04/12/2025
It was an off day from work, and of course, Maria would have stayed at home all day sleeping just to avoid people staring at her on the street. She only goes out at night to get food and her basic needs.
But lontShe had just finished a phone call with Femi, who had invited her to a party. and at first, the idea of staying home sounded perfect. But then, Femi’s words echoed in her mind: “Come on, Maria. You deserve to get out and have some fun. Let’s go to the party. You’ve been stuck at home too long.”
Maria sighed, adjusting the hem of the dress she had been holding for the last few minutes. She was used to hiding away at home, avoiding the stares of people on the street. It was easier that way, less painful. She only went out when it was absolutely necessary—at night, when fewer people would see her. But today was different. She was going to this party for Femi.
I wonder what dress would fit for a party without making me feel ashamed, she thought, staring at herself in the mirror for the fifth time. She hated the way her stomach stood out, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t escape the self-doubt that kept creeping in.
This is why I prefer my bank job, Maria muttered under her breath as she changed into yet another outfit, trying to find something that would hide her stomach. At least I sit all day there, and no one notices my belly, or asks me if I’m pregnant.
Finally, after much deliberation, Maria picked a beautiful maternity gown. It wasn’t exactly party-appropriate, but it was the best she could find. I know it doesn’t fit right, she hissed, still not satisfied with her choice. But there was nothing more she could do. She grabbed her keys, rushed to the car, and drove off.
She arrived in a few minutes and told Femi to come and pick her up outside.
Femi was this kind of man that made even Queen Elizabeth unstable when he walked. He was extremely handsome, carried himself with so much charisma, and was well, well spoken. As he stood and walked to meet Maria, women stared, their eyes bulging out. Saliva almost dropped from one woman’s mouth.
“Oh,” she giggled as she covered her mouth, realizing how much she had been staring.
“Is that your girl, Femi?” one of his friends asked with a grin as he walked away, his tone full of mockery. “Isn’t she a little… heavy?”
Maria’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she felt as though the ground had disappeared beneath her feet. Her stomach turned. This wasn’t just a casual comment—this was her reality. Femi’s friend had just confirmed everything Maria had always feared. The entire world could see her as “fat”—something that followed her like a shadow no matter where she went.
but Femi, however, just laughed it off, shaking his head as he responded, “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.” just so she doesn't cry she started another conversation
“You took so much time,” Maria said as she hid behind Femi.
“It wasn’t much time,” he replied. “But why are you wearing this oversized gown? Is it not better you do anything to lose weight than hiding your big belly under clothes? Just look around. How many girls still look this fat? Not in this generation. You can do better.”
Maria couldn’t stop watching him talk. Her heart sank again with this constant abuse.
“I’ve heard you. I will lose weight soon,” she replied.
They walked into the hall, and despite Femi’s attempt to keep the mood light, Maria couldn’t stop feeling self-conscious. It felt as though everyone in the room was watching her, whispering about her weight, her appearance, and everything in between. She was sure she could read their lips as they pointed and laughed. Every whisper felt like a thousand daggers to her heart. She tried to convince herself it was all in her head, but deep down, she knew what was happening. She wasn’t just imagining it.
The cruel reality of what she was enduring crushed her with every step. Why did I agree to come here? she thought. Why didn’t I just stay at home, where I wouldn’t have to feel like this?
As they approached the center of the room, the crowd suddenly parted, and the sound of trumpets filled the air. Beautiful waiters began dancing toward them, and Femi, with a wide grin on his face, took Maria’s hand. She had seen this scene before—on TikTok, in those viral videos where men surprise their women with proposals in front of a crowd. But this wasn’t a romantic moment for her. It was a reminder of everything she had ever been ashamed of, now being put on display in front of everyone.
Maria’s heart raced, but not from excitement—there was no joy in this. She hadn’t expected this at all. This was the same man who had made her feel like nothing. And now, here he was, kneeling before her, holding a diamond ring.
“Maria,” Femi said, his voice full of emotion. The crowd went silent as he held up the sparkling diamond ring. “Will you marry me?”
For a brief moment, everything went still. Maria’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions. How could he ask her to marry him after everything he had just said? someone who had just bullied her not so long ago, How could he ask her to marry him ? after the mockery, the insults? after the weight comments?
she wanted to ask him more questions. But the fear of who would marry crept in. Who would accept her with this tummy and heavy stretch marks? So she looked at the ring, and the thought of being married to Femi—of finally being the woman he wanted—made her say yes. The ring slipped onto her finger, and Femi stood, hugging her tightly.
The crowd cheered, but just as they did, a loud voice cut through the celebration. “A woman 100 times fatter than me? No way!”
Maria’s heart sank. She turned around to see Lilly, Femi’s ex-girlfriend, strutting toward them with an arrogant smile plastered on her face. Lilly swung her figure-eight waist confidently, her hips perfect as she approached them. “I can’t believe you left me for this fat pig,” Lilly sneered, shaking her head as she stood tall, pointing her long red nails at Maria with obvious disgust. “You’re just desperate,
“Femi, she’s not even your type. I know your type. Unless your mission here is something else.”
Maria looked at Femi, waiting for him to defend her. Waiting for him to tell Lilly to stop. Waiting for him to protect her like men do in the movies.
But Femi didn’t say a word.
He just stood there. His eyes were glued to Lilly. He stared at her body. He bit his lower lip. His eyes showed something Maria had never seen before.
Admiration. Desire. Regret.
Maria’s heart shattered into a million pieces.
Lilly’s words sliced through her like a hot knife, and she felt the sting of her jealousy and cruelty.
She couldn’t take it anymore. Without saying a word, she turned around and ran out of the hall. Tears poured down her face. Her vision was blurry. She could barely see where she was going.
She reached her car, got inside, and screamed. She hit the steering wheel over and over again. Her phone started ringing. It was Femi.
She ignored it.
The phone rang again. And again. And again.
“I’m sorry, Femi,” Maria muttered to herself through her tears. “I’m sorry I’m not Lilly. I’m sorry I’m not skinny. I’m sorry I’m not enough.”
But even though the red flags were very clear, even though Femi had shown his true colors right in front of her, Maria refused to see it. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Her heart was lying to her.
She drove home with tears streaming down her face. She hit her gate with the car by mistake because her hands were shaking so much. She rushed inside her house, locked the door, and sat on her bed.
She stared at the diamond ring on her finger. It sparkled, but it felt heavy. Like a chain.
Her phone wouldn’t stop ringing. It was still Femi.
For a while, Maria withdrew into her thoughts. She wondered why Femi didn’t stop Lilly from bullying her. Why didn’t he raise his hand and defend her like those CEOs in Korean dramas? Why didn’t he put Lilly in her place?
Lilly had said so many cruel things to her in front of everyone. And Maria knew her story would be all over blogs by morning. Her shame would be public.
She had always felt insecure. She knew that. But never had she been fully disgraced in public by someone because of her weight.
Her phone rang again. This time, she picked it up. Her voice was full of anger and a little bit of jealousy.
“Why didn’t you stop your Miss Beauty Queen from humiliating me in front of that crowd?” Maria asked Femi, her voice cracking.
There was silence on the other end. Then Femi finally replied.
“What do you expect me to tell her? To stop her from telling you the truth?”
Maria’s breath stopped.
“Maria, you are obviously fat. And Lilly didn’t disgrace you. You disgraced me by refusing to cut that belly of yours off.”
“But Femi, I’m sorry,” Maria said, her voice going cold. “It’s not my fault.”
“Of course it’s not your fault,” Femi said sarcastically. “It’s your obsessed mom’s fault, right? For crying out loud, Maria, you’re about to walk down the aisle with me. You’re too young to be this fat.”
“But Femi…” Maria’s voice cracked. She was crying now. “You shouldn’t insult my mom. And besides, I’m not that fat. I’m just size 14.”
“And what’s wrong with being size six?” Femi shot back.
Maria removed the phone from her ear. Her hands were shaking. Her vision was blurry with tears. She ended the call.
Her whole body shook. This felt different. Receiving all these insults from a fiancé, someone she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with, felt like death.
She had thought Femi loved her. She had trained her brain to believe it. But now, she wasn’t sure anymore.
Her mind went back to the first day they met. It was during her matriculation ceremony when she was just 19 years old. Femi had come with a friend. From where she sat, she saw someone walking toward her. Her mind didn’t believe a man like him would approach her.
“Why are you not taking pictures?” Femi had said to her that day.
And so, she agreed to take some pictures with him. They talked for a while. And for the first time in her life, she heard someone tell her, “I love fat girls.”
He told her she was the most beautiful woman on earth. Something she had never heard from anyone since childhood. He touched her fat cheeks and told her he loved her smile and her soft curves.
They exchanged numbers. And so fast, they started dating.
The first time Maria visited Femi in Abuja, it was so exciting. And willingly, she gave her virginity to him. She trusted him completely.
The years rushed by. Maria had to relocate to Abuja from her state just so she could be close to the love of her life. Femi had helped her settle in. And in return, Maria had helped Femi in so many ways. She gave him loans. She gifted him money. She helped establish his business.
Why wouldn’t she do anything for love? Her parents were wealthy, and giving Femi money was nothing to her.
But now, Femi was showing his true colors.
And for days, Maria couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened. Was it the presence of Lilly that changed him? Or had he always been like this?
She avoided food. She tried all the waist trainers she had bought online, but she was never comfortable in them. They squeezed her ribs. They made her breathe funny.
But was she really that bad? At least some men still turned to look at her when she walked past. Right?
Maria stood in front of her mirror again. She was scared. Scared of losing the man she loved. Scared of being shamed for just her weight.
In a moment of desperation, she put her fingers in her mouth and forced herself to throw up. Every bit of food she had eaten that day came out. She coughed. She cried. But she kept doing it.
“Maybe if I’m smaller, Femi will love me again,” she thought. “Maybe if I’m smaller, society will accept me.”
Now, Maria was more scared of going out than ever before. She was trapped. And she was lost.
Lost in how to lose this weight. Scared of going for surgery. What if she died on the operating table?
Just as she was deep in thought, she heard a knock on her door.
It was Femi.
End of Chapter One
CHAPTER TWO
Maria wiped her tears quickly. She looked at herself in the mirror one more time before opening the door. Her eyes were red and swollen, but she tried to smile.
Femi walked in looking more handsome than ever. He was smiling like nothing had ever happened. Like he didn’t just break her heart a few hours ago. Like Lilly didn’t just humiliate her in public.
“My little pumpkin,” Femi said as he pulled Maria into a hug.
“Leave me alone, please,” Maria said, her voice coming out through her blocked nose. She had been crying for hours.
“Are you angry with me?” Femi asked, still holding her. “You know what they say. True love is tested through challenges. We correct the ones we love.”
He dragged Maria to sit on the bed. Then, he reached into his bag and brought out a very large green bottle. It looked like some kind of herbal medicine. The liquid inside was dark and thick.
“I got this for you,” Femi said with a big smile, like he was giving her a surprise gift. “And I’m so sure it will work. You don’t have to go for surgery anymore.”
Maria turned sharply to look at the bottle. Her heart started beating fast.
“Femi, I can’t take that weight loss tea,” Maria said, shaking her head. “I don’t even know where you got it from. I’ve heard a lot of them damage organs and spoil hormones. Some women have died from these things.”
Femi stood up angrily. His face changed completely.
“Then I won’t get married to you with this weight!” he shouted. “I won’t let you make my friends mock me. Do you know how embarrassing it is to walk around with you?”
His voice was so loud that Maria flinched. She had never seen him this angry before. And there was something suspicious in his eyes. Something dark.
Maria didn’t want any more problems. She didn’t want to fight. She just wanted peace. She wanted Femi to love her again.
“Okay, okay,” Maria said quietly, pulling Femi to sit back down. “So how do I take it?”
“Good,” Femi muttered, his face relaxing. “I was told you have to take it non-stop for 40 days without food.”
“Jesus! You want to kill me?” Maria’s eyes went wide.
“Is it not better you die?” Femi said, then he started giggling. “I’m just joking, I’m just joking.”
“Better be a joke,” Maria replied, but her heart was still pounding.
“Continue. Tell me how to use it.”
Femi cleared his throat. “For the 40 days, you must take it without eating any food. The woman who sold it to me said it makes you feel full. You won’t be needing food at all. It blocks your appetite completely. And even if you don’t feel like eating forever, it will sustain you.”
Maria had no reason to doubt Femi. She loved him. She trusted him. But deep down, something felt wrong. This was extreme, even compared to the weight loss tea adverts she had seen online.
But what Maria never knew was that for everything in life, there was a consequence. And this tea came with a price she couldn’t imagine.
After a while, Femi left. Maria sat alone in her room, staring at the large green bottle. She picked up her phone and called her best friend, Sarah.
“Please come over,” Maria said. “I need to talk to you.”
Thirty minutes later, Sarah arrived. She walked into Maria’s room and saw the tea bottle on the table. Her face went pale.
“Maria, I just think you are sick or dumb to believe that just a tea can sustain you for over 40 days,” Sarah said, her voice filled with worry. “And even if it does, it’s not ordinary. This is witchcraft. This is jazz.”
Sarah walked closer and held her friend’s hand tightly.
“Maria, you are very beautiful. And not just that, I admire your brain. Your intelligence. I wish I had it. You don’t need this tea. You can just eat healthy and start a little exercise when you feel like it. And if you don’t feel like it, that’s very okay too.”
Sarah took a deep breath. Her eyes were getting watery.
“Anyone who truly loves you will accept you as you are and gradually show you how to improve, not force it on you like this. And as for society, they will all be here talking, but when this thing kills you, nobody will care. They won’t even attend your funeral.”
Maria pulled her hand away sharply.
“I’m taking the weight loss tea, and nothing will happen to me,” Maria said stubbornly.
“But Maria—”
“If nobody wants to marry me, your brothers won’t marry me either. Neither will you, Sarah. So let me do what I have to do.”
“Maria, please trust me. You are not bad in any way. Why can’t you see the value in yourself?” Sarah said, her face looking sad and tired.
“Or do you want to take Femi from me?” Maria snapped.
“God forbid!” Sarah replied, raising her hands up. “I would never do that to you.”
“Please, just wait two more nights, okay?” Sarah begged. “Let me think about this death journey you want to go on. Let me find out more about this tea.”
“Okay, ma. I’ve heard you,” Maria said.
They both laughed a little, trying to ease the tension. Then they went to bed.
But Sarah couldn’t sleep. She kept turning and tossing. For the past few days, Sarah had been acting uneasy. She had been trying to stop Maria from taking the tea. It was like she knew something. Like she was hiding something.
Two days later, Maria woke up and heard Sarah talking on the phone in the living room. Sarah’s voice was low, but Maria could hear some words.
“Are you sure it was from that woman?” Sarah was saying. “It kills, right? And it was through Femi? Are you sure?”
Maria’s heart dropped. She rushed into the living room before Sarah could finish her conversation.
“Sarah! So you’re now talking to Femi behind my back?” Maria shouted.
Sarah quickly ended the call and turned around.
“Maria, wait, let me explain—”
“I can’t believe you wanted to sn**ch Femi from me!” Maria’s voice was shaking with anger and hurt. “You even planned with someone to kill me! Please get out of my house right now. You are unbelievable!”
“Maria, please listen to me. It’s not what you think—”
“Get out!” Maria screamed, pointing at the door.
Sarah stood there for a moment, tears running down her face. Then she picked up her bag and left.
Maria slammed the door behind her and cried. She felt so alone. So confused. So betrayed.
All of this was because of the insecurity Femi and society had built inside her. They had destroyed her confidence. They had made her hate herself.
A few minutes later, Maria received a text from Femi saying he was coming over. She quickly rushed to the kitchen and made some rice and stew. She wanted everything to be perfect.
When Femi arrived, he sat down at the dining table like a king. Maria served him food, but he barely touched it.
“Maria, I need to talk to you about something,” Femi said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
“What is it?” Maria asked, sitting beside him.
“My business is not bringing in much money right now. I need urgent 50 million Naira to save it.”
Maria’s mouth dropped open.
“50 million? Femi, that’s too much.”
“Or do you want me to charge you for the tea?” Femi said rudely, standing up from the table.
He walked straight to the kitchen. Maria followed him, confused. Femi went directly to the cupboard where Maria had kept the weight loss tea. He knew exactly where it was.
He brought it out and placed it on the kitchen counter.
“Why are you forcing me to drink this tea, Femi?” Maria asked, her voice breaking. “Why does it matter so much to you?”
“Because all I want is for you to look perfect like every other girl,” Femi replied. “Like Lilly. Like Sarah. So you know Sarah?”
“Why wouldn’t I know her?” Femi smirked. “She’s a hottie on Instagram. That could have been you.”
“You’re comparing me to my friend?” Maria’s heart shattered again.
“Just drink it,” Femi said coldly.
Maria gave him a cup with shaking hands. Femi poured out the dark green tea. The smell was strong and bitter.
Maria drank it.
The tea hit her stomach like hot acid. She started screaming immediately. Her eyes went wide. Her head felt dizzy.
“I’m dying!” Maria cried, holding her stomach.
Femi ignored her and started laughing.
“That’s how it works the first time,” he said casually. “You need two cups to get the accurate dose.”
“Nooo!” Maria cried. “I can’t take anymore.”
“Maria, you have to listen to me. You must complete the dose,” Femi said, and for a moment, he sounded desperate. Like there was something else attached to this tea. Something he wasn’t telling her.
“It won’t only remove all those fatty toxins. You will glow and be beautiful. Really beautiful,” Femi added.
Maria looked up at him with blurry, teary eyes. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to be beautiful. She wanted to be loved.
She took the second cup and drank it.
Immediately, Maria collapsed on the floor. Everything went black.
She didn’t know how many hours had passed, but when she woke up, her stomach was hurting badly. She needed to use the toilet. She rushed there and purged heavily. It felt like her insides were pouring out.
After she was done, Maria looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her face looked different. Her fat cheeks had shrunk overnight. Her jawline was more visible.
“Oh my God,” Maria whispered, touching her face.
She lifted her shirt and looked at her stomach. It was flatter. Much flatter.
Maria smiled, even though she was tired and weak.
“Look at my queen,” Femi said, suddenly appearing from the kitchen with a full plate of fried chicken. “Look how your tummy has reduced in just one day. Imagine what 40 days will do.”
He tried to put the chicken in Maria’s mouth, but she was too weak to chew. Too tired to even talk.
“I’ll come see you again,” Femi said, heading toward the door. “But don’t forget the money, okay?”
“Okay,” Maria whispered weakly.
As soon as Femi left Maria’s house, he didn’t go home. Instead, he drove to the old Yoruba woman who had given him the tea.
“I didn’t tell you to kill her with the tea!” the old woman shouted at Femi. “I only wanted you to trap her so she can give you more money and lose a little weight. If it works well, she will love you more and give you anything.”
The woman frowned deeply, her wrinkled face looking angry.
“Little Femi, you forgot how I made you rich in this Abuja. Is there any woman I have given you tea for that it didn’t work?”
“But this is not just any tea,” Femi replied. “This is weight loss tea.”
“You have to be careful, Femi, so this life doesn’t end your life or her life either.”
“I don’t care,” Femi said coldly. “You say this all the time. ‘It will end my life.’ But look at me. Nothing can kill me on earth. But for Maria, let her die. I don’t care. That desperate fool. I just need that money so I can marry Lilly.”
The old woman shook her head sadly.
By 10 PM that night, Femi received an alert on his phone. 50 million Naira from Maria.
He smiled wide. He was so excited. He couldn’t wait to start planning his wedding with Lilly.
Why would Maria even think he wanted to marry her? A girl with such low self-confidence would only destroy a man’s home.
Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into a month.
Femi stopped picking Maria’s calls. When Maria drove to his house, no one opened the gate for her like before. It was like Femi had disappeared.
Maria would have loved to show him how beautiful she looked now. How she glowed. How men at her office were asking her out on dates.
But most importantly, she wanted to tell him something else. Something terrible.
She was addicted to the tea. Even after the 40 days, she couldn’t stop taking it. The sight of food made her feel sick. She vomited whenever she smelled anything cooking.
She loved her new body. Or maybe she loved how society now treated her. But something was very wrong inside.
Maria walked to her mirror again and stared at herself. She opened her phone and tried to reach Femi on WhatsApp for the millionth time.
But he had blocked her.
Still, Maria typed a message, hoping somehow he would see it.
“Dear Femi, I have a leakage now. I can’t control my bowels. I have to wear diapers every day. The purging never stops. But I’m still shrinking. I’m glowing, and I look perfect and beautiful now. I don’t know if you would love to hear this, but my doctor has diagnosed me with several medical conditions. The worst one is that I have a rupture in my womb. I love you.”
Maria was about to finish typing the last word when Sarah walked into the room.
Sarah saw the message on Maria’s phone and screamed.
“He hates you, Maria! Femi hates you! Femi is married to Lilly! Can’t you be smart enough to see it? What kind of obsession is this? Love yourself for once! You are dying!”
The news hit Maria like a truck. She couldn’t say a word. Her hands froze on her phone.
Sarah continued, tears pouring down her face.
“Maria, the day you caught me on the phone, I wasn’t calling Femi. I was calling someone to monitor Femi. Femi is a fraud. He deceives women along with his new wife, Lilly, to steal money from desperate women. They didn’t break up. They planned that whole scene at the party. It was all fake.”
Maria’s lips trembled. Her whole body shook.
“But you know what?” Sarah said, wiping her tears. “You need to stop taking this tea. And we won’t wait for karma to find Femi. I will find Femi and destroy him myself.”
“But Sarah,” Maria said weakly, “this tea has blocked all my appetite. I haven’t eaten anything in over 40 days. And I think I’m dying.”
“I know,” Sarah said calmly, kneeling beside Maria. “I knew everything this tea could do. That’s why I was trying to stop you. But now, we’re going to give Femi his own tea.”
“What do you mean?” Maria asked, confused.
“This tea has a rule that the old witch didn’t tell Femi,” Sarah explained. “If we pour this tea at Femi’s gate and he steps on it, he’s going to die. Because whoever eats your womb knows who originally requested for it. And that’s Femi.”
“But how do we find Femi?” Maria asked. “And wait, how do you know all this?”
“Maria, get dressed. Look your best. And stop asking me questions that are not necessary right now.”
Sarah helped Maria get ready. Even though Maria was weak, she managed to put on some clothes and a little makeup.
“I know where Femi lives,” Sarah said. “He has a mansion with his new family. It’s outside of Abuja.”
“Can you promise me you’ll be strong?” Sarah asked, holding Maria’s face. “I would have gone alone, but you need to be part of this. You need to see it with your own eyes.”
“I promise,” Maria whispered.
They both hugged tightly. Maria had finally found a true friend in Sarah.
They got into the car and drove off. It took many hours before they arrived at Femi’s mansion. His tall building was beautiful and dazzling. You could tell it cost millions. Money he had stolen from women like Maria.
They parked the car far from the gate and hid in the bush area, waiting for the security guard to leave.
After a few minutes, they saw someone walk out of the gate.
It was Femi.
“Maria, let’s go,” Sarah whispered.
“No, he’ll kill us,” Maria said, her voice shaking.
“Kill who? Just stay in the car, hold the steering wheel, and watch. Make sure you watch closely. This is the rule. You need to see what you drank all in the name of weight loss.”
Before Femi could turn around, Sarah ran out from the bush. She splashed the weight loss tea all over Femi’s face.
Within seconds, Femi started screaming. His skin began to burn. His face started melting. He was deteriorating right in front of their eyes.
“Security! Go after her!” Femi shouted with his last breath before collapsing on the ground.
Sarah ran back to the car as fast as she could. Maria started the engine, but her hands were shaking. She was too weak.
Some security vehicles started chasing them. Maria tried to drive faster, but she couldn’t see properly. Her vision was blurry.
They hit a tree.
The car crashed. Everything went black.
Three days later, Maria woke up in her own bed. She was alive. Bright. Healthy.
Sarah was sitting beside her, crying with joy.
“You’re awake! You’re awake!” Sarah shouted, hugging Maria tightly.
Maria smiled. But as she smiled, Sarah noticed something.
Maria had lost one of her front teeth.
“My tooth,” Maria said, touching her mouth. Then she laughed. “Ignore it. I love it. I love everything now. I love myself.”
They hugged each other tightly and cried. But this time, they were tears of relief. Tears of freedom.
Maria had finally learned the most important lesson of her life.
True beauty was never about the size of her body. It was about the size of her heart. And the strength to love herself, no matter what anyone else said.
THE END
