The air felt too clean. The bed beneath me was too soft. The sheets smelled like flowers, not sweat or cleaning chemicals. My eyes shot open, and I froze.
Where was I?
The white ceiling above me was smooth. A fancy chandelier hung right in the center, sparkling as sunlight poured in through the large windows on my left. This wasn't Obinna's house. It couldn't be. Nothing here looked like the cold mansion I had just run away from.
I sat up slowly, my heart pounding hard in my chest like it wanted to burst out.
Did he find me?
I looked down at myself. I was still wearing the same dirty shirt, and jeans trousers from the night I ran away. My feet were bare and sore, my legs ached, and my head felt like someone had placed a stone inside it. But I was… safe? For now?
My fingers gripped the bedsheet tightly. I tried to remember everything.
It started with the party. The fake smiles. The arrival of Obinna's real wife—the one with the status, the money, and the name. The one he proudly introduced as "Mrs. Cletus." While I, the one he married first, served drinks and cleared plates like a maid.
No, not like a maid. I was a maid.
The humiliation. The shame. It swallowed me. I couldn't take it anymore. That night, I waited until everyone was asleep. I slipped out through the kitchen door and didn't look back. No bag. No money. Not even slippers. Just pain and anger carrying me on weak legs.
I remembered walking down an empty road. Lagos was cold that night, the kind of cold that made your bones shake. I kept walking, not knowing where I was going, until I found a patch of soft grass by the road. It was dark and quiet. I collapsed there. Slept there.
And now… here.
Where was here?
A knock at the door startled me. My heart raced. I froze.
No. Not again.
"Hello?" A soft, female voice called from behind the door. "Are you awake?"
I didn't answer.
"Okay. I'll come back later," she said gently.
I remained still for a few more seconds, then slowly slid out of bed. My knees were shaky, but I forced myself to stand. I had to find out where I was. I tiptoed to the window and peeked through the curtains.
The house was large. Fancy. Clean. There were flowers, a fountain, and a long driveway. I saw two men walking near the gate, dressed like security guards. They didn't look familiar. I had never seen them around Obinna.
This place was different.
But that didn't mean it was safe.
Obinna had money. He could've sent someone to fetch me. Maybe he sold me. Maybe I'd passed out and someone saw me and decided to return me to the monster I was trying to escape.
I sank to the floor, hiding behind the curtain. My body shook. Not from cold. From fear.
I couldn't cry. No. If I cried, I'd lose control. I had to be strong.
This wasn't the first time I felt fear, but this… this was deeper. It had layers. I didn't just fear Obinna. I feared what I had become.
I used to be someone.
I used to dream.
Now? I couldn't even tell who I was anymore.
I stayed there for what felt like hours, back pressed against the wall, eyes on the door. Listening. Waiting.
When hunger started to gnaw at my belly, I ignored it. I had gone without food before. I could survive a bit longer. I wasn't about to eat food from strangers. What if it was drugged? What if this was all part of a bigger plan?
They'd break me again.
Use me.
Toss me aside.
No. Not again.
The door creaked open.
I stiffened, breath caught in my throat.
It was a woman. Young. Maybe in her thirties. Her steps were slow, careful, like she didn't want to startle me.
"I brought food," she said. She placed a tray on the small table beside the bed. "Water too. You need strength."
She didn't come closer.
She smiled faintly. "My name is Maria. You're safe here. I promise."
Safe?
Safe didn't exist anymore.
She turned and left without another word.
I waited. Five minutes. Ten. Twenty. Then I crawled over to the food. The aroma was sweet—jollof rice and fried plantain. Grilled Chicken, my favorite. My stomach growled loudly, but I ignored it. What if this was a test?
I stared at the plate for a long time, my fingers shaking. Then I picked it up and threw it into the bin beside the door.
I wouldn't be fooled.
Not again.
If they wanted me weak, they'd have to try harder.
I went back to the window. Sat down. Hugged my knees. And waited.
No one came again that day.
And somehow… that scared me more.