EPISODE 3: ALONE IN THE STORM
Ada sat in the hospital waiting room, her fingers gripping the edge of her dress. She had lost count of how many times she had sat in this exact spot, waiting for test results, waiting for a miracle.
The doctor finally called her in. His expression was the same as always—pity mixed with professionalism.
“We have run all the tests again, Mrs. Ada,” he said, adjusting his glasses. “Medically, you are fine. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to conceive.”
Ada swallowed. “Then why haven’t I gotten pregnant?”
The doctor hesitated. “We have suggested for your husband to come in for an examination—”
Ada’s heart sank. Chike had never agreed to come.
She left the hospital feeling even more broken than before.
When she got home, she met Chike eating in the living room, his feet up on the table. “What did the doctor say?” he asked without looking up.
Ada took a deep breath. “He said I am fine. That we both need to get checked together.”
Chike dropped his spoon. “I’ve told you before, Ada, I don’t need a test. The problem isn’t me.”
Ada stared at him, her chest tightening. “Then why won’t you come with me? Are you afraid of what they’ll find?”
Chike’s eyes darkened. “Don’t start, Ada. I don’t have time for nonsense.”
That night, Ada curled up in bed, tears soaking her pillow. She was fighting alone, drowning in a battle her husband refused to fight.
And the worst part? She was starting to lose herself.
⸻
EPISODE 4: THE FINAL HUMILIATION
Ada walked into the compound with a bag of fruits from the market, her heart heavy as she passed a group of women chatting near the gate.
As soon as they saw her, their voices grew louder.
“She has been married for ten years, yet no child. What is she still doing in that house?”
“Maybe she should let her husband marry a second wife.”
Ada clenched her teeth and kept walking. She had heard worse, but today, the words cut deeper.
Inside, she found Mama Chike sitting in the living room with three other elderly women, drinking tea and laughing.
“Oh, look who is back,” Mama Chike said, her voice dripping with mockery. “Ada, my friends and I were just discussing how some women waste their husbands’ time. Ten years is too long to wait for a child, don’t you think?”
The women chuckled.
Ada turned to Chike, who sat quietly, pretending not to hear.
“Chike, are you really going to let your mother keep humiliating me?” Ada asked, her voice shaking.
Chike sighed, finally looking up. “Ada, relax. Mama is just joking.”
Joking?
Ada felt something break inside her. This was no longer just pain—it was cruelty.
That night, as she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, a thought took root in her mind.
This marriage is killing me. And I cannot die here.
⸻
