Evening had settled over the house like a tired sigh. After dinner, Star moved quietly through the motions—wiping down the table, collecting plates, washing them one by one like she was trying to scrub away the residue of her presence.
In the living room, Mandume and Bonita were watching television, their laughter a distant murmur. Star dried her hands and stepped toward the sofa—but Maria's voice cut the air like a blade.
"Your acting skills are really great. I mean, whoever sent you trained you very well."
Star paused, confused. Her eyes flicked toward Maria, who didn't flinch.
"I'm talking to you, Star," Maria said, sharply.
Star stood frozen, caught off guard.
"What you did today is unacceptable. Don't ever repeat it—otherwise, the door's open," Maria hissed, drawing the room's attention.
"What did I do?" Star asked, truly baffled.
"You don't know what you did to Kefas?" Maria said, voice raised.
"But ma'am, I thought I apologized. I didn't know he didn't like me," Star replied carefully.
Maria's eyes flared. "Of course he doesn't. Why would he like a gold-digger like you?"
Star blinked, stunned. "Gold-digger?"
"Whoa, Mom. What are you talking about?" Mandume interrupted.
"I took care of her like she was my own, made sure she lacked nothing. And this is how she pays me back? By ruining my family's reputation?"
"Reputation? What are you saying?" Star asked, voice trembling.
Maria's voice was now pure venom. "Stop acting. Tell everyone what you did to Kefas today."
Star, too stunned to speak, could only shake her head.
"I'll tell them then." Maria turned toward Mandume. "After you went to your room, Star walked up to Kefas and started seducing him."
Star looked like she'd been slapped. Mandume was stunned. Bonita tried—and failed—to hide her glee.
"See? I told you, brother. Star is bad news. Now she's targeting our guests."
"That's not what she told me," Mandume said, caught between disbelief and rage.
"Oh, you're so naïve. Like your father," Maria said with scorn.
"Brother, think! How do you think she even got pregnant? Probably from some sugar daddy who dumped her. Now she's hunting for a father for her child," Bonita added maliciously.
"BONI!" Mandume roared. "Say one more word and I swear you'll hate me for it!"
Star stood in tears, mortified.
"Son, I saw it with my own eyes," Maria said softly. "She didn't even care that I was there. Kefas was disgusted and left."
"Then let's call Kefas," Bonita said smugly.
"Yes," Maria agreed, pulling out her phone—but Mandume insisted on calling from his own.
Star felt the last flicker of hope die inside her as the phone rang. She knew they'd already rehearsed the lie.
"Hello," Kefas answered.
"Kefas, it's Mandume. I need to confirm something."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you suddenly leave the house today?"
"Oh, your mom didn't tell you? The girl you brought home—she tried to seduce me. Is this how much you hate me?"
Star's heart shattered. She ran to her room, slammed the door, and collapsed in sobs.
"I'm losing my patience," she muttered through clenched teeth. "These people are playing with fire. One more move, and I'll show them who they're dealing with."
But her mother's portrait on the desk caught her eye. She remembered the promise—Don't fight their battles, Star. Not like this.
"I'm sorry, Mom. But this is too much." She wiped her tears, powered on her laptop, and opened her script. "They think I'm weak. Let's see how they handle a witch with a pen."
Back in the living room, Maria turned on the charm. "I'm really sorry, Kefas. That won't happen again."
"Really? You were there and did nothing. That doesn't sound like 'sorry' to me," Kefas replied coldly.
Before Maria could answer, Mandume ended the call, face hard as steel, and marched to Star's room.
Maria and Bonita high-fived like giddy schoolgirls.
"Lower your voice," Maria said.
"Our plan is working, Mom. Mandume's about to throw her out," Bonita whispered.
"Let's watch." They rushed to the window like villains from a Shakespearean tragedy.
Mandume knocked on Star's door like thunder.
Star's breath caught. "Did he believe them?" She opened the door slowly.
"You here to yell too?" she said bitterly. "Or should I just leave now?"
Instead, Mandume pulled her into a tight embrace. He kissed her forehead. Maria and Bonita watched in horror.
"Did… I miss something?" Star asked, stunned.
"You're braver than I thought," he whispered.
"Ah, this witch!" Bonita hissed and stormed off, while Maria just stood frozen.
"What?" Star asked, still trying to process the twist.
"I know you'd never do something like that," Mandume said.
"But your mom said she saw me."
"She wants to believe it. But that's not my truth."
"I don't understand…"
"Kefas is the enemy. He already destroyed Dad once. Now he wants to destroy us."
"But he doesn't even know me…"
"He doesn't need to. He just wants to burn down everything we're trying to build."
Tears welled in Star's eyes. "So… you don't believe him?"
"I believe you, Star. Even if it means going against my blood."
"No, Mandume. Your family matters. Don't let love make you blind."
"It's not blindness—it's clarity. You taught me that."
They held each other again, and this time Star didn't cry. She felt steel in her bones.
"Goodnight," he said, one last kiss on her forehead before leaving.
She looked up. "I'm not alone anymore. Thank you, Father. Let this love grow."
In her room, Maria hurled a vase at the door. "That witch will regret it."
"Did you see that kiss?" Bonita gasped. "They're already together."
Mandume walked in.
"Mom. Bonita. What are you doing?"
"Calming her down," Bonita lied.
"Mom, this is all Kefas. He's trying to turn us against each other again."
Bonita rolled her eyes.
"Remember what he did to Dad? Faked a retrenchment just to claim pension money."
"But you're ignoring Mom's account. She said she saw it."
"Boni, shut up. Mom, you didn't see anything, did you?" Mandume's eyes locked onto Maria's.
Bonita panicked. "Are you threatening Mom now? Because of that witch?"
"Call her a witch again and you'll wish you hadn't. You forget it was Star who helped keep you out of jail?"
Maria sighed, cornered. "I know Kefas is a snake... but still, where there's smoke…"
"Mom, no. There's no smoke—Kefas brought a blowtorch."
Bonita scoffed, "The devil you know..."
Mandume silenced her with a glare. Then, he dropped the final truth bomb.
"And one more thing—Star didn't get pregnant by choice. She was raped. She never had a boyfriend."
Both women were struck dumb.
"Wait… what? Raped?" Maria whispered.
"Why didn't she report it?" Bonita asked, but her voice was small now.
Mandume looked them both in the eye. "Because not everyone survives their pain in public. Some of us carry it quietly. Until we're forced to speak."