chapter 33

Ifeoma had been noticing the way her husband never took certain calls in her presence and how he even changed the password to his Iphone. Her fingerprint couldn't open his phone anymore unlike before and no matter how much she tried to keep trusting him and not be suspicious, she was a woman and she couldn't help it anymore. It was getting too glaring.

She watched as he continued to type on his phone and she tried to strain her eyes yet she couldn't see anything. It was half past eight in the night and even while the TV in their room was on, they were both on their phones, although Ifeoma was just pretending to be busy on her own phone while trying to get a look at who her husband was texting.

"That reminds me. Baby, why did you change your password?" Ifeoma finally decided to ask.

"Nothing, I got tired of the former one" Fikayo simply replied.

"Even if, why can't my fingerprint open it anymore too?" She questioned further.

"You hardly checked my phone or anything so I just thought having your fingerprint has no use"

That was true, Ifeoma trusted her husband so much that she was not the kind of wife who went through her husband's messages, pictures, contacts and all that but then Fikayo wasn't acting suspicious. Now that he was, she had the great urge to get hold of that phone.

"Who are you always texting though?" Ifeoma let out the question that had been in my mind.

"It's just the guys, see? It's a group chat" Fikayo replied as he showed his wife the chats.

"Can I read it?" Ifeoma blurted out.

Fikayo started at her like she grew horns. "Why would you want to read the chats between my guys and I? Have I ever read the chats and gossips you have with your girls? It's a private chat and it's not for women. Wait, when did you start getting so nosy, babe?"

"Ever since..." Ifeoma was interrupted by the ring on Fikayo's phone.

"Be right back" He said.

Ifeoma watched as her husband climbed off the bed and walked to the balcony just to pick a call. She was getting more scared, as much as she was getting suspicious and all, she didn't want whatever she was thinking to be true.

Ifeoma sat patiently waiting for her husband to return. She had decided to trash this out that night. Fikayo returned after ten minutes.

"Since when do you have to leave my presence to pick a call for almost ten minutes, Fikayo?" Ifeoma questioned.

"Ifeoma, you're getting too paranoid, come on babe. It's just the bank, they called to ask me about the amounts of money that I keep withdrawing, that's all"

"Is that our joint account?"

"Yes"

"You are withdrawing from it, without telling me? Why is it a joint account then? And what the heck are you withdrawing money for?" Ifeoma snapped.

"Calm down, babe. It's just a little amount" Fikayo tried to cajole his wife but she wasn't having it.

It was getting too glaring to ignore.

"Don't tell me that, Fikayo! Don't even tell me that! We were saving that money for our wedding anniversary so that we can go to Dubai for vacation and then you go ahead to keep getting out of it?" Ifeoma found herself raising her voice and she continued. "Fikayo, I absolutely don't understand you anymore! At all! You change your phone password, go out every time to God knows where, leave my presence to pick certain calls, keep acting shady and now taking out of the joint account?"

"Why are making these simple issues look like such a big deal? I'll return the money."

"It's a big deal! A very big deal! Everything that is happening is pointing to one glaring fact!" Ifeoma snapped.

"What fact, babe?" Fikayo said still remaining as calm as ever.

"You're having an extramarital affair, Fikayo! That's the only reasonable explanation!" Ifeoma concluded.

Mama opened the door and walked into their bedroom at that moment. Ifeoma was even more annoyed.

"Even if he is, is he not a man? Is that why you're shouting like someone died? Children of nowadays!" Mama said in support of her son.

"Imagine! Was she eavesdropping before? Wonders shall never end! Mama, please, get out of my room! This is not your business!" Ifeoma snapped not caring that she was been rude. In-fact, if mama got on her nerves the more that night, she was going to blast her like totally blast her.

"Fikayo, look at the rude way in which your wife spoke to me!" Mama said as if Fikayo was deaf.

"Fikayo, tell this woman to get out of this room! Else, she'll see the other side of me! And you know that my other side don't know elderly woman or mother in-law o! You know I can be crazy when I choose to be! Tell her to leave our room this instant!" Ifeoma warned.

Fikayo knew his wife too and even though she was gentle and only talked when pushed to the wall, whenever she did flare up or talk, it was a disaster. She doesn't get angry easily but when she finally does, she did things without caring about the consequences, Fikayo could see that she was already at that stage.

"Mama, please leave us alone. It's a private matter that doesn't concern you" Fikayo told his mother who was adamant.

"I should leave and she should kill you for me? This one that her eyes is flaming like fire?"

"Eh eh! Someone is trying me today!" Ifeoma started to tap her right foot on the ground multiple times.

Fikayo decided to give her mom a little push till she got outside the door and then he locked it even though mama was relentless and kept talking outside the room.

"My son, don't let her kill you for me o! Stand your ground! It has been like that froom generation to generation, you're not the first man who would do it! In fact, it makes you a complete man! Don't let her turn you to fool, you're the man of the house!...."

"I can't talk with your mother saying all that! Meet me in the balcony!" Ifeoma said as she stormed to the balcony and Fikayo followed.

There was silence for over ten minutes and by then, Fikayo had perfected his lies and tactics.

"Babe! I swear, I'm not cheating on you! If you want me to swear with a bible, I would, just so you see it." Fikayo lied.

Ifeoma's anger was subsiding but she didn't buy it yet.

"If you want me to believe what you just said, then explain what exactly you used the money you withdrew to do and explain why you keep leaving my presence to pick certain calls too and why you haven't really given me much attention for weeks now! Don't forget to also explain why we haven't had sex for the past one month! Tell me, I'm listening!"

"This was meant to be a surprise but since it had been putting doubts and suspicions about me in you, I think I'll have to let it out."

"Please do! I don't want surprise!" Ifeoma stood her ground.

"Okay. Ehm.... you know that your birthday is in two weeks?..." Fikayo started while Ifeoma nodded.

"...well, I have been busy trying to give you the best surprise weekend vacation. I thought that you've gone through a lot these few months with your friends death, the miscarriage, and all that. And the fact that you work too much also. I wanted to gift you a surprise car too but now, you've ruined all my surprise plans. I was only communicating with all the people involved in it, the car dealer, the caterer, the plane tickets and all that and my own money finished so I had to dig into the joint account hoping to pay it back and these are stuffs I have to say behind you if not that surprise would be ruined but I didn't know that it was putting other ideas in you."

Ifeoma suddenly felt guilty, all these while, she had been suspicious of him while he was only trying to put a smile on her face for her birthday.

"I'm so so sorry. I... I... totally didn't even think.... God.... I feel like a bad person right now. Oh my God" Ifeoma started to sob.

"I'm hurt though. The fact that you started thinking that I'm having extramarital affairs is unfair, really. I thought we built this home based on trust and I thought I told you to always trust me. What is the essence of marriage when trust is broken, Oma? I totally didn't expect this from you at all." Fikayo succeeded in guilt tripping his wife the more.

Ifeoma quickly hugged her husband feeling very apologetic. "I'm so sorry. I'm really so sorry. That was so foolish of me. I promise not to doubt you ever again, please, I'm sorry." Ifeoma apologized.

"It's alright, I love you babe"

"I love you too" Ifeoma replied and kissed her husband and that was what led to them making love for the first time that month.

TO BE CONTINUED...