Grace dragged her bag and stopped a taxi. Then she asked him to follow Kanye as he drove.
"Sir, hurry up and follow this black car." She pointed. "I will pay you more. Just make sure you don't lose them."

"Are you chasing a celebrity or chasing your husband? It's none of your business. Just do as I say." She hissed at him, the driver's curiosity pissed her off.

"Your husband must be cheating on you then." He said with a withheld smile as he asked interestedly, reading her expression from the rearview mirror. "How do you find out about this affair?"

"Don't ask me stupid questions." Grace hissed again. Trying hard not to curse him at that moment, yet watching Micheal and his crew getting away.

"I once carried a woman who asked me to follow her husband. The wife just followed up with her husband, then she met his lover. They met outside a hotel exchanging hugs and kisses, but the wife just left, unable to confront them. I pitied her, but she paid me well."

"It looks like you are experienced, so just keep it up."

"You asked me to chase the Bentley in front of me?" His eyes pulled up as he briefly faced back to see Grace. "Fine, go down to your seat," he said, and stepped on the clutch, taking a turn after Micheal's car.

Kingsley had an urgent meeting with Susanne. He placed a bottle of the herb on the table between them. They snuck to meet secretly in a new eatery, somewhere in the city of Abuja.
"Leave the Balogun family," he calmly persuaded, but his voice came as a warning. "Those people are planning to scratch you out sooner than you think. You won't last long there."

"What do you mean? Suzanne frowned, sitting upright in her chair.

"Auntie Funke has been that family doctor for over 20 years. If she can prescribe this herb to you, then she hates you. You won't be able to get pregnant if you stick to this herb. It is a dangerous contraceptive, and she has been endorsing it to you for years now?"

Suzanne poured out an amount of the Chivita juice into her small glass cup and sipped it softly. "I know," she replied to him. My husband doesn't want me to get pregnant at all.

"Maybe Micheal is the mastermind behind this, Kingsley suggested.

"Not at all. Although, my husband doesn't want children. He is not as evil." She explained.

"What are your plans now?"

"Kingsley, I'm going to end this relationship with you," Susanne replied to him. "I can't let Cryst catch us together again. This child must be born into the Balogun family."

"What?-"Kingsley's face turned to stone as he paused and sat upright. It was as if the atmosphere choked him while listening to her. He took off a button from his shirt.  "What did you say?"

"I would never leave that family," Suzanne stressed with a stern look into Kingsley's cloudy eyes.

"Are you going to separate me from my child?" Kingsley raised. Suzanne turned away with pain in her eyes.

"Kingsley, forgive me for being so greedy, but this child is a big mistake. There is nothing between us. I won't, because of it, end my marriage to settle down with you. So don't worry. I, Suzanne Balogun, will compensate you. Just think of the amount you want." Susanne gulped down the rest of the drink, emptying the contents into the glass cup. Then she picked up a pause and left. Her words rang in Kingsley's ears. He couldn't comprehend how cruel she was and how long she was willing to drag him behind. Her words dumbstruck him. Susanne was indeed, crazy.

Getting home, Suzanne checked the bottles of herbs. She was lost in thoughts when Grace entered.

"Sister," Grace smiled politely, pulling her travelling bag behind.

"You didn't travel?" Suzanne's eyebrows pulled in a thick furrow.

"Why are you here?" Grace frowned. Don't tell me Micheal beat you up again. Did you run away from the main flat?"

"No, just forget about me." Suzanne replied, "Why does your luggage have a check slip and you are here? You went early. How can you miss your flight?"

"I was at the airport." Grace took a minute to think. "I thought about it vigorously and all on my mind was to get another teaching job instead of wasting time travelling. God, are you going to force me to travel now? Did you quarrel with your husband again?" Grace queried.

"No. Suzanne replied, Michael travelled for a business trip in America. You also know that I don't get along with my sister-in-law, so I wanted to be alone."

"On a business trip, my foot. What an idiot!" Grace rumbled beneath her breath as she took her bag to the room.

"Are you saying something?" Suzanne asked.

"No, it's nothing."

Later that night, Grace put on her night dress, checking on the pictures she had taken earlier at the airport. It was useless to post them on her Facebook page when she cancelled her flight. Just then, Suzanne walked out of the room and laid on the chair.
“Sister, would you sleep on the sofa?” Grace asked.

“Yes,” Suzanne replied her. “I will sleep here.

“You can sleep on the bed but there are two other rooms in this building.”

“Yes, I know. I just want to sleep here.” Suzanne answered.

“I want to ask you something.” Grace brought up.

“Okay,” Suzanne replied, sitting upright.

“Why don't you consider divorcing Micheal? I was thinking, since you are struggling to get accepted by your husband and his family, why not divorce him? Don't you think this marriage is draining you?”

Susanne raised a brow and shrugged. "Draining me?"  A smirk formed on Susanne's lips as she took a duvet. “In the university, I worked with the big girls just to survive. Cryst used to be my school daughter then, and I was like her maid. I did all those things knowing my life would change someday. The day Grace introduced me to her brother Michael, he got dumbstruck like he met an angel. A week later, he proposed to me. After marriage, I became a beauty goddess, the goose laying the golden eggs. Everything I have today is because of that man, Grace. Love is not the only thing that holds a marriage. A woman like me will never consider divorce. It's not as if you know Micheal so, don't bring up this topic again, okay?"  Susannr, picked up her phone, scrolling through it.  Noticing that Grace was lost in thought, Susanne put down her phone. "What's the problem?"

"Is anything wrong?" Grace asked, with a frown.

"No, it's nothing," Susanne replied with a thick, low voice and a nod.

"It seems you love your husband so much.

"If I don't, why would I marry him?"

"Okay, fine." Grace gave a tight-lipped smile. "I will sleep on the sofa, too."

She took her duvet from the room and brought it to the living room. Susanne walked up to her.

"What's the matter with you today? You sound weird."

"Maybe the walking marathon I did in the airport exhausted me. I am tired."

"Okay then, I'll go back to the main building tomorrow, so you will sleep on the bed. Don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine," Susanne assured.

Then she turned off the light and went to the room to ponder a little. Her hands held onto her lower stomach as she sat on the chair.
'I'm sorry for lying to you, my baby. I was looking for a quiet place to spend time with you. The thought of being your mother still baffles me. I can't wait till the day I hold you in my arms. Even if I'm not loved, I promise to give you all the love in the world, everything at my reach and beyond. My plan to leave this house and come back with you is still a puzzle.'

Grace, in the living room tossed on the sofa, unable to sleep. ‘Should I tell Suzanne about what happened at the airport earlier today? I can't believe those idiots made me lose my flight by chasing them to that hotel. Who was that woman who followed Michael? Tomorrow morning, I will expose their secret. Suzanne needs to know.’

Once it was morning, Grace went back to the hotel. "Oh, Mrs. Balogun!"  A man tied up in a black suit walked up to her.
"Good morning," she replied to him, startled.

"Are you here to meet your husband? He's playing golf at our resort."

"Please, take me there," Grace suggested with a deep smile.

"Follow me, ma," he asked Grace respectfully. "Here is the VIP practice area. Mr. Michael is our regular guest here, so please feel at home." The man said politely.

"Thanks," Grace mumbled as she watched Michael and Camilla from the distance.

They were sure having fun. Camilla giggled like a toddler in her miniskirt and tight sports singlet with a cap on. About to walk to where they stood, Grace held the man back. "What is it?" His brows furrowed at her sudden reaction. "Did you forget something?"

"No... it is just that I am pressed."  She held her stomach tight with a squeezed face. Do you have any toilets around?"

"Sure, follow me, ma." The man urged.

"No, just tell me where it is, and I'll go by myself."

"That is the entrance at the left. Then you turn to the right. You'll see a toilet there."

"Okay, thanks. I will go and meet my husband now." Grace lied.

"Okay, bye. Excuse me," the man said and left.

"Good. I have to be alone to expose Micheal." Grace moved closer and hid between two tall masquerade trees.

"Hold the golf stick like this," Michael told Camilla and she did as he instructed.

They were sure to have a nice time while Suzanne was at home, dying of depression and loneliness. Grace brought out a mobile phone from her purse to record them.

'Suzanne is smart. I wonder how Michael charmed her to trust him so much.'

"Raise your hand like this and focus your gaze on the ball," Michael instructed Camilla as she struck the ball hard.

Suzanne got home to pack her bags when Musimbi walked up to her with a small box. It was pink in nature and expensive-looking.

"You forgot this, Ma?" Musimbi brought up.

"What is it?" Suzanne collected the box and flipped it open at once. There was a diamond set of earrings in it.

"Oh, beautiful!" Musimbi gasped in a shaky breath. "It looks like Oga wants to surprise you with this."

"Yes, he must have dropped this without my notice." Suzanne agreed with a smile. "Where did you see this?"

"In the wardrobe," Musimbi answered.

Suzanne handed it over with a smile. "Return it. Don't tell Micheal that I've seen it. Let him give it to me if he wants to."

"Aww, that's romantic." Musimbi blushed, returning the box to the wardrobe. "One more day, and I will wait for Michael to return before I leave," Suzanne concluded.

Later in the evening, Michael arrived. Suzanne asked Musimbi to make Poundo Yam with Egusi Soup. Dinner was served with chilled strawberry wine and Musimbi filled the wine glasses. It was Micheal's favourite meal. The couple ate and sat facing each other with satisfaction in their eyes.

"It has been two years since we last sat down like this to enjoy a meal." Suzanne brought up.

Michael rested his chin on his bent elbow, watching her twinkling eyes. They'd just completed their mean and Musimbi had cleared the table.

"How wonderful would it be to live like this every day?" Suzanne muttered again.

"That would be nice indeed, but we are weighed down with responsibilities," Micheal replied to her. "Here," he deepened his right hand into his pocket and brought out the small pink box. "This is for you." Michael handed it to her. Last week, Cryst made a mess and I promised to compensate you for it."

"I am your wife. You don't need to bribe me." Suzanne smiled mentally, knowing what was in it.

"No matter what, I want you both to get along. So take this as an advance payment."

"Okay." Suzanne humbly accepted it and opened it. What she saw was a silver ring. An ordinary silver ring. In shock and disappointment, her smile faded.