THE PERFECT WIFE

Chapter Seven

The party kicked off at the five stars hotel in town and everyone was looking real good. Ebuka was wearing a black suit which looked very expensive. Chigozie had come with his wife Doris and everyone was ready to give Ebere the grand birthday party she really wanted to have. The whole family was present except Ndubisi their elder brother and his family. He couldn't make it from UK due to some important issues he had to attend to in the place where he worked but he had called to wish Ebere a happy birthday earlier and had sent some money into her account as a way to make up for him not being present even if he knew that his presence at the birthday party meant more to Ebere than the money he had sent her.

“You are the sales promoter at CUBRAN BEVERAGES right? Ebere asked again after dropping the call with Ebuka. She thought she had asked her before but she just wanted to be sure. She had seen Sandra in one of those adverts that the company had used to improve the sales of their product but she wanted to be sure she wasn’t mistaken.

Sandra responded in the affirmative and Ebere was waiting for her to say what she wanted to buy but she wasn’t saying anything. She was looking all over the boutique and was surprised to see the quality of clothes that Ebere sold.

“Look I’m really running late. How may I be of help to you?” Ebere asked.

“I have something to tell you about your husband Nonso.” Sandra said.

Ebere wasn’t ready to hear anything concerning Nonso again. She had learnt to trust him again especially during the one weeks he spent alone with him.

“Look dear, I’m sorry but whatever you have to say to me about my husband is not important. I don’t have time for gossips.” she said.

Sandra wouldn’t allow her golden opportunity to slip away like that.

“Look your husband is not who you think he is and I can prove it.” Sandra said without any form of reservation. Ebere was already getting tired of reports about her husband. She was happy with her marriage as it was and she didn’t want to hear anything anymore.

“What are you trying to say and what are your proofs?” Ebere asked with a facial expression that meant to say, "Please if you don't want to buy anything leave."

“You see this pregnancy?" she said pointing at her belly which Ebere had not even noticed since she walked into the boutique.

"Your husband Nonso is responsible.” Sandra added with a smirk.

Ebere couldn’t believe her ears. She quickly recalled what teacher Juliet had told her then about her husband taking another lady for ante-natal in the hospital. She also recalled how Nonso had denied claiming he did it on the grounds of boss and employee relationship.

“And what are your proofs?” Ebere asked trying so hard not to believe what Sandra was telling her.

"You can't just come to me and tell me you're pregnant for my husband and expect me to believe you." She said with a scornful look.

“Look if you don’t have any important thing to say, please leave my boutique.” Ebere added in anger.

"You want proof? Then wait and see for yourself." Sandra replied sounding so sure that what she was saying was the truth and nothing but the truth. Ebere had to pause seeing how audacious Sandra was in telling her that she had proofs to her claims.

Just then Sandra dialed Nonso’s number and asked Ebere to listen to their conversation as she put the phone on loud speaker mode. Unfortunately for Nonso who didn’t know that Sandra was with Ebere, he picked the call and Ebere listened attentively as the call progressed.

“Honey you are not picking my calls and not replying my messages. In what ways have I offended you?” Sandra asked.

“Listen, please today is my wife’s birthday and I want to make her happy. So just stay put, I will come once I’m done with my plans.” Nonso replied.

Ebere recognized the voice as that of Nonso and couldn't believe her ears. She decided not to jump into conclusions and to continue listening to their conversation.

“What about me? Am I not your wife too? What of our baby? I really need you around me now.” She said.

“I know you are my wife but Ebere needs me now and I can’t afford not to be with her today. So please after her birthday party, I will come over. Stay safe and take care of yourself and our baby.” He said and hung up on her.

"Wife? Our baby?" Ebere reasoned. She didn't understand what was going on.

"How could Sandra be Nonso's wife too? When did that happen?" She asked within herself

Ebere couldn’t believe what she just heard. At that moment, her world crumbled. She wished she was dreaming but it was reality. She took the phone from Sandra just to be sure it was her husband that she just spoke with. After checking the number, she fell on her knees and wept even more.

“I told you, didn’t I?” Sandra asked.

“Get out of my boutique.” Ebere said screaming. Even Sandra was surprised and quickly left the place.

“Get out you witch. You are all bastards. Nonso you are a bastard.” She said still crying.

She couldn’t stand to her feet. She sat down on the floor of the boutique with different thoughts running through her mind. She couldn’t believe the angel she married had turned out to be the demon who wouldn’t stop destroying her heart.

Everyone at the party was becoming impatient waiting for Ebere to come. Ebuka had gone out several times to see if their car was on sight but nothing. Neither Nonso nor Ebere was around and it was almost getting him pissed off already.

Nonso was tired of waiting for her to come home. She had arrived home about an hour ago and was expecting Ebere to be back already. He was becoming worried sick because he was supposed to drive her down to the venue. He tried calling her line but it was switched off. His phone beeped and it was a text message from Sandra.

“I have told your wife everything.”

Nonso lost his pulses almost instantly after reading the text message. He decided to drive down to the boutique but he missed Ebere somehow. Ebere came home still crying. She couldn’t prepare herself for the party anymore.

“You are all bastards.” She kept saying. Nonso had to drive back home only to meet Ebere on the floor still in pains. He knew what was already playing so he didn’t be at around the bush.

“Honey I am sorry. I was going to tell you about it before.” He said. Ebere cried even more when Nonso said that. It confirmed everything that Sandra had told her to be true.

“So it is true. You do have a second wife and I never knew about it. You kept all these a secret from me and you are here saying you are sorry. I hate you. I hate you!” She screamed.

At that moment Ebuka walked in and found his twin sister on the floor.

“What is happening here?” he asked. Ebere was still crying.

“You are a bastard.” She kept saying.

“What have you done to my sister?” Ebuka asked. Nonso couldn’t bring himself to say anything.

“What have you done to her?” Ebuka thundered.

"You don't have to interfere. It's between me and my wife." Nonso replied.

"She may be your wife but she is my twin sister and I want to know what is happening here."

"I hate you Nonso. I hate you!" Ebere cried even more. Chiamaka was watching and was surprised to see her mother in such a pathetic state.

“I am sorry I was planning to tell you about it.” Nonso said.

“Did you just say you were planning to tell me? Tell me what?” Ebere asked still crying.

“I was planning to tell you this evening after your party and I am really sorry. I know I don’t have an excuse for what I did but I’m truly sorry.” Nonso said making advances towards her to see if he could calm her down by hugging her but Ebere was mad. She picked up the stool that was by her side and threw it at Nonso but he skillfully dodged and the stool landed on the table where there was a glass of juice smashing the glass on the floor and spilling the juice on the floor.

Without being told, Ebuka could tell that it was something very serious. He knew Ebere to be quite temperamental but he also knew to what extent Ebere could get angry. He knew Ebere to be the type who no matter how angry she was wouldn’t destroy things and from what he just witnessed he could tell that Nonso had done something very bad that could get his twin sister to get angry to that extent.

“Can someone tell me what is going on here? Nonso what have you done to my sister? Why is she crying like this on such a day as her birthday?” Ebuka asked as he became much more infuriated seeing that no one was ready to tell him anything.

“I trusted you. I could put my life at stake for you but what did you do? You went behind me and took a second wife. All these while I thought you were different but it turned out you were just like one of them. I hate you Nonso, I hate you.” She said with tears in her eyes.

Ebuka couldn’t believe his ears. He took some time to process what he just heard. He found it difficult to believe that the same Nonso that they all trusted was the one whom Ebere was referring to. Without intending to, he pushed Nonso and was about pouncing on him as a lion would pounce on a deer when Chigozie walked in. He had been waiting for them to come in as the celebrants and since the hotel was not very far from the house, he decided to drive there to see what was going on that was causing the delay. While driving down, he was already of the opinion that Ebere was still dressing up and that would be the reason they were still delaying but on reaching there, he saw his sister on the floor crying. Nonso was in between two arm chairs and Ebuka was held by the guys he had come with.

“What is happening here?” Chigozie asked.

“Ask this animal that you call an in-law.” Ebuka replied.

“Ebuka what is your problem? How can you call someone an animal?” Chigozie asked.

“Only an animal will do what he did to our sister. All these while we were thinking our beloved sister was in safe hands, we didn’t know she was living with a wolf as a husband. Imagine going behind her and marrying a second wife. After all Ebere did for him this is how he repays her. Only an animal will do something like this.” Ebuka said. Chigozie stood dead. He couldn’t believe his ears because not once did it occur him that Nonso could do something like that to Ebere.

While he was there still trying to find the right words to utter, Ebuka went to Ebere and lifted her up.

“This marriage is over. If he could do something like this to her now then there is a possibility he would do more in the future. I don’t want to come here one day and then they will tell me that my sister is dead.” He picked up his phone and dialed Ndubisi's number.

“What is Ebere still doing there? Get her out of that place and make sure she doesn’t go back there. Ebere won’t listen to someone. I knew that guy was up to no good the first day I set my eyes on him but Ebere was madly in love with him then. Get her out of there now.” Ndubisi ordered.