Marlise ran to her room and threw herself face-first against the bed, her heart beating harder and harder against her chest. She struggled to breathe. A text message entered her phone.
"I guess there's a network problem. I'll call you later," Elad wrote. He'd also tried calling back several times, of course, she couldn't pick up. What was she going to tell him? That she was seriously considering coming over despite his confession?
For the next two days, he continued texting and calling but she still didn't respond. As she tried to make a decision, it felt like God and satan were sitting on her shoulder. It was afternoon and she was in the kitchen making soup for Viva. While the food cooked, the voice came again.
You better pick up. If you don't he would stop helping you and your child might die. Besides, he says he likes you. You have no one to love and you'll remain alone. What's wrong if he shares you with his wife? Half bread is better than none.
She shook her head and picked up the phone to call Elad.
Marlise, think about this. You are breaking up a man's home. Is that the story you want to tell your daughter about her healing?
The other voice said. She sighed audibly.
"Its not like I want to destroy his home, I didn't ask him to like me. I must take advantage of this opportunity. What happens with him and his wife is his business as long as I am in the USA," she said to herself then quickly picked up the phone before she changed her mind.
"Hello Elad, I've made a decision," she said as soon as he answered. However, there was no response so she assumed he was mad at her for ignoring his calls
"I'm sorry for ignoring your calls, I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful it's just that..." she paused. Her heart was beating faster than she could think. Why wasn't he responding?
"Hi Marlise," the female voice made her jump in fear.
"Christy?" She asked.
"Is that all you have to say? Haven't you been trying to convince my husband to bring you over so you two can be together? You know at first I thought it was just about your child but when he told you that I may divorce him and you didn't back out, I knew you had an ulterior motive," she said, angrily.
"You don't understand, I was calling because..." Marlise said.
"You had decided to go ahead with the travel plans right?" Christy laughed dryly.
"No...not really" she stuttered.
"You are a liar! I was the one who asked him to continue sponsoring you and your child but that stops now!" Christy hung up.
After the call, her heart continued to race. She'd never seen herself like that but Christy was right. In this house, she was a baby mama whose presence will cause problems for her sister and if she went to the US, she would be the other woman.
At that moment, Cherish walked into the kitchen with Viva on her hip.
"What is burning?"she asked, twitching her nose.
Oh my goodness!!! Marlise screamed and ran towards the black smoke coming out of the pot on the stove.
Meanwhile, Cherish went to the fridge and took out a feeding bottle of milk.
"Cherish," it was the first time she had called her sister's name in days. She was nervous. Cherish turned and faced her, her eyes digging holes through her face.
"What? Do I need permission to feed your baby too?" Cherish asked coldly.
"No, no you don't," she replied.
"You don't what? Need me to feed your baby or to be happy with Levi, which one Marlise?" She asked, her voice rising.
Marlise was surprised she'd figured out the source of her anger eventhough she thought she was hiding it well.
"Why are you looking at me like that? You think I don't know?" Cherish asked.
"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you the other day," she apologised.
"You're not sorry, you're angry, you're jealous!. What I don't understand is why you won't just talk to me about it. I thought we were in a good place?"
Cherish said and a tear ran down one eye.
"I'm really sorry," Marlise repeated
"You're going to America afterall, you won't have us in your face," Cherish said.
"I'm no longer going," she stammered
Cherish looked at her for a second and turned back.
"Oh, why? Let me guess, his wife found out," she said without looking at Marlise's face to see the shock on her face.
"You asked me to act like I like him," she said.
"I asked you to do nothing you didn't already want to do. You have had it in you all along, jealousy and scheming!" Cherish said
"Cherish how can you say that?" Her sister's words had shredded her heart so deep but she knew there was some truth there. She'd been willing to walk into a complicated situation with Elad inspite of the complications. Yes, she was desperate but was that enough?
♡♡♡
She felt too heavy to climb on her bed so she sat on the floor and cried. God! Do I always have to depend on a man for help? Why must my life always be tied to a man? Suddenly, she was remembering God whom she'd not thought of in a long while. She could almost hear a voice telling her
You're asking the right questions. Why have you been depending on man? Why did you get pregnant hoping to secure a marriage proposal?
"God, if I can't depend on a man, then I need a miracle,"
***
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