Nurse Temi dropped her phone on the kitchen cabinet and continued her work. Smiles plastered on her face. Toni who had listened to her conversation couldn't help but smile at the bond between mother and daughter. It was beautiful.

"That was your daughter?", Toni said striking a conversation. She was burning to hear the gist.

" Yes! Semiloore", Nurse Temi said.

"Wao".

" She is coming here with her friends during the weekend", Nurse Temi said excitedly.

"I would love to meet her", Toni said.

" Yes. And you people can even be friends! Then I'll have to beautiful girls in my life. Ain't I just so lucky?"

Toni burst into laughter.

"I had not had any other friend apart from Jemima all my life", Toni blurted.

" Really? Who is Jemima?" Nurse Temi asked?

"My friend. The senior pastor of the Church my uncle pastors", Toni said.

" Wait!?! Your uncle is a pastor?" Nurse Temi said shocked. Toni hadn't mentioned that in her story. Nurse Temi was both surprised and disappointed.

"Yeah!"

"Oh, God! Why do pastors keep doing this? Why do they keep giving the world a reason to talk bad about you! Why do they keep betraying your love! God!"

Nurse Temi was upset.

Toni didn't say a word she must continue dicing the carrots. But a whole lot was going on in her mind, but she felt calm. A reassurance that God was right there with her.

      ~~~

"....In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen." Anne said. She rose to her feet and sat on the bed. Dropping her head, she felt tired and exhausted. Something she hadn't done before. Fasting and praying, but she got into it without a second thought.

She was sure only God can take care of her. Wondering how her mum was feeling, she picked up her phone to call but dropped it back. Her mum still thought she was unaware so it would not make her feel good to know she knows.

Just then Enitan walked into the room. Carrying a lot of materials with her. That was when Anne remembered she was still a student. And she still had exams.

"Eni", Anne called as Enitan entered.

" Anne" Enitan dropped the materials and gave Anne a warm hug. "What's going on? You've not been yourself since. Is everything okay", Enitan asked. Concerned. It was unlike Anne to be absent-minded in class, unlike her to miss her usual reading schedule. And unlike her to not eat at the right time.

Anne who didn't want to lie smiled. A smile that calmed Enitan's anxiety.

" I'll be fine", Anne said.

"You'll be fine?" Eni asked.

"Yes, I will!"

    ~~~

Hadassah stood by the gate confused about what to do. She was at Adewale's place. No one was there, only the gateman who had told her that no one was in the house.

She dialed Aderinsola's number. After the second ring Derin pick the call.

"Mummy Ephraim, How are you today", Derin asked at the other end.

" Mummy Jemima. I'm good by God's grace and mercy", Derin said. " what about you ma?"

"I'm fine ", Derin said forced.

" I don't think so Mummy", Hadassah said. She had been worried ever since Ephraim called her, a burden had been placed in her heart and she prayed before coming to Derin's place. Not finding her at home. "This is so unlike you ma. Your weekly meetings have been on hold for a long time now. And I heard you've been canceling and rejecting invitations, what is wrong, ma".

On the other end of the call. Derin was situated in the middle of the bed in the room, a hotel room. She had left home ever since she received the message from Monica. She couldn't imagine staying one more minute in that lie-filled house. Although she hadn't heard from Dele in days. She wasn't bothered, all she cared about at that time was getting out of that hell hole of a marriage.

Lodging into a hotel was the best thing she could think of at the moment. She would have left for Abuja where the house she inherited from her father was, even her first son lived there. But she didn't want to take any hasty decisions. Her daughters were still here, and she wasn't ready to tell her sons about their father's useless behaviors, neither was she going to allow Anne to grow suspicious.

" I'm just not in the right frame of mind Madam Hadassah", Derin said. But to her, those words were. I'm no longer worthy.

"Ah. Mummy. Okay", Hadassah sighed. She didn't know what to say but she muttered a prayer under her breath before speaking up again.

" Mummy Jemima. Please, don't buy the devil's lie. No matter what is happening. God can still save. No situation is too difficult for God to heal", Hadassah encourages.

Derin rolled her eyes. She had told a lot of people this same thing. Now she understands how they must have felt when she tried to encourage them in their seeming difficult and hopeless situation.

"Hmm", She sighed.

" Ma. Please can I see you. I'm at your place now but there is no one around". Hadassah asked. She needed to see her, she wasn't convinced that she was fine.

Derin who didn't want to raise any suspicion yet, not like the whole world won't know about it all soon, sighed and gave a response. Not from her heart though.

"Okay... We can meet at a restaurant tomorrow", Derin suggested.

" I'll be pleased with that ma!"

Derin cut the call and dropped the phone. She joined her fingers on both her hands and moved the middle figure. In a way that showed she was thinking.

       ~~~

Monica paced the sitting room. She was so upset and angry. After all, she had done, Dele still didn't call her? For days now, she hadn't heard from him. He had refused to take her call and after a while, the number wasn't going through.

She glanced at her phone for the umpteenth time. This time she checked the message she sent to Derin. She smiled pleased with herself, that message alone was enough to tear the family apart. But these weren't yielding any results, since Dele still hadn't called her.

The message informed Derin about her pregnancy. And also some pictures of Dele and her in compromising positions.

"What do I do", Monica said to herself as she sat on the chair at the dinner table. She glanced at the pictures one more time. And an evil smile found it's way to her face.

She pressed the back icon on the screen and pressed the contacts application. Searching for a name, she finally found it.

" Time for plan B",  she said as she placed a call to Ms. Kemi, the no-nonsense blogger.