Chioma’s voice from the phone call lingered in my head all night.> “Amara, I don’t know who else to call… I think Tunde is hiding something from me.”I wanted to ignore her. After all, she had no right to seek my help after betraying me. But the fear in her tone haunted me. It wasn’t the usual Chioma, bold and unapologetic. This was a woman trembling, unsure, desperate.By morning, I decided I needed to know. Not for Chioma, but for myself.

—A Visit to Chioma

When I arrived at her apartment, Chioma looked exhausted. Her eyes were swollen, her hair untidy. She was nothing like the glowing, confident friend I once knew.“Amara,” she whispered, her voice cracking, “thank you for coming.”I crossed my arms. “I’m only here because I want to hear what this is about. Don’t think this changes anything between us.”She nodded quickly. “I understand.”She pulled out her phone and handed it to me. “I found these messages on Tunde’s phone when he left it charging.”My stomach tightened as I scrolled through. The messages weren’t to her — they were to another woman. The chats were romantic, even intimate. And one line froze my blood:> “Don’t worry, she thinks the baby is mine. When it’s born, we’ll know the truth.”I looked up sharply. “Chioma… are you sure the baby is Tunde’s?”Her lips trembled. “It has to be. He was the only one…” Her voice trailed off, but doubt flickered in her eyes.

—The Bitter Truth

In that moment, the pieces began to fall into place. Tunde wasn’t just betraying me. He wasn’t just betraying Chioma. He was playing everyone.“Chioma,” I said slowly, “you may not want to hear this, but I don’t think Tunde truly loves either of us. He’s using us. Maybe he’s been doing it all along.”Tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head. “No… I gave up everything for him. I lost you for him. I can’t believe it was all a lie.”I felt a strange mix of anger and pity. This was the girl who had destroyed me, yet here she was, shattered by the same man she chose over me.

—A Plan Forms

That night, I couldn’t sleep. My mind raced with questions. Who was the other woman? What was Tunde’s true motive?One thing was certain — I wasn’t going to sit back and watch this unfold.The next day, I called David. He had become my safe space, the one person who gave me clarity when my world felt dark.“I need your help,” I told him.“Anything,” he replied without hesitation.Together, we decided to dig deeper into Tunde’s life. If he had skeletons in his closet, we were going to find them.

—Discovering the Other Woman

It didn’t take long. Lagos is big, but secrets don’t stay buried for long. With David’s help, I traced the number from the messages. It belonged to a woman named Bisi, who worked in the same fintech company as Tunde.When I reached out to her pretending to be a colleague, she didn’t hesitate to talk.“Ah, Tunde is a sweet talker,” she gushed. “But he promised me I was the only one. Now I’m hearing he’s with other women too.”My blood boiled. “Did he tell you anything about Chioma?”Bisi’s voice dropped. “Yes… he said she’s claiming he’s the father of her baby, but he isn’t sure. He said he’s only with her for convenience.”

—The Confrontation

That evening, I met Chioma again and told her everything. Her face crumbled as the reality sank in.“All this time… he was lying to me too,” she whispered.Her sobs filled the room, but I felt no joy in her pain. Instead, I felt a strange sense of vindication. Maybe now she understood the depth of betrayal.“We need to confront him,” I said firmly. “Together.”She looked at me, surprised. “After everything I did to you, you’d stand by me?”I sighed. “This isn’t about friendship anymore. This is about truth. He doesn’t get to keep playing with our lives.”