A WEB OF DECEIT

chapter 74

Thelani

I felt like my world was collapsing. Was this relationship built on nothing but lies? A web of deceit, woven so tightly around us that I couldn't even breathe. I had my own secret about Lucas, and Nkosikhona had been hiding his past. He was married before, and I didn't even know. How could he keep something like that from me? But then again, could I really blame him? I wasn't exactly innocent either.

I had lied too—about my relationship with his father. A lie so big that it now threatened to swallow me whole. And to make things worse, Lucas was becoming more unstable with each passing day, his obsession with me growing dangerous. I could feel it in every strange look, every uninvited touch.

I wanted to run, but where could I go? I didn't feel safe at home anymore, not with Lucas's unpredictable behavior. And now, I had Olwethu to think about. My daughter. I had to protect her, no matter the cost.

As my mind raced, a chill ran down my spine. I needed to know more about Ayanda—Nkosikhona's late wife. What had really happened to her? Did her death have anything to do with the secrets Nkosikhona was keeping?

Without thinking twice, I grabbed my phone and typed into the search bar: Ayanda Mkhize.I scrolled through the search results, my fingers trembling. There were too many articles—far more than I expected. The headlines alone sent chills down my spine:

"Husband Convicted in Pregnant Wife's Murder"
"Ayanda Mkhize's Tragic End: Betrayal, Infidelity, and Death"
"Nkosikhona Mkhize Sentenced for the Murder of His Pregnant Wife"

I opened one of the articles, my heart pounding in my chest. As I read the words, I felt as if the ground was slipping out from beneath me.

Ayanda Mkhize, wife of businessman Nkosikhona Mkhize, was found dead in her apartment last year, seven months pregnant. Sources close to the investigation suggest that Nkosikhona discovered Ayanda was having an affair and that the unborn child was not his. The shocking revelation allegedly led to an altercation between the couple, culminating in Ayanda's tragic death. Nkosikhona Mkhize was later convicted of her murder but maintains his innocence, claiming he had nothing to do with her death...

I couldn't read anymore. My eyes blurred with tears, but I couldn't tear myself away from the screen. Nkosikhona? Convicted of murder? Ayanda had been pregnant, and Nkosikhona allegedly found out the child wasn't his. And now I was married to this man—a man who, according to these articles, had killed his wife in a fit of rage.

Shocked wasn't the word. It was deeper than that. I felt hollow. Everything I thought I knew about him, about our life together, was unraveling in front of me. I had married a murderer—or at least, that's what the world believed.

How did I not see this?

How could I have missed the signs?

I clutched Olwethu tightly, the weight of this new information pressing down on me. What was I supposed to do now? Run? Confront him? Could I even trust my own judgment anymore?

For the first time since we married, I felt true fear. Not just for myself, but for my daughter. What had I gotten us into?

I asked Gloria to pack my bags. I knew it was too soon for Olwethu to be moved around, but I couldn't stay here any longer. It felt like the walls were closing in on me, and the air was suffocating. As I stared at the packed bags, already ready to leave, Duduzile walked in again. God, I was so tired of the Mkhizes.

"Thelani, look... I'm sorry. I thought you knew. Please don't tell Bhuti I was the one who told you about this. I'm begging you. I promise I'll treat you better, I swear."