Chapter 50: The Papers Served

 

The sun had barely risen when my phone buzzed with a message from Ms. Dlamini.

Ms. Dlamini (text): The papers will be served today. Be prepared. Do not engage if he provokes you.

I stared at the words for a long moment. It was real now. No longer just files in a folder or conversations behind closed doors. Today, Sandile would know. Today, the man who believed he controlled every narrative would face a story he couldn’t rewrite.

By afternoon, I heard from one of my old colleagues that the sheriff had walked straight into Sandile’s office, papers in hand. I almost wished I had been there to see his face. Almost.

Later that evening, my phone rang. His name flashed across the screen. For a moment, my heart raced the way it used to when I feared his temper. But I answered, steady this time.

Sandile (furious): “Nomusa! What is this nonsense? Divorce papers? Are you out of your mind?”

I kept my tone calm, deliberate.
Nomusa: “It’s not nonsense, Sandile. It’s reality. I will not be erased. Not from my marriage, not from the company, not from my life.”

I could hear his breath heavy through the line. His charm had slipped; only anger remained.

Sandile: “Do you think this little stunt will scare me? You think a few papers will change anything? Nkosi Construction is mine. Everything mine!”

I let his words hang in the air for a moment, then answered evenly.

Nomusa: “We both know the truth. The courts will too. You may have convinced everyone else, but you won’t convince the law. I’m not fighting for what’s yours, Sandile. I’m taking back what’s mine.”

There was silence. A dangerous silence. Then his voice lowered, almost a growl.

Sandile: “You’ve made a mistake, Nomusa. A big one. Don’t think I won’t fight back.”

I ended the call before he could finish. My hands shook, but not with fear with resolve. I had expected this. His rage, his arrogance, his belief that he was untouchable. But the difference now was that I wasn’t standing alone in the dark anymore. I had the truth, I had evidence, and I had a strategy.

I set the phone down, exhaling slowly.

Nomusa (thinking): He can threaten, he can rage, but the walls he built are starting to crack. And this time, I’ll be the one standing when they fall.