NQABA CELE
I am done with my day today. I was planning on going past my parents house to see Lwandle but I decided against it. I'm driving home, I need to talk to my wife. The fact that she is so calm with this divorce thing does not sit well with me. I know she is up to something and I need to be careful. I pull up in the driveway and her car is here, which means she is home. I take a deep breath, get out of the car and walk towards the house. I take another deep breath before I make my way inside, I drop my keys in the key bowl by the door and walk to my study to put my laptop there. I go back to the kitchen and grab some water and walk upstairs to my bedroom but as I get closer I hear moans in the main bedroom. I really didn't care that she was cheating on me after everything that she is putting me through but to bring her shenanigans to our house, to our bedroom. We might be sleeping in separate bedrooms right now but that doesn't mean she must do this.
I open the door and the guy is on top of her humping her like there is no tomorrow, they are so into it, they can't even sense that there is someone in the room. Wait, this is Mnqobi. I know he didn't like being friends with me anymore but to go as far as sleeping with my wife. I clear my throat and they both jump startled. "It's not what you think man." He says before I could say anything. He tries to grab his pants so that he can wear them. "Oh don't worry you don't have to put them on, I'll leave you two to continue. You know Milani, I knew you were sleeping with someone but I never thought it would be someone I considered a friend. I know you don't like me anymore Mnqobi but to sleep with my wife, that's just a low blow man." He swallows and looks down. I turn to walk out and her voice stops me.
"Nqaba please wait. I'm sorry, it just happened. I never meant for this happen." she is apologizing but there is no remorse, not in her eyes, not in her voice. She is holding back. She doesn't want to tell me it's my fault, that it's because I haven't touched her. No, she is saving all that for later, for when Mnqobi has left and she will come at me. She is saving it all because she knows the truth behind it all, the truth of why we are in this situation. I am not going to give her a chance to. This is my moment to be angry, this is my moment to show her that I am hurt, I have to make her believe that I am hurt by all this. This is my fighting chance to get out of this sham.
I take a moment to breathe in the chaotic scene before me. The anger swirling inside me is a tempest, fighting against the calm façade I desperately try to maintain. "You think this is it? You think I'm just going to walk away from this?" I turn to Milani, whose eyes dart between me and Mnqobi, the betrayal evident in every expression. "This isn't just about you two," I say, my voice gaining strength. "This is about our family, our child, and you playing with everything I hold dear. It's about the fact that I was actually considering giving this marriage another chance. My drive here, I was really hoping we could talk and see where we can fix things. At least now it is confirmed that, me asking for a divorce was not a mistake." I'm playing right into her hands, I see a flicker of disappointment but it quickly vanishes.
Mnqobi, finally dressed, tries to slide past me, but I block his path. "Oh no, not so fast. You don't get to just walk away from this. You betrayed a friend and more importantly, a father." I feel the heat of resentment and betrayal fueling my words, and I see real fear in his eyes. "Don't act like you're any better, Nqaba," he snaps back, trying to hold onto some shred of dignity. "You've been distant. You stopped caring." So he knows what's going on in my marriage, why am I not surprised.
Milani's guilt spills over as she finally finds her voice. "Nqaba, please. We were lost; I never meant for this to happen." Her plea only sharpens the pain. "Lost in what, Milani? In each other's arms? When you needed me, I was right here, always. But you decided you don't want a man to love you, to care for you, you want a man you can control, a man that will follow all your stupid rules." I can feel the walls closing in on me; this wasn't how I envisioned our life. "You made your choice. We all did."
I step back, letting the weight of the moment sink in. The betrayal stings like ice, yet I realize I must use this to my advantage. If they think I am broken, they'll only underestimate my resolve. "I will not let this define me or my relationship with Lwandle." My eyes lock onto Milani's. "You may think this is your victory, but just wait. I'll be ready. I always am."
As I turn to leave, I hear Mnqobi muttering about how this could be a mistake, a shadow of regret flickering in his voice. But I refuse to look back. My heart races with a mixture of rage and determination as I storm out of the room, knowing that I'm only beginning to fight for what's mine. I'll gather all the pieces, maneuver through this hell, and emerge stronger, ready to take control of my narrative and prove to them both that I won't be a pawn in their twisted game. I need to get out of here. I grab my keys and drive to my parent's house. That is my sanctuary, my place of peace. When I suspect that she was, a part of wanted to investigate and find out who it was but I decided to let it be. I never, for the live of me thought it could be Mnqobi. I've never done anything to him. I've always treated him like a friend, he is the one that decided to keep his distance. How could Milani sleep with someone in my circle. Maybe if it was a stranger I would feel different.
I pull up at my parent's house and mom opens the door before I even knock. She welcomes in and they are having dinner. She dishes up for me and I join them for dinner greeting dad and Lwandle who's eyes sparkle the minute he sees me. We eat in silence and I know that my parents can see that something is bothering me. After dinner I help Lwandle with homework, after which he takes his bath and I tuck him in for the night. I go back to the lounge and find my parent sitting there waiting for me.
"What happened son?" My dad asks and you can't miss the worry in his voice. "Milani is cheating on me with my friend Mnqobi. I caught them in our house, our bed." I hear my mother gasp and my dad just sighs deeply, disappointment etched on both their faces.
"I understand she didn't love you but to do that in her marital home. No, that is just disrespectful." My mother says and I see my dad nod in agreement. I know he wants to say something but he is just digesting what I have told them. "Did you give her the divorce papers?" He asks. "I did dad, yesterday. I wanted to discuss everything with her today but I got home to chaos of her having sex with my friend, that's if I can even call him my friend now.
My father finally breaks the silence, his voice steady but filled with concern. "You deserve better than this, son. You've put so much effort into this marriage, and she has repaid you with betrayal. It's time to think about what you truly want for your future." I nod, absorbing his words, the weight of his conviction grounding me. I realize I'm not alone in this fight; my family stands with me, ready to support and guide me through the aftermath of this storm.
"You shouldn't have to face this alone. They need to understand the consequences of their actions." The thought of pulling Milani and Mnqobi back into the light sends a shiver down my spine. I just want to forget about them. I decide to go check on Lwandle again before I call it a night.
My heart aches for Lwandle; he's innocent in this mess, and I want to shield him from the harsh truths of adult relationships. I give him a kiss goodnight, and his small, trusting smile makes me question everything yet again. How can I protect his world from the chaos of mine?
Later in the night, I sit on the porch, the cool air settling around me. I pull out my phone, staring at the screen filled with texts from Milani. A part of me wants to read them, to let anger fuel my fingers as I type back harsh and hurtful words. But I pause, letting the stillness of the night help clear my mind. I will not let her dictate my next move; I will act from a place of strength and calm, not pain.
I decide to take a moment and let this new betrayal sink in while I spend the night here under the comfort and safety of my parents roof. There is a sense of empowerment in letting go of the immediate need for vengeance; instead, I will channel this energy into my son, my work, and my own emotional healing and this will help push the divorce to be processed faster. The sooner I am separated from Milani, the better. Setting boundaries will be key moving forward, and I know I need to reclaim my power, for myself and for Lwandle.
Tomorrow, I will begin setting up meetings with lawyers and close friends, seeking advice and a plan to move forward. The path won't be easy, but it's one I must take to reclaim my life. I breathe deeply, allowing myself to feel—hurt, anger, betrayal—but also hope. I am Nqaba, and this is far from the end of my story; it's a difficult chapter, but surely, the pen is still in my hands.
MNQOBI KHUMALO
I met Nqaba and Mabutho in varsity and we hit it off and became friends. But as time went on, we grew apart or should say I out grew them. I felt like they thought they were better than me. Everything felt like a show off especially when Nqaba met Milani. I liked her from the minute he introduced her to us but Mabutho was not having it. He always something is off with her. Nqaba being Nqaba just brushed it off.
I do miss hanging out with them. I never wrote myself off from them, I just kept my distance and they just let me be. They questioned me about my distance and I told them that I am not feeling the friendship anymore. I just told them I was sick and tired of them thinking they are better than everyone else. "Mnqobi you know this is not over right?" Milani asks, irritated. "It was not supposed to happen so soon Milani. Are we even ready for the next step?" She understands my panic at this stage. "yes we are. We have everything don't worry. All you have to do is to make sure you are here tomorrow night when I call you."
"Milani this is too much and it risky.The flight is on Friday we can't change it." I say making sure she understands the fear of would happen if this fails. "Will you stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine. There's no need to change the flight plans." She is confident about all this. Nqaba just walked out on her fuming. You could see the anger in his face, the hurt, the betrayal. Somehow it was satisfying. He is going to learn to show off to other people. Sleeping with Milani was never part of the plan. I mean Nqaba is my friend, well, he was my friend. It just happened that I ended up sleeping with her. She was out with her friends one Saturday night and Nqaba was visiting his parents and his son. She ditched her friends and went home with me and that's how it began and that was almost two years ago. We've been sneaking around since then and Nqaba has never noticed. I can't help but wonder if this is all worth it. What does she mean everything is ready. Obviously there are some changes to the plan. Maybe she has not been telling me everything and if that is the case then that means she doesn't trust me as much as I trust her. The honest to truth is that I betrayed Nqaba in a I shouldn't have. Do I regret it? Maybe, I don't know. I decide to leave and go home. She says everything is under control, there is no need for me to be here. I grab my jacket, my key and my phone, I kiss her goodbye and leave.
The reality of betrayal weighs heavily on my mind. I can't help but feel that I've now lost two friends instead of just one. The guilt accompanies my anger, gnawing at me in the quiet moments after dark when I'm left alone with my thoughts. Why did I let myself be swept away? I thought I was different, that our bond was unbreakable. But the echo of laughter we shared now feels tainted by secrets and deception.
As I lay awake staring at the ceiling, I contemplate reaching out to Nqaba. But then again, what could I possibly say? The more I dwell on it, the clearer it becomes that trust is a fragile thing, and broken trust may not be easily repaired and I have broken the trust between me and Nqaba. I agreed to this with seeing the depth of it. Now that I lay here lost in my thoughts, I realize that I did something stupid and I cannot fix it.
Milani's words from earlier linger in my thoughts: "We have everything." What exactly does that mean? Everything feels precarious, like shards of glass precariously balanced on the brink of shattering. I wonder if I miscalculated the depth of our relationship, thinking it was filled with excitement and thrill rather than manipulation.
The next day, I find myself freshened by a long shower and deciding to confront this reality head-on. Milani and I have plans, those plans are very beneficial to me. The depth of our relationship doesn't matter any more, what matters is what happens next, what happens today which is what I need to focus on. I abandoned my friendship with Nqaba a long time ago, there is no turning back now.
I wonder if Nqaba has told Mabutho and how does Mabutho feel about how thing unfolded. After all, he may have sensed the brewing storm long before I did. He always knew that Milani was off, she was not completely genuine about who she is. I know when he finds out what I did, there will be no resurrecting this friendship of ours. I stepped over a line that I should have never crossed. There is no turning back. Besides I don't want to turn back.
After tonight I'll have to lay low until Friday. What frustrates me the most is Milani is not saying anything and that annoys me. She'll have to be clear with before tonight. Before tonight I need to know what the way forward is after we've done everything we need to do. I don't know what Nqaba did to Milani to deserve this but this woman is on a mission to make sure that he suffers.
My phone buzzes on the table, breaking the silence of my thoughts. It's a message from Milani — "Just trust me, I'll explain everything later." I roll my eyes, frustration building inside me. Trust seems to be the very thing I'm lacking right now. Can she really assure me that everything will unfold just as planned? The tension between us is thick, and despite the excitement of what's to come, dread seeps in like a slow poison. I need clarity, not vague promises swathed in mystery.
As the day drags on, I can't shake the feeling that I'm standing on the precipice of a disaster. How did I allow myself to get entangled in such a web of deceit? I scroll through my contacts, hovering over Nqaba's name. Part of me wants to reach out, to offer an olive branch. But I know there's no point; the rift is too wide, and I'm too deep in this mess. Nqaba deserves the truth—if only I could bring myself to tell him.
I force myself to focus on the task at hand: tonight. It's supposed to be the culmination of our secret affair, a final act before the weekend teeters into chaos. The irony doesn't escape me; I pushed aside everything for Milani, and now my very alliance with her is steeped in uncertainty. I picture her, the way she manipulates her words, how she glides in and out of situations with an almost dangerous elegance. Is that what drew me to her?
The sun sets low, casting shadows through the blinds. I get dressed, attempting to shake off the inner turmoil. Every glance in the mirror reminds me of my choices, my betrayals. I can call it passion, but it tastes more like guilt. I wasn't the only one to cross lines — Milani used me to settle scores, and yet, I'm still here, willing to dive deeper into this storm.
What has become of me? I promise myself to remain vigilant. I'll confront Milani tonight, demanding answers. If there are new plans, I need a full briefing. No more playing with emotions, no more vague reassurances. I have to understand the stakes we are dealing with. As the hour hands tick closer to our meeting, I know the real battle lies not in what we're about to do, but in the truths that need to stay hidden. It'll be a reckoning of sorts, a moment where the tangled threads of our lives will either weave back together or unravel irrevocably, should the truth of tonight come to light.