A WEB OF DECEIT ✔️

chapter 68

Thelani

It had been a few months since my marriage to Nkosikhona, and I was now heavily pregnant. This pregnancy felt different, entirely unlike my first. This one was far more intense, more demanding, and sometimes I felt as if my body was carrying a burden too heavy to bear.

My feet were constantly swollen, so much so that even the softest shoes felt tight and uncomfortable. Walking had become a chore, and I avoided it as much as possible. I was no longer the slim, energetic woman I used to be. The weight gain was relentless, and every time I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself. My face was rounder, my arms thicker, and my once-flat stomach now stretched painfully against my clothes.

Nkosikhona had been attentive, always making sure I had what I needed, but there was a distance between us that hadn't been there before. He was constantly busy with his work, and although he never said it out loud, I could sense that something was bothering him. His world was full of secrets, and I often felt like an outsider in my own life.

I tried to keep myself busy, but the exhaustion that came with this pregnancy made it impossible. Every movement felt like a struggle. The simplest tasks, like getting out of bed or bending down to pick something up, left me out of breath. And the nights were even worse.

Sleep, when it came, was never enough. I would wake up every hour, my back aching, my legs cramping, and the baby kicking with such force that it sometimes felt like my ribs would crack. It was as if this little one inside me was fighting to make their presence known, demanding more from me than I had to give.

Lucas has been sending me messages, it's good thar he didn't know where we stayed now and I took a maternity leave, worked from home sometimes.so he couldn't find me . But the creepy messages didn't stop

As the days dragged on, I couldn't help but think about my first pregnancy-the one that ended in heartbreak. I remembered the excitement I had felt back then, the joy of imagining my life as a mother. But that joy had been stolen from me, replaced by grief and sorrow that still lingered in the back of my mind.

This time, though, it was different. I was more guarded, more aware of how fragile life could be. I wanted to be hopeful, to believe that this pregnancy would end with a healthy baby in my arms, but the fear never really left me.

The weight of my emotions was as heavy as the pregnancy itself, pressing down on me with every passing day. And yet, through it all, I held on to the hope that maybe, just maybe, things would be different this time.

---

One morning, as I struggled to pull on a loose-fitting dress that barely fit over my swollen belly, I felt a sudden sharp pain. I gasped, clutching my stomach as the pain shot through me, making me double over.

"Nkosikhona!" I called out, panic rising in my chest. He rushed in from the other room, his face filled with concern.

"What's wrong? Is it the baby?" His hands were on my shoulders, steadying me as I tried to breathe through the pain.

"I... I don't know," I whispered, feeling the tears well up in my eyes. "Something's not right."

He helped me sit down, his face pale with worry. "We're going to the hospital," he said firmly, already grabbing his keys and phone.

I nodded, too scared to argue, my heart pounding in my chest. This wasn't just the usual discomfort. This was something different, something more.

As we drove to the hospital, the fear that had been lurking in the back of my mind came rushing forward, threatening to overwhelm me. What if something was wrong with the baby? What if I couldn't do this again?