SHADOWS OF DECEIT
Episode 1
Chidi’s world crumbled as he watched Nneoma walk out the door, her bags packed and a determined look on her face. He knew he couldn’t stop her, couldn’t tell her the truth that had been eating away at him for years. The truth that he couldn’t father a child.
Nneoma’s departure was a culmination of months of tension, fueled by Chidi’s mother’s constant quarrels and accusations. “You’re barren, Nneoma! You’re not good enough for my son!” she would shout, her words piercing Nneoma’s heart like a dagger.
Chidi had tried to intervene, to defend his wife against his mother’s venomous tongue, but it was no use. The damage was done. Nneoma felt unwanted, unloved, and unworthy.
As she walked out the door, Chidi felt a pang of guilt and regret. He knew he should have told her the truth, that he was the one who was unable to father a child, not her. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it, fearing that she would leave him anyway.
“Nneoma, please don’t go!” Chidi begged, falling to his knees as she reached the door. “I’ll do anything, just don’t leave me!”
Nneoma turned to him, her eyes filled with tears. “Chidi, I love you, but I have to leave. I deserve to be happy, and I don’t think that’s possible here. Your mother’s constant quarrels, the pressure to conceive… it’s too much for me.”
Chidi’s heart broke as he watched her walk away, feeling helpless and defeated. He knew he had lost the love of his life, and it was all because of his silence.
As he sat on the floor, surrounded by the empty rooms of their once happy home, Chidi couldn’t help but think of what could have been. If only he had told Nneoma the truth, maybe she would have stayed. Maybe they could have found a way to be happy together, even without children.
But now, it was too late. Nneoma was gone, and Chidi was left to pick up the pieces of his shattered heart. He thought of his mother’s words, “A man without a child is not a man at all.” He thought of his own inadequacy, his inability to father a child. And he wept, mourning the loss of his wife, his happiness, and his dignity.
To be continued……
Hows that for a start ? ๐
story by Vivi
