‘You can begin whenever you wish.’
Pearl nervously uncrossed her ankles, sat up in her seat, and straightened her jacket by its lapels. She spared Charlie a glance, cleared her throat, and began her narration.
‘Charlie and I met when we were both fresh out of college. I was doing an internship for this interior decorator that had risen to fame out of nowhere; I had to call back on a lot of favours in order to get that spot. Charlie had an entry position working for his uncle’s newspaper, and coincidentally, our offices were in the same building.
We ran into each other a few times – on the way in and out, during lunch breaks, things like that. One day, much to my surprise he approached me and started a conversation. I was so charmed by how eloquent and attentive to detail he was that I agreed to give him my contact. Some of the girls I was interning with saw me walk back into the building with him, and they wasted no time in divulging to me Charlie’s promiscuous and flirtatious nature.’
Out of the corner of her eye, Pearl saw Charlie shift uncomfortably in his seat, but she didn’t let that deter her.
‘So, I did what any sensible girl would do. I blocked his number the moment he reached out. I equally ignored him each time I ran into him. But he would have none of it; in true rakish nature, he enjoyed the chase. He sent flowers, gifts, notes, and even once accosted me in front of my boss. I still didn’t give him an audience.
Then, one evening when I was on a date with this guy my friends had set me up with, Charlie walked in and headed straight for our table. Till today, I can only guess that he got information of my whereabouts from my fellow interns. The same women who had made me stay away from him had been won over by his constant pestering. According to them, only a man in love could go to such lengths for a woman’s attention. At the date, Charlie, completely ignoring the guy I was with, told me he was the best man for me, and that he was willing to prove it to me. He also said he knew I’d heard the stories about him, but he was willing to work on all those for me.
‘And just like that, my heart immediately softened. Feelings are such a funny thing, aren’t they? The guy I had been on a date with excused himself despite my insistence. I guess he realized he’d already lost. And that is what led to our first date. Over time, he continued to shower me with attention and affection. And from the office gossip, I learned he was so smitten by me that he didn’t pay attention to any other woman. I was on cloud nine during those days; here I was, less than a year as a graduate, interning for one of the top professionals in my field, dating this cute and charming guy who was so taken by me, and who went out of his way to show it.I felt like I was living out my dreams of a perfect life.
‘Before I knew it, we had already been together for a year, and things were getting better. Charlie had risen to the ranks because of one beautiful article he wrote on refugees in the Middle East, and I was now an employee of the decorator I had formerly been interning for. Now that Charlie was such a big shot, he traveled a lot and we saw less of each other, but I believe that time apart only made us fonder of each other.
Eighteen months in, Charlie and I moved in together. Not long after that, we tied the knot at a modest ceremony with all our friends, family and acquaintances. There was even an announcement in the newspaper.
‘For a wedding gift, Charlie surprised me with my dream house, in this beautiful neighbourhood I have always wanted to live in. A few months later, we found out I was pregnant. I was beyond ecstatic; I felt like this was it! I was living the life I had always envisioned for myself; a stable and rising career, stunning and devoted husband, a family on the way, and all at such a young age.
What could be better than that?
Little did I know time was just taking its time to disappoint me.’ Pearl paused here, and requested for a glass of water from Amanda.
Amanda poured her a glass of water and patiently watched her drink it. When Pearl was done, she took a deep breath and stared at her feet.
‘It’s alright if you’re not comfortable enough to continue. You’ve come this far; that’s a sign of strength,’ Amanda said to her.
Pearl looked up and gave her a smile. ‘Therapists always know the right thing to say. I feel good enough to continue.’
Amanda poised her pen over her notebook, prepared to continue taking down notes, and said, ‘You may proceed.’
Pearl closed her eyes briefly, as though it hurt just to recall.
She then continued, ‘It all began with a phone call, one morning when I had just begun my third trimester. One of Charlie’s stories had just gone viral; unfortunately for him, he had stepped on the wrong toes. Turns out the subject of interest in the story had been an influential man who had a lot of connections, and let’s just say he wasn’t pleased with what was written about him. He got Charlie fired, filed a defamation case – which he won, and Charlie lost his license.
‘In the midst of the lawsuit, money was getting short – legal charges, household bills and my antenatal visits – and given how little my job at the time paid, we had to sell the house and move into a more affordable apartment. To our surprise, I gave birth to twin girls. I’m not saying I’m not grateful for the blessing that is my children, but at that time, it was a lot for me to handle. Charlie and I were barely getting by and we had been saving for one child. It’s a wonder how we survived that period.
‘Charlie applied for several jobs as a journalist, but he kept getting rejected. Because we were sinking, I cut my maternal leave early and began to look for a second job. And just like that, Charlie and I came to a unanimous and non-verbal agreement that I will work, and he will take care of our girls. Through a client’s recommendation, I got into real estate, first as a consultant. Over time, I got fully into it, even becoming a major shareholder in an acquaintance’s real estate company. And thankfully, I was also becoming a well-known interior decorator. Things were really good for us, and before the girls began school, we had moved to a bigger and better house, in a safer neighbourhood.
‘I’m not going to pretend, that moment of unmatched success still is one of the highs of my life. I had never imagined that I would get the opportunity to have this much career advancement when I had made the decision to get married. It’s no secret that women most often have to choose between the two. But luckily for me, I had a family, and still had the freedom to pursue my career aspirations. And that is how I came to realise that success is a double-edged sword. The more I advanced professionally, the more I missed out on my children’s lives. I spent very little time with them, and Charlie knew more about them than I did. There were times I thought of giving it all up and just staying home with them; but who was going to take care of us? Who was going to continue to afford this beautiful life we had? And so I put my sentimentality away, comforting myself with the thought that I was doing it all for them.
‘The rumours circulating in the neighbourhood about my husband and I didn’t go unheard by me either. I could only imagine how unconventional we seemed to people, especially in our setting. Most of the wives in our neighbourhood were housewives of wealthy men, or wives who didn’t work a 9-5. According to them, because of my ambition, I had tied down Charlie with charm, and made him the wife of our marriage. They couldn’t understand how an African man in his right senses would let his wife be out there, while he was at home with the children.’
Taking another deep breath, Pearl continued, ‘And now, we are at the reason why my husband and I are in your presence. No matter what people had to say about our marriage, I wasn’t too bothered because Charlie had never complained about it, and also because there was a selfish part of me that preferred it that way.’
‘Why did you prefer it?’ Amanda asked without any show of emotion.
‘Because I had seen how men with money and power treated their wives. The neighbours who criticized us were being abused both physically and verbally, or being constantly embarrassed by their husbands’ cheating scandals. Compared to what they had to go through, I was beyond satisfied with my life. In my mind, a house husband could never put me through any such embarrassment because he didn’t have the resources to do so. To my surprise, I was proven wrong. Charlie had been cheating on me for several years, and I found out only of recent.’ Despite all her attempts at restraint, Pearl burst into tears that made her shoulders shake in tremor.
Amanda watched as Charlie sat beside his wife, guilt all over his face, and looking like he couldn’t possibly be capable of what his wife had just said. But Amanda knew from her experience that the innocent looking ones were usually the guilty ones. He reached out a hand to comfort Pearl, but she quickly pushed it away.
‘I should have known,’ Pearl said in between her sobs. ‘He had been a rake before I met him. I should have known he wasn’t going to shed that skin so easily. And do you know what hurts the most?’ Without waiting for a response, she continued, ‘He wasn’t cheating on me with a housewife – which I would have understood, because he could have said I was too busy to give him my attention. And I felt bad that I even had to think that way, but that’s the reality society has presented us with. Men get to have the best of both worlds, while women are forced to choose. While I was laboring, my husband was cheating on me with another career woman. She was a friend of our friends, and I knew her from a few social occasions we had met at.’
Ignoring Charlie as she gave Pearl some Kleenex, Amanda asked, ‘How long had it been going on for?’
Pearl wiped away her tears, composed herself, and said, ‘When I confronted him, he said it had been going on for three years. But it could be more for all I know.’
‘I didn’t lie about that,’ Charlie interjected.
‘I don’t care about what you have to say now,’ Pearl responded. And to Amanda, she said, ‘I just feel so stupid. How could I not have known? I sacrificed everything for us, for our family. Contrary to what other women think, I too like being taken care of. It’s not my fault I ended up with someone who doesn’t want to take care of me.’
‘It’s not that I don’t want to take care of you; I can’t take care of you,’ Charlie complained.
‘You can!’ Pearl barked at him. ‘You just don’t want to. You gave up at the first bump in the road. There are so many other things you can do to earn a living, but you act like being a journalist was the start and end of you!’
Unlike his wife, Charlie remained calm as he said, ‘It’s what I’m best at, and is my only true passion till date.’
‘If I had continued to follow my passion, we would be starving! But I decided to man up so I could provide a good life for us. But you couldn’t even keep it in your pants! What does Nicole have that I don’t? You have literally no reason to cheat, yet you did!’
‘Nicole makes me feel seen and listened to!’ Charlie said in yell which surprised both women, and silenced Pearl. ‘I know you sacrificed everything for us, but did you ask me what I want? No, you didn’t, because you never seek my opinion on anything. You do whatever you think is best for both of us. When was the last time we had a conversation in which you asked me how I was? It’s always you filling me in on your day, telling me about your new project, or your disagreement with a co-worker. It’s always you, you, you!’
Now humbled, Pearl meekly said, ‘I’m sorry. I had no idea that’s how I made you feel.’
Charlie looked surprised by her apology. But he recovered himself enough to say, ‘Thank you. And I’m sorry I was unfaithful.’
She pursed her lips as she said, ‘That’s going to take a while to forgive.’
‘I know. And I’m willing to work on earning your trust back,’ Charlie tentatively took her hand in his, as though he were scared she was going to pull away.
‘That sounds exactly like what you told me when we met. Yet, here we are.’
Charlie looked at her with eyes full of remorse. ‘I’m sorry.’
In a whisper, Pearl said, ‘I know.’
Amanda cleared her throat, drawing both of their attention to her. Pearl quickly withdrew her hand from Charlie’s as a blush crept up her cheeks.
‘I’m sorry to interrupt,’ Amanda said. ‘That outburst was necessary for both of you, as it’s helped you identify the cause of your dispute. Now that it’s out of the way, I think it’s best you focus on how to move forward. The fact that you’re both here and are willing to go through this emotionally unveiling process is a sign that you’re both willing to make things work. Am I correct in assuming that?’
Pearl and Charlie looked at each other, before both giving Amanda a nod.
In her first display of emotion, Amanda smiled at them. ‘Good. Now, going forward…’
Pearl led her daughters through the crowded store, holding each by hand. It was the festive season, and there was always a rush during this period to stock up on supplies and gifts. She and her daughters were looking for ornaments they were going to decorate their Christmas tree with.
‘Mummy, look!’ One of herdaughters squealed, and pointed at a golden star which was on the top of one of the trees on display. ‘I like that one. Mummy, please buy it. I’ve seen it only in movies.’
Her sister joined her in begging, and Pearl had no choice but to give in. They approached a store assistant, and Pearl pointed out the star to him. He nodded and told her it was available, then led her to the reception desk so he could wrap it up for her. While Pearl was waiting on him, she spotted a familiar face in the shop.
‘Amanda.’
Amanda turned around in surprise, and broke into a smile when she saw Pearl. ‘Pearl, hi.’
‘Hi,’ Pearl greeted back. ‘I see you’re up to holiday shopping too.’
‘Yes, I am.’ Amanda nodded.
‘These are my daughters,’ Pearl motioned at her girls. ‘Girls, this is my friend; say hi to her.’
They greeted Amanda in a chorus, and she stooped to meet them at eye level. She kissed each girl on the cheek, which sent them into giggles. Straightening up, she said to Pearl, ‘I see things are going well.’
‘Yes, they are,’ Pearl confirmed. ‘I hired managers for all of my businesses, and now I have more time to spend with my family. I’ve also had some time to rest. Charlie just started a local magazine. It’s not generating a lot yet – it’s mostly a volunteer venture at this point – but it keeps him busy and makes him happy.’
‘I’m so happy to hear all that.’
‘Thank you. And thank you so much for helping us get to this point.’
Amanda shrugged. ‘There’s no need to thank me. I was just doing my job.’
‘Thank you again,’ Pearl said, and they both chuckled.
The shop assistant returned with the star wrapped up for Pearl. Pearl collected it, paid, and slipped it into her bag. Then she took her daughters’ hands in hers.
‘Merry Christmas, Amanda. Happy holidays!’
‘Merry Christmas.’
The girls waved at Amanda before walking away with their mother.
AUTHOR BIO
Ninpa Spritney is a Cameroonian writer, who enjoys creating meaningful stories that focus on emotional and educational themes. She brings empathy, insight, and purpose to everything she writes. Her work often explores growth, healing and human connection.
