Rather than congratulate and support his wife in her climb up the career ladder, Zel took great pleasure in humiliating her behind closed doors.
He often reminded her not to forget he got her the job in the first place and that she may be the boss of all those nonentities at the office but at home he was still the man and her boss.
So, she had to remember to climb down her high house and attend to his every beck and call.
Nene did everything to compensate at home, contributing her lion’s share to household expenses, making sure all their property and investments were in joint names, letting him have full control of their finances.
But no matter what she did, it was never enough.
He was not getting promoted as quickly as he felt he deserved and decided the only justification for Nene’s climb up the ladder must have been as a result of some effective 'bottom power' movement and illicit liaisons with her line manager.
‘”One day you will confess and say the truth about your affairs with your boss," he said after she informed him of yet another award, refusing to even acknowledge her achievement.
“Are you the only one in that office? Why must it always be you getting this and that? There is no logical reason why out of almost two hundred engineers you keep getting all the awards!
I am sick of your pretentious behaviour and I do not trust you, so I am going to give you a simple ultimatum. You either leave that job or I leave that office for you.”
“Everybody is gossiping about how I am the 'mugu' in the love triangle whilst you are having a cosy time with your boss," he said.
“No wonder you have refused to take time off to have a baby like your mates, you are afraid you won’t know the father of your own baby. Useless slut!"
“Zel, that’s not fair!" said Nene. "You know you are the only man I have ever been with in my whole life! How can you say such a thing?
Why do you say and do all these nasty things to me when you know how much I love and adore you!” she cried.
“Shut up and save all those useless crocodile tears for your 'mugu' boyfriend in the office! You think I am a fool and I don’t know what you get up to when you say you are working late on your projects.
"You stink of sex whenever you come home and I know it’s not from me. In short take your pants off and let me see for myself,” he yelled at her.
“No please, Zel don’t do this. I swear I have never been with anybody but you. What have I not done to prove my love and loyalty to only you?” she pleaded, pools of tears forming around her eyes.
“Well, you know what they say, action speaks louder than words. If you really love me as you are forever proclaiming, then you will walk into that office and hand in your resignation letter.
"Then and only then will I know for myself that you have nothing to do with your boss and I am your everything as you claim!” he told her, nudging her angrily around the forehead with his thumb and index finger before shoving her roughly and telling her to get out of his way.
Nene felt herself getting weak and slumped slowly down in a heap of despair on the floor. God please help me, she prayed silently, please help me find the man I married, please God.
She spent a very sleepless night going over and over again in her head, what she should do.
'Maybe if he is in a better mood, I can beg him to rethink this ultimatum,' she thought just before she nodded off to sleep.
She soon felt herself being shaken roughly into wakefulness.
“I said wake up, you this fat toad! Didn’t you hear me?" she heard her husband say as she tried to focus through the foggy mist of sleep.
"Sorry," she automatically started saying when she felt the nudging again, always around her forehead with his thumb and index finger.
“I have come to the decision that I don’t trust you to stick to your ultimatum.
So as your husband and head of this family, I am just going to make the decision simple for you as I've had enough of the embarrassment you have been exposing me to in that office.
As I'm the man, I'm going to make the decision that should put an end to all this rubbish. Now take this paper!" he said as he shoved the paper between her open palms.
“Take this pen and draft a resignation letter in your best handwriting, starting now!”
“Zel, please, I need time to think things through. Can’t we talk about this, please?
I'm a member of the board and a senior level head of department so I can’t just up and leave; besides I love my job and my team and I'm not ready to resign yet."
“It also takes a good few months to find another good job, plus we have a lot of projects going on at the moment and this is such short notice…” she started to plead when without any warning he gave her a slap on her face and punched her as hard as he could in the stomach.
“Who do you think you are talking to?” he screamed at her between punches as she curled up in a ball trying to protect her face.
“Do I look like one of your nonentity stupid underlings in the office? Or like your womanizing line manager?” He pulled her hair back and leaned closely into her face
“If you ever speak to me like that again, I'll punch the living day lights out of you! Pig!” he yelled before giving her another slap across her face with his clenched fist.
Nene felt the blood in her mouth and her teeth begin to wobble.
It was like she had been struck by several bolts of lightning at once and she could make out several stars spinning around her head.
“What kind of a man do you take me for! So, they can’t do without you at the office eh?
Maybe, if I put you in hospital again, that will remind them of how to carry on without you or do you think the department will shut down even if you were to drop dead?” he shouted as he brought down another fistful of slaps.
Nene tried to make her way to the toilet but she stumbled and fell to the ground. Zel looked at her in disgust and stamped hard on her back as she yelped in agony.
“Get your fat ass up and write that letter otherwise you will wish you were never born,” he hissed at her as he walked out of the room and locked the door behind him.
To be continued
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