BEHIND THE SMILES
Ebuka and Amaka were the ideal Nigerian couple. They met at a friend’s wedding in Lagos and instantly hit it off. Amaka was a beautiful woman with a charming smile that could light up a room, and Ebuka was a tall, handsome banker with a successful career. People who saw them together would say they were made for each other. Everything just seemed perfect.
Ebuka came from a humble background, but he’d worked his way up through university and into a good job at a top bank in Lagos. Amaka, on the other hand, came from a comfortable family but not wealthy.
Despite their different backgrounds, they fit together like jollof rice and chicken.
It wasn’t long before Ebuka proposed, and of course, Amaka said yes. Their wedding was the talk of the town. People came from all over to see the lavish ceremony. There were fireworks, a massive cake, and live music. The couple danced like they were in a Nollywood movie, and everyone cheered them on. It was a dream come true.
But even then, there were whispers. Some people said Amaka was too good for Ebuka. Others said she was just interested in his money, but Ebuka didn’t care. He was in love, and he was willing to give Amaka everything.
Life after marriage was smooth. Ebuka and Amaka moved into a beautiful house in Lekki. They had a fancy car and traveled to exotic places on vacation. It was like they were living in a fairy tale. Amaka became a regular on the Lagos social scene, and Ebuka was proud to be by her side. He worked hard at the bank and made sure they had everything they needed.
Amaka had a way of making everything seem easy. She always had the latest fashion trends, the best hairstyles, and the hottest makeup. Everyone envied her. She had friends everywhere, and she always knew the right people to talk to. Ebuka loved how confident she was, how she could walk into a room and have everyone’s attention.
But then, things started to change. Ebuka noticed that Amaka was spending more time away from home. She said it was because of business meetings and social events. Ebuka didn’t mind; he trusted her completely. After all, she had always been there for him, and he believed in giving her space.
One day, while Ebuka was at work, he received a call from an unknown number. He answered, thinking it was a client, but it was a woman’s voice. “Is this Ebuka?” she asked. He confirmed it was him, and she said, “Your wife… she’s not who you think she is.” Ebuka was confused. He tried to ask who she was and what she meant, but the line went down.
Ebuka was disturbed by the call. He tried to shrug it off, thinking it was just a prank or someone trying to cause trouble. But the words echoed in his mind: “Your wife… she’s not who you think she is.” He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong.
He decided to talk to Amaka about it, but she brushed it off, laughing. “Ah, Ebuka, you worry too much. Someone’s just trying to cause drama. You know people don’t like to see us happy.” She kissed him and said she had to go out with some friends. Ebuka nodded, but the uneasy feeling stayed with him.
A few days later, Ebuka was working late at the bank when he received another call from the same number. This time, the voice was more urgent. “Ebuka, listen to me. Your wife is not who she says she is. She’s using you. Don’t trust her!” Before he could ask any questions, the call disconnected again…
Ebuka was now really worried. He was wondering who this caller could be, he murmured “who could this be”? He left office to his home but couldn’t sleep that night. He decided to monitor his wife Amaka, may be the unknown caller might be right, “there is no smoke without fire” he muttered to his hearing.
One evening, Ebuka followed Amaka immediately she left home for a meeting as usual. He felt like a fool, sneaking around, but he had to know what was happening. He watched as she entered a high-end restaurant in Victoria Island. She was dressed to the nines, laughing and talking with a group of people he didn’t recognize.
He waited for her to leave, and when she did, he followed her immediately and she entered a nightclub. She started drinking then dancing followed suit, having the time of her life. But then he saw something that made his heart stop. Amaka went to a corner, talking closely to a man—a man who was definitely not him. They were laughing and holding hands.
Ebuka felt like his world was crashing down. What was happening? Was this the woman he married? What was she doing with this man? He wanted to confront her, but he was too shocked to move. Instead, he watched from a distance, his heart breaking with every passing second.
Ebuka couldn’t sleep that night. He kept replaying what he’d seen at the nightclub. The way Amaka held that man’s hand, the way she laughed at his jokes—it was like she was a different person. He decided to confront her, determined to get some answers.
Amaka came home but very late, he was waiting for her in the living room. He asked her where she’d been, and she gave him the usual story about being out with friends. Ebuka couldn’t hold it in any longer. He told her what he’d seen at the nightclub, how she’d been with another man.
Amaka’s eyes grew cold. “Ebuka, you’re being paranoid. I told you, those are just friends. You need to relax,” she said, rolling her eyes. But Ebuka wouldn’t let it go. He told her about the calls he’d received, about how people said she wasn’t who she claimed to be.
Amaka snapped. “Ebuka, you’re being ridiculous! Do you know how much I’ve done for you? I could have married any rich man in this city, but I chose you! And now you’re accusing me of cheating? You should be grateful!” She stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.
Ebuka felt like a fool. Maybe he was being too paranoid. Maybe he was overreacting. He decided to let it go for now and see if things would calm down. But that night, he couldn’t sleep. Something was wrong, and he needed to find out what it was.
The next day, Ebuka went to work as usual, but he couldn’t focus. He kept thinking about Amaka and the man from the nightclub. He decided to dig deeper into her life, to find out what was really going on. He left work and went home straight to cool off his head, when it was night fall, he started by checking her social media accounts, her messages, anything he could find.
That was when he stumbled upon a conversation that made his blood run cold. It was a message from Amaka to a man, his mind immediately went to the man she’d been with at the nightclub. The message read, “Don’t worry, I’m just keeping him around until I get what I want. Soon, we’ll be able to live our own lives.”
Ebuka’s hands trembled as he read the message over and over again. What was she planning? What did she mean by “get what I want”? He felt a surge of anger and betrayal. He decided he needed to confront her, but he had to be smart about it.
He gathered all the evidence he could find in Amaka’s phone —messages, photos, anything that proved what was going on. He knew he had to act quickly before things got out of control. But before he could confront her, he received another call from the unknown number. This time, the voice was different—it was a man’s voice.
“Ebuka, you need to listen to me,” the voice said. “Your wife is planning something big. She’s not just using you; she’s using everyone. You need to get out of there before it’s too late.”
Ebuka’s heart raced…
Ebuka’s heart raced. What was happening? What was she planning? He knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to act, and he had to act fast. He went to bed but couldn’t sleep, he prayed the day should come so fast and in thoughts on how smart he should be because Amaka was a beautiful liar.
The next day, he pretended like everything is fine and left for work but he couldn’t concentrate at work, he decided to leave work and go rest his head at home.
Ebuka raced home, his mind filled with confusion and anger. As he pulled into the driveway, he saw Amaka’s car there, but something felt off. He entered the house quietly, careful not to make a sound. He could hear voices coming from the living room—Amaka’s voice, along with someone else’s.
He crept closer, hiding behind the wall as he listened to their conversation. It was Amaka and the man from the nightclub. They were discussing plans—plans to get rid of Ebuka and take everything he had. They talked about how much money he had in his bank account, the life insurance policies, and even the deed to the house. Amaka was planning to take it all and leave him with nothing.
Ebuka felt a surge of rage. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The woman he loved, the woman he’d trusted with his life, was plotting against him. He knew he couldn’t let them get away with it.
He stepped into the living room, and Amaka and the man turned to look at him, shocked to see him there. “Amaka, how could you?” he asked, his voice filled with anger. “I trusted you, and you were planning to destroy me!”
Amaka’s face hardened. “Ebuka, you don’t understand. You were just a stepping stone for me. I needed your money to live the life I wanted. Now that I have everything, you’re just in the way.”
Ebuka’s anger boiled over. He confronted the man, who tried to defend himself, but Ebuka wasn’t having it. He grabbed the man and pushed him out of the house, shouting at him never to come back. Amaka tried to stop him, but Ebuka was too furious to listen.
The neighbors gathered around, shocked by the scene unfolding before them. Ebuka was shouting and throwing the man out of his house, and Amaka stood there, defiant, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Ebuka, you’re overreacting,” Amaka said, her voice icy. “You don’t even know the whole story.”
Ebuka glared at her. “I know enough, Amaka! I heard you plotting to take everything from me. You used me!”
Amaka rolled her eyes. “Used you? I was trying to help you, Ebuka! You were just a low-level banker with no connections. I was building a life for us—don’t you understand that?”
The neighbors began to whisper among themselves. Some of them had always had their doubts about Amaka, but they never imagined she could be so cold and calculating. Ebuka was devastated. He felt like his whole world had been a lie.
He didn’t know what to do. Should he call the police? Should he leave the house? Everything he thought he knew about Amaka was crumbling before his eyes.
Amaka saw the crowd forming and suddenly changed her tune. She started to cry, acting as if she was the victim. “Ebuka, please, let’s not do this in front of everyone. Let’s go inside and talk about it.”
The man who Ebuka pushed out started shouting at the top of his voice “ I’m the one who is behind the phone calls you have been receiving, I’m the one who is trying to save you, yes, I’m the unknown caller “ he went on saying “ Amaka your wife here has been using everyone, you! Me! And anyone she comes across, I’m the one plotting against her because I want to save a brother!”.
Ebuka’s eyes widened in disbelief, he couldn’t believe his ears but he knows this man is saying the truth. He bursted out crying, knelt on the floor, he tried to talk but couldn’t, he was speechless and crying profusely, he couldn’t imagine what he heard.
Amaka’s eyes widened in shock and betrayal, she immediately rushed the man and started hitting his chest with pains and betrayal in her voice “how could you do this to me!!” “How could you!!!” She cried aloud and helplessly.
Ebuka immediately stood up, cleaned his eyes and took out his phone, he called the police and told them everything. The officers arrived quickly and asked Amaka to explain the situation. She tried to play the innocent card, but Ebuka had evidence—the man, the messages, the photos, everything he’d collected. It was clear that she was guilty of plotting against him.
The police took Amaka into custody, and the crowd dispersed.
Ebuka stood for some seconds and hugged the man from the club, he shouted “thank you man!!!” and they did guy’s handshake, the guy replied and said “a brother saved today will save another brother tomorrow.” After that day, Ebuka and that guy became close pals, and were always seen out together.
You may Like : marriages-sacrificial-journey
