EPISODE TWELVE
MY HUSBAND’S SECOND WIFE.
(That which you seek, you shall find in abundance)
Solomon lay on his bed, lost in thought. Somehow, his friend’s words kept resounding in his ears.
Does it mean he has lost Winnie forever? He was trying to accept that possibility, but his pride wouldn’t let him.
He remembered how Winnie had always been all over him in the past—constantly trying to win his favor, even when he took all her efforts for granted. She never once complained. She was willing to endure everything, just to see him happy. Winnie had taken everything he threw at her without protest.
He, of all people, knew how deeply his wife worshipped him. So how could she suddenly become a stranger, someone who didn’t want anything to do with him anymore?
Could it be because of the new wife his mother had chosen for him?
Or was Winnie just playing hard to get because of Anita?
That had to be the reason… but Anita wasn’t the first woman he had cheated on Winnie with. And even though Winnie had known about them all, she had never once questioned him or acted out of character.
If Anita was truly the reason Winnie wanted to leave him, then he would rather send Anita packing once she had given birth. Winnie could raise the child—since that was what she wanted.
Solomon was still deep in thought when he felt a soft hand caressing his chest. He frowned slightly, staring at the hand for a moment, then looked at the face of the person it belonged to. Instantly irritated, he pushed the hand away.
“Babe, what’s the matter?” Anita asked, confused. She had put a lot of effort into dolling herself up—wearing s*xy lingerie and a sweet-smelling perfume—just to seduce her husband. She was surprised that he pushed her away. Written by Authoress Winnie. B . Onuh.
“Don’t you want me anymore?” she asked again.
But Solomon just hissed and walked out of the room, leaving her behind.
Stunned by her husband’s unexpected attitude, Anita blinked, her eyes slowly darting around in disbelief as she muttered, “Did he just reject my advances?”
Meanwhile, Solomon stepped out of the main house and found himself standing in front of the boys’ quarters. He remained there for about five minutes before finally knocking on the door.
Chioma had already fallen asleep—she had an early class the next morning—but Winnie was still awake, learning more about the fashion business online with her laptop. When she heard the light knock, she assumed it was the housekeeper, who usually came to check on her daughter before going to bed.
Winnie gently placed her laptop on the bed, grabbed her night robe, and draped it over herself before stepping out of her room. Written by Authoress Winnie. B. Onuh.
On her way to the door, she noticed Chioma sleeping on the couch in the sitting room. Smiling softly, she picked up the blanket the girl had kicked aside and covered her properly. Then, still smiling, she opened the door—only for her smile to vanish into a deep frown when she saw who it was.
“What are you doing here, Mr. Solomon?” she asked indifferently.
Solomon stared at her coldly and said, “Okay, Winnie, you’ve made your point. I get it—you’re angry about Anita. So, I’ve decided that once she gives birth, I’ll pay her off and send her back to wherever she came from. You can raise the child, since you’ve always wanted one. That solves everything, right?”
When Winnie didn’t say a word—just stood there, staring at him blankly—Solomon assumed she had accepted his terms but was still playing hard to get. He smiled and continued,
“Alright, you want me to apologize, right? I’m sorry, okay? Come on, let’s forget all this. Anita isn’t the first woman I’ve cheated on you with, and you were cool with it back then, so why are you acting so difficult now? I’m even swallowing my pride to apologize—can’t you see that I want us to work?”
Winnie folded her arms, nodding with a small smile, as though she was following his reasoning.
“Ah? Really?” she muttered in amazement.
Solomon, relieved, nodded and took a step closer to her.
“Look, baby,” he began in a sweet tone, “I know I messed up with a few women, but just know that they meant nothing to me. They only filled a physical need. You’re the one my heart truly yearns for—my peace, my resting place.
Those other women meant absolutely nothing. As long as I have you by my side… If you can just apologize and stop acting up, I can pretend the divorce never happened. We can go back to how things used to be, alright?”
Winnie stared at the arrogant smile on his face, and in that moment, she wished for nothing more than to slap him hard across the cheek—but she didn’t. Instead, she kept her composure, her face unreadable.
Everything Solomon had become—and the way he now treated her without an ounce of respect—was, in part, her fault.
If only she hadn’t pampered him so much, to the point where he believed she couldn’t live without him.
If only she had spoken up when he disrespected her by sleeping around…
If only she had fought back the first time he raised his hand to hit her…
If only she had put herself first, instead of constantly worrying about what people would say about her marriage, she wouldn’t have to stand here listening to the nonsense pouring out of his mouth. But never again would she tolerate trash from anyone.
From this moment on, it was all about Winnie… Winnie… Winnie. Written by Authoress Winnie. B. Onuh.
“Mr. Solomon, are you high on drugs?” she finally asked with a chuckle.
Solomon’s expression darkened at her sarcasm.
“Winnie, don’t think just because I’m begging you, you can keep acting up!” he snapped angrily. “I’m only trying to be the bigger person here and fix things between us. Don’t push me!”
“No,” she said sharply, “I think the real question is—are you drunk? Because it’s clear you’re being completely delusional if you think that all the crap you just vomited has anything to do with me.”
“Winnie! Don’t push me to the wall!” Solomon snapped, his voice rising. “Do you really think anyone would want a second-rate woman like you? Is that why you’re suddenly feeling so important?”
He took a step closer, his words dripping with bitterness.
“Listen to me—if you think eligible men like me are still interested in worn-out, outdated women like you, then you’re clearly dreaming. The only ones who’d want a used woman like you are old, haggard married men.”
In response to Solomon’s harsh words, Winnie let out a lazy yawn, then glanced at the time before replying calmly and faintly:
“First of all, I think you should strike your name off the list of eligible men. You’re just a two-seconds man I was managing because my Bible taught me to stay faithful to whatever ‘parcel’ I received as a life partner. I made you think you were the best—what a joke.
But Mr. Two Seconds, since we’re divorced now, here’s a little advice: stop wasting your money on women and hit the gym. Written by Authoress Winnie. B. Onuh.
And as for your question about whether men still desire me… I think I’d rather show you the answer than tell you.
Tomorrow. Six-thirty sharp. You’ll see for yourself.
Goodnight, Mr. Solomon.”
She snorted slightly and slammed the door in his face.
“You…!” Solomon never imagined Winnie would dare speak such words to him. His mood darkened instantly, but he couldn’t do anything about it since she had already slammed the door in his face.
In a fury, he stormed back to his room, where Anita was still pacing around, her anger evident as she waited for him.
“I don’t believe you went to see that old hag at the boys’ quarters while I was here, waiting for you!” she snapped as soon as he stepped into the room.
Already enraged by Winnie’s words, Solomon’s voice was as cold and frigid as ice. “What did you just say to me?”
Anita, caught up in her own anger, failed to notice the brewing storm in Solomon’s eyes. She opened her mouth and made the mistake of repeating herself.
“I said, how could you be so stupid to leave your pregnant…”
The words were still on her lips when Solomon’s hand collided with her cheek in a heavy slap.
If it had been before, Anita would have seen ten to fifteen stars after a slap, but tonight, she saw fifty shades of stars in all different colors. Before she could even begin to count them, another heavy slap followed, adding another fifty stars to the mix.
Anita let out a loud, defensive cry that echoed throughout the building, waking everyone inside. But no one dared move or come to her rescue. In fact, they were all secretly pleased that she was finally receiving the consequences of her actions.
Though Solomon unleashed his fury on her body, he made a conscious effort to avoid hitting her stomach, a sign of twisted restraint. He was angry, but not enough to harm the child he believed was his. That was how cruel and calculating he had become.
“Next time you dare raise your voice at me,” he snarled through gritted teeth, “that day will be your burial! Rubbish!” He spat at her, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths as he stormed out of the room to grab a drink. Written by Authoress Winnie. B . Onuh.
With the way Winnie had ridiculed him tonight, Solomon wasn’t sure he’d get any sleep, let alone a peaceful one.
While last night was restless and uncomfortable for Solomon and Anita, it was quite the opposite for Winnie. She slept peacefully through the night, not waking up until her alarm went off at six o’clock. She would have kept sleeping if it weren’t for the guest she was expecting that morning.
She stretched on the bed, said her morning prayer, and then got up. Heading into the bathroom, she brushed her teeth and washed her face.
By the time she finished, it was already past six. She entered the living room to find Chioma up and already in her mother’s room getting ready for school. Winnie smiled to herself before heading into the kitchen to start preparing breakfast.
As she opened her phone, a notification popped up. She picked it up and saw a message from Christian: “I’m outside your gate.” Written by Mhiz Winnie Onuh
She chuckled softly, “What’s this? It’s not even six-thirty yet.” With a shake of her head, she quickly texted him back:
“I’ll be out in a minute.”
As soon as she sent the text, Winnie rushed inside, changed into something more comfortable, slipped on her slippers, and headed outside to open the gate for him.
“Elijah! Elijah!” she called, knocking on the gateman’s little door. The door creaked open, and a small man stepped out, yawning tiredly.
“Big madam, good morning,” he greeted her, still half asleep.
“Morning. Open the gate, Elijah,” Winnie replied.
Elijah furrowed his brows in confusion but obeyed, unlocking the gate. A black Maybach drove smoothly into the compound, and when Winnie saw the car, she was momentarily stunned. But what left her even more in awe was the beauty that stepped out of the car.
Normally, Christian was always in gym wear, so Winnie hadn’t seen him dressed up before. But now, he looked just like a movie star—
A pair of deep, dark eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin, sexy lips that curled into a mischievous, flirtatious smile as soon as he locked eyes with her.
He was dressed in a simple shirt with two buttons undone, black pants—his entire presence refined, imposing. A perfect, beautiful face that no one who laid eyes on it would ever forget.
As he walked toward her, Winnie swallowed hard, reminding herself that beautiful men were like time bombs, so she couldn’t let her guard down for a second.
“You really went all out to dress up… just to impress me,” she whispered when he stopped in front of her.
“Well,” he said, his voice low and teasing, “are you impressed?”
Winnie shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. “I am, no doubt.” Written by Authoress Winnie. B . Onuh.
Her reply brought a bright smile to his face as he leaned in to give her a soft peck on the cheek. “Then I’m glad it worked,” he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. “You look good, babe.” He whispered into her ear, inhaling her fresh, baby-soft scent.
This was the exact sight Solomon stumbled upon when he dragged his drunken self outside.
To be continued.
