Click-click-click… her pair of blood red, Pierre Cardin pointy stilettos echo around my deadly quiet office.  They announce her presence before she can even utter a word. My, oh my, unlike other days, she looks ravishing today. She is dressed in a black, knee-length, off-shoulder dress and is rocking a 22-inch long, black, Peruvian weave. Blood red lipstick compliments, not only her shoes but her dark flawless skin that is glowing so beautifully. Don’t get me started on her white perfect teeth and that beautiful dimple on her left cheek that makes her smile stand out.

That of course doesn’t stop me from rolling my eyes as always at the sight of her. Pretending to be zero stunned by the sight before me, I fake a  ‘bored’ look.

“Olothando, what brings you here?” I dejectedly growl just to emphasize how ‘bored’ her presence makes me.

“I come in peace, bringing good news as well Mr Dlamini. Stow your twitching palms,” she chirps with a full-blown smile.

“May I?” She points at a chair.

My manners walked out the minute she came in.  I can’t decide whether she brings out the worst or best in me. I grumble and murmur a “whatever pleases you,” but that doesn’t take away the smile plastered on her face. What the hell are you up to, Thando?

“I don’t have all day woman, let alone time for you.  So you better make it snappy,” I half grumble as I close my laptop and stretch back in my chair.  I feign relaxation as I look at her steadily, trying to intimidate her.

This time she doesn’t bite her nails or fumble with her fingers, her head bowed down. This takes me by surprise, but I pretend to be unfazed by her sudden change of behavior and attitude. Where the hell is the timid, witty, reserved, clumsy, submissive, naïve wife my father married me to?

“I think you should start addressing me as your genie, or rather your mother Theresa,” she smirks as she drops her bag on my office desk.

“Yeah right…” I roll my eyes for the fourth time since she walked in before throwing a nasty glance at her.

“Now Mr Dlamini, as I have mentioned before, I bring good news with me today. In the past few months, I’ve been thinking you know. I was like ‘What can I give a man that has everything money can buy on his birthday?’ And then BOOM my brain surprises me with an idea. Wanna hear more? Trust me you gonna love what I am about to reveal,” she grins.

“Cut to the chase woman. Some of us have important things to do with our lives, unlike you of course,” I smile snidely. I can’t be more proud of myself. But why is her face still dressed in a smile? Has she lost her marbles or something?

“As I was saying… You were always on and on about ‘Why can’t God bless you with a wife that is not me’ and sometimes ‘How you wish I could just wake up and smell the damn coffee!’ because apparently I am too naïve to see that I’m in a loveless marriage. Good news! I finally smelled the coffee you’ve been wanting me to smell!”

My eyes widen in shock as my heart starts racing uncontrollably . The smirk on my face completely wipes out. No! No!No!

She retrieves a brown envelope from her bag followed by a “Voila!” happily shouted before the envelope is placed on my desk right before me.

“What do you mean by …” I whisper in shock as I open the envelope with trembling hands and my eyes land on divorce papers. I swallow hard as a huge lump forms in my throat.

“Happiest born day my love. Enjoy!” she merrily says as she stands, smiling at me from ear to ear one more time. “I’ll be waiting for those. I delivered them personally, but from here on you’ll be dealing directly with my lawyer. Have a ding, dong, day and a happy life,” she speaks with so much authority and confidence before shaking her ass out of my office leaving me pale and frozen in shock.

What just happened? No! How come? But how did we get here? Did she just… WOW! I know I’ve been a pain in the ass. I get that I haven’t been the most bearable person to live with, but this! Did I just lose her just like that? I hang my head as tears roll down my cheek. I lost her! Just like that. My jewel is gone.

I loosen my tie as I feel the room suddenly closing in on me. All that keeps ringing in my ears is the sound of her stilettos clicking away from me – forever this time.