“Ah, sweet! Nothing like some cool air to cool me down!” Aaron sighed satisfactorily as he settled onto the living room couch, enjoying the burst of breezy goodness from the air-conditioner. It was midday on a Wednesday, and he wasn’t at work; he had spent the early part of the morning working at home before heading over to the gym for a much-needed workout. As he returned, the house was unusually quiet: Phyllis had gone to visit her aunt.

Her absence, coupled with a sudden shot of hunger he developed while on the way, gave him the perfect opportunity for a special appointment. So he had called Diana while returning home, and as always, she was down to get busy.

He checked his phone again. “She should be here by now, he murmured. “Called her about 20 minutes ago, and I know she’s not too far from here…”

A knock came at the door.

“Ah, speak of the devil! She’s here now.”

He rose, a slow grin forming on his face as he walked to the front door and opened it.

Diana stood there, casual in leggings and a snug top, her signature smirk already in place.

“Well, well, well,” she started, stepping in. “Back so soon? You couldn’t even wait a full week?”

Aaron chuckled, closing the door behind her. “It’s just one of those days,” he murmured, his voice low. “Stress, tension… figured you could help me relax after a little gym session.”

“Ahhh, a little boost of testosterone that you need to utilize, eh? Well, of course, Aaron. You know I’m down for you whenever.” Diana tossed her handbag onto the side table. “So where’s wifey?” she asked, already toeing off her sneakers.

“She’s out. Visiting some relative.”

“Okay.” She rolled her eyes with a hint of mockery. “I swear, that woman needs a full course on how to keep a man interested, coz how she keeps fumbling a sexy dude like you, especially with a ring on it, I have no idea.”

Aaron snickered, moving closer. “As if that would ever work. She thinks it’s demonic if I even suggested trying anything new in the bedroom. Always quoting scriptures when I bring stuff up.”

Diana laughed, already walking toward the hallway. “Awww, poor you,” she teased. “You’d really be starved if it wasn’t for me. Well, come on, let’s go to the guest room. I’ve got about ten different ways to relieve your stress.”

“Perfect! I know you’ll always come through for me!”

Aaron followed, his eyes trailing her backside with unbridled lust. As they reached the guest room door, he spanked her on the butt. She turned, giggled and winked before stepping in.

He slipped in after her, pulling the door shut and turning the lock with a soft click.

***

It was almost 1 pm when Phyllis arrived back at the Essel residence, a little earlier than expected. The visit to her aunt was good; the old lady sure knew how to make her smile and laugh with all those stories of how she helped her late sister take care of Phyllis and Zack. She had no idea about the state of Phyllis’ marriage, and of course, Phyllis preferred it that way. She didn’t need the old lady, or anyone else, to intervene anymore; she’d fight for this marriage as commanded by God.

She stopped briefly as she turned the corner to their gate, pausing to fish out the keys from her handbag. “Need to ensure I haven’t forgotten them like I did the last time,” she chuckled to herself. She found them, breathed a sigh of relief, then straightened up, ready to drive to the gate.

Then she stopped.

Just a few feet ahead, the gate creaked open, and out stepped a lady with a pretty massive backside, adjusting her hair with a look of lazy satisfaction on her face. She wore a leggings that accentuated her booty, and a snug top, and her lips carried the faintest smirk of someone deeply pleased with herself.

Phyllis froze, blinking, stunned to see her.

Again.

This wasn’t the first time she had seen this thick-as-heck lady around the house. This was probably the third time. And every time she sighted her around the house, Aaron had taken the day off.

Just like that day.

Coincidence? Clearly not. Even a one-year-old toddler knew what was happening.

Their matrimonial bed was getting corrupted.

She stepped out of her car and walked toward the lady.

“Excuse me,” she called, her voice taut, “what are you doing here?”

The lady looked up.

She didn’t even flinch. She glanced at Phyllis like one would at a mildly annoying child. “Oh, relax, Phyllis,” she scoffed, slinging her handbag over her shoulder. “Don’t get your knickers in a twist.”

Phyllis bristled. The disrespect! The fact that she knew her name was even more irritating.

“Excuse me? Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?” she asked again, louder and slightly more aggressive this time.

The lady gave a light shrug. “Umm… I’m Diana, and I’m sleeping with your husband,” she said bluntly. “Thought you already knew this by now.”

Phyllis’s mouth opened, then closed. Her fingers clenched into fists, her heart thumping in her chest.

Diana kept going, calm and nonchalant. “But look, don’t worry, sweetheart, I don’t love him. Not even a little. It’s just… satisfaction. He’s got a body I enjoy. And he enjoys this body, too. Obviously. That’s all.”

Phyllis stood still, mortified, her pride crumbling as Diana took a step closer.

“You want me to disappear, though?” Diana continued, tilting her head. “Well, here’s a thought, get freaky with him. Stop acting like sex is a sin. Men like Aaron… they want adventure. Fire. Not a sermon in the sheets. Thank me later.”

With that, Diana turned, completely unfazed, and strode toward her car. She got in, put on her sunglasses, and started the engine.

Phyllis stood by the gate, frozen. She watched as Diana drove off, the car disappearing down the street.

To say she felt humiliated would be an understatement.

She had been violated. Reduced to a ghost of a wife, standing in stupor while another woman walked away with all the power.

She turned slowly, her eyes hot with tears, and entered the house in silence, totally forgetting her car was parked a few feet away from the house.

***

Phyllis stepped into the living room, the flush of humiliation now cooled into a low-burning fury.

Aaron was in the hallway, just finishing a glass of water. He looked fresh and relaxed, like a man who had just enjoyed a round of steamy coitus.

“Aaron,” she began, her voice hoarse from the tightness in her throat.

He turned, blinking innocently. “Oh, Phyllis. You’re back early. Didn’t expect to see you at this time. Did you drive in or something? Coz I didn’t hear your car–”

“I saw her,” she interrupted quietly. “Diana. She just left.”

Aaron’s expression barely changed. He simply sighed and placed the empty glass on the dining table. “Umm, okay?”

“Umm okay? That’s all you can say? Aaron! You’re sleeping with her. In our house!” she burst out, trembling.

He rubbed his hand over his beard and shook his head slowly, like a teacher disappointed in a stubborn student. “Oh, Phyllis, Phyllis, Phyllis… how long are we going to go in circles over this?”

Her mouth fell open slightly. “How long are we—? Aaron, this is adultery. You know this.”

He held up a finger gently. “Hold up, hold up. Let’s not throw that word around like it’s so simple. You think I wanted to step out of our marriage? You think I’m proud of it?”

“If you’re not proud of it, then just stop,” she responded, tears brimming. “You’re breaking God’s law, Aaron. This isn’t right—”

“And what about you, my dear?” he cut in softly, almost whispering. “When have you ever tried to stop it by learning to understand what I need? To grow as a wife? To explore intimacy the way I need it?”

She swallowed hard. Whenever the issue of sexual intimacy came up, it was a tough one to discuss. It had been demonized in her home so much, she struggled to accept that it was a beautiful thing; it was just something meant to produce babies, not for pleasure.

“Look, I… I’ve tried, Aaron. But I can’t become someone I’m not. I can’t pretend sex is everything—”

“It’s not everything,” he interrupted, stepping closer, his tone still gentle. “But it matters, Phyllis. You’ve been taught that you owe your husband sexual satisfaction, haven’t you? You saved yourself for marriage so you can serve your husband’s sexual hunger, didn’t you? Yet you don’t even try. You act like it’s poison, like it’s some dirty something bi. That kills something in a man.”

She looked away, stung. “But… but sleeping with another woman—”

“I didn’t even touch the matrimonial bed, if you should know,” he cut in firmly. “Why? Because I respect our marriage. I sleep with Diana in the guest room. Because I’m waiting for you to grow up and step into the role you’ve been ordained for.”

Phyllis looked flabbergasted. “But… but that-that’s not respect,” she countered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

“Oh, but it is. More than you realize,” he replied. “You see, the truth is, you pushed me there. Every time you pretend pleasure is some ungodly thing you’re obliged to give me, you pushed me into someone else’s arms. So yes, I’m at fault… but so are you.”

Phyllis shook her head, her voice a whisper now. “B-but… that’s not how it works…”

“That’s exactly how it works! Now quiet! Don’t you try to preach to me!” he snapped, the first trace of steel entering his voice. “Obedience starts somewhere. If you start walking in obedience, in all things—maybe I’ll be compelled to do the same. Doesn’t the Bible speak of women using their attitude to win their husbands to Christ? It does. So it’s clear, the responsibility is at your feet. You want a faithful husband? Be a faithful wife first.”

She gasped softly. “But… I am a faithful wife. I am. I try my best…”

He stepped back, waving a hand in finality. “Well, it’s clear your best isn’t good enough. Try harder. Be one in all ways. Not just the ones you find easy.”

With that, he turned toward the hallway.

“Now please,” he added, over his shoulder, “let’s not fight today. I’ve had a long morning, and I need some rest.”

And just like that, he disappeared into the bedroom, leaving her standing in the middle of the room.

Phyllis stood frozen for a few seconds. Then, as if the strength finally drained from her legs, she stumbled to the couch and sank into it.

The tears came without permission, hot and steady. She clutched a throw pillow to her chest, rocking slightly and crying as the weight of the just-ended exchange settled on her like lead.

It wasn’t just what he’d said. It was the way he said it—soft, deliberate, reasonable. He’d somehow turned his wrongdoing into her fault and laid all the responsibility at her feet. And he did it in the calmest and gentlest of manners, making her feel like she was the unreasonable one.

And somehow, even though she knew she wasn’t at fault, a part of her still felt like she was. That was the cruelest part.

She stared up at the ceiling, whispering through her sobs, “God… I’m tired. I’m trying, but I’m so tired. Please…please help me. Give me strength, Lord. I don’t know how much more I can carry on with this…”

Her phone buzzed sharply on the coffee table, interrupting her cry.

She hesitated, then wiped her face with the back of her hand and leaned forward to check the screen.

It was Zack, her brother.

Her heart leapt. She hadn’t heard from him in a while. She quickly cleared her throat, forced the tremble from her voice, and answered.

“Hello, Zack!”

“Hey, Philly, my baby sis!” Zack’s rich, booming voice came through. “How you doing, girl? It’s been a while, you know?”

“Y-yeah!” she agreed. “It has. I’m good, and you?”

“Splendid. I’m doing just splendid. So, guess what?”

She paused for a moment, then asked, “What?”

“I’m coming to Ghana in a few days!”

Phyllis mustered a soft laugh. “Oh! W-w-w-wow, that’s great! I—I can’t wait to see you.”

“Yeah, it’s been way too long. We need to catch up, eat some proper food, and laugh like old times. Also,” he added, “I want us to have dinner—me, you, and Aaron.”

She paused.

“Ummm, I’ll…I-I-I’ll have to uh, s-see about that,” she replied nervously.

A moment of silence followed.

“You stuttered,” Zack remarked, the warmth in his voice dimmed. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, nothing,” she replied, a too quickly.

“Liar!”

“No, honestly—”

“You always stutter like that when something’s wrong, Phyllis. You’ve done it since you were ten. Don’t play me. What’s going on? Is Aaron treating you badly or something? Huh?”

She squeezed her eyes shut, lips trembling.

She did not want to utter a word, knowing who she was dealing with.

“You ain’t gonna talk? Don’t worry, I’ll find out when I get there,” he said, his voice suddenly low and serious. “Whatever it is, you’d better believe I will find out.”

Before she could respond, the line went dead.

Phyllis let the phone fall beside her and stared blankly at the wall.

Zack was many things. Protective, loving, pretty loud. But he was also really explosive. He absolutely despised religion with a passion, and had made his opinions about her marriage known more than once.

If he found out what was really going on… she couldn’t imagine how ugly things might get.

For that moment, she wished she could disappear—just vanish into thin air, free of all the pretending, the tears and the manipulation.

But she couldn’t. Not yet.

She curled into herself on the couch, praying silently. Not for a miracle, this time.

Just for the strength to get through the next few days.

Something tells me this Zack guy might be a crucial key in this tale…