Chapter Fifteen

Rachael was in the kitchen helping her mother prepare dinner when they heard a knock at the door. Without hesitation, she stopped what she was doing and went to answer it. To her surprise, she found Mrs. Usman standing there.

“Hello, Rachael,” her voice was shaky.

“Hello,” Rachael replied, looking shocked.

“Is your mother at home, please?” Mrs. Usman asked.

Moments later, they both walked to the kitchen.

“Mom,” Rachael called out.

“Who was at the door?” Pat turned around and was taken aback to see Mrs. Usman standing there.

Pat dried her hands with a kitchen towel. “Is everything alright?” she asked.

Mrs. Usman stepped closer. “I’m sorry to bother you,” she said, her lips pale.

“No, it’s alright,” Pat said, pulling out a chair for her to sit on.

“No, that’s okay,” Mrs. Usman replied. “I’ve come to ask for your help.” She glanced from Pat to Rachael.

“Anything?” Pat asked.

Mrs. Usman inhaled deeply. “My husband is still very angry, and nothing has changed his mind.” Sadness filled her face. “I have searched everywhere for my daughter, but I can’t find her.” Tears were clogging her throat. “She is still my baby, my only baby.” Her eyes brimmed with tears, and Pat quickly moved to comfort her.

“I have to find her, please. I need your help.” Mrs. Usman wiped the tears from her eyes and then turned to Rachael. “You have been her best friend for a very long time, and I know it’s only a matter of time before she contacts you.” She nodded as she spoke.

Rachael felt a deep sadness in her heart; seeing her best friend’s mother in such a distraught state broke her heart.

“Please, if she does reach out, can you let me know?” Mrs. Usman asked as she took Rachael’s hands. “Don’t come over, please—just call me, and I will be right there with you.” She took a moment to look at Rachael.

Pat moved to her side. “She will contact you as soon as she hears from Aamilah,” she said, smiling to reassure her. “And everything will be just fine.”

“I hope so,” Rachael sniffed. “I really hope so.” Mrs. Usman handed her a card with her mobile number on it, and seconds later, she left the house.
                                                                 

Chapter Sixteen

Amanda hurried out of Green Park underground station, running late for her 3:00 o’clock appointment at Valvic Company, which had requested an IT consultant. As she walked past Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park, she was captivated by their beauty. Tourists from all over the world were taking pictures, capturing the scenes and enjoying the splendor of the heart of London. However, Amanda had a job to attend to, so she hastened down the road.

Minutes later, while passing the Hilton Hotel in the prestigious Mayfair district, she noticed a woman who looked strikingly like her sister. Amanda stopped to get a better look at the woman who had just exited a cab. It was undoubtedly Anna; she could recognize her sister from any distance. As she watched, a man emerged from the same cab and walked over to Anna, taking her hands as they both entered the hotel.

Amanda was stunned. She never would have believed her sister would be with another man. To think that Anna had told her husband she was going to a week-long medical conference in Bolton! But this was definitely not Bolton; this was the heart of London, where Anna was not supposed to be.

Amanda smiled profoundly, knowing she now had something to use against her sister in the near future. It was ironic that Fred had always felt guilty each time he was with her, all while his own wife was out there cheating on him as well. Once he discovered her secret, he wouldn’t have to carry that guilt and shame any longer. Amanda thought about taking a picture of her sister and the man she was with, but they were already gone into the hotel.

She inhaled deeply, feeling a wave of content wash over her. Gently rubbing her hands over her stomach, she blushed for the first time since learning her news a few days ago. For a while, she had been feeling nauseous and realized it had been almost a week since her period was due. Eventually, she purchased a pregnancy test, and as she had suspected, she was indeed pregnant. The night she found out, she felt restless and disturbed; being pregnant was not part of her plan, and she struggled all week to come to terms with the news.

A part of Amanda felt she had won a kind of victory. This news would definitely bring Fred closer to her, giving her something to hold onto. For years, Amanda had harbored hidden anger and resentment towards her sister. Growing up, Anna was the star of their household. Being the only two children, their parents lavished love and attention on Anna, who consistently achieved the best results, had the most accomplishments, and always behaved perfectly.

In contrast, Amanda struggled with her studies and even had to repeat a class in secondary school. It took her almost four years to gain admission to university, while her sister had completed her degree in Medicine in the United Kingdom. Amanda felt abandoned by her parents, believing that if they had shown her the same love and support, she might have done better in life. She imagined she could have been in her own home by now, with a loving husband, children, and a successful career to boast about. But since she didn’t have any of that, she decided to take it away from the one person she resented the most: her sister.

Her parents always had something to say about her lifestyle, the friends she associated with, and her many boyfriends. She remembered her mother frequently telling her, “Why can’t you be more like your sister? She never had any so-called boyfriends like you; she married as a virgin. Can’t you learn from her?” Those words upset her each time. Her mother always emphasized that if a woman saved herself for a particular man, it guaranteed a happy home. If only her mother could see what her precious, perfect daughter had turned into. Worst of all, her so-called prince charming was now her lover and soon to be the father of her unborn child.

She smiled to herself, feeling an inward satisfaction. She believed that things would finally start working in her favor and she would do everything to keep it that way. Her current plan was to find the perfect opportunity to tell Fred about the baby. After taking one last glance at the hotel, she went on her way.                                                          

Chapter Seventeen

Anna sat comfortably in her living room, enjoying the stillness and quiet of the house. It was a Saturday afternoon, and the kids had all gone to a friend’s birthday party. Anna had dropped them off and would pick them up in a few hours. After a long week, all she wanted to do was relax and do nothing.

Fred had been working extra hard for the past few weeks, and their busy lives meant they hardly saw each other. Meanwhile, Anna was trying to stay sane amid everything going on around her, hoping that life would return to normal soon.

Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. Reluctantly, she stood up and was surprised to find Pat on the other side.

“You look surprised,” Pat said as she walked into the house. “Since you’ve been avoiding my calls…” She glanced around the room.

“I’ve been busy; sorry,” Anna replied, wearily making her way back to the couch.

“Where is everybody?” Pat inquired.

“The kids are at a party, Fred is out, and I think Amanda is either in her room or out—I’m not sure,” Anna yawned.

“You look tired. Is everything alright?” Pat asked, taking a seat beside her.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Anna replied quickly, avoiding Pat’s gaze. “I’m sorry I hung up on you last time.”

“It’s alright,” Pat said, letting out a breath. “Are you ready?”

Anna looked surprised. “Ready for what?”

“You forgot today is the first Saturday of the month, our prayer meeting,” Pat said as she relieved her arms of her bag.

“Oh,” Anna groaned. “I forgot. Sorry.”

Pat inhaled deeply, noticing how distressed her friend was. She could only imagine what Anna had been going through. Although Pat had her own struggles, she knew her friend needed her support most right now. For years, they had gathered every first Saturday of the month to pray for their families. While there had been occasions when they had to cancel due to work or other commitments, they always made time to come together in prayer for their husbands and children.

Anna stood up. “Do you want something to drink?”

Pat took her hands and gently made her sit back down. “Stay here with me,” she said, carefully looking into Anna’s eyes. “You know you don’t have to go through this alone.”

Anna forced a smile. “I… I can’t find the right words to say.”

“I still think you should tell him. He wouldn’t hold it against you,” Pat gently encouraged her.

“It will break his heart,” Anna whimpered. “It will tear him apart, and I can’t have that. I can’t deal with that.” She rubbed her hands down her face in frustration.

“This is not your fault, Anna. You need to understand that,” Pat spoke softly to her. “Things happen that are beyond our control. It’s not your fault. You have to stop blaming yourself and stop carrying this guilt.”

Anna turned away from her. “God!” she exclaimed, feeling tears welling in her eyes. “I don’t know what to do, I don’t know…,” she cried, her voice breaking.

Pat hurried to her side. “That’s all the more reason to talk to him. He needs to understand, you—”

“Not now!” Anna interrupted, running her hands through her hair. “I want this over before I tell him. I have to deal with this myself.”

“He is your husband, Anna. He should know now,” Pat said firmly.

Anna shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no…,” she whimpered. “It will destroy my family. It will destroy us, and I can’t handle that… I can’t.” She sank to her knees. “What am I going to do?” She looked up at her friend.

Pat knelt beside her and wrapped her arms around her in a comforting embrace.

“Oh God, help me…” Anna cried out. “Help me, Lord…” She tightened her grip on her friend.

Pat wanted to say something to Anna, but the lump of tears in her throat made it difficult to speak. She held her friend tightly, allowing her to cry on her shoulder. Pat wanted to comfort her by saying everything would be fine, but fear kept her silent; she dreaded the worst, and her heart sank in dismay.

“Have mercy on me, Lord. Have mercy on me…” Anna cried out. “I can’t do this alone. I can’t help myself; I can’t find my way from here…” Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded. “Help me, Lord…”

“Oh God…” Pat whimpered in response.

“You are gracious and compassionate to those you love. Please, Lord…” Anna cried brokenly. “Be gracious to me, Lord. Have compassion on me…” She continued to weep. “I need you, Lord; I need your mercy…”

Pat held her close as tears flowed freely down her own cheeks.

Chapter Eighteen

The visit to Anna’s place was incredibly heartbreaking. Both women spent the entire time crying and pleading with God for mercy, hoping to restore Anna and help her through this difficult period in her life, while also wishing for her family to come together again. Pat felt weary and helpless; she had no answers or solutions for her friend. She sat in her car for a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

Pat had gone to confide in Anna about her own current struggles at home, but seeing her friend in such a distraught state didn’t seem like the right time to share her troubles. She stared at Anna’s front door, her heart pounding in fear. The past few days had been exhausting. It was going to be two weeks in three days, and she hadn’t seen any preparation for her mother-in-law to leave their house. Joel, her husband, hadn’t taken any action to make things right either. He didn’t even bother to discuss what had happened; it felt as though he was preoccupied with other issues, appearing distracted and disconcerted.

Pat couldn’t bear the thought of returning home each day, feeling that intense pounding in her heart and being afraid to step into her own house. She had no idea what to do if her mother-in-law didn’t leave soon. Part of her understood that she couldn’t force Joel to remove his mother, but all she wanted was peace in her home.

A few minutes later, she got out of the car and walked to the front door. As she entered the house, she could hear Joel’s voice coming from the living room. It took her by surprise; at first, she thought he was shouting at one of the kids. But as she moved closer, she realized he was having an intense argument with his mother. She stopped abruptly to listen.

“Mama, this has to stop! You need to stop harassing my wife!” Joel shouted at his mother.

“Your wife?” Mama scoffed. “A woman who doesn’t bring glory to her husband isn’t worth calling a wife,” she growled.

“Mama!” he cautioned.

“What?” she snapped. “Did you ever consider what killed her first husband? Have you asked yourself why everything turned upside down for you if not because of her bad luck and evil plans in your life?”

“Stop it, Mama!” Joel warned again.

“Can’t you see what she has done to you?” she shouted back. “Can’t you see what you have become?”

“She’s done nothing but support me, Mama; please, let her be,” he replied. “Whatever you are disappointed about should be aimed at me, not her. Pat has devoted her life to her family, to me, and to our children—”

“What children are you talking about? The ones she imposed on you to take care of? The ones that have placed such a heavy burden on you?”

“Stop it, Mama; I will not let you speak about my daughter that way. Rachael is my daughter, whether you accept it or not.”

“Tell me,” Mama clapped her hands in disgust. “What has she used on you? What hypnosis is she using to control you?” she shouted at him.

“Nothing, nothing, Mama.”

“Oh my God!” she screamed. “You have fallen from grace to grass. Your life’s work has been destroyed by that crazy woman, and you don’t seem to care.”

“I’ve had enough, Mama! You need to go back home. I can’t take any more of this,” Joel blurted out in anger. “Ever since you arrived, all you’ve done is cause trouble between my wife and me. You harass my daughter, disrespect my wife, and nothing she does ever pleases you. Mama, it’s time for you to go home!” His breathing had become ragged.

Suddenly, the room fell silent.

“Are you asking me to leave your house?” Mama asked, her voice breaking.

Joel hesitated.

“You’re asking me to leave your house, Joel, my own son,” she said, tears streaming down her face. “After everything I did as a mother, everything I went through for you to succeed in life, and you’re standing here…” She sniffed. “You’re standing here, asking me to leave.”

Mama was overwhelmed with tears.

“Is it because of that woman you call your wife? The same one who has destroyed your life? Is she the reason you want me to leave?” she shouted, still in tears.

“She didn’t destroy my life, Mama. She did nothing,” Joel replied, his eyes brimming with tears.

“So what does she have over you? Why…?”

“Nothing, Mama, nothing…”

“Can’t you see your life? Can’t you see what you’ve become? You look miserable and unhappy. That woman has done something evil to you.”

“Mama, stop it!” he shouted, tears spilling down his face. “She did nothing. I did something to her.” He cried out, feeling overwhelmed.

Pat felt her heart skip a beat. She jolted from her spot and gently walked toward the living room.

“What!” Mama gasped, struggling to understand what he had just said. 

“I did something to her. I did something terrible, and she doesn’t even know,” he cried out. 

“What?” 

“I killed her husband,” he blurted out. 

Mama gasped again and covered her mouth with both hands. 

Pat was already by the door, the sound of her bag, keys, and phone dropping to the floor jolting them. Joel turned around and found Pat standing there, staring straight at him.