I left my secretary Cynthia’s house to visit my wife in the hospital.

I had originally intended to go straight there, but then I changed my mind — I wanted to go home and shower first. On the way home, I called my best friend Jide to ask him to cover for me.

“Hello, bro, how are you?” I said as soon as Jide picked up.

“Crap, I went to the bar yesterday and didn’t see you,” Jide replied.

“Let’s talk about that later,” I interrupted. “Do me a favor.”

“What?”

“If my wife calls, tell her I slept at your place last night.”

Jide was silent for a few seconds, then asked, “So where did you actually sleep?”

“I’ll tell you later. Help me with this first.”

When I got home, I stopped short of opening the bathroom door — my wife was home. What shocked me was that only an hour ago, she texted me that she was at the hospital.

“Babe? You’re here?” I was surprised.

“Yeah, I’m going to get something for Sandra,” my wife replied, her voice calm.

“Okay, let me take a shower and then I’ll come over.”

She came closer, hugged me and said,

“Babe, I’m sorry about yesterday. I’ve thought about it… I was wrong.”

“It’s okay, I understand,” I forced a smile.

“No, let me make it up to you.” She hugged me tighter. “I know you’re just protecting your best friend.”

But as we hugged, she suddenly sniffed deeply into my shirt.

“Ayochidi, where did you sleep last night?”

“Jide’s house,” I answered immediately.

“Jide? When did he switch to women’s perfume?”
I was speechless for a few seconds. “Ah… Jide’s girlfriend came over. I guess when you said hello, her perfume got on your shirt.”
“Girlfriend? Jide has a girlfriend?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Yeah… I’m just as surprised as you.”

My wife didn’t say anything more, just nodded slightly and continued packing. I quickly went into the bathroom, washing away the restlessness in my heart.

After that, we went to the hospital together. The atmosphere between us suddenly became much lighter, as if the anger from yesterday had never existed. I saw that Sandra—the friend I had thought had tried to seduce me—had started talking again.

“She’s doing well,” I said.

“Yeah, I’m relieved.” My wife smiled.

“So when she gets better, will she still be with us?”

“Of course. She has no one in Enugu but us.”

I sighed. My wife still didn’t believe the story about Sandra trying to seduce me.

While I was sitting with my wife, my phone rang. It was Cynthia, the secretary. I excused myself to go to the bathroom and answered the phone.

“Honey, I got the deal! You’re coming back to work,” Cynthia said, her voice full of excitement.

“How did you do it?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t get fired again.”

“Yeah… thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. When are you going to divorce your wife and marry me like you promised?” Cynthia said bluntly.

I was stunned. “What did you just say?”

“Divorce your wife. You promised me that.”

I stood still in the bathroom, my heart pounding, Cynthia’s words like a knife cutting straight into the wall of secrecy I was trying to build. Just one slip-up… everything would collapse.