Aderinsola watched as her husband walked out of the room, outside their home and into the expectant arms of his mistress, tear drops rolled down her cheeks as she thought. I've lost him. But almost immediately she wiped the tears off, she wouldn't allow herself to be trampled and distressed by her husband's foolishness.

She watched as her daughter stared at her, no words coming out, just tears flowing. She didn't deserve this, Dele is a jerk, she thought as her daughter walked away.

She coiled up in her bed as she started to imagine the many things Her husband had done with Monica. She thought about Monica too, she had left the main church when her and her husband started having issues. She had always thought Monica was weak and couldn't keep her husband.

But here she was, her own husband lost in the arms of another woman.

Maybe if Monica had kept her own husband, Dele would not be trapped in whatever spell he was in.
Yes, that was the only conclusion she had made herself believe. She believed her husband was under a spell, that was the only logical explanation she could give in this situation.

How could the District overseer of The savior's church, Dele Adewale, one of the most influential people in the state, one leader that even the Governor of the state respected so much, how could he have stooped so low as to sleep with a single mother.

How?

Monica wasn't even so attractive like the women her husband would possibly like. She herself was slim, fair and tall. While Monica was short, plump and dark. They were so contrasting, so what could have made her husband fall for that type of woman?

She finalised in her heart that her husband was under a spell, so that instant, Derin stood up from the bed and entered into her closet, her makeshift prayer room.

She went on her knees and started praying and blasting in tongues. Her prayer point being for God to destroy the spell that had been casted on her husband.

She prayed evil for Monica and her family. Derin prayed for long long hours.

But in all her prayers, she never acknowledged her own faults and she failed to ask for Mercy.

Mercy they all needed.

••••••••••••

Dele grimaced at the thought of the scene he just walked away from. He was in his car driving to see Monica, but his mind was clustered with thoughts. He hit the steering hard as he threw his left hand to his face, his right hand balancing the steering wheel as he drove fast to Monica's place.

All he was thinking of was his daughter, and how he couldn't give her the response she wanted. He wished she could understand, and he also wished all the issues he had been having with his wife didn't escalate to this.

If only Derin had given him the attention he had always craved for. If only she respected him and did not call him names ever chance she got, maybe all this wouldn't have happened.

She had never been like that from the beginning, she was that sweet beautiful lady he had falling in love with. Their days In the University, special times, the first day he met her signified the beginning of something beautiful for him. He remembered the crusade the fellowship had organized then, and how he had gotten an utterance from God that Derin was his wife.

He had been very shy and naive, but he built up his confidence when it got to her. Oh, how he loved her, how he cherished and cared for her. And how she did same, she was the sweetest and most caring woman ever, and he wouldn't have traded her for anything in the world.

But all this changed few years back, when she had gotten extremely comfortable with the fact that her husband was a great man of God. Just like a angel that dropped down from heaven, incapable of committing sins and having needs. But he was human, human like she was, like everyone else was.

But his wife wasn't the same anymore, she would always counsel others to do the same things she failed in at home. In his heartache and loneliness he had found the open hands of Monica.

Who was also lonely and sad, she had come for counseling and the way she poured out her heartaches, the ones he could easily relate with, had made him grow a soft spot for her.

Few weeks into the counseling,he had found himself talking about his own family, and how lonely he was. She was understanding and surprisingly she didn't talk bad or judge Derin. Most times she had actually advised him to be more patient with her.

She was the closest friend he had had for a long time and they both never had intentions to do bad. Until that day....

Few months back.

Dele had just finished a church meeting and he was about to enter the car when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and he smiled as he picked the call.

" Oremi (my friend)" he hollered as he smiled, his teeth wide open.

" Pastor Dele" Monica snivelled.

Immediately Dele's demeanor changed, a mixture of fear and anxiety.

" What's wrong, sister Monica" he said hurriedly.

" It's Samuel ooo, My God" she said, referring to her husband.

" Ah, what happened" he asked and then he made a statement he would be regretting for the next few months. " You know what, I'm coming to your place".

And with that he drove to Monica's place, Maria was away at her cousins place. On seeing Monica, he knew he had made a wrong choice by coming to meet her at home, but it was already too late.

Her clothes we tattered showing some parts of her body that he shouldn't be seeing, she was in tears, he observed her body and it was obvious her husband had been there, he must have hit her hard and beat her.

He walked closer to her and held her, he pulled her closer to him in a bid to comfort her, her tears increased as his shirt was soiled with her tears. She ranted about how useless and difficult her life was, she even said a lot of things she wouldn't have if she was in her right state of mind.

" Pastor Dele, is it true I'm useless?" She asked in tears as she raised her eyes to stare at him.

" No you are not Sister Monica, you are not. You are my friend, you are not useless". He said comforting her , his hands firmly keeping her in his embrace.

" So why can't I give Samuel another child after Maria?, why isn't Maria a boy? A boy he wants so badly. He even says I'm dirty and I smell, he says I'm not good in bed and I never satisfy him. Why can't I give him all he wants in a woman. I'm just a dirty, fat , stupid and useless woman" she said.

" No you are not, don't believe all that. You are special, and I love you". He didn't realize what he had said until it came out of his mouth.

" You love me?" She asked. But Dele couldn't say any word after that. " I love you too" she said as she collapsed into his chest and held him tight making him feel all her body.

They ended up defiling their bodies and that was the start of their affair, Dele was getting what he lacked at home freely from her, she was nice, respectful and gave him a lot of attention, she was the first person he had seen have better cooking skills than Derin.

Her husband must be very dumb to have thought of divorcing her and even leaving the country with another woman.
He also had always wondered why her husband regarded the gem in her as useless. She was gold, and he loved her.

•••••••••••••

I woke up from my sleep and walked into my bathroom, I brushed my teeth and then walked out of my room. My mum was sitting lazily on the couch, I greeted her and asked after Dad but got no response. I walked to the door and peeped through the door. His car was not outside, he hadn't returned home since the previous day.

" He's not back yet?" I asked my mum.

" Nope, nope, nope" my mum answered playfully as she switched the TV on.

" And you aren't worried?" I looked at her and wondered how she could be so relaxed.

" Why should I? It's good riddance to bad rubbish" she said as she changed the channel.

" Okay?" I said stressing the word as I walked to the kitchen.

" Jemi darling" my mom called.

" Yes Mom"

" Since you are leaving home, I think I can take the next step I think is good for both of us".  She said.

" Okay? What's that"

" I'm leaving this house".

I opened my mouth wide in surprise, this was definitely not my mother. My mother wouldn't act so irrational, I was very sure, something more than pain was getting the better of my mom.