I had Philane to help me release all the stresses and frustrations of everyday life. Every day after work, we would book in at the hotel and enjoy some quiet time together. It felt good to have someone who always saw the good in me, even when others didn’t. Philane loved and cared for me. I felt like I could trust him with my life.

“What are you thinking about my love?” Philane asked one night while we were cuddling in bed.
I smiled, feeling butterflies in my stomach. I was starting to love it when he called me ‘my love’.

“Were you serious about making me your wife?”

Of course I was. Who wouldn’t want to have a wife like you?” he asked, playing with my hair.

“Is it because you love me, or because I have money?” I asked, not sure if it was the right thing to ask at that moment.

“I feel offended that you should be asking me all this. Yes, I’m on your payroll but that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you. I’ve been holding myself for much too long, now please, don’t ruin this for me.”

He was as serious as death when he said that. I found myself wishing I could have met him before I met Derick. Despite the fact that he lost his job, Derick was plain and boring. I needed a man, a man who would walk in a room and demand attention before he could even say anything. That man was Philane. He was handsome, intelligent and he made me feel good. Maybe Derick and I were never meant to be. Four years in a marriage with him felt like a hundrend years. There was just no spark between us. I secretly got relieved when he stopped making love to me.

Philane and I started getting closer. I trusted him with everything, including my private accounts. I was too busy at work so I needed him to find a house for us, and then make a purchase for it. I trusted him with my life. The funny part was that we had similar taste in everything. So I was quite sure that the house he would pick for us would be just perfect. Once the paper work for the house was done, then we could start furnishing it. Only then would I serve Derick with divorce papers. There was no point staying with someone who was useless and jobless.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to tell Derick, but sooner or later I had to do it. That weekend, while I sat in the study working, my mom budged in holding one of the twins.

“What are you doing in here I’m busy.”

“When last did you give the poor kids attention?”

“Mama please, I said I’m busy. The kids don’t need breastfeeding and they have Maria. What do you want from me?” I asked, annoyed by her stupid remarks.

“You are these children’s mother, not Maria. Why can’t you just take five minutes and…”

“Ma, please!” I yelled, “I said I’m busy. Please, leave my study now.”

She shook her head with tears in her eyes.

“I wonder if you can still tell the difference between them. You have been so busy lately, you never get time to even say ‘hi’. My child, I hope you are aware of the kind of mess you are getting yourself into. I hope you wake up before it’s too late. I have tried my level best to guide you, my interference stops here. Let me do you a favour and leave your house. When all this things come back to bite you, don’t be knocking on my door.”

She wiped off her tears and left the study room.

How I wished these people could just focus on their own lives and let me live mine in peace.

I was too busy to even get myself lunch that following Monday; too stressed to go anywhere. Philane’s phone had been off the entire weekend. I was starting to get worried about him. I gave Lorraine my card to go get me lunch and get me a bottle of Champaign. My lawyer was done drafting the divorce papers, so that I was giving them to Derick.

She arrived a few minutes later with nothing in her hands.

“Lorraine! Are you crazy? Haven’t I made myself clear?”

She quietly took a step closer and gave me my card and a slip. The slip reflected that I had insufficient funds in my account.

I laughed at the slip, taking my phone out to get on cell phone banking so I could transfer money so that Lorraine could go get me my things. The amount on my account read negative zero. I had nothing in my account. But how? I checked my private accounts it was the same. I had no money…

I took a deep breath, trying to figure it all out… I felt my heart beating in my throat: Philane! He was the one who had access to my accounts. He has been unavailable the entire weekend. How could he? I trusted him… I started seeing darkness then my head hit the floor.

I woke up to the news that my husband took the twins and left. He was filling for divorce and had moved in with another woman and that woman was Maria, my maid.

***

Tell us what you think: Do you believe in karma (what goes around comes around)? Has it ever happened to you?