After Sipho finished doing what he was doing, he left me there rocking myself on the floor. I couldn’t believe what just happened. I had so much rage for him, but who would I tell my problems to? Who would help an orphan? I cried until I had hiccups, and I ended up sleeping on the floor. Later that night, I woke up, took a bath, cleaned, cooked then locked myself in my room. Luckily, Sipho didn’t come back home, so I slept with a broken heart. He was a gentleman at first, but he had now turned into a hungry wolf.

I got used to Sipho coming home late with different girls, until he met his precious Pearl, that is. I hated him for treating me like a maid, and he didn’t allow me to go out. He locked the main gate that day, but he came back early.

“Go to the kitchen and cook, we’re hungry,” he said, walking in with his girlfriend Pearl. She looked at me with so much pity that I thought she was a good girl.

“I’ve cooked already,” I said while pretending like everything was OK. “I don’t know if I should dish up or wait.”

“Just disappear to the kitchen and dish up for us. Baby, this is my maid Nontethelelo,” Sipho said while pointing at me. “Don’t mind her, she lives in this house with me.”

“But baby, why do you live with her? You should fire her, just look at her, she’s ugly and she smells. Girlie, do you know the medicine called water? It’s used to clean, cook and even bath, you should use it,” Pearl said while looking at me with a disgusted look. I just felt like a rotten tomato, and I wished the earth could just swallow me right there and then.

“Can you stop looking at my girlfriend and dish for us,” Sipho said.

Jesus, I had forgotten that they wanted me to dish up for them. I ran to the kitchen and dished up, then went to the living room and told them that their food was ready. I didn’t want to disturb them, so I went to my room and lied down. Thabo came in after a while, but he didn’t knock.

“Whenever we have sex without protection, you must use this pills,” he said. “They are called morning after pills. I don’t want to have ugly kids with you.”

After saying that, Sipho walked way, and that was when I took the pills and placed them on the drawer. He sometimes used protection, but when he was angry, he didn’t. I just hoped I didn’t fall pregnant because I didn’t want my children to suffer like I did. That weekend, his girlfriend went home. I guessed they were really happy together. After she left, I did what I did every day and made myself something to eat and watched some series. At least I got the chance to watch some TV since Sipho was at work, but I soon realised that I had celebrated early.

“How can they take my money?” he said to himself. “That company would be nothing if I didn’t help them. And this is the thanks that I get from them?” Just when he was done talking, he saw me sitting on the couch. I was scared because I didn’t like it when he was angry.

“Lie down,” he commanded, but I started shaking my head to say no. That pissed him off, and I received a hot slap as a result.

“I said lie down,” he repeated again, and this time I did what he told me to do.

As usual, I was weeping when this all happened. He knew I didn’t want it, but he still wouldn’t stop, even if I begged him. He was releasing his stress on me, and it was really painful. He would hit me if I fought back, and he continued abusing me nonetheless. I got used to the pain, though, and I no longer cried because it wouldn’t help me. I knew that God was watching, though.

Tell us: What do you think Nontethelelo needs to do to get out of the situation she’s in?