Author's POV
The front door closed with that same soft click. He didn’t like making noise. Not at home. Not anywhere. That’s how he survived — by moving quiet, like mist over veld.
He dropped his keys into the bowl by the entrance and scanned the house like a soldier sweeping a perimeter. Old habits. It's hard to kill.
The house was still. Only the low hum of the fridge and the steady ticking of the wall clock. And her — in bed, curled up under the blankets like nothing in the world was wrong.
But he knew better now.
That folder… the one hidden deep in the archives of a government office that technically didn’t exist… had her name on it. Melinda Poswa . Rank: Specialist. Two tours. Counter-intel. Covert ops. Kill-count: redacted.
He’d stared at the page, trying to find the woman he loved in the lines. But she was nowhere in those files. And yet, there she was — sleeping just ten meters from the truth.
He entered the bedroom. Linda shifted, half-awake. "Hey... you’re home," she mumbled, voice wrapped in that soft, sweet way she always used with him. It's too soft now. Fake, maybe.
"You lied to me," he said quietly.
She opened her eyes slowly. "About what?"
He took a step closer. "You were military."
A flicker. Not surprise — just calculation. Then calm. "You never asked."
He stared. That answer. That damn answer. "Kodwa, why would I need to ask? You were supposed to be a preschool teacher when I met you, not... whatever that was in your file." (But)
Linda sat up slowly. Blankets sliding down her body. "What file?"
"Don’t act dumb, sthandwa. I saw everything." His voice hardened. “You served. Covert division. Special ops. You know how deep that goes.” (love)
Silence.
"And you?" She said, eyes narrowing now. "You’re acting like I’m the only one hiding something. You come home at 2am with blood on your collar some nights, and I never ask. Do you think I didn’t notice?"
His jaw tightened. "Stay in your lane."
"You mean out of your business?" She says, voice colder. "Your gang or should I say mafia boss business?"
His head jerked slightly — a flash of shock he couldn’t hide fast enough. "Ngabe ubani okutshelile?" (Who told you that?)
"I don’t need anyone to tell me," she said, standing now, robe loose at the waist, but her posture straight — military, sweet wife sliping away quickly. "You think I didn’t recognise the structure? The power plays? You ran your crew like a unit. Rank. Loyalty. Execution. You forget who I was trained to watch."
He stepped back, chest tight. "So you’ve been watching me."
The only thing in his mind was "fuck and I loved this woman all this time"
"From the moment you walked into that club in Maboneng," she said.
The silence between you now was different. No warmth. No teasing undertones. Just two ex soldiers. Two weapons.
"You lied," he said again, quieter now.
"So did you," she replied.
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This story it just the idea of the story I wrote for the competition. Check that out.
🫂💯
ESTÁS LEYENDO
THE BIG TURN
Misterio / Suspenso"She was a perfect wife - until blood on the floor and a bullet in his arm revealed she wasn't just his. A secret past, dead bodies, and a marriage built on silence. 'Kill For Me?' isn't just a question - it's a warning."
