THE HUSBAND WHO NEVER CAME HOME

The following morning, she checked his briefcase while he showered. Inside, she found a hospital scan, a bank transfer receipt bearing her own name, and a photograph of Chuka standing beside a pregnant woman. On the back of the photograph, someone had written, "Thank you for keeping our secret. Only two weeks left.” Ada recognized the woman's face. It was her best friend, Ifeoma. But the real shock came when she read the date on the hospital scan.

The baby had been conceived before Ada and Chuka got married. She reached for her phone to call Ifeoma, but a message from an unknown number appeared: “Before you confront your husband, ask him what happened to the money your late father left you.” Ada went cold. Nobody knew about that inheritance except her family and her husband. Ada couldn't sleep after reading the anonymous message.

The following morning, she visited the bank where her late father had kept her inheritance. She had never withdrawn the money because she planned to use it to start a business. The bank officer checked her account and frowned. “Madam, the funds were transferred out four months ago.” Ada's wedding had taken place four months ago. She requested the transaction details. The transfer had been authorized using documents bearing her signature. But she had never signed them.

When she returned home, Chuka was waiting in the sitting room. “Where have you been?” he asked. “Looking for something that belongs to me,” she replied. For a moment, his expression changed. That evening, Ada called Ifeoma and asked her to meet at a restaurant. When her friend arrived, Ada placed the photograph on the table. Ifeoma began to cry. “I can explain,” she whispered. “Then explain the baby. Explain the money. Explain why you're sleeping with my husband!”

Ifeoma shook her head. “Chuka isn't the baby's father.” Ada stared at her. “Then whose baby is it?” Before Ifeoma could answer, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and immediately stood up. “Please, Ada. Don't trust Chuka. He knows I've been talking to you.” She hurried out. Ada looked down at the table. Ifeoma had left an envelope behind. Inside was a photocopy of a document showing that Ada's missing inheritance had been transferred into a company registered in Chuka's name.