Chapter 1

"I got another woman pregnant." Ekene said to his wife Sophia. Before he got home that night, he had made up his mind to say the whole truth instead of trying to hide it. He knew his wife would not like to hear it but he believed it was the best thing to do.

"It was a mistake, but I will tell the girl to keep the baby. A scan shows she is expecting a baby boy. I have always wanted a baby and you know we have not been able to have one since we got married ten years ago. I have been patient enough and I decided to try outside. Please, I still love you. Forgive me Sophia." Ekene said. His voice had a measured tone, dropping each word with care.

"Okay. No problems. I'm happy for you. Congratulations!" Sophia said as she hugged her husband and left the living room to the bedroom where she slept off peacefully.

Ekene wondered why his wife did not get angry with him concerning the pregnancy. That night, he could not sleep beside his wife. He slept on the couch in the living room because he was unable to understand her attitude. Ekene was scared that his wife might use a kitchen knife to stab him to death if he sleeps on the same bed with her.

"What kind of woman hears that her husband got another lady pregnant and keeps quiet about the whole thing? Why didn't she get angry? Why didn't she ask any questions concerning the girl? Why didn't she react in an angry way? This is very scary and I'm terrified." Ekene said to himself while he lay on the sofa and stared on the white ceiling. From that night, Ekene made up his mind to keep a safe distance from his wife Sophia until he is convinced that she won't harm him.

Sophia woke her husband up the next morning with breakfast which she prepared with much more love than she used to do in the past.

"Honey good morning. Hurry up and eat so that you will go to work." Sophia said as she tapped her husband's shoulder.

"And why did you sleep here last night? I was expecting you in bed. I'm sorry, I slept off and I didn't realize you were not beside me. I missed you so much in bed my darling." Sophia said. She left the living room. She was already dressed up for work as she is a teacher. When she went out, he husband went straight to the toilet and flushed the food she served him.

"How can I tell my wife that I got another woman pregnant and she never said a word of anger or questioned me about the identity of the lady? And to crown it all, she woke me up with delicious breakfast. I have reasons to believe that my life is in danger." Ekene said. He got ready and went to work. It was when he got to work that he bought some food at the canteen and ate.

On his way back, he also bought some food and hid in his bag. He ate it in his car before he started to drive the final lap of the journey home. He already made up his mind not to eat his wife's food. He had reasons to believe that she would poison him to death with rat poison.

"Welcome home darling! I have been patiently waiting for your return. What kept you so long? You must have had a hectic day at work today. Please, I boiled water for you to take your bathe. And when you are done, food is waiting for you at the dining. I have prepared your favourite egusi soup." Sophia said as she collected her husband's bag and helped him pull off his suit and then led him into the bathe room where he took his bathe.

As he showered, Ekene continued to think of how he would tell his wife that he cannot eat her food. That was practically impossible because she was waiting for him at the dining table. There was little he could do to avoid the egusi soup. In his mind, he was very convinced that the food was poisoned.

"Why is she treating me with so much love after I told her that I got another woman pregnant? This is very suspicious and not what I expected. I will find a way. I won't eat that food. I don't want to die yet." Ekene said.

When he came out from the bathroom, he snatched his phone from the table and rushed out of the house.

"I have been asked to come back at work. I will be back soon. There is an emergency at the hospital and I must go and attend to it." Ekene said. He is a medical doctor, so his wife must understand that emergencies like this happen from time to time. So, she didn't say a word when he rushed out but merely looked with her eyes wide up.

Ekene did not return home that night. In the morning, he walked into the house looking tired and worn out. He passed the night in his car.

"Good morning honey. You are welcome. You must be very tired and you need rest." Sophia said as she opened the door for her husband. It was a Saturday, so she would stay at home. Ekene went straight to bed and slept off.

In the evening, Sosphia served her husband another plate of the same egusi soup, but he started acting up again, trying to rush out of the house but Sophia blocked the door.

"I noticed you have not been yourself recently. What is the matter?" She asked Ekene.

"It's nothing. I'm facing pressure at work. I just need some time to fix things." Ekene lied.

"Stop it. You are lying to me. You are a medical consultant with fifteen years of experience. There is no pressure at work that would make you to reject your wife's food. Or you think I didn't know you flushed the food I served you the other day? You have been deliberately avoiding my food. You think I will poison you? Or, is it about the girl you got pregnant? My dear! I have no single problem with that. I'm absolutely happy about it. I'm happy we are having a child. In fact, I want you to bring her to start living with us. That would be very sweet!" Sophia said.

Ekene was shocked even more by his wife's suggestion. He had expected her to get angry and move out of the house thereby finally giving him the chance to marry the girl he got pregnant. But Sophia's reaction to the whole thing took him by surprise.

He was even more scared at the moment.

"May be she wants to poison the two of us together and kill the unborn baby." Ekene said in his heart.

"Honey! Did you hear what I said?" Sophia asked, tapping her husband back to reality.

"Yes I heard you. I will think about it." Ekene said. The next day, he informed Juliet that he would want her to come live in his house.

"Has your wife moved out? I don't want to share you with anyone." Juliet asked.

"Surprisingly, my wife has accepted for all of us to live together. In fact, the amount of love she has shown me since I broke the news to her has surprised me. I have not eaten her food since then. I don't want to die of rat poison. Please, listen to me. Be very careful when you move into my house. Don't eat anything she gives you and stay strictly on your lane until I find another apartment for us." Ekene said.

The next day, Juliet moved into Ekene's house.