The sound of the door opening was light, almost melodic, and then came the familiar bright voice.
"Hi, Amy!"
Rachel strolled in with her trademark sunny smile, her floral maxi dress swaying with each step. Amy turned around, caught off guard, and immediately lit up.
"Oh! Hi, Rachel."
For the first time in a long while, Amy's own smile reached her eyes. She looked healthier now — her skin glowed, her body had softened into a new, curvier yet shapely form. She no longer moved with heaviness; there was grace in the way she carried herself. Rachel's eyes widened in admiration.
"You look so good," Rachel said, spinning her around playfully. "Wow, Amy, your figure is mind-blowing."
Amy blushed, her laughter spilling out in shy notes. Compliments felt foreign after years of scorn, but this moment warmed her heart.
"Guess what?" Rachel leaned in, lowering her voice like she was about to reveal a precious secret. "I bring you good news."
Amy tilted her head, curiosity sparking. Rachel grinned and pulled a shiny new smartphone from her bag, waving it in front of Amy's eyes. In a flash, Amy darted forward, snatched it, and held it close like treasure.
"Is this mine?" she asked breathlessly.
"All yours," Rachel nodded. "The boss said you've done so well with your rehabilitation, he wanted to reward you."
Amy screamed with joy, clutching the phone as tears spilled freely. "Oh my God! Thank you! Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around Rachel, bouncing like a child.
"Don't thank me," Rachel chuckled, patting her back. "Thank the boss."
"Please tell him I said thank you a thousand times. You don't know how much this means to me. I can finally… I can finally find my children. And my husband too." Her hands shook as she powered it on, the glow of the screen reflecting in her teary eyes.
Rachel's smile softened. "Speaking of which… there's something else." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her bag and placed it into Amy's hand. "You can finally find your children. The boss said they're here."
Amy froze, then looked down at the paper with trembling hands. Her tears doubled as she unfolded it to reveal an address scrawled neatly across the sheet. A strange address she didn't recognize. She pressed it against her chest as though it were a lifeline. After two long years, she would finally see her babies.
"Rachel, I'm leaving now. I need to go find my children."
She was already halfway out the door when Rachel's voice caught her.
"Wait. Are you going dressed like that? At least change. And… the boss insists Tony and I go with you."
Amy turned, frustration etched in her eyes. "That's not necessary. I can go alone."
Rachel lifted her hands defensively. "His orders, Amy. If you refuse, you don't go. I don't make the rules."
Amy hesitated. The mysterious "boss" had rebuilt her life, but his grip was suffocating. Still, nothing mattered compared to seeing Jessie and Jayden again. She sighed, defeated.
"Fine. I'll change."
Ten minutes later, Amy emerged in a yellow-and-white maxi tube dress with a daring thigh-high slit. Her transformation was stunning. Rachel gasped audibly, her mouth dropping open. Tony, who had been waiting by the car, had walked into the houseto remind them daylight was fading and they needed to hurry and couldn't take his eyes off her, once he was asked into the room.
"My God, Amy… even daylight would shy away from you," Rachel whispered.
Amy flushed. "You're exaggerating."
Tony led them both out of the house and quickly opened the car door for her, his eyes lingering, but Amy only nodded politely before sliding into the seat. The car rumbled to life, and her heart raced with every passing street.
"Jessie. Jayden. Mommy's coming," she whispered to herself, clutching the paper.
Family on the Brink
Meanwhile, across town, a different household stirred with tension.
"Onyinye! Onyinye!!" The voice thundered up the stairs.
Onyinye stirred under her blanket, groaning. She thought it was a dream until the voice came again, sharp and accusing.
"ONYINYE!"
She shot upright, heart hammering, and scrambled to her feet just as the door flung open. Amara, her eldest sister, stood there with a stormy expression.
"What have you been doing? I've been calling your name," Amara scolded.
"Sorry, sis," Onyinye mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "I had a late study session. I only just fell asleep."
"Where's everyone?" Amara demanded, eyes narrowing.
Onyinye blinked. "I don't know. I came home late. I only saw Joy briefly. Told her not to disturb me, then went to bed."
"If she was home, would I be asking you?" Amara snapped, pacing the room. Onyinye shrank back. Her sister's irritation was palpable.
"Mama's not home today either. Do you know where she went?"
Onyinye shook her head quickly. Amara's sigh filled the silence.
"And Duru? Do you know where he's been disappearing to?"
Onyinye hesitated, knowing her sister's temper was boiling. "Brother's been… strange these past months. In and out, avoiding calls. Even Mama doesn't question him. It's indeed suspicious."
She said that last part in an almost whisper
"What do you mean?" Amara pressed, frowning.
"You've been out working, sis, so you haven't noticed. But something's off. Mama and Brother both. Very strange."
Amara's frown deepened. Onyinye, sensing the tension thickening, quickly offered, "Have you eaten? I'll make something."
Without waiting for an answer, she darted out, escaping the storm brewing in Amara's eyes.
In the kitchen, Onyinye whipped out her phone and dialled. "Joy? Come home now. There's a storm brewing here, and it's suffocating. Sis Amara's back. Don't ask questions — just run here."
Minutes later, she busied herself with pots and pans, pretending to cook, though her hands trembled. A pot clattered loudly, just as Amara made her way down the stairs and standing close to the kitchen, her voice rang sharp from the doorway.
"Could you be any more clumsy?"
"Sorry, sis," Onyinye forced a silly grin, sticking out her tongue. Amara ignored her, absorbed in her phone. Onyinye sighed in relief and focused on preparing egg-fried rice with spicy beef. Soon, the aroma filled the air. She cautiously approached her sister, who was sitting at the dining table.
"Sis, the food's ready. Should I dish yours?"
Amara waved her off, eyes dark with thought. Onyinye wasted no time retreating to her room, where she tried distracting herself with a drama on her iPad. Whatever was going on, she didn't want to be caught dead anywhere near it. She could already see the dark clouds that were hovering over her sister's head, and when she's in one of these, her rotten moods, hell always broke loose.
Hours later, Joy burst into her room, panting. "What's going on?"
"You didn't see Amara?" Onyinye asked, startled.
"No. The house is empty."
''What?'
She quickly put her iPad aside and got off the bed, going to check their eldest sister's room with Joy following her behind. They searched everywhere, but Amara was nowhere. Onyinye bit her lip nervously. "She was here earlier… now she's gone. And she's angry. Very angry."
Before Joy could reply, raised voices cut through the silence downstairs.
"Mama, why are you keeping me away from Duru? I don't understand!" Amara's furious tone echoed.
"You think I don't know what's in that pretty head of yours?" their mother's voice snapped back. "The farther you stay from your brother, the better for everyone."
"What's so wrong with me being close to him? he's my brother, Mama. Why are you being so weird?"
"You call me weird?" Mama spat, eyes blazing. "You're the one losing your mind. Let me tell you plainly, Amara — whatever you're imagining, burn it out of your thoughts. It will never happen."
"Mama!" Amara's voice cracked with rage.
Joy and Onyinye rushed downstairs, wide-eyed. "Mama? Sister Amara? Why are you both screaming?"
Their mother ignored them. Instead, she thrust instructions at the younger girls. "Go to Iya Abode's store. Order one cooler of palm nut Soup with assorted meat, twenty wraps of poundo, half a cooler of peppered Fish, another cooler of rice and stew. We're expecting special guests tonight. And you—" she jabbed a finger at Amara— "don't you dare ruin this day. It's your brother's big moment. Cross me, and you'll regret it."
She stormed upstairs, leaving the house trembling with her words.
Joy and Onyinye exchanged shocked glances, then glanced at their eldest sister. Amara's face was livid, her lips pressed tightly together as if she might explode. Without a word, the younger girls hurried out to run the errand, leaving the heavy air behind.
By evening, the house bustled with activity. Housekeepers Mary and Nneka came to scrub and decorate. Crates of drinks — beer, soda, wine — were delivered by Sunday, the brewery owner, who wiped sweat from his brow as he set them down.
"Mama D," Sunday said with a curious smile, "what's happening? This place is alive like Christmas."
Mama D appeared, her face glowing with pride. "Today is a good day, Sunday. My precious son Duru is getting married."
Joy and Onyinye froze, their jaws dropping. Upstairs, Amara's muffled sobs echoed faintly through the walls. Sunday, too, nearly dropped a crate.
"Again?!" The word slipped from his lips before he could stop it. All eyes turned. He coughed awkwardly. "I mean—already?"
Mama D slapped his back playfully. "What do you mean again? Should my handsome son remain single forever, waiting for that good-for-nothing girl? She's gone. Out of our lives. My boy deserves a fresh start. And he'll have it tonight."
The girls exchanged horrified looks. The neighbours still believed Amy had abandoned them. The family never corrected the lie, preferring her name smeared rather than mourned. Now, as Mama D beamed with triumph, her words cut deeper than any truth ever could.
"You'll see, Sunday," she continued proudly. "She's a lovely girl, the daughter of my good friend. Perfect for Duru. This marriage will change everything."
"Hmm." Sunday forced a nod. "If you say so. Congratulations, Mama D."
He left, while in the shadows of the house, the sisters' unease thickened. None of this felt right. Not Mama's secrecy. Not Amara's anger. And certainly not the rush to marry off Duru so suddenly. They felt there was something deeper than what they could see and feel.
But what was it?