Novels by Anotida Mandemwa

Adrea was not going to spend her life wallowing in misery. That’s what she told herself as she picked up the book she had abandoned for a week—a week in which Rafael hadn’t come home, and she had been unable to reach out.She was beginning to accept that he didn’t want to see her. So, when work called, she took it as a sign. She needed distraction.But distraction didn’t last.She heard a car in the driveway. Her body went still. She knew that engine’s low, purring sound. She rose too quickly, the rush making her vision speckle with black dots. When her sight cleared, she moved to the window.He was home.Rafael stepped out of the car with the same stiff grace she knew by heart. He pulled an overnight bag from the back seat and turned toward the house. As if he sensed her watching, he looked up.She flinched, stepping back into the dim room. Her reflection in the glass caught her off guard—pale, lips colorless, hair in a limp bun. She barely looked like herself. But none of it mattere

Adrea stayed in bed most of the day. Her mind was a fog, filled with an unending mist of questions that had no clear answers. What was going to happen now? What was she going to do? She could not get over the tightness in her chest, the lump in her throat, or the weight in her belly. She felt cold, as though she were seeing the world from another realm. She might as well be. How could this be her life? How had she gotten here? She was still not sure.Even as she remembered the events of that night a week ago, she could not believe it. Why had Felix done that to her? Was he in trouble? Had he gotten into the wrong bed and been too embarrassed to tell his brother?But that did not make sense! It did not explain him essentially claiming he was having an affair with her. It was just not right! She had thought he was her friend. But he had not reached out to her to check if she was okay.When she thought about it, he had taken great pleasure in making his mother call her to scold her for b

She was still shaky as she sat on the couch opposite her husband. Felix had left, and only she remained in the mess he had created for her. She still could not get herself to breathe properly. How could anyone breathe in the mess she was in? She was still nauseous and shaky. She had tried to plead with her husband after Felix had run off, but he was not hearing her. Now out of words and unable to plead anymore, she sat there shaking like a leaf. Was this how her marriage was going to come to an end?She looked at her husband, tears in her eyes. Shaking in part from the chill of her scantily covered skin, the fear, and the shock of the night’s events, she looked pitiful. But there was no sympathy in her husband’s eyes. Only hate. Hate and disgust.She wanted to curl over and be left alone. But he insisted on interrogating her, ignoring and/or dismissing every answer she gave him.“How long has this been happening?” he asked her.How could he ask her this? She had told him that nothing

The bed dipped, and Adrea felt a sense of joy wash over her drowsy form. He was here. A part of her wanted to sit up and acknowledge his presence, but she was mostly asleep. She heard and felt him moving about as sleep took her under. She was aroused a little when he lifted the covers, and the cold air went in and brushed her bare skin. She shivered as he slowly got under the covers. Sleep crept onto her again, but he kept it at bay by shifting his body close to hers and laying his arms around her. Instinctively, Adrea rolled over and snuggled him.She felt him breath on her neck before he began to butterfly kissed on it. She let out a breath but kept her eyes closed and held him close. That was when she first registered something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Something was different. He felt wrong. The texture of his skin, the contours of his body.Even as she registered that the clothes were wrong, and so was his scent, the light was clicking on. But it was too late. She shie