FORGIVENESS IN MARRIAGE IS FREEDOM
Episode 4 (Semi Final)
That night, as I lay alone inside the abandoned building, sleep refused to come. Just after midnight, my phone suddenly rang. I reached for it with trembling hands. The caller’s name flashed across the screen.
Alex.
For a few seconds, I simply stared at the phone before answering.
“Jane…” he said softly.
“I’m sorry.”
I remained silent.
“I don’t know what came over me. I shouldn’t have abandoned you like that.” Still, I said nothing.
“I’ve spoken to my mother in the village. Please go and stay with her until I return. She’ll take care of you.”
There was a long silence between us. Part of me wanted to hang up. Another part of me still loved the man I had sacrificed everything for. After listening to his repeated apologies, I finally agreed.
The next morning, I packed my few belongings and left the abandoned building. Alex’s mother welcomed me warmly. Life in the village wasn’t easy, but unlike her son, she treated me with kindness.
She cared for me throughout my pregnancy until the day I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Holding my son for the first time filled my heart with joy.
I named him Prince.
Watching him grow gave me a reason to keep fighting. But no matter how much I loved my child, there was still an emptiness inside me. Alex never returned. Months became a year. One year became two.
Not a single visit. Not a single embrace. Not even a proper explanation. I was still legally married, yet I lived as though I had no husband.
Loneliness slowly consumed me.
I missed companionship.
I missed having someone beside me.
Eventually, I made a decision I never imagined I would make. I became involved with other men. It wasn’t something I was proud of. It happened after years of feeling abandoned and forgotten.
Unfortunately, my mother-in-law noticed. Without telling me, she informed Alex about everything.
Six months later…
Alex finally returned. He looked completely different. He was well dressed, healthier, and far more confident than the man who had disappeared years earlier. It was obvious he had made some money.
When we saw each other again, he acted as though nothing had happened.
He greeted me warmly. I welcomed him home. That evening, I prepared his favorite meal. For a brief moment, I thought our family finally had another chance.
For the first few days after Alex returned, he behaved as though nothing had happened. He laughed with his mother. He spent hours playing with little Prince, trying to make up for the years he had missed.
With me, however, things were different. There was an invisible wall between us.
I wanted answers.
He wanted peace.
Neither of us was willing to start the conversation.
One evening, after dinner, his mother quietly took Prince outside to play. The house fell silent. Alex looked at me.
“We need to talk.” I already knew what was coming. He folded his arms and took a deep breath.
“i heard about your stories and escapades.” I lowered my eyes but said nothing.
“i heard you followed different men while I was away.”
Silence.
“I want to hear it from you, Jane.”
“Were the stories true?” I looked at him for a long moment. Then I asked quietly,
“Do you really want the truth?”
“I do.”
“You disappeared for over two years.”
“You left me pregnant.”
“You left me without money.”
“You switched off your phone.”
“You never asked whether your son and I were alive.” His face hardened.
“That’s not what I asked.” I swallowed.
“I asked if those stories were true.” Again, I remained silent.
“Jane…”
“I asked you a question.” This time, I looked him straight in the eyes.
“You abandoned your wife.”
“You abandoned your unborn child.”
“You abandoned your responsibilities.”
“Did you expect me to pretend I wasn’t human?” He clenched his fists.
“So… you’re admitting it.”
“I’m saying loneliness changes people.” His voice became louder.
“Did you sleep with other men?” I closed my eyes. After a long silence, I nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
The room became so quiet that even our breathing sounded loud. Alex turned away.
“I can’t believe this.” I wiped away my tears.
“I waited for you.”
“I cried for you.”
“I begged God to bring you back.”
“I struggled to feed your son.”
“I sold sachet water on the streets.”
“I slept in an uncompleted building while carrying your child.”
“You left me with nothing.” He shook his head.
“But you were still my wife.”
“And you were still my husband,” I replied.
“So why did you stop acting like one?” Neither of us spoke again.
That night, we slept on the same bed. Yet it felt as though an ocean separated us. The next morning, he called me into the sitting room. His travel bag was packed.
“I’ve thought about this all night.” I searched his face for hope. There was none.
“I can’t continue this marriage.” My heart sank.
“You’re divorcing me?”
“I’ve tried to understand your reasons.”
“But I can’t erase what happened.” I looked at him with tears in my eyes.
“And I can’t erase the day you abandoned me.”
Without another word, I picked up my son and walked out of the house. As I left, one question kept echoing in my mind.
Who destroyed our marriage first… the husband who walked away, or the wife who eventually gave up waiting?
To be continued…
