Chapter Six

The Divorce Papers

Idris didn't sleep that night.

He sat alone in the guest room until dawn, staring at the message that had shattered whatever hope remained in his heart.

He wanted to confront Damilola immediately.

He wanted to ask Tunde why.

But something told him to remain silent.

He needed the truth...

Not excuses.

•••

The next morning, Damilola left for work unusually early.

She didn't say goodbye.

She didn't even look at him.

As soon as the gate closed, Idris picked up his prayer mat.

He prayed longer than he ever had before.

When he finished, tears rolled freely down his cheeks.

"Ya Allah..."

"If I have done wrong, forgive me."

"But if I am innocent..."

"Fight this battle for me."

He remained on the mat for several minutes.

His heart was broken.

Yet, somewhere deep inside him...

A tiny spark of hope refused to die.

•••

Around noon, Idris heard the sound of a car stopping outside the house.

He looked through the window.

His heart sank.

A brand-new black Mercedes-Benz pulled into the compound.

The driver's door opened.

Tunde stepped out, dressed in an expensive designer suit.

He wasn't alone.

Damilola came out of the passenger's seat.

The two of them laughed as they walked toward the entrance.

Neither of them looked ashamed.

Neither of them tried to hide.

Idris slowly opened the door before they could knock.

For a few seconds...

The three of them stood in complete silence.

Tunde smiled first.

"Long time, brother."

Idris looked into his eyes.

"I never imagined I'd see this day."

Tunde shrugged.

"Life happens."

Damilola folded her arms.

"Can we come inside?"

Without saying a word, Idris stepped aside.

•••

The atmosphere inside the living room was unbearably tense.

Tunde crossed his legs comfortably as though he owned the house.

Damilola placed a brown envelope on the center table.

Idris looked at it.

"What is this?"

"Open it."

He slowly picked up the envelope.

His hands trembled.

Inside...

Were divorce papers.

He looked at Damilola.

"So..."

"This is how it ends?"

She sighed.

"I've made my decision."

"Just like that?"

"I can't continue living this life."

"What life?"

"The life of taking care of a man who has nothing."

Those words pierced his heart.

"I stood by you when we had nothing."

She looked away.

"People change."

"No."

Idris replied quietly.

"They reveal who they've always been."

Silence filled the room.

•••

Idris turned toward Tunde.

His voice was calm.

"Tell me one thing."

"What?"

"Why?"

Tunde laughed.

"You really don't know?"

"I trusted you like my own brother."

"And that was your biggest mistake."

Idris stared at him.

"For years, everyone compared me to you."

"Tunde, be like Idris."

"Tunde, learn from Idris."

"Tunde, why can't you be successful like Idris?"

His face hardened.

"I got tired of living in your shadow."

"So you destroyed my life?"

"I simply took what should have been mine."

Idris shook his head slowly.

"You stole my job."

"You stole my reputation."

"And now..."

He looked at Damilola.

"You want my wife too."

Tunde smiled proudly.

"I already have her."

The room became silent.

Then Tunde leaned forward.

"Oh..."

"There's one more thing you should know."

He placed his hand gently on Damilola's stomach.

"The baby she's carrying..."

He smiled wickedly.

"...is mine."

Time stood still.

Idris felt the world spinning around him.

His knees almost gave way.

Every promise.

Every memory.

Every sacrifice.

Every prayer.

Everything had been a lie.

Damilola looked directly into his eyes without a trace of guilt.

"I never loved a poor man."

"I loved a successful one."

"And the moment you stopped being successful..."

She shrugged.

"Our story ended."

A tear rolled down Idris's cheek.

Not because he still wanted her.

But because he couldn't believe the woman he loved had become a stranger.

•••

Damilola pushed a pen toward him.

"Sign the papers."

Idris looked at the document for a long time.

Then...

Without saying another word...

He signed.

He gently placed the pen back on the table.

Damilola immediately collected the papers.

A smile spread across her face.

"It's finally over."

She walked toward the bedroom and returned with a small travel bag.

She dropped it at Idris's feet.

"Your clothes."

He quietly picked it up.

Then she walked to the main door and opened it.

"You need to leave."

Idris didn't move.

She pointed outside.

"No one wants you here anymore."

"You have no money."

"No job."

"No future."

Then, with a cruel smile, she delivered the words that would remain in Idris's heart forever.

"You're nothing but a penniless orphan."

The room fell silent.

Idris slowly lifted his bag.

He walked toward the door.

Just before stepping outside, he stopped.

Without turning around, he spoke calmly.

"You may have taken my home..."

"You may have taken my marriage..."

"You may have taken my peace..."

"But you did not take my destiny."

He finally turned to face them.

"The day will come when you'll remember this moment."

"Not because I'll seek revenge..."

"But because life has a way of rewarding patience and exposing betrayal."

He looked at Tunde one last time.

"And when that day comes..."

"I hope both of you are strong enough to live with your choices."

With those final words...

Idris walked out of the house carrying nothing but a small travel bag.

Behind him, the door slammed shut.

He had lost everything.

Or so he thought.

As he stepped onto the roadside, wiping away his tears, the sound of approaching engines filled the air.

One...

Two...

Five...

Ten luxurious black vehicles drove toward him in perfect formation.

They stopped directly in front of him.

The middle door of the longest limousine slowly opened.

Someone important had arrived