MELTING HARMONIES ( Slow updates.)

125B

" This feels unreal, like I'm in a nightmare or something."

Ayo sat looking at his two closet friends, Jason and Chris. They had just told him what they had found out from their wives. That they were the ones to tell Aaira and Khai about the incident whereby a clients father pursued Nefertiti and when his wife found out he made it seem like Nefertiti was the one pursuing him and had abused their autistic son, Nefertiti's patient, to get him to date her.

" I want to be so mad at Malaika and Sophia but they didn't make me pick Aaira's side over my own wife's. I also can't believe I took a strange woman's words over my wife's."

" I'm sure if you explain yourself to Nefi, she'll understand." Chris.

Ayo shook his head. It would not be that easy and he knew it. Especially since his last conversation with Jason he had been trying to get a hold of his wife Nefertiti, with no success. He went to her work building only to find out that she had been suspended weeks prior and going to their matrimonial home was of no use because Nefertiti had moved out while he went on his music tour.

The gossip pages and blogs had a field day when the news broke and half of the world, if not all, was convinced that the couple had separated. Ayo's heart sank further into despair as he reflected on the whirlwind of events that had spiraled out of control. The warmth of friendship felt distant now, overshadowed by the cold reality of his crumbling marriage. He couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal — not just from others, but from within himself.

Ayo rubbed his hand over his bald a head, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

"She deserves better than this. After everything we've built together, I threw it away for a hearsay."

All he could think about was Nefertiti's smile, the way she would light up a room, and how, beneath the strong exterior, she was sensitive and vulnerable, especially after being wronged. He imagined her sitting alone in their empty home, replaying the moments when he should have defended her, when he should have stood by her side instead of waffling between worlds.

" I knew Sophia and Malaika thought I was not good enough for her but too stoop this low just to break us up. When Nefertiti has done nothing but be a good sister and cousin to them. Supported their relationships and marriages to you, babysits all your kids."

Ayo shook his head.

" Nefertiti has always been there for everyone, and this is how she's repaid? With backstabbing and slander?"

Ayo's voice rose with each word, a mix of anger and sorrow bubbling to the surface.

"It's like they've taken a page straight out of a soap opera. I thought we were better than that. We've shared so much, our families, our dreams, and here we are, pulled apart by lies and jealousy."

Jason sighed heavily, the weight of Ayo's words hanging in the air.

"If it's any consolation I'm sorry for what my wife did."

Chris nodded in agreement, his expression serious.

" We spoke to them and hopefully they'll make things right with Nefi."

" That's all good but the damage has been done and I might have just lost my wife."

Jason leaned back in his chair, a pained expression crossing his face as he shuffled through the various possible responses.

"Look, Ayo, I can't even begin to imagine how you're feeling right now. No one should ever have to go through something like this but you can't give up hope. You owe it to yourself and to Nefertiti to at least try."

Ayo's stomach churned.

"You don't understand, man. It's not just about fighting for her. It's about rebuilding trust—something I shattered with my own hands. I went against her, and now I have to live with that."

"We all make mistakes,"

Chris interjected gently.

"It's how we handle them that defines us. You've got a chance here to show her just how much she means to you."

Ayo exhaled sharply, his thoughts clouded by self-doubt.

" but how am I supposed to do that? What could I possibly say that would make this right? I'm the one who let everyone's opinions color my judgment. I was supposed to protect her, to believe in her—"

"Start from the beginning,"

Jason urged.

"Tell her what you've realized. Apologize, not just with words but with action. Show her that you want to make this right, that you're willing to put in the work. You need to remind her of who you are, of the man she fell in love with."

A chilly silence settled in as Ayo's heart raced. Moments trickled by like sand through an hourglass, and he felt the pressure mounting around him. Would Nefertiti even want to talk to him? Would she hear him out?