“I’m carrying his child, Ella. And once I give birth, you will have no reason to remain in his house. Start preparing yourself to leave. You are a barren woman, and nobody can change that.”
I ended the call.
For several minutes, I sat motionless.
People moved around me, laughing and talking, but their voices sounded distant.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw my phone against the wall. I wanted to call Kelly and ask him how he could allow another woman to speak about his wife like that.
Instead, I went to the bathroom and cried.
Then I washed my face, looked at myself in the mirror, and whispered, “Ella, you cannot continue living like this.”
That evening, I went to see my closest friend, Amaka.
She had two children and a husband who treated her with respect. She was also the only person who had never made me feel ashamed of my childlessness.
