I Slept With His Brother

“I’ve been fu*king Yemi.”

I had made a comment earlier and he neither spared me a glance nor replied. Now, as if he was coming awake from a deep sleep, he lifted the remote control, turned off the television and twisted his head to the side to stare at me.

“What did you say?”

I liked how his voice sounded incredulous; how shock and disbelief battled in his eyes.

“You heard me. I’ve been having s3x with Yemi.”

“Are you mad?”

Good question. And I had a good answer.

“No, I’m not. But I’m serious.”

He stared at me.

I stared back. My utter calm added to my sense of triumph.

“You must be mad. What the hell kind of expensive joke is this?”

“It’s not joke. I am telling you what’s been going on for the last seven weeks. I thought it’s time you know.”

“You thought it’s time I know.” He stared again, but only for a few seconds. Then he said, quietly, in a warning tone. “Lola, I don’t know what has gotten into you. But I warn you to stop this nonsense before I take it seriously.”

“You mean you’re not taking it seriously yet, your wife confessing that she’s been fu*king your brother? Of course, you are not. You wouldn’t, because this is not something Lola is capable of, right?” Enjoying his confusion, I smiled. “What did you say? She is boring in and out of bed. Never one to do anything exciting.”

“What the hell are you talking about?

“Your WhatsApp messages to your lover. I read them all.”

“You what? How dare you?” He flew to his feet, charged at me. “You breached my privacy? Are you mad, Lola?”

Although my body tensed, I knew he wouldn’t hit me. He wasn’t the kind of man who hit women. But he was a jackass who not only cheated on me, but insulted me too.

“No, I’m not mad, Teju. I’m a wife who wanted to know what her husband was up to.”

“What…” He took a step forward, then backed up. “How could you? I mean, my phone…”

“…has a lock. Yes, but I hacked it. You should learn to delete incriminating messages. That’s a better way to keep your tracks clean.”

“You hacked my phone, read my messages and you sit here, calmly telling me you’ve been…” His lips shook as he struggled to form the words. “You’ve been fu*king my brother? My own brother. Lola, my own brother!”

“Would it have been better if it were another man?”

“No!” He snarled the denial. Then strode over, grabbed my hand and yanked me up. “Yes. Yes, it would have been better if it were another man, you crazy bitch.”

Fear skittered into me, but I refused to let myself tremble. “Let me go, Teju. Don’t you dare raise your hand on me. What you did, I too did. You started this, I’m finishing it.”

I think it must have been my cold tone, my unflinching stare and total lack of fear, at least as far as he could see, that made him drop my hand and stagger back.

He stared at me like he didn’t know me. “But why? Why do this? Why him?”

“I told you why minutes ago, Teju. You have the poor habit of not listening to me. You told your lover I was boring in and out of bed. You said it would be more fun sleeping with a log of wood. You said I was the kind of woman who killed a man’s libido. You said I left you cold and that you hated to touch me.”

It still hurt. Nine weeks after I read the long pile of chat messages where he said demeaning things about me, it still hurt. It still insulted. It still infuriated.

“They were private messages, Lola. Things men say. You shouldn’t have read them. You had no right to. I don’t read your messages.”

“I know you don’t. And if you did, you will find nothing suspicious. But I knew you were having an affair. I sensed it. I wanted to know who and how long it’s been going on.”

“All of that is not an excuse for what you did. For what you are doing.”

“I’m not making excuses, or even offering apologies. I’m telling you what is and why. Eleven months. That’s how long you’ve been cheating on me with her.” It didn’t hurt as much as it did that day I found out. “That’s like four months after I had Wande. We’ve only been married two and half years and you’ve been cheating on me nearly half of that time.”

“You are fu*king my brother, Lola!”

I shrugged. “So I am. He was available. You know him, he’s a Casanova. He flirts with any and every woman. He’s been flirting with him. He’s always wanted me.”

“What?”

“Oh, you were always myopic, Teju. You see only what you want to see.” Tired of standing, I strode back to the armchair. “Yemi was available. He was easy. I didn’t have to make much of an effort.”

“He’s my brother, you whore!”

“She’s my cousin, you fu*king asshole!”

“Your second cousin, not a close relative.”

“Is that how you justified it, Teju? That we are not that closely related?” It struck me then that I was more disgusted than disappointed. “You are such an asshole. But it wasn’t why I picked Yemi. Well, I didn’t pick him. He came into the house that, started on his flirting as usual, talking about how he could make me feel more like a woman than you ever could. It wasn’t the first time he’d said stuff like that, but it was the first time I took off my clothes and asked him to show me what he meant.”

“Here? In this house?”

“Right here, on the living room floor.” He paled, choked, stared in horror at me. I wanted to laugh. “It was the only time it happened here, but it was the best therapy ever. I’d just found out my husband was cheating on me with my cousin and considered me worse than a log of wood, and his brother was fu*king my brains out. He actually did. He had to stuff my mouth to stop the screeches.”

The memory of it delighted me even now. “He was right, Teju. Every time, every goddamn time, he made me feel like a woman better, way better than you ever did. And you were wrong, I am not the kind of woman who kills a man’s libido. I set his libido on hyperactive and he never seemed to have enough of me.”

“You… you…” It seemed he couldn’t find the word he needed. “You tell me this and… and hope for what, that I’ll still remain married to you?”

“No. I tell you this, so you can know why I’m divorcing your cheating, insulting ass.”

“What?”

“I expect you will hear from my lawyer tomorrow. I told you, Teju, you started this but I’m finishing it.” I rose, gave him my sweetest smile. “I’m taking my daughter with me. You’ll want that, I’m sure.”

“You’re going to my brother? You think my useless, good for nothing brother will marry you? You think my family will allow it?”

“I, not them, won’t allow it. I’m going. Simple.”

I turned and walked away.

---

I took a long, slow sip of the Chardonnay. It would be fun if that was how it played out. But I didn’t want him to know yet. He would eventually, one way or another.

I’d stopped having s3x with Yemi though. That part of my revenge plot was done. Now, I had another lover. He too couldn’t get enough of me.

“Ready for me?” I crooned, set down the glass and rolled to my feet.

“Always ready.”

“Good.” My finger trailing the line down my midriff, I sauntered towards the bed.

---

I am feeling poorly; have been since yesterday. I didn’t get to write the 4th Episode of His Mother’s Wish, so I’m dropping this here, with my apologies, until next week Tuesday. This is from my The Why Short Stories series on Instagram.

‘Tis why you should follow @tmdavidwest on Instagram. Lol