THE PERFECT WIFE

Chapter Three

Ebere was happy that her husband was coming back to her and she couldn’t wait to have him back fully.

At around 6pm that same day after returning from the restaurant, Sandra sent him another text on w******p which read,

“Hope you are coming honey?” Nonso stood up, collected his car keys and told Ebere he had a client to visit. He kissed her and left. Ebere was already getting set to prepare his favourite food as she had promised him earlier at the restaurant. She was planning to have a romantic night with her husband. She was already thinking it was time to have another baby after Chiamaka their daughter. Before they got married, they both promised to have just two babies hopefully a boy and a girl. Since they wanted the age difference between their children to be a bit wide, they've employed various family planning strategies to ensure that was achieved but Ebere was ready to carry another pregnancy and she was hoping that night would be memorable. She had to make sure Amaka sleeps early and then got the bed prepared. She took her bath and not wearing either pant or bra, covered herself with her night gown. She was ready to set Nonso on cloud nine and get him to satisfy her sexually like he's never done in a while.

When Nonso arrived at Sandra’s it was a different story to tell. Sandra’s appearance was enough to make him fall down. She had deliberately appeared that way and Nonso being mesmerized by her and not being able to control himself obeyed like a sacrificial lamb. Immediately he stepped inside the house, Sandra let loose her night gown making her appear the very way she was born. Nonso got carried away with what he saw and didn't know when he wrapped his hands around her waist. He kissed her as she led him onto the bed. He didn’t plan to but Sandra's appearance had enough power to arouse him sexually. He was planning to rebuke her and tell her to stop disturbing his life but he was human and it was blood that flowed in his veins and not water. He lust after her and what he was avoiding happened again.

“You see, you can’t stay away from me. I know you miss me so stop playing hard to get.” Sandra said in between smiles. She had achieved her mission for that day and was very happy. Nonso, still laying on the bed, checked his phone and saw that he had missed Ebere’s call five times. He checked the time, it was already past eleven in the night. Without being told he knew he was in trouble again and had once again hurt Ebere's feelings.

“Baby why don’t you just spend the night with me? At least just this once.” Sandra pleaded.

"If you want, we can go for another round. You're so sweet you know." Sandra added turning him on again as she laid on him kissing him passionately.

Nonso tried standing up but he couldn’t. It was as if his feet were glued to the floor and his butt to the bed. He tried resisting her but there was something about Sandra that he couldn’t quite understand. He gave in and found himself in her arms once again.

Ebere couldn't believe that Nonso made her cook his favorite and didn't come home to eat the food. She still expected him to call her but he didn't. She had tried his line severally but he wasn't picking and for that reason, she had kept awake hoping that her beloved husband would still come. She tried calling his line again but this time around, it was switched off. Ebere tried keeping awake but slept off right there at the dining table where she had set the table with the food she had prepared. Another perfect night was ruined again and it really got her pissed off causing her insecurities to come back. Nonso hadn’t slept away from home since he married her and she couldn’t help but get the feeling that he was probably with another woman.

Nonso woke up the following morning and was back to his regrets. He thought of what to tell Ebere when he gets home.

“Just tell her you didn’t know it was out of town and that by the time you saw her calls which you missed, and tried calling, your phone battery died. You decided it would be safer to lodge in a hotel than to drive home at such a late hour.” Sandra suggested.

As Nonso got ready to leave her place, she reminded him of the bride’s price issue.

“Honey when are you coming to see my people?” she asked.

“Very soon. Let’s say next month to be precise.” Nonso replied. Sandra threw her arms around him and kissed him.

“Thank you so much baby. I love you.” Sandra said.

“I love you too” he replied and left.

As Nonso drove home that morning, he became so confused and didn't know what to do. He knew what he was doing was wrong and wanted to put an end to it but he didn't know how to go about it. He knew very well that Ebere didn't deserve to be treated the way he was treating her.

"What mess have I gotten myself into? "He asked himself as he drove home that fateful morning. He knew he would get it from Ebere and the only way to come out of it was to take Sandra's advice.

Ebere became worried instead of angry. She started having the feelings that something bad might have happened to her husband. She had tried calling him again but his line was still switched off. She couldn’t prepare for church that morning because she was worried sick. She soon heard her husband’s car horn and joy filled her heart again. While Nonso was still wondering how to polish his lies to avoid saying things that will put him into trouble, Ebere came out and expressed her worries.

“Honey what happened? I was so worried about you. Why didn't you come home and last night and why didn't you at least call so that I won't die from worrying too much?” she asked throwing her arms around him.

“I’m sorry honey, I didn’t know we would be going out of town to check the products for production. It got late and I couldn’t come back so I had to lodge in a hotel. My phone battery died and I had no charger to charge so that I could call.” Nonso lied.

“It’s okay honey. Thank God you are safe now” she said as she took his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder walking him into the house. She prepared hot water for him to take his bath and after that the family prepared for church. It was a holy communion service and both Ebere and Nonso were both communicants in the Anglican Church. When it was time to receive the bread and wine, Ebere noticed that Nonso didn’t go out to receive it as he normally did.

She didn’t understand why Nonso didn’t go to receive as the other communicants did. A feeling of suspicion almost crept into her mind but she just waved it off. She wanted to believe that it had nothing to do with what she was thinking. Over the years, they've built their relationship on trust and she wanted it to remain that way.

"Why didn't you go out for Communion earlier?" Ebere asked as they drove back home after church.

"I forgot to brush my teeth this morning." Nonso lied smartly.

"You don't expect me to take a sacred meal with a dirty mouth." He added and smiled.

Nonso returned to his old ways with Sandra. It appeared Sandra had cast an evil spell on him and he couldn’t get rid of her. It began to appear to him that Sandra was becoming more special to him than his wife. Without the consent and knowledge of his wife, he went ahead to see Sandra’s parents. Marriage arrangements were made and a date was fixed for the marriage. Ebere kept playing the nice and understanding wife while her husband was betraying her love and trust in all regards.

“Ebere, I have been seeing your husband recently in my neighborhood.” Benita, a friend of Ebere said as she came to get new clothes from the boutique. The last time, I noticed his car was parked till the next morning and it was very early that morning he left.” Benita said.

“Are you sure it’s my husband’s car that you saw? Ebere asked.

“Yes I also saw him. He was wearing a yellow shirt on a pair of jeans. I think they wrote something on the back of the shirt” Benita said. At that point Ebere sensed Benita was telling the truth but she wanted to be sure before she concluded.

“When did you see my husband? She asked.

“I saw him last Saturday but that is not the first time and it hasn’t been the last either. I Saw him two days ago too and I think somebody is trying to ruin your marriage.” she said.

Ebere confirmed it was true because her husband was actually wearing a yellow shirt with the inscription “The king of my heart” that Saturday that he left and didn’t return till the following day. She had gifted him that shirt during their second year marriage anniversary. She wanted to doubt what Benita had told her but she couldn’t.

When Nonso returned from work in the evening, she confronted him but Nonso was smart enough to clear her doubts.

“I was out on sales strategizing. I was on the lookout for the few shops that had our products and if it was well patronized. That Saturday that you are talking about, I took the client I told you about there just to show him how well accepted our products are. I left immediately with the client and my car never stayed the night there.” he answered smartly.

“Whosoever told you that must have wrongly identified someone else as me.” he added. Ebere fell for his words and to clear her doubts even more, he kissed her and started tickling her. The next thing Ebere knew was that she was already in the pool of laughter.

“Don’t ever hurt me honey. Please don’t because it's going to kill me” Ebere pleaded.

“I wouldn’t do that to you honey. I promise you.” he said with his mouth even if he knew deep down in his heart that he was already hurting her.

Nonso had to move Sandra to another place where no one he knew would spot him and report to his wife. He was dying of guilt but didn’t know how to explain to his wife. He loved Ebere but what he felt for Sandra he couldn’t understand. His marriage with Sandra was just a few weeks away and he was having a hard time. He thought of Amaka his daughter and how he would feel if Amaka gets married one day and her husband starts cheating on her the way he was cheating on Ebere. He knew what he was doing was wrong but didn’t know how to come out of it. He had sunk in too deep and just like quicksand, it was difficult if not even impossible to come out of it. In order to keep the trust Ebere had in him, he spent quality time with her drawing out a perfect plan to please both ladies. He never stabbed Ebere of s*x and that got her very happy.

Ebere soon became pregnant again and her joy increased. She hoped to give birth to a baby boy this time around so she could have her full place in her husband’s house. She looked forward to breaking the good news to Nonso because they have both been waiting for a second child but what she didn’t know was that it was his third. She couldn't wait for him to come home from the office. She knew Nonso would be so happy to hear that she was going to have another baby after Chiamaka.

In her happiness, she prepared Nonso's favourite because that would help send a message to him that good news was around the corner. She just couldn't wait to deliver the good news to her husband.

When Nonso arrived that evening, Ebere broke the good news to him. Nonso was really glad that he didn't know when he lifted Ebere from the ground causing Amaka to laugh. However, he was dying of guilt because while Ebere was expecting her second child, he was expecting his third. He knew it wouldn't be too long before the truth finally unveils itself. If only he could turn back the hands of time to the very moment he met Sandra he would have done that. He wouldn't have cheated on Ebere because he really loved her but as a man, he knew he had to deal with the situation that he was currently facing. He kissed her and her belly.

"It's definitely going to be a boy." He said causing Ebere to smile considering how lucky she was to have a husband as handsome, nice and caring as Nonso.