24/08/2025
THE NIGHTMARE
EPISODE 3
A stitch in time saves nine, but unfortunately, things had already taken a deadly turn for Tony. You see why it pays to be faithful to your partner, whether married or not? If Tony had honoured his marriage vows and stayed faithful to his wife—whom he had been starving of intimacy and family time—he would have escaped the deadly bullet shot towards him.
If only he knew that Jasmine, the woman he had just finished sleeping with, was HIV positive, I guess he would have dropped dead immediately or, even worse, gone crazy.
The guilt Tony felt for cheating on his wife was nothing compared to what was ahead of him. The deed had already been done, so it was time to dance to the music he played.
While Tony lay in bed thinking of his poor wife at home—probably missing him—his guilt grew worse. After struggling with his conscience for a while, he finally closed his eyes and went to bed. While asleep, he had a dream where he was surrounded by doctors and nurses. In that dream, it seemed as though they were using him for an experiment. His body was weak and deteriorating as he lay helplessly on the hospital bed.
“No, no!!” Tony screamed as he jumped up from the bed with one hand on his chest.
“Are you OK? You scared me,” Jasmine asked as she slowly sat up.
At that moment, Tony was still trying to regain his composure and reminded himself that it was just a dream. He couldn’t explain the reason for his panic to Jasmine.
“I’m alright, go back to sleep,” he said gently and lay back on the bed. But all through the night, he couldn’t sleep and kept thinking of that scary dream.
The next morning, Jasmine prepared to leave the hotel, as she usually did whenever she slept over at a man’s place. The main reason she always rushed home was to take her daily dose of drugs. To avoid exposing her secret, she never carried them around with her.
Before leaving, Tony gave her plenty of money for transportation and upkeep. She kissed him passionately on the lips before leaving. With Jasmine gone, Tony quickly prepared to head back home to his wife since he had finished the business engagement that took him away from the city.
Around 1 p.m., the doorbell rang at his house and the maid hurriedly opened it.
“Welcome, sir,” she greeted, taking his briefcase.
“Thank you! Where’s my wife?” Tony asked.
“She went out this morning and hasn’t returned yet,” the maid replied.
Tony brought out his phone and dialled Becca’s number. She picked up after a few rings.
“Hey baby, where are you? I’m back home,” he said.
“I had an important meeting at the office and also a doctor’s appointment,” Becca replied.
He told her to come back as soon as she could. After the call, he went upstairs to freshen up, then came down to eat.
While waiting for his wife, Tony’s guilty conscience was still heavy, but he tried to push it aside. Just when he was about to rest, his phone rang—and it was Jasmine. Immediately he saw her name on the screen, his heart skipped.
“Hello, how are you?” Tony asked.
“I’m fine, I just miss you,” Jasmine said.
He sighed deeply before replying, “You shouldn’t call me unless I call you. I’m at home now, I’ll call you later.” He quickly ended the call.
Jasmine felt sad and disappointed, but she didn’t complain. She already knew she was just a chapter in Tony’s life and not the whole book. Besides, she had her own skeletons in the cupboard.
Not long after, the doorbell rang again—it was Becca. As she stepped inside, Tony gave her a warm hug, probably out of guilt.
“Look who’s back! I thought you were supposed to be gone all week,” Becca said as Tony wrapped his arms around her.
“I was supposed to be away all week, but I was fortunate to finish early. So here I am,” he smiled.
Their reunion was filled with mixed emotions, as they couldn’t get their hands off each other. Becca later freshened up and got ready for bed. That night, Tony tried to touch her, but she wasn’t in the mood. He tried again and again, but she refused.
“Babe, not today. I had a long day, and besides, I’m not happy with you or this marriage. It will take more than touching and kissing to get me in the mood, because my mind isn’t there,” Becca finally said.
Tony was confused. “What have I done wrong? Is there any problem with our marriage?” he asked.
Becca turned towards him and poured out her heart.
“What makes you think we are fine as a couple? Do we look happy? How can we be fine when you neglect me and give all your time to work? I barely see you, and I can’t even remember the last time we spent quality time together. It’s been two years and we still don’t have a child. How can I get pregnant when you’re never around during my ovulation? How can we make babies when I sleep alone most nights? Honestly, I don’t think I trust you anymore. You’re not the man I said ‘I do’ to. Please just leave me alone, I want to sleep,” she said angrily and turned away.
Tony was dumbfounded and speechless. He didn’t even know their marriage had problems until that moment. Sadly, he had to find out that way.
On second thought, maybe it was God’s way of protecting Becca from contracting HIV from her husband, who was at high risk after sleeping with Jasmine unprotected.
Still, there was a 50/50 chance that Tony was HIV free. Since Jasmine was taking her antiretroviral drugs, her viral load could be low, which might prevent transmission. At this point, it was uncertain whether Tony had contracted it or not. We will find out as we continue reading.
The next day, after an emotionally draining night, Tony wanted to make things right with his wife. But how could he, when his job was the main root of their problems? Before he could talk to her, his boss called him for an urgent three-day assignment.
It broke Becca’s heart that her husband chose work again over their marriage, but she had already grown used to it. Tony was sent back to the same place he had just returned from. He lodged in the same hotel and moved from one business meeting to another.
After a stressful day, Tony retired to his hotel room. As he lay in bed lost in thought, his phone rang—it was Jasmine again. He sighed and picked up.
“Hello dear,” he greeted.
“Hi, how are you doing?” Jasmine asked.
“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” he replied.
But his tone gave him away. Jasmine quickly noticed.
“Are you sure you’re OK?” she asked.
“Yeah, I am,” he said, but she wasn’t convinced.
“I can tell something is wrong. Where are you now?” she pressed.
“I’m in my hotel room,” Tony answered.
“I thought you said you were home? What are you still doing in the hotel?” Jasmine asked curiously.
“Well, I had to come back again today for unfinished business,” he said.
Immediately, Jasmine told him she was coming over. Despite all his efforts to stop her, she refused to listen. While hurrying down to the hotel, she unknowingly carried a bag that had her antiretroviral drugs inside. She had forgotten to remove it after packing her make-up and clothes.
A few hours later, Jasmine arrived at the hotel and went straight to Tony’s room. Deep down, he was happy to see her, though he pretended otherwise. Her company was lively and better than being alone. They ordered food, ate, talked, and laughed together. Later, the mood changed, and Tony knew he was going to sleep with her again—especially since his wife had rejected him the previous night.
The atmosphere got intense, and soon, they made their way to cloud nine. After hours of lo******ng, they fell asleep on each other. By the next morning, Tony woke up first because of an urgent meeting.
As he dressed up, his eyes caught sight of a shiny container inside Jasmine’s open bag. At first, he ignored it, but something pushed him to check.
The moment he picked it up, the words hit him: “Anti-Retroviral Capsules.”
For a moment, the whole world stood still. Tony’s hands shook, his eyes widened, and his chest tightened as reality sank in.
“HIV? No… it can’t be!” he muttered in shock.
🙆😭😭🙆
To Be Continued…
EPISODE 4 COMING SOON!
