CHAPTER 79 PART ONE

CHAPTER 79
PART I

Snothando looks around the restaurant Nikky chose. Nikky picked this place because she wanted to sit on the rooftop and watch the sunset before heading to see Sylvia later.
Mtho will pick her up here and take her to Pimville. Mnotho went to Rustenburg for work, so he will come back home late tonight. Because of that, Nikky sees no reason to rush home early. She has plenty of time.
The moment they sit down at their table, Sno feels jealousy slowly rising inside her.
Today she is ready to start her plan.
And it starts now.
She already asked a few of her friends for a favour so she can gather the one million rand those blackmailers are demanding. She cannot use her life savings or her investments. That money is everything she has.
She also tried to see if anyone noticed Ndu's disappearance, but she found nothing.
Tomorrow her mother and aunt will go look for the body while she focuses on something else… moving into Nikky's place.
"I'm going to have a cocktail," Nikky says to the waitress as she looks at the menu. "This one, please… and keep them coming."
She needs a little alcohol before she goes to face the woman who gave birth to her.
Sno frowns slightly as she watches Nikky carefully.
Nikky dyed her hair a different colour again, and of course she looks gorgeous.
That annoys Sno even more.
She makes a mental note to dye her own hair navy blue too and start wearing her natural hair proudly like Nikky does.
"And you, ma'am?" the waitress asks Sno politely. "Something to drink?"
Sno wants something expensive.
She knows how men get angry when the woman they are dating spends their money recklessly. In her mind, Mnotho will probably react the same way.
Her eyes move across the drink menu until she sees an expensive bottle of wine with a name she cannot even pronounce.
She points at it.
The waitress simply writes it down.
"I'll come back with your drinks while you decide what to order," she says before walking away.
Nikky turns to Sno and smiles warmly. They haven't had time to do things like this in weeks because Sno has been busy with work.
"So? How's work?" Nikky asks, curious as always.
Sno almost frowns, almost letting her irritation show.
"It's fine," Sno says calmly. "You know how it is. It gets busy sometimes."
She picks up the menu and scans through it slowly, searching for the most expensive meals.
Her plan must work.
She needs to create tension between Nikky and Mnotho.
Most couples fight about money first.
That's how problems usually begin.
Sno raises her head and looks at Nikky again.
"So… I thought I was going to meet your husband," Sno says casually.
The word husband almost makes her want to vomit, but she keeps her act.
Nikky raises her head and rolls her eyes.
She is happy that Mnotho sees a future with her, but acting like they are husband and wife this early makes her feel a little nervous.
Still, she smiles.
"He's working," Nikky explains softly. "Out of town. Maybe you'll meet him soon… when you're not busy, of course."
Before she can say more, the waitress returns with their drinks.
Nikky receives her cocktail, while Sno gets the expensive bottle of wine and a glass.
They order their food, and the waitress leaves again.
Sno watches Nikky with a hidden, wicked smirk, pleased that she just ordered something expensive.
"Are you enjoying that cocktail?" Sno asks, almost laughing.
"Yeah, I do," Nikky replies with a smile. "It's nice. And that wine is good too."
She glances at the bottle curiously.
Mnotho has a wine cellar at home, and lately Nikky has been tasting different wines she has never tried before.
Sno finally frowns, staring at her.
"Really?" Sno asks quietly, disbelief in her voice.
She still cannot believe what she is hearing.
"Won't Mnotho be mad that I ordered an expensive wine and food?" she adds carefully.
Nikky laughs softly while sipping her cocktail.
"No," she says easily. "He's the one who told me I can spend as much money as I want. I even have a weekly allowance."
She smiles warmly.
Only now does Nikky understand why Pinky used to call her a gold digger.
Mnotho really does have money.
Sno suddenly chokes on her wine and starts coughing.
"Are you okay?" Nikky asks immediately, worried.
Sno nods quickly.
"Yes… yes," she says while trying to breathe normally again.
Her mind is still processing what Nikky just said.
A weekly allowance? That sounds impossible.
So everything she planned… is it useless?
"Weekly allowance?" Sno asks carefully. "What exactly does he do?"
Her plan has to work.
If Mnotho really has money, maybe she can use that to her advantage.
"He has businesses here and there," Nikky says with a small shrug. "Nothing too serious."
"And yes, a weekly allowance," she continues. "We were even supposed to go to a spa today, but I forgot my ID. Maybe next time we'll go when Diamond has healed."
She smiles softly as she remembers the place.
She actually went to see it earlier, but they needed her ID. The spa looked breathtaking.
It had everything, massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, everything.
She cannot wait to go there properly next time.
Sno sits there quietly, her chest rising and falling as she gulps down more wine, trying to calm herself.
.
.
.
The conversation continues normally. Nikky has already had her third glass, and it will be the last one. Sno isn't enjoying the raw meat she chose as much as she thought she would. She wanted to punish Nikky by ordering expensive and strange food, but now she is the one paying the price too.
Sno sighs heavily, letting her eyes look sad.
"Babe, I need your help," Sno starts, going straight into her acting.
Nikky immediately puts her glass down when she notices the sadness on Sno's face.
"What is it?" Nikky asks, concerned.
Sno sighs slowly, pretending to struggle with the words.
"I need a place to stay for a while. My house got flooded, and it will take time for the insurance to fix it," Sno says, lying through her teeth.
She looks at Nikky, who now has a worried expression on her face. Seeing that reaction makes Sno a little excited inside. Her plan might actually work.
Nikky sighs softly.
"I'm really sorry to hear that, but I can't help, girl," Nikky says gently, feeling guilty even as she says the words.
Sno frowns immediately and gasps softly.
"What… why?" Sno asks, stuttering slightly, not believing what she is hearing.
"Look, Aunt Thembi will be moving into the flat to look after Diamond, and I will be staying with Mnotho for a while. I can't take you there," Nikky explains softly. "Bonga stays there, Mtho too, so it's a lot already," Nikky adds before sipping her drink and finishing it.
Sno blinks rapidly.
"But I'm sure you have space. Aren't you staying in a mansion?" Sno asks, her tone slightly annoyed now.
Her plan is slowly slipping away, and she cannot allow that. She needs to manipulate Nikky.
"Yes, but we don't have a room for you or anyone for that matter," Nikky argues calmly.
She doesn't like adding more people into her relationship with Mnotho, whether it is friends or family.
Sno shakes her head in shock.
"Oh really? So who must help me now? Where will I stay?" Sno says dramatically, her legs shaking slightly with the anger she is trying so hard to suppress.
She cannot let this opportunity slip away.
"Snothando, go to a hotel. Ask Sbo, he's your boyfriend, isn't he? He should help you," Nikky says seriously. "Look, you can stay at the flat with your in-laws, but you'll sleep on the floor. At my place there's no space for anyone. That includes my family too," Nikky adds.
She already knows how judgmental they are about Mnotho, and she cannot allow anyone to disrespect him in his own safe space. Even Mnotho's siblings don't sleep over there. When they visit, they stay in another house.
Only Mtho is allowed by Nikky to stay at that house.
Sno huffs in annoyance. She doesn't want to stay with the Sokhulus. She wants to go where Nikky stays with Mnotho.
Unfortunately, her mother never saw where Mnotho and Nikky actually live. She was caught snooping around and almost got arrested by the security guards. She had to lie her way out of that situation.
Sno sips her wine slowly.
"It's not even your house. When you were dating Sphephelo, we always came over to sleep when we had nowhere to go," Sno mumbles.
Sno remembers those days clearly. She used to go there and lie around comfortably. Whenever Nikky was showering or sleeping, Sno and Sphephelo would have their own little moments without Nikky knowing.
Now she misses those days.
However, those little moments might actually get her killed now. If that picture ever goes public, Sphephelo will kill her.
Sphephelo never knew that Sno used to secretly take pictures of them together.
"Well, for your information, it is my house. Isn't Mnotho my husband? What's his is mine," Nikky says firmly.
"As for Sphephelo, he was the one making decisions on my behalf without informing me because it was his house. He didn't care if I wanted all of you there or not. We didn't even have space because it was always full. If it wasn't you and my family, then it was Sphephelo and his family," Nikky continues, clearly annoyed now.
She remembers how crowded that house used to get. Sphephelo would even insult her and call her selfish whenever she complained about not wanting so many people in the house.
"So now this is my house and my rules. Either you go and join Diamond and Thembi, or you look for a hotel. You have money," Nikky adds.
She raises her hand and signals for the waitress because she wants the bill. Sno and her mother have been testing her patience a lot lately, and it is starting to irritate her.
"Wow… so you didn't want us in that house?" Sno says bitterly. "Don't you think what you are doing will make your mother question Mnotho? She's supposed to love him so you can get her blessings."
Sno keeps pushing, hoping something will change.
This plan has to work. She is not in the mood to start making more complicated plans if this one fails.
"Mom will never love Mnotho. I already made peace with that," Nikky replies calmly. "And I don't need anyone else to love him. I love him, and that's what matters."
The waitress returns and hands over the bill.
"How much is it? We can split the bill," Sno says quickly while taking out her purse.
She wants to pay. Nikky is treating her like she is beneath her, and she absolutely hates that feeling.
Nikky rolls her eyes.
"I'll pay. I'm the one who asked you out," Nikky says firmly.
.
.
.
Sno and Nikky walk into the underground parking lot. There are security guards all over the place. Nikky will wait for Mtho here. She already sent him a message telling him that he can come fetch her, so she decides to wait for him here.
There is a small bench nearby, and Nikky sits down on it.
Sno wants to apologise to Nikky. She cannot have Nikky angry at her like this. If Nikky keeps pushing her away, she will never get access to the new life Nikky is living now, the life Sno secretly wants for herself.
"Nike, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have said all that. I'm just stressed, that's all. I have nowhere to stay, and I can't stay with strangers," Sno says, swallowing her pride even though it tastes bitter in her mouth.
Nikky sighs softly.
"I understand, but you can stay with your in-laws. I thought you and Sbo are serious now. Diamond won't mind, and Aunt Thembi is there too," Nikky suggests gently.
But Nikky will not change her mind.
Sno just nods slowly. Deep down she would rather stay with lions than share a house with Diamond.
"Let me get going. You'll be fine here alone?" Sno asks.
Inside, she wishes her male cousin was here with her so he could come and do something to this girl.
Nikky nods as she checks the time on her watch.
"Yes, I'll be fine. Did Ntobe's friend call you? About Ntobe's bachelorette party? Ntobe doesn't know about it. It's supposed to be a secret. And Sylvia doesn't have to know either," Nikky says with a small smile.
She already knows that Sylvia would definitely try to crash that party.
Sno nods. She remembers getting a call earlier from some snobbish girl.
"Yes, she did call. Let me get going. I need to find a suitable hotel," Sno says quickly, sounding like she is in a hurry.
She wants to leave before her irritation shows on her face. Right now, she needs to go and think of another plan.
Nikky simply nods and waves goodbye as Sno walks toward her car.
Sno bought the same car that was stolen before, just in a different color. She opens the door and hops inside.
From where she parked, she can clearly see Nikky sitting alone on the bench.
Sno stares at her silently.
She clicks her tongue loudly, gripping the steering wheel as she continues staring at her.
If she had a gun right now, she would have already shot her.
This whole punishing and waiting game is starting to get on her nerves.
"Your ancestors really do love you," Sno sneers coldly.
Just as she is about to start the car, she suddenly notices a man walking toward Nikky.
Nikky's eyes are on her phone, clearly distracted and not noticing him yet. The man has a relaxed smile on his face as he approaches her.
Sno frowns slightly as she watches carefully.
The man walks up and sits comfortably on the bench next to Nikky.
Nikky finally looks up from her phone. For a moment she looks shocked, her eyes widening in surprise, but the shock quickly disappears. A bright smile spreads across her face as she jumps up and hugs the man tightly. The man stands up too.
The hug looks too tight… too intimate.
"What…" Sno whispers in disbelief.
She knows immediately who this must be.
This is the famous Mnotho.
Her heart skips a beat as she studies him closely from inside her car.
He does look handsome, just like her mother described him.
Mnotho leans down slightly and kisses Nikky.
Nikky giggles softly while pulling away from the kiss, clearly happy to see him.
Sno gasps quietly as she watches how happy Nikky looks standing next to him.
For a moment she feels the urge to open her car door and walk over there to introduce herself to him.
But she stops herself. She doesn't want to look desperate.
Sno curses softly under her breath.
She should have waited with Nikky.
"I'm sure he smells good too," Sno murmurs quietly, her eyes now completely glued to Mnotho.
She watches the way he looks at Nikky softly, with love and care.
The way his attention is completely focused on her.
Sno chuckles bitterly under her breath.
"Oh, sweet old man… you haven't met me yet," Sno says quietly before giggling softly to herself. Sylvia was clearly exaggerating.
This man does not look like a grandpa at all.
She watches them for a moment longer before shaking her head.
"No… let me go introduce myself," Sno mutters to herself.
She quickly fixes her hair and clothes, trying to make herself look presentable. Just as she opens the car door, her phone suddenly rings.
She grunts in annoyance.
"Who is that now?" she mutters irritably.
She reaches into her bag and takes out her phone. The moment she looks at the screen, she freezes slightly.
For a second she thinks it might be the blackmailers again.
She sighs nervously before answering the call.
"Hello," she greets, her voice slightly tense.
"Snothando Mvelase?" a deep male voice asks from the other side.
Sno's frown deepens immediately.
"This is she. Who am I speaking with?" she asks carefully.
"You are speaking to the president of M Crown Media," the voice says calmly.
Sno blinks in confusion.
"I'm on my way to Johannesburg. I would like us to discuss Ndumiso Zikalala. Please contact me when you are available," the voice continues smoothly.
Sno's phone almost slips from her hand.
"Oh no…" she whispers.
Her heart begins pounding wildly with fear.

••••

Mnotho parks the car far from Sylvia's house. He turns and looks at Nikky with a worried look on his face.
"Are you sure you want to do this? We can go home," Mnotho suggests softly.
Nikky shakes her head. She has to do this. Konke told her she can come tomorrow and he will try to assist her in figuring out where Funani put the key that Nikky desperately needs.
"I have to do this, baby, and I promise I won't be long," Nikky says, leaning forward to kiss Mnotho. "Are you sure you'll be fine here alone?" Nikky asks. She doesn't want to leave her man all alone here.
Mnotho laughs a little.
"I'll be fine. I can drive to the mall if you are worried about my safety," Mnotho says, trying to ease her mind.
Nikky nods. She loves that idea.
Nikky hops out of the car and then turns to look at Mnotho again.
"Well, if I don't get my mom's blessing, we will go to Home Affairs and get married," Nikky jokes.
Mnotho gasps softly.
"No, that won't happen. Home Affairs? No, peaches, that won't happen," Mnotho answers, laughing a little.
Nikky smiles warmly before closing the door and walking towards her home. She will have to get her father's clothes or anything that belonged to him and give it to Konke.
As she gets closer to the gate, she notices Puleng standing there. Nikky sighs loudly. She will need strength for this lady.
Nikky smiles anyway as she gets closer.
"Nike, hello," Puleng says, hugging Nikky. "You came to see your mom?" Puleng asks as she pulls away.
Nikky nods. She is sure that the whole church already knows that she's dating an old man.
"Yes, I'm here to visit her," Nikky says softly.
Puleng looks at her and nods. Nikky can clearly spot a judgmental look on her face, but she ignores it and walks inside the yard.
There is no unfamiliar car today, so she is safe.
She pushes the kitchen door open and walks in.
"Ma," Nikky calls out as she makes her way to the lounge, but she doesn't find her there.
That means she is in her bedroom.
Nikky walks towards her mother's bedroom and knocks softly.
"Ma," Nikky calls out again, but her mother doesn't answer.
Nikky knows her mother is inside. She knocks one last time and slowly opens the bedroom door. She finds her mother in bed, quietly reading the Bible.
Nikky sighs softly and closes the door behind her. She sits down on the couch.
"Hello, Ma," Nikky greets. "Why didn't you answer when I called you? I almost left without seeing you," Nikky adds.
Sylvia keeps quiet, just staring down at her Bible.
Nikky leans back on the couch.
"You are a grown woman now, aren't you? You do as you please. You even bring boys here to point guns at your mother," Sylvia says, still looking at the Bible.
Nikky huffs.
"I'm sorry about that, and it will never happen again. But you left him no choice, Ma. He was scared too. He saw me faint and realised what was going on. You invited Genesis into this house, Ma. Why would you do that?" Nikky asks calmly and politely.
Sylvia sighs softly and puts her Bible aside before glaring at Nikky.
"Nike, this is my house, and I will invite anyone I want to invite. Genesis is my friend, and Nomsa too. Just because you don't like them, that doesn't mean I should dislike them too," Sylvia says, trying to justify her actions.
Nikky scoffs in shock.
"Ma, those people are dangerous. Not only that, they treated me badly. They abused me. I lost children because of them, Ma. You can't be serious. You should be on my side," Nikky says, her voice small and full of hurt.
Sylvia shakes her head, looking annoyed.
"You lost children? You mean the babies you aborted?" Sylvia says.
Nikky's eyes widen as pain spreads across her face.
"Yeah, that's what Nomsa and Genesis told me. You didn't miscarry like you told us. Why did you lie? Huh?" Sylvia adds, shaking her head in disgust.
Nikky has no words. She opens her mouth and closes it again, unable to believe what she is hearing.
"Then you go around cheating and breaking that lovely boy's heart. Not only did you cheat, you lied and tried to tarnish his image. This is not how I raised you. Nike, why are you so evil? Why can't you look up to Ntobe? Huh? Look at her. She's respectful, she loves her husband, and she takes care of her home. Something you failed to do. I found you a good man, but what did you do? You broke his heart and even stabbed his father," Sylvia says in disgust, clicking her tongue.
Nikky lets her tears fall freely. Her heart feels like it is being torn apart. Her mother's words hurt deeply, more than anything.
"And now look at you. You are going after married men, old men. What are you trying to prove? Are you punishing me? Huh? Tell me. Maybe you want to see me dead," Sylvia adds with a shrug.
Nikky wipes her tears and looks straight at her mother.
"Ma, that family is dangerous, and they will turn their backs on you. And listen, I won't go back to Sphephelo. I will kill him, and I mean it. If I see him anywhere near me again, or if I catch him here in my father's house, he is dead," Nikky says coldly, feeling anger rising inside her.
If this woman wasn't her mother, she would have slapped her.
"I don't know what more lies they fed you, but no, I didn't abort my babies. Both of them. I didn't. Oh, I guess they told you I had two miscarriages and not one. Good. That family killed my babies. And you are sitting here believing all their lies. What, Ma? Huh? What's wrong with you? Why can't you just once in your life be my mother and believe me? Why do you always listen to what other people say about me? Why is that so hard for you?" Nikky asks, her voice full of hurt and disbelief.
Sylvia stays quiet for a moment before chuckling softly.
"Those tears won't work on me, because we both know you are a liar. Do you think Ntobe and Letsatsi didn't tell me about you lying that the Zwane family was holding you hostage? Saying they kidnapped you?" Sylvia says, crossing her arms.
Nikky blinks softly, not shaken.
"So you would have preferred me dead? Mmh. You wanted to be a mother who sent her daughter to the wolves and waited for her to come back in a coffin? That's what you wanted?" Nikky asks, her voice calm but cold.
"Don't be ridiculous. You are the one who messed things up there and came back here crying about abuse. That family was good to you, too good. They almost took you to school, but what did you do? You cheated," Sylvia shouts.
Nikky stares at her mother and slowly shakes her head.
"Do you hate me, Ma? Huh? Do you?" Nikky asks calmly, even though pain sits heavy inside her.
Sylvia stares at her, blinking in shock.
Nikky stands up.
"Don't answer, Ma. It doesn't matter, because it's clear you'll choose a stranger over your own daughter. I thought if I came here you would see that I want nothing to do with that family, but I can see you won't change your mind," Nikky says, gazing at her mother.
"As for Mnotho, I love him and I want to be with him, Ma. I'm happy with him. Isn't that great? Great to see your daughter happy?" Nikky adds with a shrug.
"I guess it doesn't matter. I'll just have to choose myself this time around. I've been trying my whole life to make you happy, to please you, and to make you proud of me. But nothing I ever did was enough for you. Nothing at all," Nikky says, her voice heavy with emotion.
"So, Ma, don't bring or try to set me up with Sphephelo or any man you think will be good for me. No, don't do that. I'm happy with Mnotho. And yes, he is older than me. He has a son too. The one who didn't point a gun at you," Nikky says softly.
Sylvia scoffs.
"Yoh, Funani, you left me with your mess here," Sylvia hisses bitterly.
Nikky just smiles.
"Yes, Funani did leave you with a messed-up, troublesome devil's child. But… I'm done apologising for that. If I'm the devil's child, then so be it. And about the culinary school, I'm actually grateful that Genesis didn't pay for my fees, because I would have been in debt to him for life," Nikky says with a small giggle before turning serious again.
"Keep bringing that man into this house and you will regret it. He will go after you again. Be warned," Nikky says firmly as she walks straight to the door.
"That man will cheat on you. He will leave you. That's how men are, all of them," Sylvia says, her voice sounding more like a warning.
"Especially a man with a child. He will always have a bond with the mother of his child. One day you will wake up and find out they are expecting another baby," Sylvia adds coldly.
Nikky simply opens the door and walks out without answering her.
She sighs softly.
It actually feels good to stand up for herself.
For once in her life, she finally said what she had been holding inside for years.
Nikky walks straight to the lounge. She needs to find something that belonged to her father.