Chapter 1: The past

Driving back to Joburg Melissa was thinking of the sour memories she has of this place. She was born here, grew up in this place and experienced a devastating heart break in this place. After all that happened to her four years ago, she never thought of coming back here ever. She believed that she was doing fine in Blooemfontein where she hid herself all this time.

She remembered how happy she was when she found out about her pregnancy. That morning she went to see a general practitioner and confirmed that she was six weeks pregnant. She was so happy and could not wait to tell her man Morris about the pregnancy.

That day was her last exam and after submitting her portfolio, she and Morris were going to start their lives officially with the baby on the way. That was the day he was going to officially introduce her to his parents.

They did all the preparations when they went to his home. His family members were there including Josh his elder brother. She never understood why Josh always had a grudge over her but took it for granted. It was him who had a problem with her, she didn't.

"Mom, dad this is my girl Melissa, the girl I told you about. I intend to marry her." That is what Morris said to his parents and wow! The reaction they got from the parents was not the one these couple expected at all. "What? over my dead body." That came straight from his mother's mouth while the father gave a frown.

"Mom what's wrong? What do you mean over your dead body? What did she do for you to react this way?" Morris was puzzled on what his mom said. "Mom stop. You are scaring her.

"What? Scaring whom?....You mean this thing that you brought home and you expect me to welcome it? In your dreams my boy. ... and you." Facing the girl " I will never allow a slut like you in to my house. Go back to your mother and tell her that she will never have any ties with our family..." By that time Melissa was frozen stiff where she was standing.

She felt her whole life shutter and her mind went blank. "See little bro? I told you that you can't be serious about a woman like her." That was Josh adding to their mother's tirade. "What do you mean a woman like her?" Morris asked as he looked at his brother with red eyes.

Josh chuckled and pointed at the stack of photos that were on the table. "Look for yourself what I mean. She is a slut. She has been sleeping with half the boys from university and you want to make her as your wife. She is just good enough to practice with." Morris picked up the pictures and those were all photos of Melissa with different men. Yes the photos were taken ambiguously and some were even photo shoped to make her adulterous life real.

"What is the meaning of this?" Morris asked Melissa while throwing the pictures on her. That jolted Melissa back to life. She looked at the pictures and she was puzzled as she never seen some of the men nor done anything with them. What she saw was herself in compromising positions with the different men. "No no no no no. This is not possible. It's impossible. Morris listen to me this is not me. Someone is framing me, you know me Morris please

... I can't do this to you to us." She said that with tears running down her cheeks.

"It's not you? You say it's impossible? Don't you think I don't know what you look like? You say it is not you so tell me who the heck is it? You are shaking your head. I really believed that you were pure but who knew?"

Melissa tried to hold his hand but he pushed her hands away and stode off. "Get out of my house, I don't want to see the likes of you ever in my life." He said that while walking away from the living room. "Throw this filthy thing out of my house, she is stinking up the place." That was Morris's mother instructing Josh to do so.