SHATTERED DREAMS

CHAPTER SIX

The estate felt colder as I walked through the doors, a stark contrast to the warmth and laughter I’d just left behind in the neighborhood. It wasn’t just the change in temperature; it was the heavy, oppressive atmosphere that clung to the house. The echoes of my declaration to divorce Sbanisethu still reverberated in the walls, and though I felt stronger after seeing my friends, I knew the real fight was just beginning.

As I entered the foyer, I was greeted by an unsettling silence. Normally, MaDlamini would be bustling about, overseeing the staff or preparing tea in the kitchen. Today, the house was still, like a predator lying in wait.

“Mthandeni,” I called out softly as I turned to him, “I think it’s best if you stay close.”

He gave me a small nod, his usual stoic demeanor in place, but I could sense his unease. “As you wish, Miss Hlelolwenkosi.”

Just as I turned to ascend the stairs, a door creaked open behind me. I froze. Sbanisethu stood at the entrance to his study, his eyes dark, his face unreadable. He looked calm, too calm, as if he had spent the entire day calculating his next move.

“We need to talk,” he said, his voice low, but there was no question in it—only demand.

I held his gaze for a moment before speaking. “There’s nothing left to say, Sbanisethu. I’ve made my decision.”

A slow, humorless smile spread across his face. “You think it’s that easy? You can’t just leave. You’re bound to me, to this family. There are consequences, Hlelolwenkosi, for breaking promises.”

I steeled myself, my heart thudding in my chest. “The only promise I made was to live my life with dignity and freedom. If you can’t respect that, I have no choice but to leave.”

His smile faltered, and something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “Respect? You think this is about respect? You belong to me. I don’t need to respect you. I need to control you. And I will.”

The coldness in his words sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to back down. “You may think you can control me, but you’re wrong. I’m not afraid of you anymore, Sbanisethu. You can threaten me, you can try to manipulate me, but I won’t live in fear. Not anymore.”

His expression darkened, and for a moment, I thought he might lash out. But then he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. “You think you’re strong now, don’t you? Because you spent a few hours with your friends? That won’t last. This world—my world—is far more dangerous than you realize. And without me, you won’t survive in it.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, refusing to let him see how much his words rattled me. “I’ll take my chances.”

He laughed then, a bitter, mocking sound that filled the hallway. “You have no idea what you’ve started, do you? My family will never allow this. You don’t get to walk away without paying the price.”

“I don’t care about your family’s approval anymore. I’m done playing their game.”

His eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the air around us seemed to grow heavier. “We’ll see about that.”

Without another word, he turned and stormed back into his study, slamming the door behind him with enough force to make the walls shudder.

I stood there, my breath coming in shallow gasps as the adrenaline slowly drained from my body. This was only the beginning. Sbanisethu wasn’t going to let me go without a fight, and his family would surely back him up.