Chapter One – Whatever happens in the dark will come to the light
Maggie waited impatiently for Daniel to arrive. She couldn’t wait to break the exciting news to him, and she wasn’t sure how he would react. What she needed to tell him would change everything. Her relationship with her husband had been rocky but what she had seen on his phone last night had shocked her. She had felt Dan slipping away but had never suspected what she found out last night.
*****
Yesterday evening Dan had gone out jogging and left his phone in the house. Maggie was busy cooking in the kitchen thinking sadly how nice would be to have the pitter-patter of little feet in the house. She felt sad that they had been married for seven years and still didn’t have any children yet.
When they met eight years ago, Maggie had been a nursery schoolteacher beloved by both the students and the other teachers. Maggie had a cheerful disposition, and she was always happy and helpful to anybody who needed her help. At 5 foot 3, Maggie was short, but with her curves and her beautiful smile, she did not lack suitors. She wasn’t interested though. She was focused on doing her work well and saving money to go to university to pursue a degree in education. She had a diploma, but she wanted more.
Maggie met Daniel when he came to pick up his nephew Andrew from school. The day they met Maggie was the teacher on duty watching the children after classes while they waited for their parents or guardians. Daniel was late, all the other children had left, and Maggie was already impatient when he drove in in his blue Mercedes.
According to Daniel, it was love at first sight, but it wasn’t for her. She was from a poor family and she did not believe in fairy tales where rich princes married poor Cinderellas. Daniel had taken his time to charm her and her family. He had swept aside her objections and made her fall in love with him.
When they got married, Daniel paid the fees for Maggie to go to university. Maggie had planned to have children immediately after she finished her degree, but she couldn’t seem to get pregnant. Daniel told her not to worry, the children would come. Maggie wanted to apply for jobs, but Daniel told her he was making enough money for both of them. She felt helpless having nothing to do so she started gardening and putting her life into managing the huge shamba that they had been given for a wedding present.
A year after finishing campus, Maggie and Daniel had started getting worried. They went to a doctor and Maggie was found to be ok. Daniel was found to have a low sperm count and he was given medicine to help with that. The only problem is that he always made it seem that she was the one with the problem. But because Daniel was the breadwinner, and she did not want to make him look like less of a man she kept quiet and bit the bullet for family peace.
Maggie snapped out of thinking of the past when Daniel’s phone rang. She usually did not pick up his phone, so she continued what she was doing. It rang a couple of times, then it was disconnected and then rang again. She went to the sitting room to get the phone and tell the person that Daniel was not home. But by the time she did, it had stopped ringing. Then she saw a flashing message. Maybe it was the same person. Dan was such an important, busy person. Maybe it was a client wanting to get in touch. Dan would be upset if he missed out on an important deal.
Maggie punched in his security code, he had never changed it all the time she had known him, but there was no need. They trusted each other with stuff like that. What she saw shocked her and she had to sit down to catch her breath.
“Darling, I have some great news. I am pregnant. I know it will be a boy. We can name him Kamau like your father. I will be waiting for you tomorrow night. Can’t wait to see my baby daddy again. Love you loads and loads.”
Kamau was Dan’s father so there was no wishing that the text was a mistake. Maggie felt pain like she had never felt before like someone had ripped her heart into shreds. She cried for a few minutes, feeling a deep grief she could not explain.
Then she remembered that she was in the middle of cooking and that Daniel was due back at any moment. She deleted the message knowing that there was no way Dan would not notice that his message had been read if the person asked him. “Let her think that the message did not reach,” she muttered.
That night as she lay beside the man she had loved, a man she thought would never betray her, she felt the stirring of hatred. She thought, ‘After all I have done to keep quiet and allow Daniel to pretend that I am the one with the problem, he goes out and has an affair. What am I going to do?’ She could not sleep at all that night, she just tossed and turned.
In the morning she called her sister Pauline. Her sister was going to have her fourth baby and was heavily pregnant. She had married a friend of Dan’s. When she explained what was going on, her sister told her not to cry.
“My dear, this is not the time for tears. If you allow yourself to wallow in it, you shall lose the battle. Come here right now. By the time you come, I will have thought of something.”
Maggie met with Pauline and they hatched a plan. It was only a short-term plan, but they would have to think of a long-term solution later. The idea was to make sure Daniel did not leave her for the other woman. It had to work because Maggie did not know what she would do if it didn’t.
Pauline asked, “Do you know who the woman is? Is it somebody we know?”
Maggie said yes although she didn’t really want to talk about it.
Pauline asked, “Who is it?”
“It is Daniel’s PA Njeri!” said Maggie.
Pauline exclaimed “that bitch!”
In the last one year, Daniel travelling a lot both locally and internationally. Usually, Maggie went with him, but she had been really busy with the farm. Daniel told her that she should concentrate on the farm and he would go alone. He ended up going with his PA. Maggie never gave it even a second thought. She trusted Daniel.
“So, what am I going to do?” asked Maggie.
Pauline replied, “Well the first thing is to pretend that you are pregnant. It will make Daniel think twice about leaving you.”
Maggie asked, “How can I prove to Daniel I am pregnant? You know I am not”
“That’s the easy part. Go to the chemist and bring me two pregnancy tests. I will just pee on them and they will turn positive. You can show that to Daniel. Problem solved!” Her sister Pauline did have some good ideas. She had always been the clever one of the two.
Maggie went to the chemist, bought the pregnancy tests, and came back. Pauline peeped on both pregnancy tests and gave them to her to take home.
****
It was seven o’clock and Maggie was waiting for Daniel to come home. She had called him at lunchtime and told him there was some exciting news she had to tell him.
Dan asked her, “Can’t it wait until I come home later? You know today is the night I hang out with the boys?”
Maggie told him it was something that couldn’t wait. He asked her to tell him on the phone, but she said it was something she had to tell him in person.
“Fine,” Daniel said, “I will pass by there then see if I will get time to go see my boys?”
Maggie took a bubble bath and had some wine to calm her nerves. “Will it work?” she asked herself several times. She wore a dress that was a favourite of Dan’s and the perfume he loved. She had prepared a delicious meal for him.
When Daniel arrived, she rushed to get him a drink. He was clearly impatient to be off to see his “boys.”
“Maggie, just tell me what’s up. What’s with the romantic lighting and the sexy clothes? I told you I have to go.”
“I was going to tell you after dinner and show you your surprise. But since you are so impatient let me bring it so that you can see it. “
Maggie rushed to the bedroom and brought something to the table.
“What is it?” Dan said impatiently.
“It’s a pregnancy test. It’s positive. I took two just to be sure. We are going to have a baby. Isn’t that the most exciting news in the world? We are finally going to be parents” Maggie had a smile on her face.
That shut Daniel up. He was speechless and could not say everything. Maggie saw the fake smile that he pasted on his face and inside she laughed. Daniel said that in light of the good news she had given him, he would not be going out. He went to the sitting room, brought out a bottle of whiskey and started drinking it.
****
Later as they lay in bed, Maggie thought, ‘I have caught you. Now to plan B.’ She smiled and gave thanks to God for a clever, pregnant sister.
Maggie was thinking about the conversation she had with her sister earlier.
Pauline had said, “You know that baby can’t be Daniel’s. After all, you have been trying to have a baby for 7 years. Daniel’s diabetes caused him to have a low sperm count. There’s no way after all that long another woman can just get pregnant and you haven’t.”
Pauline fanned herself and continued, “That lady is trying to get Daniel from you by giving him a child. We must think of a solution otherwise you will lose everything. She will get everything you worked for. She probably got another man to get her pregnant so that she could claim to have an heir. You know I depend on you. My husband may have money, but he never spends any on me. So, we have to think of something otherwise…”
Maggie had just said, “I know!”
****
Seven years ago, when Daniel married Maggie, his mother was not convinced that Maggie wasn’t a gold digger. She insisted that Maggie must sign a prenup. If Daniel divorced Maggie, she would get very little in terms of spousal support. If they had children, she would get money to support the children. Maggie would get one million shillings for her trouble of being married to Daniel. In case they remained married and Daniel died, she would get his personal wealth, which apart from the family fortune, was worth around 30 million at that time. He was the only son and he had inherited wealth from his father.
Maggie had signed the document. After all, it meant nothing. She was just surprised that Daniel was that rich. She was in love with Daniel, not his money. She never thought that they would get divorced. They were in love and it had been Daniel who pursued her not the other way round.
Now Maggie had gotten used to having money. Her mother had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing very expensive treatment which Daniel was paying for. If Daniel left, he would stop paying the bills. Then there was the fact that even the shamba which she had worked so hard for was in Daniel’s name only. She was doing horticulture and it was finally making money. She did not have savings. All the money she had made, she put back into her joint account with Daniel. She used it to pay the workers and sort out the house bills. Daniel never gave her any money because she had money coming from the farm.
These were the thoughts that were in her mind when her sister suggested the idea when they met a couple of days later, the idea that would change everything. Pauline had always been the bad apple while Maggie had been the good girl. Pauline had married a friend of Daniel’s not out of love but because she didn’t want to be poor anymore.
She had transformed herself into a very classy woman. To look and talk to her you would never have known that she had grown up in a slum. Her husband was not as wealthy as Daniel, but he had money that he never spent on Pauline. For him, Pauline was a trophy wife who was supposed to make him look good. He paid for her clothes, and everything that she needed to maintain his standards, but he did not give her spending money. He was tight-fisted. He had also made Pauline sign a prenup. She got nothing if she divorced her husband. The only security she had was that her children would be provided for in case of divorce.
So, the poison arrow met the broken heart. Maggie was heartbroken. She had thought she and Daniel had a fairytale marriage apart from the lack of children. She had asked Daniel several times about the issue of kids. He once told her “I love you. If we cannot have children then I will be content to be with just you! After all, it’s not your fault we can’t have children!” That had always comforted her, that even if she and Daniel couldn’t get children, they would be together.
****
A couple of days after Maggie told Daniel that she was pregnant, she met her sister for lunch. When they ordered some drinks, Maggie filled Pauline in on what had happened the previous night.
“I can’t keep pretending forever. At some point, I will have to go see a doctor. What will I do then?” asked Maggie.
Pauline said, “I have been thinking about this. I have a solution to your problems, but you will not like it!”
“What is it?” Maggie asked, keen to know what she should do.
“You need to kill Daniel!” said Pauline
“What! Are you insane? Why would I want to kill Daniel?” asked Maggie in shock.
Pauline explained. “Daniel cheated on you. His mistress says she is having his baby. We both know she is trapping Daniel, but that baby can’t be his. You have been trying for 7 years after all then suddenly out of the blue his mistress is pregnant and you are not. He is the one who had the problem and if suddenly his sperm have started working you would have gotten pregnant. So, know you will have a lot to deal with. Daniel will leave you for Njeri and then…” She sipped on some tea.
“If Daniel dies you inherit everything. If Daniel divorces you, you get nothing. That bitch Judy will get everything when she marries Daniel. Everything you have worked hard for including that shamba. Is that what you want? Pauline looked at Maggie as she asked the question.
Maggie said “No. that’s not what I want! But murder? I still love Daniel even though he cheated on me. Njeri seduced him I am sure of it! He has not cheated on me before”
Pauline could not look Maggie in the eye. She sighed and confessed “No it’s not. I didn’t want to cause you unnecessary pain, but Daniel has been cheating on you for years.”
There were a lot of things going on in Maggie’s mind as she absorbed this shocking news. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Tears were running down her face.
“I thought you knew but you were just ignoring it. Many men do it including my husband!” Pauline said bitterly.
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. I could have gotten a disease or something from Daniel,” Maggie said angrily.
Pauline kept quiet. Maggie and Pauline sat there in silence drinking their tea. After half an hour Maggie left. As she drove home in her Mercedes, the anger, pain, and humiliation of knowing that Daniel had been cheating for a long time weighed on her mind. The idea that Pauline planted stuck in her mind.
“Should I kill Daniel? How can I do it? Can I do it? What if I get caught?
Will Maggie be able to go through with killing Daniel? Is there a way she can get what she needs without killing him?
Chapter 2 – The Proof Is In The Pudding
3 days later
Maggie sat in front of the mirror in her room and looked at herself critically. She was still beautiful at 30. She looked 25. Her skin was glowing because she could afford the best skincare products. Her hair was a bit shaggy; she had dyed her hair blond and her roots were showing. Her nails and feet needed some TLC though, as she had been spending so much time in the shamba she had forgotten about going for her weekly treatments. She needed to go to the salon and get a makeover. Since the shamba had become her baby she had spent most of her time there. She was still very stylish, and she hadn’t become one of those ladies who wore t-shirts that had slogans about the barbed wire in the shamba and as a nightie dress.
Earlier Maggie had been on the computer googling why men cheat. I mean she did not understand it. She was still as beautiful as the day Daniel met her and she couldn’t understand what would make him see the need to date other women. Many articles suggested that sometimes men cheated because their women let themselves go and were no longer attractive. It was true that lately, she had been neglecting her hair and body a bit, but she was still beautiful. All that time she spent running around making sure the shamba workers were doing the right thing and going to meet clients for her horticultural products had kept her fit.
Maggie took out her phone and booked appointments at the salon for the whole day. She was going to make her hair, get a manicure and pedicure, get waxed, and then get a deep tissue massage. She needed the massage most of all. She needed to relax and think. Despite what Daniel had done, she was still in love with him. She still couldn’t believe that he had done this to her.
When they first met 8 years ago when Daniel came to pick up his nephew from school, she had been a virgin at 22. She was very old-fashioned, and she had been waiting for the right guy to give her virginity to, on her wedding day. Her sister, Pauline, on the other hand, had given away her virginity like 12 or so men ago and she was only 19. Her sister liked the good life, and she went out with guys who she thought would give her what she wanted, money, clothes, phones, and the good things.
Daniel had pursued Maggie. He had such a big crush on her, and he wanted her. Maggie refused to go out with him and so he persisted. He was not used to being told no, and so he felt challenged to make her his. She thought he was all wrong for her because of the kind of family background he came from. She thought he only wanted sex, but he wasn’t in it for the long term. She wasn’t looking to be a play date, so she left to her sister. Eventually, after being asked out countless times she agreed to go out for coffee with him. He took her to an expensive restaurant and tried to woo her. Even though she knew what he wanted; she had a great time. Daniel was a very funny guy, and he made her laugh.
The next time he asked her out she said no. When he asked why she was always saying no to dates with him, she told him point-blank that there was no future in dating. She was the type of girl who was looking for a man to marry, and she was waiting for marriage to have sex. “Daniel, I know what you want. But I am not that kind of girl. Thanks for taking me out. I think it’s best that you stop trying to go out with me.”
Daniel asked her, “What do I want?”
Maggie was brutal in her reply, “to take me to bed and then move on to the next conquest.”
“Maggie while it is true that I want to sleep with you, what makes you think I want to go on the next conquest?” Daniel leaned towards her as he talked.
“I know men! Plus, I know I am not the kind of girl a man like you marries. Well, let me tell you, Daniel, I am a virgin and I plan to stay that way until the day I get married! So, you can go play your games on other girls, girls who don’t mind being your playthings.” Maggie didn’t even wait for his reply. She walked away from his car feeling very satisfied. Now he will leave me alone, she thought.
Daniel was shocked. He had thought that Maggie was … well never mind what he thought. At 28 he had been around the world, seen many girls, and had very many relationships. But there was something about Maggie. Even though she had refused to go out with him he kept asking. After all, mwanaume ni effort! He had not gotten to where he was by taking no for an answer.
2 weeks later Daniel was back. He had been trying to forget Maggie, but he had been unable to. He loved everything about her, her smile, the way she looked after the children, her confidence and he was also sort of blown away that she was untouched. He came to school after classes and waited for her at the gate.
Maggie saw his Mercedes as she was leaving. She thought she had gotten rid of Daniel. Her heart skipped a beat though when she saw him. She really liked Daniel although she knew that they weren’t suited. She had missed his company and him pursuing her. Despite herself, she had become fond of Daniel.
Daniel came out of the car and stood outside waiting for her. He smiled when he saw her and waved to her. Maggie was unsure whether she should keep on walking or she should just talk to him. When she got to the car, he asked her to enter the car for a few minutes so that they could talk. When she got in, she saw some flowers in a pot and chocolates at the back.
Daniel saw her looking at them and said, “These are for you. I remembered that you told me you don’t like cut flowers. That you love flowers that are still growing.”
Maggie blushed. Daniel had been listening when she talked about the things she loved.
“Maggie, I like you a lot. I know it seems like I am only after one thing… but that’s not it. I have realized that I really, really like you. I promise to respect the fact that you want to remain a virgin. That doesn’t mean that we can’t go out. Let’s see how things work out.” Daniel put on his most charming smile and Maggie could not say no.
That’s how it started. Daniel wooed Maggie. After spending time together, they fell in love and 8 months later they were married. Maggie had thought that even though they didn’t have kids, they were very happy. She had not suspected at all that Daniel could be cheating. She was heartbroken because she had been faithful to him, but it seemed he was having affairs all over town. Maggie couldn’t believe Daniel could do this to her.
Maggie loved Daniel. Despite what Pauline the master schemer said she didn’t want to kill Daniel.
What should she do? She had told Daniel she was pregnant, and she wasn’t. She was between a rock and a hard place. Ironically, a child brought them together and a child would separate them, either by death or divorce or rather infidelity.
Maggie looked into the mirror and asked, “What options do I have?”
*******
One month later.
Maggie’s moods were all over the place. Her marriage seemed to have gotten a second lease of life. She couldn’t believe that her marriage had turned around like that. The last 2 years her marriage had been strained. She had become frustrated because she wanted a child and Daniel had become very distant knowing that he was the problem where the baby was concerned. But since the time she decided to fight for her marriage, things had changed. Daniel was walking around very proudly telling people that he was going to be a father. It’s like he felt he was no longer a failure and that he was a total man.
Daniel would come home early. They would spend quality time together and the romance sparked between them. Everything was good in paradise. If only the happiness wasn’t based on a lie. Maggie could feel the guilt weighing down her happiness. Also, the fact that she was running out of time, she was ‘two months” pregnant and soon she would need to start attending prenatal classes. She had insisted on going to her own doctor, but she knew her mother-in-law would soon start pressuring her to see a specialist doctor she knew.
Maggie was hosting a birthday party for Daniel this weekend. They were also going to formally announce that they were having a baby. Some family members already knew, like Daniel’s mother.
Daniel’s mother, Agnes had called her 2 weeks ago. His mother had never liked her. She had already picked the daughter-in-law that she had wanted, and she had been pressuring Daniel to marry her. Daniel had considered it until he met Maggie. Susan was from a wealthy family like Daniel. She was well-educated, polished and a perfect addition to the family. She was a banker, and her family owned a chain of hotels. Susan and Daniel had grown up together and they were well suited for each other, well according to their mothers.
Daniel’s mother had objected to the marriage. Maggie was a nobody. A girl who had grown up in one of the poorer city estates. At least if she was from a middle-class background with professional parents, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But Maggie’s parents were hawkers, and they had no class at all according to Mama Dan as she was called. She wanted a daughter-in-law who marched her status. Daniel had been so in love he had insisted on marrying Maggie. Mama Dan insisted on the prenup. After they got married Daniel had paid for Maggie’s education degree at one of the local private universities so that at least his mother could not say she was uneducated. Maggie had loved Daniel more for standing up for her.
In the last couple of years though the tension between her and her mother-in-law had become unbearable. First, her mother-in-law didn’t like her. Then she wasn’t able to produce a grandchild. She could be “forgiven” for being common but the fact that in 7 years she hadn’t given Agnes a grandchild, well that was unforgivable. It’s like having a child would blot out her transgressions. Daniel’s mum had started trying to sabotage her marriage, inviting him to family functions without her and introducing him to women who she thought would make great candidates for a better wife. Susan had gotten married to a family friend of theirs and they already had two babies, a boy and a girl.
She was so tired of the lies and having to pretend that she was ok when she wasn’t. Her phone started ringing and when she looked at it, she saw in horror that it was Dan’s mother. She didn’t want to deal with her at the moment, but she knew if she didn’t answer the phone, she would not hear the last of it.
Daniel’s mum didn’t take time even for greetings.
“Is it true that you’re pregnant?”
Maggie didn’t know that Daniel had told her, “Yes. I am!
Agnes did not seem happy when she asked, “How many months?”
Maggie said “I am not quite sure but around two months”
Agnes did not mince her words, and they were meant to hurt, “Finally you are good for something. That child had better be a boy. It took you long enough to get pregnant. I always told Daniel that you were not a suitable wife. Now that you’re pregnant I guess there’s no getting rid of you. Daniel’s birthday is coming up so you can have a party. We need to announce it to the rest of the family.”
She didn’t even say goodbye, she just cut the conversation.
Maggie called Pauline. “The dragon lady called!”
“What did she want?” Paulien asked curiously. One of her children was crying in the background and she was trying to shush him.
Maggie said, “She found out that I am ‘pregnant! She called to confirm it.”
“Ha ha, that witch. She has made your life stressful. I bet now she wants to be best buddies.”
“Not really. She has made it clear she doesn’t like me. Imagine she told me it had better be a boy. Like I am the one who decides the sex of the baby!” said Maggie.
Pauline whispered, “Have you considered what I told you? You need to do it soon.”
There was a pause on both sides then Maggie spoke.
“Daniel and I are doing good. I love him. I don’t want to hurt him.”
“Really. What was he doing with his PA? So, it’s okay for him to hurt you by sleeping around with another woman? Actually, more than one woman?” Pauline asked.
“I don’t think…” Maggie said. Pauline could tell she was starting to waver.
Pauline’s tone became tough, “You don’t have options. You can’t pretend to be pregnant forever. If you were pregnant for real, then it wouldn’t matter because you will inherit through your child. But you’re not so if Daniel divorces you, we lose everything. Get yourself together. Killing Daniel is the only option. It wouldn’t be painful. We discussed what you should do, do it.” Then she also cut the phone without saying goodbye.
Maggie sat on her bed and cried. There was so much pressure from everywhere and she didn’t know what to do. She was caught between a rock and a hard place.
There was no going back now. She could not lose everything she had worked for; she needed to eliminate Daniel and figure out how she could “lose” her pregnancy. She needed to make it look like he died of natural causes otherwise she knew his mother would make sure she did not inherit a single dime.
Chapter 3 – The Plan Comes Together
In her heart of hearts, Maggie was a good person. She did not want to murder the love of her life but yet again she could not see herself going back to the kind of life she used to live in the past. Dan might not be a bad person, but her mother-in-law was a witch out of hell. If Dan divorced her, her mother-in-law would make sure that she did not receive a penny. She wished there was a way she could bring Dan to her side and make him see that she was the one he loved.
Maggie met with Pauline outside in the garden. It was important to be careful and not have their conversations recorded. They both switched off their phones as they sipped their tea and discussed what needed to be done. When considering what needed to be done one thing kept coming up – that Dan was a diabetic and this could be the route to his final destination. They discussed whether they should tamper with his medication or whether they could cause an insulin spike.
Pauline offered to consult a pharmacist that she knew who might help them. Of course, they would have to pay for his silence and his expertise. Pauline also wanted to negotiate her own cut of the money. Pauline had always looked out for herself, and this was no different. She wanted to leave her husband and she needed money to start over. After an intense debate, they agreed that Pauline would get 50% of the insurance money Maggie would get so that she could keep her mouth shut. After all, she was the mastermind of the plan. She had also talked to a nurse who was crucial for the other part of the plan.
Pauline took the time to plan the party. She wanted it to be a spectacular event and she wanted it to appear that she was the perfect wife. She planned both for the birthday as well as the surprise announcement that they were going to have a baby. She even bought a new outfit.
5 days before the birthday Pauline called her over to her house. She had gotten what she needed. She had something that would spike Martin’s insulin levels a little bit every day and would eventually cause a heart attack. It needed to be timed well. Daniel usually had a physical every year around his birthday, but he had been so busy (probably with his mistress) he was going to get it after the party.
On the day of the party, the house was decorated and looked very colourful. Maggie had contacted a décor company and they had set up a huge tent in the garden. 10 tables had been set up with gold-plated plates, and fancy silverware. The theme was gold and blue and there were beautiful rose centrepieces at every table.
Maggie was a ball of nerves for many reasons. Today was the day her husband was supposed to die in front of witnesses. Also, her mother-in-law was coming, and they despised each other. She would have to act like she had never acted before. In addition to the poison Pauline had gotten Maggie some medicine that would make her nauseous so that she could keep acting like her stomach was upset. It would make it convincing that Maggie was pregnant.
Like she did every morning she woke up and made her husband some black coffee, pancakes, and some bacon. She added the drops of the medicine to the coffee like she had the last couple of days but this time she added triple the amount. The poison was a slow-acting one which would work in 12 hours so that gave her time to plan her alibi. Daniel was in good spirits because it was his 35th birthday. He even took time to snuggle after some birthday sex.
Maggie could feel the guilt eating at her, but she hardened her heart especially because last night while he was in the shower, she had seen a message from his mistress asking when he was going to tell everyone she was having his baby. Daniel told her he would deal with it and get a divorce after Maggie’s baby was born because he wanted to give the baby his name officially. His mistress asked what about her child – was her child not important? Daniel deserved everything that was coming to him.
Maggie was supposed to shower while Daniel went on his daily morning run, but she had something she needed to do first. Maggie made sure to rinse out the cup she used and even used a little bleach. She emptied the small bottle she had been given with the poison and soaked it in water and detergent. Then she put in a little bleach as well to clear out anything else that might be in it and then she filled the bottle with one of her aromatherapy oils. Leaving it in plain sight. She didn’t have a lot of time, so she took a quick shower, dressed, and went to coordinate with the party planner.
Maggie was busy. Looking at her she looked the perfect picture of a loving beautiful wife. At around 3 the guests started arriving for the late lunch they were having. Many brought expensive gifts for Daniel and some even brought her a gift. At 4:30 PM her mother-in-law arrived. Like the queen she thought she was everything had to stop when she arrived. Maggie rushed out to greet her but as usual was met with the cold disdain of her mother-in-law. But this time she seemed happy to see Maggie.
The servants helped Maggie carry the gifts from her mother-in-law into the house. Agnes, her mother-in-law held Maggie’s arm tightly when she wanted to pick up some gifts.
“Leave the gifts, Maggie. Honestly, you have been married in this family for a long time and yet you still want to act like you don’t have servants. Now especially that you are carrying my son’s child you should not extend yourself too much.”
Agnes started to grill her on how far along she was and where she was planning to go for prenatal clinics. Agnes insisted that Maggie should go to the OB/GYM who had delivered Daniel and his sisters. Maggie tried to insist that she had her own doctor but realized that if she resisted it might raise questions later so she agreed that she would make an appointment the next week to see the doctor her mother-in-law recommended.
Daniel was the life of the party. He was hanging out with a group of friends drinking and laughing and having some nyama choma. At around 5:30 PM, it was time to cut the cake. Maggie helped Daniel cut the cake and they took some cute photos cutting the cake. Everyone wished him a happy birthday by singing and everyone was happy. Maggie made sure the drinks were flowing for everyone and even though she liked wine she made it a point to drink only juice.
After this Agnes stood up and made a speech about how she was proud of her first-born son. She praised his accomplishments and then announced that she had bought him a beach house in Nyali for his birthday. Everyone was cheering and congratulating Martin.
“I am very proud of my son Daniel and his accomplishments. I know his father would be very proud of what he has accomplished. I am also proud to announce that I am going to be a grandmother in a few months. My daughter-in-law is pregnant.” Agnes did not even mention her name. It was still clear to everyone that her mother-in-law did not like her.
Everyone was stunned because this was something they were not expecting. The couple had been trying for several years and people were starting to think that they would never have a child. Everyone was shouting congratulations and people were hugging Maggie.
Daniel and his friends decided to play a game of basketball on their floodlight court like they always did during their parties. The game was going well. Everyone was having a good time. The kids were inside playing video games. The women were in different groups. There was a big group around Agnes – listening to her as she held court. Maggie was seated with Pauline and some of their cousins who were excited to be at such a grand party and who were also excited that Maggie was having a baby. Martin’s sisters were in another group of sophisticated women who all went to the same elite schools and universities. Earlier on in her marriage, Maggie had tried to bond with Martin’s sisters but they treated her like she did not belong. Maybe because she did not understand their inside jokes, or she did not like to shop like they did.
Maggie and Pauline were on high alert not sure if the poison was going to work and how things would play out. They were looking at the basketball game while trying not to be too obvious. Daniel was running to make a jump shot when he crumbled and fell to the ground. The other guys rushed to see what was going on. Daniel was breathing heavily and clutching his chest. One of the guys shouted “Something is wrong with Martin. We need a doctor.”
Maggie stood up and ran to the court with people running behind her as well. One of the family friends was a doctor and he rushed over. “I think Daniel is having a heart attack. We need to get him to the hospital.”
The doctor started first aid. Martin’s mother volunteered her car to take Daniel to the hospital but by the time they got to the emergency room, Daniel was having difficulty breathing and was in a diabetic coma. The doctors tried to resuscitate him, but it was already too late. Daniel died in the emergency room.
Chapter 4 – Regrets Are For The Weak, Only The Strong Survive And Thrive
Maggie was crying her eyes out. She was genuinely heartbroken that it had come to this. She hadn’t wanted Daniel to die but she felt like she had no choice. She was also scared – because she didn’t know whether the drug had worked and disappeared without a trace. If the medicine would show, then she would be the prime suspect.
The autopsy showed that Daniel had a heart attack from increased insulin. Martin’s mother was not satisfied with this autopsy. She looked for a second opinion. He also ruled that there was a spike in insulin levels, but the cause of the spike was something he couldn’t determine. Martin’s diabetes was something he hadn’t managed well so he had been in hospital several times. He would drink and then stop for a while but after a while he would be back to drinking and eating things that would spike his sugar levels.
The funeral was one week later. Maggie could not relax. She could feel so many eyes on her. She knew that one small slip-up and she would end up in jail. She made sure not to be alone with Pauline. They had already agreed on what to do. She had also made sure all the CCTV tapes were already recorded so there was nothing to incriminate her.
Martin’s mother was watching her closely. She kept claiming that Daniel did not die of natural causes. She kept insinuating that somebody had done something to Martin, but she couldn’t prove it. Maggie also had to keep maintaining the ruse that she was pregnant. She was taking some tablets that made her nauseous in the morning. So, she kept throwing up and it was also taking a toll on her.
Agnes asked the police to investigate so they came to the house and asked the workers questions. They also interrogated Maggie who played the part of an innocent wife convincedly. She told them all that had happened from that fateful morning. Daniel had come home at around 2 AM. Maggie said she assumed that he was with his boys out celebrating.
On the day of the funeral, the church was packed. There were so many people who loved Daniel who had come to pay their respects. Also, because the family was wealthy the who’s who of Kenya were also there. It was a very emotional service and people were crying.
Maggie decided that she would not speak. She asked her best friend to say a few words on her behalf. Martin’s personal assistant Njeri gave a very emotional speech about how Daniel was a good person, a great boss, and a good friend. She made sure to show her pregnant belly. Maggie watched her and realized she was setting herself up for when the will was read.
Maggie was seated with her best friend and her family members on one side of the church. Martin’s family and friends were seated on the other side. It was very clear the difference between the two families from the clothes and shoes that they wore to even how they talked. Maggie felt even more alone. Daniel had brought her into his world, but his family and friends had never really accepted her even though she had done everything she could to gain their respect. Daniel was a third generation in a family that had gotten rich from independence. His grandparents were friends with powerful people in government and they had made their money doing business with the government. Martin’s parents had met while studying abroad in the UK. Agnes was also from a wealthy family so the family were happy to join the two families together. Martin’s parents had been a power couple but sadly Martin’s father died in an accident when he was 16. He left everything to Daniel– this was in the days before the law was changed that women would inherit property as well.
Agnes had been managing everything on behalf of Martin. She had already indicated that her wealth would go to her 2 daughters who had not been in their father’s will. Daniel had taken over running some of the businesses when he was 30 but most of the wealth was tied to properties and investments like shares and bonds so he did not touch those.
Daniel had asked to be cremated. Agnes had tried to say that he should be buried but his will was clear. Since the autopsy had said that there was nothing suspicious about Martin’s death the lawyer said they had to abide by his wishes. During the ride to the crematorium, Pauline handed Maggie a small bottle of water that was already opened. She whispered that she should start sipping on it and finish it when Martin’s ashes were brought out. She took a sip, and it was very bitter. She took small sips and immediately started feeling lightheaded. She stopped and put the bottle in her bag.
The crowd at the crematorium was very small. It was just immediate family and friends. Agnes said that Maggie’s family didn’t need to be there – a big snub to Maggie’s family. Only Pauline her sister and her best friend could attend. It was clear that even after such a tragedy Agnes would not see Maggie as an equal. The people present were allowed to see the body once before it was taken in for cremation. Maggie stood there looking helpless and crying her eyes out. She kept taking sips of the water. It made her dizzy and she had to sit down. Finally, Martin’s ashes were brought out in several urns. The family was supposed to take three and she would remain with one. When Maggie stood up the dizziness was too much, and she fainted. Her sister and her best friend carried her into a shade while the members of the family just looked at them not offering to help. Pauline went to get the urn and said Maggie was not feeling well so they needed to go home.
3 days later, the will was read at Martin’s mother’s house. Maggie attended the will reading with her Pauline. They got in as refreshments were being served. They did not want to arrive early and have to make small talk with the family. Maggie and Pauline got some tea and some snacks and sat down. Nobody was bothered with them or came to say hello. Martin’s sisters and cousins were seated together, and they seemed to be united in their grief.
When the lawyer arrived, he quickly went over the will.
“The houses in Kileleshwa and Runda belong to my wife Maggie along with all the cars and everything in the houses. If my wife remarries and we have children together then they will inherit the properties after she dies. If she gets married and we don’t have children, then she will keep the house in Runda and the house in Kileleshwa will go to my mother.
My wife Maggie and my mother will each get half of my shares but if we have any children then half will go to the children and my wife and mother will split the remaining shares equally.
The money in the bank accounts will be split equally between my mother and my wife. If there are any children then the money will be split in thirds with one portion going to my mother, with the other portions going to the children and the third going to my wife. The money for the children will be held in trust until they are 30 when it will be released to them. A trust will be established to look after the shares and money on behalf of my children.
To my two sisters, I give them each 3 apartments in the housing complex that my father left me. My best friend Maina Njuguna gets one apartment as well. For the rest of the houses 10 in total, they will be split in half – with my wife and mother getting 5 houses each.
For the family businesses, I leave my beloved mother in charge of 40 per cent of the holding company. My wife and two sisters will each get 20 per cent of the shares. If there are any children, then my mother will get 20% and the children will get 20%.
The house my mother is living in which was left to me I leave to her along with everything in the house.
My extensive watch collection I leave to my best friend Maina Njuguna and my three male cousins Njoroge Watwa, Jeremy Wainaina and Chris Ndirangu.
To my faithful assistant of many years Njeri, I leave you 1,000, 000 for your faithful service.”
The lawyer paused and said, “All the other amounts are small amounts. I will give you a copy of the will so that you can read it. This will was written 4 years ago so a few things could have changed since then. If anyone has any objections, then they can let me know.”
Maggie was wearing a hat with a black veil, but she could not fail to see the way her mother-in-law was angry. She tried to maintain the look of sadness that she had but inside she was happy. She had gotten more than she had expected.
What happened was predictable if you knew what was going on. Njeri who was pregnant stood up from where she was seated and started shouting. “I am carrying his baby. This is not fair. I am also carrying his baby – I want what is due for this child.”
Maggie and Pauline both managed to look shocked. Maggie removed her veil from over her eyes and broke into tears. Martin’s mother looked very surprised but quickly gained her composure. She nodded at a security guard, and they went to Njeri and led her out of the room. Maggie assumed that security had been brought to remove her if she caused a scene. Anyway, it had worked for the best. Maggie and Pauline stood up and went towards Martin’s mother. Martin’s mother turned away from them and went to talk to the lawyer reading the will then she left the room.
The situation had become tense. Everyone in the room was whispering and looking at Maggie. Maggie tried to hold on but after half an hour she couldn’t stand it anymore and they left.
*********************
The newspapers the next day were filled with the scandalous story.
When Maggie woke up and checked her social media, people were commenting on the story with some being in her corner and others saying all rich men have mistresses. She had muted her phone and when she looked at it, she saw many missed calls from her family and strangers.
Pauline sent Maggie a text to come over to her house for tea. When they were drinking the tea, Pauline spoke. “Now is the perfect time to stage the miscarriage. We can say it was stress that caused it, but you can’t do it here because that witch will call her doctors to examine you. We need to get you down to the coast where I know a nurse who will admit you into a small hospital and write a report that you had a miscarriage. But you must go immediately. I have booked our flights including the children. Just pick a bag and we go.”
Maggie went home and packed. She made sure to act like a grieving widow in the airport and on the plane just in case anyone was watching or recording. Within hours they were in Mombasa and from there they went to a private villa. Pauline was handling the family and Martin’s family. She told them that Maggie had gotten a bad shock and she was in a bad mental state because of all that had happened and that she needed to rest and gather her strength.
3 days later Maggie had a fake miscarriage. Pauline had gotten some blood from an animal and smeared it on Maggie’s clothes. They alerted the nurse, and she made the arrangements for Maggie to be booked in. Maggie was there for 3 days getting fluids and post-miscarriage care. The nurse had asked for 200k which was a steep price but there was no going around it. Maggie had already carried the money in cash. They informed Martin’s family on the second day about the miscarriage, and nobody even bothered to send a card.
On day three when Maggie was getting ready to be discharged, she saw Agnes on TV with Njeri by her side saying that Njeri’s baby was a legitimate heir of Martin’s fortune. She mentioned it as a by the way that her daughter-in-law had a miscarriage. Maggie knew the lines had been drawn in the sand. At least there was money and property that she would get even if she didn’t have a child.
Njeri in the meantime was living the good life. She had shown the lawyers and Agnes the messages she had sent Martin, and it was clear that Daniel knew that Njeri was pregnant. He also acknowledged that he was the father. Martin’s mother had moved her to a bigger apartment and given her servants from her house to look after her before and after she gave birth.
Two weeks after the fake miscarriage, Maggie and Pauline put into effect the last part of their plan. They paid through a third party a blogger who was known for digging up scandals some money to plant a story that Njeri’s baby might not be Martin’s. After all, she had been known to be dating other people. The story made the rounds and people started saying that Njeri should do a DNA test.
During this, Maggie, Pauline, and the kids went back to Nairobi. Maggie felt weird going back to the house where Daniel had died so she went to their farm upcountry where she ended up remaining for the next year as the will was being contested.
Agnes who had believed Njeri started to have doubts and insisted that when the baby was born a DNA test would be done. Njeri was 5 months pregnant at this time.
Agnes was still not talking to Maggie or the family. She had tried to go to court to say that the will was not valid, but the courts upheld it. They said the only part that could be contested was the part for the children because Maggie did not have a child, but Njeri was allegedly pregnant with Martin’s baby. They said that that part would be determined after the DNA test when the baby was born.
In the meantime, Maggie and Pauline were playing a waiting game. They didn’t know if their suspicions that Njeri’s baby was not Martin’s were true or not, but they just had a hunch. But they kept their mouths shut and continued to play the part of a grieving family. Maggie was really grieving because she had loved Martin, but she felt like she did not have a choice but to end his life.
The insurance money came nine months after Martin’s death. It was 20 million shillings and Maggie was the only beneficiary. Maggie and Pauline had agreed to split the money because Pauline was the one who came up with the plan. She also needed to pay off the man who had given her the poison that had killed Martin. His cut was 2 million and the nurse was also supposed to get another 700k for her to keep her mouth shut for good.
When Kimani, Martin’s baby was 1 month old, the DNA test was done, and the results came out one month later. The DNA results showed that Daniel was not the biological father of the baby. Agnes was furious and she kicked Njeri and her son out of the apartment she had given Njeri.
The blogs and press were keeping people updated on what was going on and the public was fascinated by the secrets of this family that had been so private for so long. The public sided with Maggie, who they felt was a victim in all this when they heard how Martin’s family had always treated her with contempt and how they had treated Njeri better than her, yet she was the wife.
At the end of one year, after everything in the will was settled and Maggie got her rightful share of Martin’s properties and money, she was a very rich woman. The first thing she did was buy her parents a prime piece of property with a farm that already had a house.
She tried to reach out to Agnes, but her mother-in-law ignored her and so did her sisters-in-law. They were not friendly to her when her husband was alive and clearly, they were not going to be friendly when he was dead.
5 years later
Maggie was celebrating her 37th birthday with her family in Lamu. Pauline had left her husband after Daniel died and she had moved into Maggie’s house in the country where she had her last born. A year later she came back to Nairobi and started her own successful business organizing events. She was very good at it and very successful. She had many rich clients who were impressed by Pauline’s great organizational skills. Skills that she had used to make sure that she and her sister would end up rich.
Maggie was walking on the beach one of the mornings like she did every morning watching the sunrise on the exclusive island where they were staying. A white yacht that she had noticed the last couple of days was nearby and, on this day, she saw a small boat leaving the yacht coming to the shore. She paid it no mind because she was busy thinking about how far she had come in the last few years. She had gone back to school to do a master’s in child psychology. She was now teaching in a private school. She didn’t have to teach because she was rich, but she loved children and wanted to continue teaching.
Maggie knew that she wasn’t going to get married again so she adopted two girls, one a baby who was six months who had been found abandoned in the village she grew up. Another, a girl who was 2 years old who had lost her parents in a flood and had no relatives who wanted to take her. They were now 3 and 5 and those girls were the joy of her heart. She tried to block out what she had done to Daniel who despite what she had done had been the love of her life. She didn’t want to ever love a person that intensely ever again to be blind to their faults.
She was turning back to walk back to their villa when she noticed the handsome black man with a few white hairs in his beard who had gotten out of the boat. He was wearing beach shorts, and he had a great toned body. As she passed him, he stopped her and introduced himself. He told her he was an American businessman who was in Lamu on holiday. He had been watching her for the last couple of days from the yacht and had been intrigued by her. He wanted to ask her out on a date.
Maggie was flattered. She found herself blushing and smiling at the same time. But if there was something Maggie had learnt in the last few years since she met Daniel, it was how to guard her heart and mind. She was not going to fall for another rich playboy type of guy again.
She told him she was flattered but that she was not interested in going out on a date with anyone. He still asked for her number so that he could convince her to maybe have dinner with him. She politely told him that if he wanted to find her number, he would get it, but she wasn’t going to give it to him. She walked away smiling. After all these years, she still had it. She still had the looks and the body to attract a cute rich guy. While she wasn’t ready to risk her heart, maybe a holiday affair was for her to just feel loved and cherished again. She blushed as she thought about how that American looked like he knew what to do with a woman to make her lose her mind.
2 years later
Maggie was in Lamu again to celebrate her birthday. Also, a wedding. Lance, the American had pursued her, sending her flowers and gifts. After two weeks she agreed to go out with him. They ended up talking for hours and hours. During the rest of the two weeks, she was in Lamu, she had spent a lot of time with him. But she didn’t think anything would develop behind the holiday affair. When she got back to Nairobi, Lance kept calling her from Lamu. He was supposed to leave for the States, but he came to Nairobi for 2 weeks.
When he went back to the US, he invited her to visit and when schools were closed Maggie visited with the girls. They had such a good time there and Lance asked her whether she would consider moving to the US. She said that her life was in Kenya and that she wasn’t going to move all the way to the US if she wasn’t married. Lance asked her to marry him, but she said no.
Lance didn’t give up and kept pursuing her. He would come to visit her in Kenya to try to persuade her. She eventually said yes when she found out she was pregnant. She didn’t think she would have a baby, but a miracle had happened.
She was 5 months pregnant when she went down the aisle to get married to Lance. She had gotten her happy ending even if it can come at the cost of killing her first husband.
Check out
Her Intimate Secrets Threaten Her Marriage
I Quit My Job To Become A Wife – A Decision That Left Me With So Many Regrets
A Children’s Game Prompted A Fight That Landed Her In Prison
We Plotted To Kill My Young Lover Because He Threatened To Tell My Husband About Our Affair
Lost And The Regrets I Had Over Leaving The Love Of My Life
A Missing Item Led Me To Unearth My Wife’s Betrayal
This story first came out on the blog – Regrets Are For The Weak, Only The Strong Survive And Thrive – Part 1, Regrets Are For The Weak, Only The Strong Survive And Thrive – Part 2, Regrets Are For The Weak, Only The Strong Survive And Thrive – Part 3 and Regrets Are For The Weak, Only The Strong Survive And Thrive – Part 4 (Finale)
