Unfulfilled Plans

Lila paced the small living room, wringing her hands as the clock ticked closer to midnight. Noah had promised to be home earlier, but once again, he was nowhere to be found.

Her heart raced with worry as her mind conjured images of accidents or danger. She tried calling his phone, but it went unanswered. “Where could he be?” she muttered under her breath.Unbeknownst to her, Noah was in a dimly lit room on the other side of town, facing a woman from his past. Amaka stood by the window, her arms crossed, glaring at him.

“Noah, don’t upset me o!” she snapped, her voice low but sharp. “You knew we were an item, and you still decided to marry her?”Noah scratched the back of his head, avoiding her piercing gaze. “

Ah, Amaka, you know I love you,” he said, his tone pleading. “It’s just that… I thought if I married her, Chief would give us some money to start our lives. Then, I could dupe her and come back to you. But it didn’t happen now, did it?”Amaka rolled her eyes, her patience thinning.

“But you were seeing the signs, Noah. That girl is too good for you. Now look at you, stuck with kids and a wife who loves you while you’re sneaking around like this.”

“Who is stuck?” Noah retorted, puffing out his chest. “Me? No way. I’ll soon come back to you, Amaka. You know I miss—”

“Stop right there,” Amaka interrupted, raising a hand to silence him. Her voice was cold and firm. “Hurry and put on your clothes and leave before our son or the neighbors come back.

I don’t want any more drama.”Noah sighed, sensing that she was done listening. He dressed quickly, giving her a lingering look before leaving. As he walked out into the cool night air, Amaka sank onto the bed, her head in her hands. “What have I gotten myself into?” she murmured.

Memories of their past played in her mind, how she had once loved him, how he had made promises that now felt hollow. She felt trapped between the remnants of their old relationship and the reality of what they had become.

Meanwhile, Lila sat by the window at home, staring into the darkness. She had prepared Noah’s favorite dinner earlier, but it now sat cold on the table. She sighed deeply, her chest tightening with unease.

The late nights, the evasive answers, the cold distance, all of it gnawed at her. She told herself to trust him, but a small voice in the back of her mind whispered that something was wrong.

Little did she know, Noah’s intentions had turned dark. He had grown resentful of the life they shared, the struggles they faced, and the promises unfulfilled.

The plan he had once dreamed of, marrying Lila for Chief’s money, had fallen apart, leaving him bitter. Now, in his frustration, he considered actions that would betray not only his wife but the very foundation of their family.

As Noah walked back home, his mind churned with conflicting thoughts. Amaka’s dismissal stung, but he told himself it didn’t matter. Lila was his fallback, the one who would always welcome him home. What he didn’t realize was that his choices were setting into motion a chain of events that would unravel everything he thought he controlled.

Back in the house, Lila lit a candle, murmuring a quiet prayer for her husband’s safety, unaware of the storm brewing just outside her door.