Tobi was every lady’s dream man and he knew it. Sophisticated, tall, dark, handsome and rich, you would think he hadn’t experienced a single tragedy in his life. But that’s not the case. Having lost his parents at a young age, he was raised by his uncle whose wife and sons hated him with an unwarranted passion.

But all that hatred didn’t stop him from achieving his dream. Right now, he had a lovely wife and children who adored him. He was the CEO one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the country, which he inherited from his late uncle. His uncle had faith in him above his own sons. And he hadn’t disappointed him yet. Life was good and everything in it.



He stood in front his tall mirror in his classy master bedroom. Satisfied about his impeccable appearance, he grabbed his suitcase and headed downstairs to the dining room. His children, eight years old Lara and six years old Nonso, were already having breakfast. They were in their school uniforms. And they were arguing. He smiled.

“Hey, guys.”

They stopped arguing and beamed at him. “Good morning, daddy!”

“Good morning.”

Amaka, his wife entered carrying his breakfast which she set in front of him.

She sat beside him and smiled. “There you go. You’re already dressed for work?”

“Yes, I have a conference call with the Minister of Health and the board members in the office this morning.”

“I hope there’s no problem?”

“No, no problem at all. We’re just going to decide if we can sign a deal with our new product.”

“Oh, okay.” Amaka said and they began to eat.

Tobi looked at his kids. “So guys, what were you arguing about?”

Lara spoke up immediately. “Daddy, I was telling Nonso that it’s good to brush your teeth before eating every morning.”



“No, it’s good to brush your teeth after eating so you will not have a smelly mouth.” Nonso argued.

“Brushing your teeth after eating is bad.” Lara said.

“No, it’s not bad.” Nonso countered.

“You don’t know anything.” Lara shot at her brother.

“It’s you that don’t know anything.” Nonso shot back.

“Stop it both of you.” Tobi intervened. “It’s bad to argue during your breakfast. Now eat.”

“Okay, daddy.” Lara said. “But please tell Nonso to brush before he eats breakfast.”

“No, daddy. Tell Lara to brush after she eats breakfast.” Nonso countered again.

“It’s brush before eating.” Lara argued.

“No, it’s brush after eating.” Nonso refused to agree.

“Before!”

“After!”

Tobi looked helplessly at his wife. Amaka snorted at him. “Don’t look at me. They’re your kids.”

While Amaka went to drop the kids at school before going to work, Tobi drove to his office. As soon as he stepped into the building, “good morning, sir” “good morning, sir” rained all over the place from his employees. He simply nodded to them and went to his office.

His secretary was already on desk.

“Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning, Andy.”

“Sir, a call came for you from the Managing Director of Pharmex Limited earlier.”

“Alright. What about the board members?”

“They’re waiting for you at the board room.”

Tobi nodded and went to his door. Then he paused and looked back, suddenly disturbed. The secretary had gone back to typing on the computer. The other employees were minding their business. Everything appeared normal. But he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was following him...
For the full episode, visit https://www.litafrik.com/the-intruder-episode-1-stalker/

Amaka felt like her spirit had vamoosed from her body and she was just an audience watching a movie playing before her.

“WHAT!” Tobi roared in shock.

Anita didn’t even blink. “Yes, don’t you remember?”

Tobi’s body coiled in anger, as if to strike the lying bitch. “You’re lying.” He turned pleadingly to Amaka who was totally rigid like a statue. “She’s lying. We were never married. I swear.”

Then he swerved angrily to Anita. “Are you crazy?”

She blinked then, a perfect picture of innocence. “Me? No o. Are you not my husband?”

“NO. Where did you get the idea from?”

She gasped as if deeply hurt. “Honey? Why are you denying me like this? Remember all those years when you said you would love me for the rest of our lives.”

“That was in the past, when we were in the University!”

“Oh Darling, we made promises to each other, that we will be together. Nothing can break us apart.” She said, retaining a sweet innocent voice.



Tobi stared at her like she was mad. He turned earnestly to his wife. “Honey, don’t listen to her. Anita and I never made any vows. I would never do that. I would never betray you.”

Amaka finally came out of her stupor. “Then, what is she doing here? Why is she saying all this?”

“I don’t know. We met yesterday after many years. We chatted and I gave her my card, that’s all. Anita and I went to the same University and we were friends.”

At that, Anita dropped her innocent act in bristling temper. “Friends? Friends, you say? Fine!”

She faced Amaka. “Madam, let me tell you a little story about a boy and girl. Oh wait, that boy and the girl is Tobi and I…”

Tobi’s father and uncle were blood brothers. Although his uncle was wealthy, his father wasn’t. He wasn’t poor either. He was just average, enough to take care of his family comfortably. And so, Tobi was sent to a moderately good secondary school. There, he met Anita who was the daughter of a pastor. Anita was shy and sweet. Tobi was handsome and outgoing. Hence, he was very popular among teachers and students. But he had enough sense to not allow his popularity get into his head.



Anita’s shy sweetness attracted him and they started dating in their SS2. She got pregnant when they got to SS3. Of course, they weren’t ready for the responsibility. So, he siphoned money from his dad and paid for her abortion. The experience broke them apart. And they didn’t speak to each other until they finished secondary school.

But coincidentally, they met again in the University. They both gained admission in the same University, same year. First, they were just friends and before any of them could say ‘Jack”, they became lovers again. Their love was the talk of the school. In fact, they were voted the best couple on campus. Everyone thought they would end up together.

“I had four abortions in five years for him!” Anita pointed angrily at Tobi.

Amaka’s mouth dropped open. “What?”

“That’s not even the worst part. He accepted the last pregnancy because I refused to remove it. He promised to start preparation for our wedding. But he ran away when he got the opportunity, leaving me all alone. Not only did I lose the baby, I lost my womb.”

“Jesus!” Amaka didn’t know when it flew from her mouth. She stared at Tobi like he’d developed two heads. “Tobi!”

Tobi stammered. “I didn’t know about that. I’m sorry.”



“Sorry doesn’t even begin to cover anything. Have you any idea what I went through all these years? The good men I lost because I had no womb? You ruined my life, you bastard. You’re going to share in it. I cannot bear the consequences alone. Consider me your lost but found wife.” She finished.

Then, she reverted back to her sweet innocent act. “So, where’s our room?”

That brought Amaka out of her shock fast. “Excuse me?”

“Our room, as in, the room where you and Tobi sleep. It’s our room now. Where is it?” Anita said in the tone of a teacher explaining something to a retarded student.

“I’m sorry. You can’t stay here.”

For the full episode, visit https://www.litafrik.com/the-intruder-episode-2-lost-but-found-wife/

Amaka turned angrily to her husband. “I can’t believe you sold illegal drugs in the company.”

“I didn’t. Mr. Martins did, without the company’s knowledge. We found out and made him sign a non-disclosure and fired him. I thought we buried it. I don’t know how Anita dug it up again.” Tobi explained.



“Ok, it’s not your fault. This is actually good news. That evil woman has nothing on you. Even if she exposes the evidence, you can defend yourself and walk free, right?” She asked hopefully.

Tobi grimaced in shame. “It’s not that simple. The truth is the crime was committed under the company’s name. and I’m the owner of the company. You’ve seen the news. The government is shutting down companies because of banned drugs. Not only will they shut down our company, they will indict me for the crime. Anita is right. If that file gets out, I’m finished.”

“Oh my God, what are we going to do?”

Tobi screwed his face up like he swallowed a hard ball of fufu. “I think we should let her stay.”

“What!”

“For a while.” He quickly explained. “Let her calm down. Then, we’ll settle her and send her away.”

Amaka scoffed. “You think she will just accept settlement? What if she wants something more?”

“Let me try this one first. I know her. She’s not really as bad as you think. I believe she will agree to a settlement.”

Amaka remained skeptical but she let it go. “Fine. What are we going to tell the kids?”



“We can tell them she’s my distant cousin who has come to stay with us for a while.”

Amaka sighed, suddenly exhausted. Tobi held her shoulders and looked earnestly into her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I caused this. Give me time to sort it out. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

She nodded but kept quiet. Later, when Tobi had gone back to their room to think about what to do, she went and knocked on the door of the room that Anita occupied.

Then she entered without waiting for an invitation. Anita was arranging her things in the wardrobe and whistling happily to herself. She didn’t even acknowledge her presence. The attitude angered Amaka but she held her temper.

She cleared her throat and spoke gently. “Hi, I’m so sorry for all you’ve been through. I am a woman like you. And I understand that need to lash out and hurt the man who broke your heart. Believe me, I understand. But please, can you find it in your heart to forgive him? If you continue your revenge, you won’t only hurt Tobi, you will hurt an innocent woman and her children. Please, think about it.”

Anita stopped arranging her things and faced her. “Did you have a boyfriend before you met Tobi?”

“Yes.”

“Did you get pregnant for him and he forced you to get rid of it?”

“No.”

“Did he dump you after you’ve dated for years?”

“No.”

“Then you don’t understand anything. Get out of my room.”

Amaka winced at the insult. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Anita to get out of her house. Then she thought of the massive quarrel that would follow. And the kids. So, she held and tongue and left the room.



The children woke up for breakfast and saw Anita. Typical of kids, they didn’t waste time asking who she was.

“I’m your second mummy.” She replied.

“She’s my distant cousin who came to stay with us for a little while.” Tobi explained to the kids, glaring at her.

Anita chuckled. “A little while? We’ll see about that.”

Throughout the day, the tension in the house was so thick it could be cut with a sharp knife. Anita paraded herself as the madam of the house. Tobi and Amaka tried their best to ignore her. They avoided her like a plague and tried to pretend that she didn’t exist which angered Anita more and made her use every opportunity to rob her unwelcome presence in their faces.

But they ignored her for the sake of the kids.

Then at night, it was bed time. The kids had been tucked into bed. Tobi and Amaka had retired to their room. They were about to sleep when Anita walked in uninvited. She was wearing a nightwear that left nothing to the imagination.

Tobi sat up in surprise. “Do you need something?”

“I want to sleep.” She replied nonchalantly.

“Ok, what are you doing here then?”

“This is my room. I want to sleep here, with you, my husband.”

Amaka’s face changed from surprise to anger. “Excuse me?”

Anita blinked at her. “What? Is it not my right to sleep with my husband?”

“You must be crazy.”

“Yes, I’m crazy in love.” Anita replied sweetly.

Amaka’s anger was getting to the boiling point. Tobi quickly intervened. “Anita, please don’t start a fight. Go back to your room.”

“This is my room.” She insisted.

Amaka couldn’t take it anymore. “Look madam, you rudely walked into my home, declared my husband a murderer, blackmailed him, occupied a room without our permission and pranced about like you own this house. Yet, we kept quiet. Now, you’re here trying to sleep with my husband in my presence. I will not take this nonsense from you. Get out of my room before I do something you will regret.”

Anita laughed hysterically. “Look at this yeye woman forming Margaret Thatcher. In your mind now, you’re a virtuous woman. Let me tell you, before you came into the picture, I was Tobi’s first lady. I’m sure if he didn’t have money, you wouldn’t have married him. Pretender. Gold digger. Ashawo…”



“Hey!” Tobi interrupted angrily. “That’s enough, Anita. I will not have you insult my wife. Amaka is my wife and you must respect her or I kick you out of my house.”

“Before you do that, remember there’s a little file hanging over your head.”

“Insult my wife again and I will tell you what you will do with your file. Are you mad?”

She snapped. “Eh, hold it there. Who gave you the impudence to talk to me? You’re lucky I still like you otherwise I will show you exactly what I want to do with that file. Look at you. After the way you used and dumped me, what did you expect?”

Amaka scoffed. “Oh please, stop this stupid drama. The way I understand it, Tobi didn’t tie you to his bed. It was a mutual consent. Yes, what he did was wrong but you could have walked away. But you didn’t. You chose to stay and what happened, happened. So, instead of standing here and acting all victim, blame yourself being so cheap.”

That earned her a hot slap from Anita. “Shut up, you slut!”

Amaka returned the slap and civil war started. Tobi tried to separate them but quickly learned that not even Samson could separate two very angry fighting women. The fight spilled out of the room to the corridor, waking the children.

“Mummy!” They screamed when they saw their mum tangling with their new Auntie like wrestlemania. Tobi quickly took them back to their rooms to calm them.

The women continued their fight of mortal combat. They almost rolled on the staircase but for Tobi who finally succeeded in separating them. He carried his furiously kicking wife back to their room and locked the door.

Anita knocked furiously and shouted, gingering for another fight. But they ignored her. She went back to her room and paced the floor, fuming. How dare her! And Tobi? After all she had done for him, he supported her! If they thought they would frustrate her out of the house, they should think again!

She picked a phone and made a call. “Hello, it’s me. Yes, I’m in his house. I just had a fight with his wife. It’s time to get rid of that bitch!”

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For two weeks, nothing happened. Tobi and Amaka tried their best to tolerate Anita. Anita seemed to have adapted very well in her new home. The children didn’t mind to have their new ‘Auntie’ living with them. No one talked to her. No one disturbed her. She was like a sacred cow in an Indian community.

Then one evening, Amaka was heading towards the parking lot after the day’s work. As soon she reached her car, three hefty men surrounded her from nowhere. She tried to raise and one of them jammed a gun on her back.

“Scream and you’re dead.” He whispered harshly in her ear. Her eyes widened in panic but she didn’t scream.

“Get in the car.” The man ordered.

She obeyed and they joined her inside the car. The guy sitting directly behind her placed a drug laced handkerchief over her nose and she passed out.

When she woke up, she was in a dark room, tied to a chair with a thick rope and the men were staring at her. They had guns.

https://www.litafrik.com/the-intruder-episode-4-getting-rid-of-amaka/

Tobi stormed into the house and stood over Anita, shaking with sizzling rage. Anita sat up and stared boldly at him, trying to hide her fear. His anger was so hot she was sure she could feel the scorching heat coming from him.

“You evil bitch!” He roared. “What did you do to my wife?”

She shrugged like she didn’t care. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie to me!” His body shook with anger. At this rate, it wouldn’t surprise her if he pounced on her and tore her from limb to limb. For a brief moment, she had a second thought on what she was doing in his house in the first place. But that feeling passed and she stared at him like she didn’t give a hoot.

“I’m not lying. Maybe she was tired of the marriage and looking for an excuse to leave you since. Instead of blaming me for what I didn’t do, you should thank me for helping you reveal the type of wife you married. She only loves you when the going is good. And leaves you when a little crisis comes. Who does that? A LovePeddler.”

Tobi didn’t know when he raised his hands to slap her.

“Eh-ehn, that’s a very bad idea.” She warned, stopping him in his tracks. He lowered his hand and took a deep breath.

“I want you to pack your things and get out of my house this minute.” His voice was precise and cold.

“What about your file?” She reminded him smugly.

“Bleep that file!”

She flinched. The she regained her I-control-this-situation attitude and asked him. “Careful. You might get what you wish.”

“Get out of my house!”

She merely looked at him like she was bored. “I will leave. But let me tell you. Once I step my foot out of the door, I will make an important call you won’t like.”

“You think that I care?”

“Oh you should. Because the storm that is coming will so consume you, you won’t even find where to begin to get out of it. Trust me, it’s that bad.”

“You’re not going to control me with your cheap blackmail. I’m going to get you out of my life and there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”

“Are you willing to chance it? Think about it. Your wife is gone. Are you willing to lose your children too? Your reputation and your company? The company that your uncle handed to you instead of his wife and sons?”

Tobi’s glaring hatred at her didn’t waver but she could see the doubt and uncertainty that were beginning to form in his eyes. She gave him an insolent smile, knowing she had won.

“Good boy. Now that we’ve got this out of the way, I want you to prepare to get rid of your wife for good.”

He stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. Get rid of her. Divorce her.”

“You must be stupid to let that out of your mouth.”

“Okay, then. I guess I’m going to make that call after all.” She rose to leave. Tobi dragged her back and dumped her on the couch.

“Don’t you dare!”

She stared up at him in disbelief. “Oh, this is how it is, abi? You want to assault me.”

She laughed. “Imagine. Tobi wants to beat me. He-he! There’s nothing I will not see in this life.”

“I will do more than beat you if you blackmail me again.”

“Then divorce your wife.”

“For you? God forbid.”

“Okay, say goodbye to your company and everything you’ve built.”

He paused and kept staring at her like she was an alien. “What is wrong with you? Do you know the damage you’re causing my innocent family?”

“Too bad.” She said nonchalantly.

“The Anita I know used to be sweet and kind and loving. She couldn’t bear to hurt a fly. But this woman standing right here is a heartless stranger. I know I contributed to that but must my family suffer for it? What about my wife? What about my children?”

She flared up. “And what about my own children, huh? Answer me! You killed them. You flushed them away with your selfishness. You tore my heart to pieces and stopped all possibilities of hearing the cries of my own babies!”

By now, she was hysterical. Tears were flowing down her cheeks and her eyes flashed, pouring out years of accumulated hurt and hatred. “You think you know pain? You ain’t seen anything yet. You made me this way, Tobi. Deal with it.”

And she stormed off.

Tobi stood in the living room for a few minutes. Then he sadly went to the master bedroom and shut the door. He sat down on the large bed he shared with his wife a few hours ago and leaned his head on his hands, completely shattered. How had his life turned like this? He wondered. One moment he was deliriously happy. Another moment, his life was crumbling. All because of the stupid mistakes he made as a youth. His Amaka was gone. He was on the verge of losing everything else if he made the wrong move.

His mind flashed back to the first day he met his wife. He had returned to the country after some years of study abroad. He was just beginning to find his bearing in his uncle’s company after he had inherited it. So, he visited his best friend, Mike, from University days. Mike was a lecturer in the same University they attended. The two of them were gisting and catching up on old times, when this beautiful girl wearing medicated glasses entered.

“Good afternoon.” She greeted.

“Good afternoon.” They greeted her back.

“Amaka, how are you?” Mike asked cordially.

“I’m fine.” She replied.

“What can I do for you?”

“I’m still finding it difficult to gather materials for my research. I was wondering if you could help me with one of your books, please?”

“Sure, but make sure you bring it back. I will be very angry if you don’t.”

She smiled. “Ah Doc, you know I’m always loyal. Trust me, I won’t even try to be on your bad side. You’re one of the few people I can rely on.”

He scoffed. “Not me. I’m not the one who brought up the theory that western economic policies can’t succeed in Nigeria.”

Tobi’s brows shot up at that. He stared at Amaka, amused. “Why would you think that considering that their policies have recorded massive successes that other countries are trying to copy them?”

She removed her glasses, placed them on the desk and faced Tobi with full confidence. “I’m not saying they aren’t successful. I’m saying there are lots of reasons why their policies might not record much success in Nigeria. First, our cosmological views are different from theirs. I’ll give you an example…”

She went on to give him a thorough lecture to defend her argument. By the time she was finished, he was hooked. Before he could ask her out, she had taken the book she had requested for, excused herself and left.

Then she came back. “Sorry, I forgot my glasses.”

She took the glasses and left again.

He met her again when he left Mike’s office and headed for his car. She was coming from an opposite building, carrying a stack of books. He smiled and waved at her. She smiled back, and walked up to him.

“Hi.” She greeted.

“Hi.” He greeted back. “I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself. I’m Tobi Williams.”

“Amaka Ejiofor.” She dropped her books on the car and shook his offered hand.

“Nice to meet you, Amaka. You’re doing a research, huh?”

“For my Ph.D. Thesis. I’m a Ph.D. Student.”

“Wow, that’s great. Well done.”

“Can I have your number? As someone in the capital market, my experience can be a huge help to your research.”

She smiled. “Sure.”

They exchanged numbers. She left and came back again. “I forgot my books.”

She carried her books and Tobi watched her leave, his heart swelling with what he later knew was the beginning signs of falling in love.

From there, they hit it off and within a space of six months, they were married. They had been inseparable until that Anita intruded into their lives.

That was why he couldn’t understand why Amaka would leave him and the children like that. It wasn’t in his confident wife to pack and leave without a fuss. Anita must have had something to do with it. He could feel it in his gut. The witch!

Unable to bear the loneliness, he entered their walk in closet. The absence of Amaka’s things echoed the emptiness in his heart. Only her night wear was remaining. She must have forgotten it. He smiled, his heart lightening at his wife insane flaw. He picked the night wear and pressed it to his nose, her scent comforting him.

He began to laugh. He would let Anita think she had won. But by God, he would send that bitch back to hell and bring back his wife!

Tobi began to look for his wife. He called, texted, sent messages but there was no reply from her. Her phones were switched off or rather her lines no longer existed. Her parents and siblings didn’t know where she was. None of her colleagues in the University where she worked as a lecturer- she was retained after her Ph.D – had seen her. They didn’t know what was going on and he didn’t tell them. He didn’t want to involve any of them. He still held the hope that Amaka would change her mind and come back to him someday. There was no need starting unnecessary scandal.

Weeks passed and there was no sign of Amaka. It was as if she didn’t exist. That the years they had together were just a dream. The only thing that made him believe she was real was the night wear she left behind.



Back home, Anita was a nightmare. She would drink and smoke from morning till night. His warnings to her fell on deaf ears. His once Spartan home now oozed like a chimney. The way she always smoking, he thought he would develop lung cancer. And he didn’t smoke, ever!

Because he didn’t want his kids in such a toxic environment with a toxic woman, he took them to Mike’s house to stay until he sorted things out. Mike knew Anita since they were undergraduates and her relationship with Tobi. Hence, he was the only one who knew what was going on in Tobi’s home now. He attempted to talk to her but her reaction to him left a bitter taste in his mouth. So he learned to stay away from her and wish his friend well from a distance.

With the kids gone, it was just Tobi and Anita and the occasional help, Edith. Anita didn’t mind that the kids were gone. It was a welcome development. She didn’t want to look at them every day and be reminded of what she couldn’t have.

But that didn’t stop her from making Tobi wish he was dead. Her demands were endless. It was war if he didn’t meet any of them. she was always quick to remind him of his file.

“I need 15 million naira.” She demanded one day.

Tobi stared at her. “What for?”

“I want to open a boutique.”

“Last time you collected 10 million naira from me to open a hairdressing salon. And that was a week ago.”

She shrugged like she didn’t care. “I changed my mind.”



“Fine. You can use the money to open your boutique.”

“I already invested it in another business.”

“What business?”

She gave him an insolent stare. “Last time I checked, you’re not my account manager.”

“It’s my money.” He reminded her, getting irritated.

“Point of correction, it’s our money. I’m your wife now.” She emphasized.

“You’re not my wife.”

She arched her brows at him. “Really? Okay, let me go and expose your file since you’ve decided to deny me, again.”

She turned to leave.

“Wait!”

She turned back to him.

Tobi sighed in defeat. “I’ll make a transfer.”

She beamed in delight. “Thanks, baby. I love you so much.”

It would not end there. After a few days, she would come back and ask him for ridiculous amounts of money another imaginary business. Tobi endured till he was getting close to a breaking point. He wanted to strangle her. He could already feel his hands around her neck and her treacherous eyes popping out as he choked life out of her. But it all in his imagination. Note once had he laid hands on her.



Every day, he dreaded meeting her and the drama she would bring with her. He avoided coming home until the middle of the night when he was sure she was asleep. Yet, it didn’t remove him from Anita’s clutches.

He came home one late night, tired and heartbroken. The whole house was silent as a grave. Edith had gone back home. Anita was surely asleep in her room. Tobi went straight to bed and within minutes, he was in dreamland.

Suddenly, he woke up. A hand was groping him...

Read rest @ https://www.litafrik.com/the-intruder-episode-6-toxic-woman/

Amaka woke up in Tobi’s bed alone and went downstairs to the dining room for breakfast. She paused. Lara and Nonso were already eating.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, surprised.

“Good morning, Auntie.” The kids greeted her.

She ignored the greeting. “Shouldn’t you kids be in school or something?”

“Today is public holiday.” Lara informed her.

Anita nodded, remembering. She sat down and called out. “Edith!”

“Ma!” Edith answered from the kitchen and came out to meet her.

“Good morning, ma”

“Get my breakfast.”

“Okay, ma”

Edith went back to the kitchen. Amaka brought out her cigarette pack.

“What’s that?” Nonso asked curiously.

“What? You’ve never seen cigarette before?” She replied harshly.

“What do you do with it?” He asked again.

“You smoke it.”

“Really? Can I have some?”

“No, you will die if you smoke. Our teacher said so.” Lara said.

Anita scoffed and looked at Nonso. “Listen to your sister.”



“Auntie, you’re going to die.” Nonso announced flatly.

Anita stared at him, stunned. “What?”

“You said you will die if you smoke. And you’re going to smoke. So, you will die.” He explained logically.

Anita’s face contorted with rage. “Edith!”

Edith ran back to answer her. “Ma?”

Anita shook her fist at the kids. “Get them the Bleep out of here!”

Lara gasped. “Auntie, that’s a bad word. Mummy will beat you if she hears it.”

“Shut up, you little brat!” Anita screamed at her. She turned angrily to Edith. “What are you waiting for? Get them out of here!”

Frightened, Edith took the children and left. Anita sat back, thoroughly pissed. She brought out a stick of cigarette and tried to light it. Then she dropped it, suddenly losing her appetite.

At a law firm, Tobi entered Amaka’s lawyer’s office. The lawyer, a no nonsense looking woman in her forties, was already seated with Amaka. Tobi’s heart fluttered with delight at seeing his wife again. She had lost weight and looked like she hadn’t slept in days even though she tried to cover it with makeup. But in his eyes, she was the most beautiful woman on earth.

“Good morning.” He greeted.

“Good morning, Mr. Williams. Please have a seat.” The lawyer replied, gesturing.

Tobi sat down and smiled at his wife. “How have you been, babe?”



Amaka looked away, which hurt him but he kept quiet.

“You didn’t come with your lawyer?” The woman asked.

“I don’t need him.”

“Alright, let’s begin.” She opened a file and leafed through it. “The case is straightforward. My client, Mrs. Chiamaka Williams is seeking for a divorce on the grounds of incompatibility. She’s willing to share custody of the children with you. She doesn’t want anything else. So sign the papers and it will be over.”

He merely stared at them for a few heartbeats. Then, he turned to his wife. “Can I talk with you privately, please?”

“Mr. Williams, she’s my client. If you want to talk to her, you have to do it in my presence.”

“Fine.” He looked earnestly at Amaka. “Babe, I’m so sorry about Anita. I never thought that my wild past will come back and haunt me. Please don’t leave me. I love you. And I always will. Think about us and what we’ve built together all these years. Think about our beautiful children. Don’t throw us away. Don’t let that woman destroy what we have. I promise you, Anita will be out of our lives very soon.”

Yet Amaka refused to look at him. But he could see he was getting to her as a single tear fled her eye and fell down her cheek.



“Babe, look at me.” She refused. “Look at me, Amaka. Please?” he pleaded again.

She finally looked at him. He smiled gratefully at her. “I love you. Don’t sign this divorce, I beg you. I will fix this.”

Later, Tobi drove home in a happy mood he hadn’t felt for days since his wife left. Although Amaka had refused to come home with him, she had at least agreed to stop the divorce. That was progress.

He parked at his garage and entered his house. Anita was waiting for him.

“Are you finally divorced?” She asked calmly.

“How do you know about that?” He asked back, surprised.

She shrugged. “The walls have ears. You haven’t answered my question.”

“No, I’m not divorced.” He answered harshly.

“Why?”

“I couldn’t get it.”

“You couldn’t get it or you wouldn’t get it? Do you think I’m stupid?”

He glared at her. “For your information, there are many things involved in getting a divorce. Getting custody of the children, paying alimony. I have a lot of assets and Amaka is demanding half of them. We’re still negotiating. So, it will take some time to get the divorce you want.”

Anita looked him for some moments. Then, she smiled. “I know what you’re doing. You’re stylishly delaying this divorce and giving me crap for an excuse. It’s okay. I’m not surprised. I knew it would happen.”

She walked up to him and stared at him face to face. “I give you three months to finalize your divorce. Just remember, Tobi. Your life is in my hands and I will not hesitate to destroy it if I don’t see those papers. This is my last warning.”

Meanwhile Mike and his wife had gone to their village for a family occasion. So, Tobi was forced to take his children home pending their return. Anita didn’t like that. Seeing the kids every day got on her nerves. She became crankier and more unbearable. The kids tried to avoid her but kids being kids, they would sometimes forget and try to play with her. And she would snap their heads off.



One day, she was passing through the corridors when she heard a muffled cry in Lara’s room. Curious, she quietly opened the door. Lara was crying on her bed obviously not wanting anyone to know.

Anita wanted to leave her to cry in peace. She didn’t want to be involved in the little girl’s problem. It wasn’t her business. But before she knew it, “Why are you crying, Lara?”

Lara jumped and wiped her tears quickly. “I’m not crying.”

Anita arched her brows at the obvious lie. “Yes, you are. What happened?”

“Nothing.” Lara said quickly.

That made Anita more curious. “You’re lying. What’s going on, Lara? Tell me.”

“I can’t.” Lara said, fresh tears brimming in her eyes.

“Why? I want to help.”

“But you don’t care about me and Nonso.” The little girl pointed out.

Anita winced inwardly in shame. She went and sat beside her. “It’s not true. I do. Please tell me what’s bothering you. I promise, I won’t tell anyone.”

“It’s Bobby.” Lara said after a pause.

“Who’s bobby?”

“He’s from school. He’s always bullying Nonso. He called him a cockroach. I told him to stop calling him that and he pushed me to the wall and injured my hand. Then he said he will call his friends and beat Nonso every day if I told anyone.”

“What!” Anita asked incredulously. “He did this to you in school today?”

“Yes my hand is paining me, Auntie.” She cried. Anita was outraged on the little girl’s behalf. Her maternal instinct surged in full force.

“How dare he? A boy shouldn’t beat a girl, ever. I’m going to your school tomorrow and I will report to your headmistress to punish him. Is he mad?”



“Auntie, no. You promised you won’t tell anyone.” Lara said in fear.

“I know, honey. But if we keep quiet, he will do it again. That’s not going to happen. You’re beautiful, smart and strong. No boy should dare to touch you. And this Bobby won’t touch you again, I promise.”

Lara looked at her with hopeful tear filled eyes. “Really?”

“Really.” Anita assured her. “We girls should look after each other. Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”

Lara hugged her gratefully. “Thank you, Auntie. You’re the best Auntie in the world.”

Anita hugged her back, her heart melting with love. “I love you too.”

Later, after she had cuddled Lara to sleep, Anita left and went to her room. She laid on the bed and sighed. How did this happen? She thought. How did those kids bring down her defenses and planted themselves in her heart? She loved them and it’s making things more difficult for her.

Her phone rang. She answered the call.

“Are you alone?” A male voice asked on the other end.

“Yes. What’s up?”

“Is everything ready?”

“Yes.”

“Good. It’s time to bring the motherfucker down.”

“Okay.” She hung up and sighed. A part of her, the foreign part that still felt something, felt sorry for Tobi. She slammed the feeling down. This isn’t time for sentiments. She thought. Tobi deserved what he was getting. Karma is a bitch and her name is Anita.

Episode 8 will be available of Thursday on www.litafrik.com
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