For the first time in months, Olu woke up before Nneka.
He turned and saw her lying quietly, her back facing him, her body relaxed, her breathing steady.
She looked peaceful.
Too peaceful.
It bothered him.
He wasn't used to this version of her — the version who didn't cry when he shouted…
didn't follow him when he left…
didn't question his late nights…
didn't beg for his attention…
didn't break down at every insult.
He liked the old Nneka — the broken one.
The one who needed him.
The one who feared losing him.
This new woman…
she made him afraid.
⸻
The Morning He Tried to Act Normal
Olu sat up and cleared his throat.
"Nneka," he said stiffly, "I'm leaving early today."
She didn't turn.
She didn't ask why.
She didn't even open her eyes.
She simply said:
"Okay."
That was it.
Just okay.
No emotion.
No fear.
No attachment.
Olu frowned.
He waited.
Nothing.
He waited longer.
Still nothing.
He clicked his tongue and dressed loudly, hoping she would react.
She didn't.
He left the room feeling strangely unsettled.
⸻
A New Strength in Her Shop
Nneka opened her shop with a quiet confidence that felt new.
She arranged her items slowly, hummed softly, and smiled at customers who walked by.
Something inside her felt lighter.
Not healed.
Not whole.
But lighter — the kind of lightness that comes from accepting pain instead of fighting it.
Around noon, Ngozi stopped by with roasted plantain and pepper sauce.
"Nneka, you look… different," Ngozi said softly.
"I feel different," Nneka replied.
Ngozi hugged her suddenly.
"My friend, you're rising. I can see it."
Nneka smiled weakly.
"Not rising… just learning to stand."
⸻
A Rumor That Reached Her Ears
Just as they finished eating, two women passing by slowed their steps near Nneka's shop.
One whispered loudly:
"Is that not the wife of the man that goes around with three girlfriends?"
The other replied:
"Hmm, I heard one of them is even pregnant."
Nneka's heart stopped.
Pregnant?
Her hands trembled.
Ngozi immediately stood and confronted them.
"Stop spreading rubbish!" Ngozi snapped. "Who told you that?"
But the women shook their heads.
"I work near the bar," one said. "I've seen them. She's always holding her stomach. The man spends money on her."
"And the wife?" the other asked, shaking her head in pity. "She is suffering."
The women walked away.
Nneka stood frozen.
Her breath shaky.
Her chest tight.
Pregnant?
Could it be true?
Ngozi touched her shoulder gently.
"Nneka, don't let rumors break you. People talk too much."
But Nneka felt a cold wave rise inside her.
Rumors don't start from nowhere.
Especially not this kind.
⸻
The Question That Ate Her Heart
All through the day, Nneka kept hearing the same sentence in her head:
"She's always holding her stomach."
She tried to focus on customers.
She tried to smile.
She tried to breathe.
But her mind kept returning to the possibility:
Did Olu get someone pregnant?
Was this why he changed?
Was this why he fought her?
Was this why he insulted her?
Was this why his family supported him?
Because maybe…
someone else was carrying a child for him.
Her heart twisted painfully.
She whispered under her breath:
"God, please… not this."
⸻
A Night of Uneasy Silence
When Nneka returned home, Olu was already there — sitting at the table, scrolling his phone.
He looked up.
"You're back," he said.
"Yes," she replied quietly.
He stood up and walked toward her.
"You didn't call," he said, studying her face.
"Should I have?" she asked softly.
Olu paused.
Something about her tone made him uneasy — calm, steady, emotionless.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked.
"Nothing," she said.
Then she added softly:
"Did you get someone pregnant?"
Olu's eyes widened.
"What?! Where is that coming from?"
"Just answer me," she said, her voice shaking despite her calmness. "Is it true?"
Olu looked away — too quickly.
And in that moment, Nneka felt the truth in her bones.
"You're listening to gossip!" he snapped. "You're mad to believe nonsense."
But he didn't deny it clearly.
He didn't look her in the eyes.
He didn't say, "No, I didn't."
He just shouted.
Nneka stepped back, tears forming.
"It's true… isn't it?" she whispered.
Olu picked up his phone and keys.
"I don't have time for this rubbish!"
He stormed out of the house.
Not denying.
Not explaining.
Not calming her fears.
Just leaving.
Again.
Leaving her alone to drown in the silence he created.
⸻
Her Breaking Point
The moment he left, Nneka sank to the floor.
Her tears fell silently.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Her breath came in short gasps.
Getting cheated on was one thing.
Getting disrespected was another.
Getting blamed was painful.
But getting replaced…
getting pushed aside for a new woman…
getting hidden behind a pregnancy…
That was a wound too deep to ignore.
She hugged her knees and cried into her hands.
Not because she was weak.
Not because she wanted him back.
But because this was the kind of pain that kills something inside a woman.
A kind of pain that changes who she is forever.
⸻
The Moment She Stood Up
After crying until she had no tears left, Nneka slowly pushed herself up from the floor.
She wiped her face.
She washed her hands.
Then she looked at herself in the mirror — her eyes red, her cheeks wet, her heart cracked.
But her voice…
her voice was steady.
She whispered:
"If he brings another woman into our lives…
then I must remove myself."
It wasn't an emotional cry.
It wasn't a desperate threat.
It wasn't fear speaking.
It was clarity.
This was the moment she stopped holding onto hope.
This was the moment she realized she could walk away.
This was the moment the old Nneka died…
and the rising queen inside her took her first breath.
End of Chapter 14