Obinna couldn’t get his mind off Ada. The way he saw her lying on the floor crying, the marks all over her body his heart was restless. He tossed on his bed all night, unable to sleep, thinking about her condition in that house.

The next morning, Sandra sat lazily on the couch pressing her phone while Mrs. Collins was watching a film and laughing. Suddenly, a knock came at the door. Mrs. Collins got up, grumbling, but when she opened it, fear gripped her immediately she saw two policemen. She stepped back scaredly.

The officers walked in with authority.

“Good morning ma. We are looking for Chidi. I believe this is his house?” one of them said firmly.

Mrs. Collins opened her mouth, ready to lie that he wasn’t around, when Chidi himself walked out from the inner room. The moment he saw the police, panic flashed in his eyes. He tried to run back, but one officer grabbed him.

The officer held him tight and declared loudly:

“Chidi, you are under arrest for domestic violence. You have been reported for beating and maltreating a woman under this roof. You have the right to remain silent, because anything you say here can and will be used against you in the court of law. Now move it!”

He snapped the handcuffs on Chidi’s wrists with a sharp click.

Chidi exploded immediately, thrashing in their grip. “Leave me! What nonsense is this? I don’t know what you people are talking about! Who said I beat somebody?!”

“Keep quiet, young man,” the second officer barked. “You think we came here to play? We have evidence and report against you.”

Chidi’s eyes darted wildly. Sweat poured down his face. “It’s a lie! It’s that useless witch Ada! She wants to destroy me! Mom, tell them! Mom, tell them I’m innocent!”

Mrs. Collins collapsed on the floor, wailing. “Officers, please don’t carry my son away, I beg you! He is innocent ooo, he did nothing wrong! Leave him for me, please!”

Ada rushed out from the kitchen, her hands shaking. “Please, officers, wait”

But Chidi roared, pointing at her. “Shut up your cursed mouth, Ada! You are the one that wants to ruin me. I swear if I come back, you will regret ever being born in this world!”

“Move!” the officer commanded, dragging him forward.

Chidi kicked against the ground, shouting like a madman. “You people will regret this! I have people in high places. You can’t just arrest me like a common thief! Leave me alone, do you know who I am?!”

The policemen ignored his cries and pulled him to the door.

All this while, Sandra didn’t even lift her head. She sat on the sofa, scrolling her phone, chewing gum.

“Sandra!” Mrs. Collins screamed through her tears. “Instead you will join us and beg them to leave Chidi, and you are there pressing phone?”

Sandra finally looked up, her face full of irritation. “Mom, you better leave me alone. If they want to carry him, let them carry him.”

The words stabbed Mrs. Collins like a knife. “Sandra! I should leave you alone? Sandra, they just arrested your fiancé, and you are telling me to leave you alone?”

Sandra hissed and waved her hand. “Mom, when I told you to send this witch out of the house, you refused. Now see the disgrace she has brought. You expect me to stress myself for your son? Never! If he likes, let him rot in cell. After all, it’s all his fault.”

Mrs. Collins beat her chest, crying louder, while the officers dragged Chidi outside, his voice still echoing: “You will all regret this! I swear!”

The door slammed behind them. Silence filled the room except for Mrs. Collins’ sobs.

“Mama, please stop crying,” Ada whispered, trying to hold her arm. “I will make sure he comes back”

Mrs. Collins suddenly turned on her, eyes blazing with tears. She slapped Ada’s hands away. “Get your filthy hands off me, you daughter of a witch! See what you have caused! You have ruined my son’s life! Useless girl!” She beat Ada on the shoulder in frustration.

Ada’s jaw tightened. Her eyes darkened as anger rose inside her chest. In her heart, she knew it was Obinna’s handwork. He was the one who called the police. Enough was enough.

She stormed out of the house, carrying the small card Obinna once gave her. She followed the address and located his house, but he was already gone. Ada clenched her fists. If she couldn’t meet him at home, then she would meet him at his workplace.

With the help of the card, she traced her way to his hospital.

The moment she entered the hospital reception, she raised her voice, her anger boiling over.
“Where is Obinna?! Where is that stupid doctor?!”

Patients and nurses turned to stare at her. Murmurs filled the hall. Some nurses tried to calm her, but Ada pushed them aside. “Leave me alone! I want to see him now! Tell him Ada is here!”

Obinna heard the noise from his office and rushed out. But before he could say a word, Ada charged at him and slapped him hard across the face. The sound of the slap echoed through the hall.

The crowd gasped in shock.

“How dare you, Obinna!” Ada screamed, her eyes blazing. “Who do you think you are to arrest the love of my life? Are you stupid?! Just because you are a doctor, you think you can do anything you like? Idiot! White coat fool!”

Obinna staggered, holding his cheek. “Ada… please, calm down. Try to understand me. Chidi doesn’t deserve you. He is not good for you. Why are you so blind that you can’t see it?”

Ada burst out laughing a bitter, angry laugh. “Obinna, it is you and your entire generation that are blind! My God will punish you for what you did! So because you are a doctor, you think you are God? Let me tell you your white coat cannot cover your stupidity! Nonsense! Rubbish man!”

People in the crowd gasped and muttered, shaking their heads.

Ada stepped closer, her finger almost poking his chest. “I give you just two minutes to call those police and tell them to release Chidi. If you don’t, I swear I will scatter this hospital today! You don’t know me, Obinna. I will show you the other side of Ada.”

Just then, Emeka entered the hall. Ada swung towards him like a storm.

“And you, Emeka I thought you had sense! I thought you and Chidi were like brothers back in the village! Now look at you standing here like a puppet, letting a total stranger come between you both. You are a disgrace! A coward! You better not cross me, or you will regret ever knowing me!”

Emeka froze, speechless.

Ada hissed loudly, turned to the crowd, and shouted, “All of you here, are my witnesses! If Chidi is not released today, you will see the kind of fire I will bring into this place!”

With that, she stormed out, her slippers slapping against the tiled floor, leaving murmurs and whispers behind her.

Obinna closed his eyes in pain and shame, then quietly walked back into his office. Emeka followed him in.

“Obinna,” Emeka said softly, “please… let them release Chidi. If not, this matter will scatter everywhere.”

At first, Obinna shook his head. “No. That boy doesn’t deserve to walk free. He will kill her one day.”

But Emeka pressed harder. After a long silence, Obinna sighed deeply and finally agreed.

Meanwhile, back at home, Ada’s bag was already lined up outside the door. Mrs. Collins and Sandra had wasted no time. They couldn’t wait for her to return before throwing her out completely.

When Ada finally arrived, dusty from her furious walk, she stopped dead at the sight of her bag on the veranda. Her clothes were stuffed carelessly, some spilling from the sides.

Mrs. Collins stood by the door with red eyes, still crying. Sandra leaned on the wall, chewing gum, smiling wickedly.

“So you’re back,” Sandra said with a smirk. “Carry your load and get out. We don’t want you here again.”

Ada’s chest rose and fell. She stared at them, anger burning in her eyes.

Mrs. Collins pointed a trembling finger at her. “Yes! Out of my house, witch! You have finished my son. You are a curse to this family. Pack your things before I call the securities to drag you out!”

Sandra clapped her hands mockingly. “Abi o! Idiot. Carry your bag and go back to the gutter you came from. Gold digger! Home wrecker!”

Ada stood still, her jaw locked, her fists clenched.

Sandra laughed suddenly, throwing her head back, the gum popping loudly between her teeth. “Shameless thing carry your bag, before rain fall on it.”

Ada’s hands shook as she bent slowly to touch her bag.

You have finished me, you have finished my son, you want to finish my life too? Over my dead body! Pick that bag and leave my compound before I do something crazy!”

Ada’s nostrils flared, her eyes wide. “Mama, after everything? After all I have suffered in this house? You throw my things outside like I’m a common dog?”

Sandra clapped her hands sharply, her voice rising. “Dog? Dog is even better than you. Dog knows how to respect people,dogs knows how to close their legs. You ,you are worse than a dog. Idiot girl! Na so your people train you. Gold digger! Witch! Poverty-stricken witch!”

Ada’s lips trembled as she tried to speak, but Sandra shouted over her words, pointing at the gate. “Carry your bag and go! Abi you want me to drag you by your useless hair and throw you to the main road? Fool!”

Mrs. Collins grabbed her wrapper tightly, shaking her head violently. “God forbid bad thing! As long as I live, Ada will never step foot inside this house again. Not today, not tomorrow, not even in my grave. Evil child! Cursed child! Because of you my son is in police cell! Because of you my home is scattered! Leave before I curse you with my mouth!”

Ada’s throat ached, her voice cracked when she finally spoke. “Mama, I never wanted this. I swear” I have gone to beg him to release chidi…

Sandra shouted, cutting her off. “Shut your stinking mouth! Who be your mama? Which mama? This woman is not your mother,You don’t have a mother here, you don’t have family here, you don’t have anything here! You are a tenant, a squatter, a mistake that entered this house. Pack your load and vanish!”

Ada bent down again, tears already burning her face, but her tears only made Sandra laugh harder. “See her! Crying like goat. Cry more, maybe Obinna will come and rescue you with his white coat. Useless girl.”

She pushed Ada’s bag with her foot, scattering the clothes further into the dirt. “See your clothes, all smelling, all dirty. Even beggars on the street are dressing better than you. And you were dreaming of being wife in this family? Hahaha! Wake up!”

Ada suddenly raised her head, her eyes red, her voice shaking but loud. “Sandra, one day you will regret all these things you are doing to me. I swear with my blood, you will regret! even you mama”

Sandra hissed, stepped closer, and spat near Ada’s feet. “Regret? You that is going to sleep under bridge today, you are talking about regret? Better shift from here before I call boys from the street to help me throw you and your bag straight to the gutter.”

Mrs. Collins began to wail again, beating her chest, her voice carrying across the whole compound. “God ooo, see how this witch has reduced me! God ooo, see my shame! They carried my son like thief, now the whole neighborhood will be laughing at me. What did I do to deserve this? What sin did I commit to allow Ada to enter my family? God remove this evil from my house today!”

Her cries mixed with Sandra’s mocking laughter, the neighbors’ gossip, and the children’s songs. The noise rose higher, and Ada stood there, shaking, her hands clutching her chest.

Sandra clapped again, shouting at the top of her lungs: “Yes ooo! Carry your bag and go! Bye-bye! Don’t ever come back here! Witch! Bastard! Good riddance!”

Mrs. Collins raised her hands to the sky, her voice hoarse. “Thank you, God, for delivering us from this evil girl. Let her go and never return!”

The gate creaked as Ada dragged her bag toward it, her tears mixing with sweat, her breath uneven, her heart pounding. The whole compound watched in silence now, waiting to see where she would go.

She didn’t look back.

She didn’t speak again.

She only dragged her bag into the out of the house, her slippers slapping against the ground, her shadow stretching behind her like a curse.