THE BOMBSHELL
809 Words
That night, nobody ate dinner peacefully again.
The entire mansion felt heavy with anger.
My mother locked herself inside her room and refused to come out.
As for my father, he stayed inside Sandra’s room all evening trying to calm her down.
From downstairs, we could still hear Sandra crying loudly. She wants to turn everybody against me. she shouted.
But honestly, the damage had already been done.
Three months later, Sandra gave birth to a baby boy.
The moment my father heard the baby crying inside the hospital, he became happier than we had seen him in years.
A son! he shouted proudly.
He carried the child around the hospital corridor like he had just won an election.
Meanwhile, Sandra lay on the hospital bed smiling proudly like a queen who had finally secured her position.
And from that day… her behavior changed completely. She became more arrogant than before. Every little thing became a competition between her and my mother.
If my mother bought one wrapper, Sandra would buy three expensive ones.
If my mother cooked soup, Sandra would suddenly prepare different dishes just to outshine her.
If visitors greeted my mother respectfully, Sandra would interrupt conversations loudly to drag attention back to herself.
Sometimes it became embarrassing.
But the worst part was my father.
Because of the baby boy, he spent more time inside Sandra’s room.
He bought her expensive jewelry. He bought her a new car and even employed two more maids to help take care of the child.
Meanwhile, my mother changed completely.
She stopped fighting, stopped arguing.
Stopped asking questions. She no longer cared where my father slept.
Instead, she focused only on her business and her children. Every morning, she left early for her provision shop in town. Every evening, she returned home tired and quiet.
At first, Sandra enjoyed it. She thought she had finally defeated my mother. But after some time… that silence started frustrating her.
Because my mother no longer reacted to anything.
One evening, I entered my mother’s room and found her sitting quietly near the window.
She was staring outside absentmindedly.
Mummy, I called softly.
She forced a smile immediately.
I’m fine, she lied.
But I knew my mother too well. A woman who once controlled the entire house now behaved like a visitor in her own home.
Then another problem started.
Sandra became obsessed with proving she was now the “real madam” of the house.
One afternoon during lunch, she intentionally sat on my mother’s usual seat at the dining table.
Complete silence covered the room immediately. Even my father noticed the tension.
My mother stopped at the entrance slowly.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at Sandra.
Sandra crossed her legs proudly. I like this seat, she said casually.
Nobody spoke.
Then my mother smiled strangely. Keep it,” she replied calmly. And she sat somewhere else.
Honestly… that reaction shocked everybody more than anger would have..
But Sandra’s happiness did not last long.
One night around midnight, loud shouting suddenly woke everybody up.
At first, I thought armed robbers had entered the compound. Then I heard Sandra screaming upstairs.
You are cheating on me?
Obinna rushed out of his room immediately.
What is happening? he asked.
We all gathered near my father’s room upstairs
The shouting became louder. I carried your child Sandra yelled angrily. And you are following another woman around?
My father’s voice thundered immediately.
Lower your voice!
I will not. Sandra screamed back. You promised I was special.
Inside the room, things started scattering violently.
Then Sandra shouted angrily, I am not Margret! I will deal with you!
Me and Obinna exchanged shocked looks immediately. But my mother only sighed tiredly and returned quietly to her room.
Then one Sunday evening, my father called an emergency family meeting downstairs.
Sandra sat beside him with swollen eyes.
My mother sat quietly without expression.
Obinna folded his arms angrily beside me.
Then my father cleared his throat slowly.
What I’m about to say may upset some of you, he began carefully.
My stomach tightened instantly. Something was wrong.
Then he dropped the bombshell.
I have decided to marry again.
The world stopped. Even the ceiling fan suddenly sounded louder.
Sandra’s face lost color immediately.
What? she whispered.
My father leaned back proudly. I am a chief, he declared. An African man. The chairman of this house.
Nobody spoke. I have the money to marry as many wives as I want, he continued proudly while looking around the room.
Money is not my problem. As long as all of you are comfortable, I see no issue.
The next thing happened so fast.
Sandra slapped him hard across the face before he could finish talking.
The sound echoed across the sitting room.
Everybody froze instantly.
Even my father looked shocked.
- Writer
