Khanyiswa had been itching for an escape. The constant talk of babies, surrogacy, and Sandile's ideal family image was more than she could handle. She drove across town to a luxury apartment where her secret lover, Caleb, livedâa handsome gigolo who was everything Sandile wasn't. He knew her needs without her having to say a word, and that's exactly what she liked about him. Here, she didn't have to pretend.
After spending some time in bed together, they lay there, and Khanyiswa finally let her frustrations spill out.
"I don't even want this kid, babe" she confessed, rolling her eyes. "I only agreed to this surrogacy because it makes Sandile happy and keeps the money rolling in. He thinks I'm doing it for him, but he has no idea."
Caleb chuckled, clearly amused by her scheme. "So, you get to keep up the lifestyle without lifting a finger? Not a bad deal," he teased, running his fingers through her hair.
She smirked. "Exactly. And once the baby is here, it's all on Sandile. I'll just keep enjoying the benefits. Let him have his perfect little family if that's what he wants."
For Khanyiswa, this was the perfect arrangementâone where she gave just enough to keep Sandile hooked, while she continued living her own life on her terms.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Mmabatho had just gotten home, already dreading the conversation she knew was waiting for her. She stepped inside, and, as expected, Kabello was there, his face tight with anger.
"You went to that clinic, didn't you?" he demanded, barely letting her set down her bag.
"Can we not do this right now, Kabello? I'm tired," Mmabatho replied, trying to keep her voice calm.
"Yeah, tired of listening to me, right?" Kabello's voice rose. "I told you, I don't want my girlfriend carrying someone else's child. How could you be so selfish?"
Mmabatho took a deep breath, her patience wearing thin. She'd tried to reason with him, to make him see that this was her choice, her future. But Kabello only cared about how it affected him.
"Selfish?" she said, feeling the frustration boiling over. " Kabello, I'm doing this to make a better life for us, but you can't even try to understand. All you do is make me feel guilty."
Kabello scoffed, dismissing her words. "If you cared about us, you'd respect me and stop this nonsense. But clearly, you only care about yourself."
That was the final straw. Without saying another word, Mmabatho grabbed her keys and walked out, not even looking back as Kabello called after her. She felt a weight lift as she closed the door behind her. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew she couldn't stay there, not like this.
Half an hour later, Mmabatho arrived at Onalenna's place, her eyes tired, her shoulders slumped. Onalenna opened the door, immediately sensing her friend's distress.
"Oh, babe, come in," she said, wrapping her arms around Mmabatho in a comforting hug. "Did Kabello start again?"
Mmabatho nodded, feeling a tear slip down her cheek. "I couldn't take it, Ona. He just... he won't understand, and he won't let it go. I had to leave."
Onalenna guided her to the couch, grabbing a blanket and making her comfortable. "Listen, you can stay here as long as you need. Kabello has no right to treat you like that. You're doing something amazing, and if he can't see that, then maybe he's not worth your time."
Sitting in her friend's cozy apartment, Mmabatho finally felt a bit of peace. For the first time in a long time, she let herself relax, realizing just how much she'd been carrying on her own.