Chapter Ten

It was a new day in my life as a divorcee who is trying so hard to achieve a lot of things that I would never have achieved as Nate Macdonald's wife.

My hangout out with Thelma was scheduled to be by 1:pm and I was already sitting at our usual spot , the same Bistrow cafe that never gets old , Bistrow carries a lot of our memories but that’s not the best part , they make the best velvet cakes for us and for years it’s been our go-to . My instinct had told me earlier that Thelma would always be that type of friend who would claim to be held by traffic on her way to a meeting while she’s probably still at home trying to pick an outfit so I decided to arrive at the venue by 2:pm .

It's 2:10 pm and Thelma was nowhere in sight but it didn’t surprise me but I kept looking at my watch anticipating her arrival soon . I sat by the window, sipping my coffee while scrolling through my phone, when I noticed a group of ladies at the far end of the cafe stealing glances at me. They kept whispering among themselves and signaling in my direction until one of them finally stood up and approached my table, followed by the others.

“Excuse me, are you Cassie?” she asked with a bright smile.

I nodded, slightly surprised.

“Oh my God! We saw your T****k video. You’re even more beautiful in person!” another lady exclaimed.

I laughed softly, thanking them as they showered me with compliments.

“We love how you handled your divorce. You’re such an inspiration to women. Please, don’t stop being yourself,” the first lady added before asking if they could take a picture with me.

Just as the ladies walked away, the glass door swung open, and Thelma stepped into the cafe, dressed in a stylish outfit with her handbag hanging over one shoulder. Her eyes scanned the room until they landed on me. She broke into a smile and waved, making her way toward my table.

“Cassie, I hope you haven’t been waiting too long,” she said, pulling out the chair opposite me.

I shook my head, smiling. “Not really. I just had a little fan meeting.”

Thelma raised an eyebrow, glancing at the ladies who were still stealing looks at me from across the room. “Oh, so the T****k fame has officially followed you outside your phone?” she teased, settling into her seat.Thelma pulled out the chair opposite me and dropped her handbag beside her.

I rolled my eyes at her. “Honestly, Thelma, I wonder when you’ll finally change and become a punctual person. Should I wait until we’re both old women before I experience that miracle?”

She burst out laughing. “Oh, please, Cassie. You know I’m worth the wait.” and we both laughed , we tried as much as we could to catch up on everything .

We spent the next hour catching up on our lives, talking about my restaurant, her work, and everything that had happened since we last saw each other. We laughed over old memories and gossiped about people we knew until I noticed Thelma growing unusually quiet.

She lowered her head, fiddling with her nails as though they suddenly held her full attention.I frowned, setting my cup on the table. “Thelma, what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing,” she mumbled.

I narrowed my eyes on her. “Girl, I’ve known you for years. You don’t start examining your nails in the middle of a conversation unless something is bothering you. Talk to me.”

She hesitated, took a deep breath, and finally looked up at me.

“Cassie, I’m pregnant.”

I stared at her, certain I’d heard wrong.

“Pregnant?” I repeated, my voice rising in disbelief. “You’re pregnant?”

I leaned back in my chair, trying to process what she’d just told me. “Thelma, I specifically told you to take a break from that relationship. I thought you and William had ended things!”

“We did,” she murmured.

“Then what is this?” I asked, spreading my hands in frustration. “I thought you were finally moving on. I thought you understood that his polygamy wasn’t something you could just overlook.”

“Why would you get pregnant for him, Thelma?” I asked, my voice softer but no less shocked. “You guys were supposed to be separated.” At that point I wondered why most of the problems women faced in the society were either orchestrated by men or for men . Looking back at how soft hearted Thelma was I knew she would go through a lot , she had told me how she wasn’t surprised that I was able to divorce my husband, because to her I was that type of friend who would never be played with especially by a man , I was simply a feminist to her because she didn’t really get to see the side of me that cried and begged for a man to love me right , I may not be like her who would call on the phone to cry and complain about how William treated her but I’m also human , a soft woman who had feelings and who prayed to be treated right .

“What does William think about the pregnancy?” I asked, watching her carefully.

Thelma sighed, rubbing her palms together. “William is still talking about marrying me and keeping the baby. He says we can make things work if I agree to marry him.”

“Thelma, don’t tell me you’re falling for this again!”

“Cassie, I want to keep the baby and I don’t have much of a choice. What am I supposed to tell my parents when they find out I’m pregnant? I can’t keep hiding it from them. I need to get married before they notice.”

“Listen to me, Thelma. Being unmarried and pregnant isn’t the biggest problem in this situation. You can have a child without being married, and that doesn’t make you any less of a woman. The real issue here is that the father of your child is William.”

“William has asked you to marry him before, and you delayed and refused because we both knew he was polygamous. He sometimes shows up and then disappears.We knew he wasn’t going to be the kind of husband who would give you the security and commitment you wanted. What has changed now? The pregnancy?”

“You can’t marry a man simply because you’re afraid your parents will find out you’re pregnant. That’s a decision you’ll have to live with long after the shame you fear has passed.”

“Think about it, Thelma. This baby is going to be a reason that will always connect you and William, whether your marriage works or not. If you marry him now, you won’t just be choosing a husband; you’ll be choosing the kind of life you and your child will have. Are you prepared to share him with other women? Are you ready to deal with the same problems we discussed before, only now with a child involved?”

“Then what do you expect me to do, Cassie? Have the baby alone?”

“No, I’m asking you to stop making decisions out of fear. You can keep your baby and still take your time deciding whether William deserves to be your husband. Let him prove he can be responsible, consistent, and honest before you tie your future to his.”

I leaned closer, lowering my voice.

“Your parents may be disappointed when they find out, but that disappointment won’t last forever. A bad marriage, on the other hand, can take years of your life and peace away from you. Please, Thelma, don’t let the fear of explaining your pregnancy to your parents push you into a marriage you already had reasons to reject.” It was at that point that I had noticed how much my experience had changed me , then I wasn’t talking to her as a friend , I spoke out of Experience and because I knew that It’s better to make things right now than to spend years rebuilding your life after going the wrong way.