopped. I giggled. It felt fun to tease the woman after how she spoke to me.

After a while, she stopped calling. I was a little bit disappointed in how she had unknowingly ended my dance session. A message came in from her. The shower had stopped. I guess Winston was almost done. I peeped at the screen as fast as I could before he came out.

It read, “Dear, I want to talk to you but I don’t want to see your wife because I am afraid of her now. Can we meet somewhere more private this evening? My pastor told me some revelations about your wife that can destroy you. Let’s work fast before it’s too late. Love you.❤️”

To be continued…