Mrs Imose's povI prayed it wasn’t what I was thinking. If it was, there would be no peace in this house. Did he honestly believe that this village girl could give him what he wanted? Was this why he refused to join me at the prayer meeting this morning? It was unlike him, indifferent, even as he paid no much attention to my facial expressions. My husband had never disregarded the things of the Lord before. This would be the last time Solomon set foot in this house. I should have stopped him long ago.My husband had never brought another woman into our home. Never! Even when he forgot one of his phones while offshore, not a single call from a lady had come through. But this man, Solomon, wasn't even a family member to my husband, yet he was far too close. His presence in our lives was beginning to feel like an intrusion. I didn’t even realise when I clenched my fists. Anger churned within me. All these thoughts raced through my mind in mere seconds as my husband and I stood, waiting f
Mr. Osagie's POVFrom the moment I set my eyes on Ami, my heart raced in a way I had never experienced before. It felt as though I was obsessing over another man’s wife, a feeling I could neither understand nor control. No woman, not even those who constantly sought my attention at events, had ever stirred such emotions in me. What was it about her? Was it the way she walked in, or perhaps something deeper? I admired her with a pure heart, seeing her as the beautiful, natural young woman Solomon had chosen to marry.When my wife asked Ami to step outside, I instinctively turned to Solomon, expecting him to defend his new wife. But he remained silent. I could see the frustration in Ami’s eyes, the helplessness written all over her face. My wife, on the other hand, must have assumed that Solomon had brought Ami to our home for my benefit. Her reaction was obvious and, frankly, understandable for any woman in her position.This wasn’t the same woman I had married years ago. Back then, sh
Ami's POVI knew exactly what my uncle wanted to say, but I wasn’t ready to do as he asked. His eyes and body language had already said it all when he first saw me, and I had deliberately been ignoring his calls. While I stood in the kitchen, facing the gas cooker, I heard footsteps approaching. Just as I was about to turn, Solomon appeared in front of me.“Why are you doing this to yourself?” he asked.“Uncle, I’m not doing anything to myself. But I can’t wear those revealing clothes you bought for me. I feel naked in them,” I said firmly. “I can’t even wear them in my room anymore, let alone wear them around the house.”“It’s not all the time, just when Mr. Osagie is here.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Let me tell you something. He’s the one sponsoring your travel. He’s impressed by you, he said you’re hardworking and have potential. But he also mentioned something that could change his mind. Look at how you dress!”He grabbed the loose fabric of my gown, pulling it slig
Mr. Osagie's POVMy wife should know by now, I’m tired. Tired of moving from one so-called man of God to another. If I ever told her this, it would break her heart. I’ve tried to reassure her. I’ve told her not to worry about the child issue. As long as she’s still conceiving, there’s hope. After her next pregnancy, I promised, she won’t lift a finger for house chores. Ami is here to help, after all. Solomon assured me Ami would stay for at least two or three more years.This morning, my wife stormed out of the house, clearly upset again as I failed to follow her to her special prayer program. I doubt she even ate before leaving. Meanwhile, I stayed in bed, lost in my thoughts. My younger brother’s words kept ringing in my ears. Even the gate man at my office’s comments still troubled me. Truth be told, these were the reasons I didn’t go to work today. My desk at the office is overflowing with undone tasks, yet I just couldn’t bring myself to leave the house. Was I restless? Perhaps. B
Ami’s povWhen Mr. Osagie asked me to join him at the dining table, I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. He had never invited me like this before. Solomon was right. All it took was changing my dress, and suddenly, the impossible seemed to happen. Could this really be the reason my plans to travel had been delayed all along? Even though I had already eaten earlier that morning, I knew this was a rare chance to interact with him. My heart filled with joy. The one person who disliked my presence in this house, Mrs. Osagie, wasn’t here. For once, I didn’t have to feel her judging eyes on me.I don’t even remember what expression I had on my face when I heard those words, but I kept walking calmly, trying to hide my excitement. As soon as the sitting room wall blocked his view, I quickened my pace to the kitchen. I grabbed a small plate of food, just enough to look presentable without making it seem like I had already eaten. This was an opportunity I couldn’t afford to miss. Who know
Mr. Osagie’s POV“Why are you so angry with that poor girl, Ami? She doesn’t deserve what you just did,” I said calmly as I shut the door to my wife’s bedroom. I stood there, watching her. She threw her pillow onto the bed in frustration and sat at the edge, her face tight with anger. When she didn’t reply, I stepped closer and reached out to touch her, but she pushed my hand away.“You’re just trying to cover up for yourself,” she snapped.“We’re not talking about me. Ami didn’t deserve that. That young girl has been doing her best to help you. At least try to appreciate her sometimes. Did she do something wrong before you left the house today?”“The moment I’m soft on her, she’ll start misbehaving. I know what I’m doing, so don’t bring her up again. I can do everything she does. Wasn’t I doing it all before she came?”“Yes, you were, but it hurt you, didn’t it? You had a miscarriage. She was brought here to help you avoid that happening again. Even Solomon said she might need to sta
Mr. Osagie's POVIt’s been days, yet I can’t get Ami out of my mind. There’s this strange, unexplainable feeling I get every time I see her. She doesn’t even have to speak, a simple glance from her sends a shiver through me. When she brings our food, while sitting with my wife, I find myself wishing she would join us at the table, though I know my wife would never allow that. Just yesterday, something shocked me. While I was watching the live Champions League match at home, I saw her face and her waist beads flash across the TV screen, not literally, of course, but in my mind. My obsession is spinning out of control. I tapped my fingertips on my desk at the office, restless.“How can I tell her how I feel?” I muttered to myself. Then a voice in my head chimed in,“That young lady wants you.”“How?” I asked myself, feeling like I was having a full conversation with my inner thoughts.“Have you noticed the way she dresses when you’re around?” the voice responded. “She always shows you h
Ami’s povIt felt like a constant ding-dong bell ringing in my head: "Ami, I want to see you in my office tomorrow." These words were all I had been waiting for. Tomorrow, everything would finally come together. Maybe I'd even be traveling the day after or sometime within the week. I could already see the positive changes happening in my life. Osagie had been so kind to me. I was overwhelmed when he brought out ice cream and meat pie for me. Every day in this house seemed to get better and better. If there was one person I’d always remember after I left, it would be Osagie. His kindness and care were beyond words. His wife was so fortunate to have married such a man, yet I often overheard her nagging. What could he possibly do wrong to deserve that? From his tone of voice to his demeanor, it was clear that Osagie only wanted peace.After cooking that evening, I went to my room and couldn’t stop staring at the money he had given me."This money is too much. I need to share it with Mama
Ami's PovI couldn’t understand what Madam All-Whether and Jovita were thinking. Did they really believe I would give away any of my babies, even if I had quadruplets? Never. Each child was a part of me, a piece of my soul. I would never let any of them go.When I refused their offer, Madam All-Whether was furious. She lashed out at me, saying, “This is why people don’t help others anymore. Is this how you repay us? How long will it take you to pay back all the money you owe me? I don’t even want to see you here after you give birth!”Her words felt like a storm of curses. Then, while we were still in the backyard, she turned to Jovita and said, “Take her to the room and shave off all the hair in her private parts. She’ll start selling water and drinks now.”Jovita grabbed my hand and dragged me inside. She scolded me, “You’re so strange! I thought you wanted a baby. Now you have two, can’t you give one away and save yourself all this stress? You’re not just stressing yourself; you’re
Solomon’s POVIf Ami knew what her disappearance had done to me, she wouldn’t have thought of leaving. How am I supposed to pay off my huge debt? A debt I got myself into by investing people’s money in a new crypto coin that eventually crashed. This was an unexpected but golden opportunity to free myself from the burden I was too ashamed to talk about. I felt like crying, this was worse than anything I had ever faced. The only thing giving me hope was the thought of Ami finding her way into Osagie’s house. But my heart pounded with fear.As I sat on the stool in my small one-bedroom apartment, a place I had never shown Ami because I feared she might tell her mother how miserable my life in Lagos was, my phone rang. My first thought was that it was one of the investors calling to ask about their money. The call ended, but a few seconds later, my phone rang again. This time, I pulled it out of my pocket. It was Ami’s mother. My heart skipped a beat. She must have been waiting for my cal
Ami’s POV It felt like they were secretly plotting to destroy my integrity. Madam All-Whether, Jovita, and the other pregnant women saw no value in me as long as I was pregnant and living with them. To them, I was just proud and useless. Yet, even though they considered me worthless, Madam All-Whether refused to let me leave the house. She believed I needed to repay everything I had received, especially the food and shelter. At first, she made me wash all the dishes, but since that chore didn’t bring her any money, she quickly decided it wasn’t worth it. She was desperate for cash, and seeing me as a burden only made her angrier. How could she expect me to sell my own child and just walk away as if nothing happened? For me, that would be a decision that would haunt me for the rest of my life.A month after Raphael stopped paying my debts, Madam All-Whether called me into her room again. Every time she summoned me, I knew exactly what was coming. “How do you plan to keep going like
Ami’s POV“Ami, it’s been four months now, and you still won’t sleep with me. What more do you need? I’ve paid almost a hundred thousand naira of your debt. I even stopped sleeping with the other pregnant women two months ago, you can see that for yourself. In case you don’t know, I pay Madam All-Weather for your daily meals. What else do you want from me? I love you. I’ve never met anyone like you, you’ve changed the way I think. Please, let’s be together. I don’t even mind marrying you, even with another man’s child.”Those were Raphael’s words every evening as he pulled me aside whenever he came. Apart from Raphael’s persisting words, there was also a significant change in the house we were living in. The house has been fully fenced, and a gateman controlled who came and went. Life here had completely changed in the past four months, a kind of life I had never imagined. A life where young women willingly sold their own babies for money. Every week, at least one pregnant woman arri
Mr. Osagie’s POVIt has been days now, and still, there’s no word on Ami’s whereabouts. Her phone hasn’t gone through even once. Each passing day, I felt more exhausted, noticing her absence more than her presence. Maybe I should have shown her more care, not because I wanted to sleep with her again, but because she truly deserved kindness. A part of me knows she left this house with anger in her heart. If she had told me she was leaving, I would have given her a large sum of money to at least help her.But where could she have gone? Had she returned to the village, back to the fiancé she once mentioned? If so, why did Solomon receive word that she was not there? The thought of her out in the world, alone and possibly in trouble, gnaws at me. What is happening to her right now?Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice my wife's soft footsteps descending the stairs.“Honey…?” Her voice pulled me back to the present, and I turned to face her.She walked closer, a small frown on her face. “A
Ami’s POVIdara’s words cut deep, like thorns pressing into my skin. Without thinking, I stepped away from her. She didn’t just see the hurt on my face, she understood it in the way I pulled away from her embrace. My heart felt crushed. Seeing her a few minutes ago used to be a comfort. Now, it wasn’t. I said nothing and walked out of the room, determined not to cry in front of her again. It was frustrating how easily doubt crept into my mind, making me question everything.As I stepped outside and headed to the back of the house, I noticed something I hadn’t before, a fence, and a small gate. The back of the house was quiet and everyone was inside. I stared at the small gate, my chest tightening with the urge to run. Run far away. Away from Idara. Away from this place. Away from someone I had thought wanted to help me. But where would I go? This wasn’t my home. I didn’t know this state, these people. I had no money to return to my village. And Lagos? That was no longer an option. Mrs
Ami’s POVIt happened in an instant. I didn’t know where my strength came from, but the sight of a man trying to force himself on me filled me with rage. Without thinking, I shoved him with all my might. He stumbled backward, crashing against the door with a loud thud. My heart pounded. I expected him to get up and slap me. He wouldn’t have fallen so hard if his trousers hadn’t stopped him from steadying his feet.“What’s going on in there?”Madam All-Weather’s voice rang from outside the room. The noise must have echoed through the house.“Oh, thank God. She’s coming to save me,” I whispered as I felt relieved.But she wasn’t the only one who had heard the commotion. Other pregnant women, including Jovita, rushed into the room. Raphael scrambled to pull up his trousers as the door swung open, his movements frantic and obvious. Madam All-Weather stepped in, her sharp eyes scanning the scene. “What is happening here?” she demanded. Tears burned my eyes as I pointed at him. “Ma, he tri
Ami's POVWhen I heard the word documentation, I thought they were just going to take my name and other basic information. But at the baby care center, it meant something entirely different. I followed Jovita into a small room, much smaller than the others. The first thing that caught my attention was a large red cloth covering an entire wall. Where I came from, such a display usually meant something related to divination. There was only one chair in the room. Jovita sat down and asked, “What has Idara told you since yesterday? This is the first place you should have come before even resting your head. But since you arrived late and came from far, I decided to let you rest instead of stressing you with your pregnancy.” She paused, looked at me, then continued.“Now, back to my question. What did Idara tell you yesterday?”“Ma, she didn’t tell me anything.”“Are you sure?”“Yes.”“Okay then. In that case, I want you to take off your pants.”For a moment, I thought I had misheard her.
Ami's POVI didn’t understand why the man sitting next to me and the driver took so long to return. I thought they would be back in a few minutes, but as time passed and it reached thirty minutes, I started feeling uncomfortable. Finally, the two men came out of the building, got into the car, and closed the door.“Are you sure you're really pregnant?” the man beside me asked again.“Yes, I am. You have asked me before,” I replied.The driver turned to look at me and asked, “Do you know who the father is?”Before I could answer, the man next to me quickly said, “It’s better if you say you don’t know when we get inside.”There was a short silence before he continued. “We’re leaving you here, but to make sure they take good care of you, tell the woman in charge that you don’t know who the father is.”“Or say that the father denied responsibility, and you have nowhere to go because your parents threw you out,” the driver suggested.“Yes, yes, that’s better,” the other man agreed. “Say yo