Chapter 5: Shadows and Secrets

 

Buhle rolled her eyes. 

Buhle: “Oh, here we go. You’re just jealous because I’ve moved on.” 

Siya: “This isn’t about jealousy,” 

Siya insisted. 

Siya: “Vusi is involved in some shady business. Illegal stuff, Buhle. I’m worried about you.” 

She scoffed.

Buhle: “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Vusi is a successful businessman. Just because you’re not doesn’t mean you get to trash him.” 

Siya sighed. 

Siya: “I’m not trying to trash him. I’m trying to protect you. Please, just be careful.” 

Buhle hung up, her heart racing. She didn’t want to believe Siya, but his words echoed in her mind. Was Vusi really involved in something illegal? And if so, what did that mean for her?

Lerato sat at the shisanyama with her friends, her hands resting on her stomach. She had just shared the news of her pregnancy, and the table erupted in excitement.

Zee: “Oh my gosh, Lerato! Congratulations!”

Zee squealed, hugging her.

Buhle: “This is amazing,” 

Buhle said, her eyes shining. 

Thando: “You’re going to be such a great mom.” 

Thando smiled, though her expression was tinged with concern. 

Thando: “How does Sabelo feel about it?”

 Lerato’s smile faltered. 

Lerato: “He’s… adjusting. You know how men are. They need time to process these things.” 

Her friends exchanged worried glances.

Buhle: “Lerato, are you sure he’s on board? He hasn’t exactly been the most supportive lately.”

Buhle said gently, Lerato nodded, though her heart wasn’t in it. 

Lerato: “He’ll come around. He’s just stressed with work.”

But as the conversation moved on, Lerato couldn’t shake the feeling that her friends were right. Sabelo’s lack of enthusiasm was a red flag, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could ignore it.

Zee sat on her couch, scrolling through her Instagram feed. She had been avoiding her DMs since Sipho’s last comment, but curiosity got the better of her. When she saw his latest message, her blood ran cold. “You’ll regret ignoring me.” She blocked him immediately, but the fear lingered. Sipho wasn’t just angry he was dangerous. That night, Zee double-checked her locks and set her alarm system. She wasn’t taking any chances. As she lay in bed, her phone buzzed with a message from Mandla: 

Mandla: “ Hey, just checking in. Everything okay?” 

Zee hesitated, then typed a reply: 

Zee: “Not really. My ex is being creepy. I’ll tell you about it later.” 

Mandla’s response came quickly:

Mandla:  “Let me know if you need anything. I’m here for you.”

Zee smiled, though her heart was still racing. Maybe Mandla wasn’t so boring after all. Thando sat in her car, her hands gripping the steering wheel. She had just received a call from an unknown number, and the voice on the other end had chilled her to the bone.

Man: “Stay away from Mlungisi, his wife knows everything.”

She had hung up immediately, her heart pounding. How much did Mlungisi’s wife know? And more importantly, what was she going to do about it? When she got home, she found a business card tucked under her windshield wiper. It was from a private investigator, and on the back was a handwritten note: “You’ve been warned.” 

Thando’s hands shook as she dialled Mlungisi’s number. 

Thando: “We need to talk, your wife knows.”

she said when he answered. There was a long pause on the other end. 

Mlungisi: “I’ll handle it,  just stay calm, okay?”

Mlungisi said finally. But as Thando hung up, she couldn’t shake the feeling that things were about to spiral out of control.