It had started with an unexpected phone call that afternoon. A woman's voice, so heavy with desperation and sorrow, had echoed through the phone. "You need to know the truth," she had said. "Tobi has a child. He's been hiding it from you."
I couldn't stop thinking about the little girl on Tobi's screen, 2 days after we came back from Zanzibar, I had picked up the phone from Tobi's jacket pocket, I charged it and I waited patiently for the phone to come on.
I went through the many pictures on Tobi's phone and he had dedicated an album for "Temilade" the girl on his wallpaper was his daughter, tobi had lied to me, tobi had ruined everything.
I had dismissed what I had just seen, I didn't want to believe it, tobi never mentioned it, he never spoke about it, not even in the slightest way, I was eager to have a baby for tobi, but he said no, maybe because he already had one, he didn't want another one
I found a number he had called repeatedly, it was Amara, I knew that was his child's mum, because most of the transactions were to Amara and they were recent, even during our trip he had sent Amara 5 million for upkeep of Temilade.
I decided to call Amara, I wanted to hear from her, I wanted to know if I was dreaming, or if I was going crazy, I called twice, but she didn't pick, I waited anxiously on the staircase for her to call back, she never did, until an hour later, I received a text " hey babe, I'm in a meeting I'll call back later" I couldn't believe my eyes, it was true, Tobi and Amara had a child together and they were in love too, and to top it all, Amara was a working class lady.
I sat on the stair case, I felt a hot sensation in my chest, Tobi had played me, what just happened, what have I done, what did I hear, what went wrong, what was going on? Did I just hear right, I left my job for Tobi, I made up my mind to have a baby after 2 years for tobi, I left everything for Tobi, and this is what I got paid back with ? A baby and a lover. I clenched my fist so hard, hoping that it would be a dream, I screamed at the top of my lungs, I wanted it to be fake so bad!
I called Amara back crying, I wanted her to tell me it was a wrong number, I explained everything to her after she had picked my call, Amara sounded heavy too, I don't think she knew about me too, Tobi had told her he relocated to Abuja for a work trip, and when she saw our pictures online, he told her that he was forced to marry me, You need to know the truth," she had said. "Tobi has a child. He's been hiding it from you." Amara said this words to me, it pierced my soul, I hung up, I felt numb, the world was spinning and I felt dizzy.
I went through the pictures and messages to Amara, she was also heartbroken, Tobi had promised to break up with me soon, he told her I was condescending, rude and not good in bed, he told her that I was forced on him, tobi and promised her and her daughter a good life overseas.
I saw pictures of Tobi and Temilade his daughter, he gave her what he couldn't give me, he loved his daughter with no doubts, he had been with her since, this phone I thought was abandoned was actually not, Tobi had used the phone a lot, he dropped it anytime I wasn't looking, Tobi was a smooth criminal.
I remembered all the trips Tobi took back to the Lagos in our first year, i remembered the shoes I saw with him in his car, he told me it was for his bosses daughter, tobi had told me he couldn't wait to see what his first child would look like and that he wanted a boy, because girls are stressful to take care of, Tobi lied.
I took my self off the staircase gradually, I couldn't feel my legs anymore, I just felt my blood boiling gradually, I took my breath one by one, the only thing left was steam over my head, I screamed loudly when I got to the room, clearing my desk, I wanted to end it all, Simbi was right, why did I fall for it, why did I say yes.
Tobi came back at 9pm that evening, I sat at the corner of my room, my perfume broken perfume bottles, littered over the floor, my hair covered my face, tears filled my face, I had cried till I couldn't anymore, all I could do was stare and our wedding frame in my hands,
I could hear tobi screaming "simssss" " where are you baby girl" I felt disgust, all I wanted to do was run down the stairs and tell Tobi how much I hated him, but I didn't instead I cried the more.
Tobi walked into the room, as he opened the door "babe are you in here" he switched on the lights" Tobi screamed he was confused what he had just seen " simiii" he screamed, he rushed and grabbed me up, placing me on the bed , "what happened here" I cried the more " Tobi why" I said in a soft tone" "why did you do this to me" Tobi noticed the phone on the floor, he let out a sigh " Oh shit"
Tobi went on his knees, babe I'm sorry I just did not know how to tell you, Tobi stared down, I'm so sorry my love, I was lost for words, So this was true, it was not a dream, Tobi actually had a daughter and a wife. He actually let me down, I cried the more, so this was my reality now, I was a stepmom to Tobi's child, Tobi lied to me again, I had played myself big time.