The leak.

DUTY AND DESIRE.
STORY BY BELLA ROYALTY.
P2/07.

[NKOSINATHI ZUNGU, MR PRESIDENT]
I was in a status meeting report when I felt my shirt getting damp, I snuck my hand over to my chest and noticed my hand came back with blood, my wound was leaking, should it be even doing that?

Melusi looked at me concerned and quickly dismissed everyone and rushed to me.
Melusi: Nkosinathi your wound is leaking. I have to call the doctor, you might have caught an infection.
Me: Please call Dr Aphiwe Bhengu.

He looked at me and nodded. I looked at my shirt and it was getting worse and it was so painful. I've missed two checkups already because I've been so busy discussing and preparing for the National Budget Address.

Melusi: Leo and Marshall will bring her over, in the meantime I've been asked to help you to your room, make sure the wound is opened.
Me(groans): Fuck!
Melusi: Let's go buddy.

He helped me up and we used the secret door from the UR to my bedroom, he poured me something to drink and then helped me out of the suit I was wearing.
Melusi: I just wanted to update you.
Me(groans): Yeah?
Melusi: Precious has asked to see me, together with Nkosikhona, I reckon she needs some allies, also I think she might retaliate.
Me: What does she know that could potentially be a threat to us?
Melusi: Not much, that's why she's hoping to use me I guess, she thinks I've been iced out and might be ready to rebel against you.
Me(winces): Well… will you?
Melusi: My loyalty is to the presidency, I've learnt my lesson.

I nodded and gulped the glass down.
Me: Stay on her, make her think you're on her side, she is her father's daughter, if she doesn't have anything tangible to use against me, she will definitely fabricate it like her father.

Melusi: I figured as well, I wouldn't be surprised if she forms a band with her father's associates, rally them up by telling them that you're the one behind her father's death.

Me: Very predictable, I don't know why she won't just accept that things have ended, take that settlement and leave me alone, it's a very generous settlement.

Melusi: I know, I don't know if our attempts to have her banned from speaking to the media will be fruitful, she needs to stay silent and crawl under a rock or something.

Me: This is hot news Melusi and there are media houses that are independent that even the threat from the government won't stop them from trying to get the former first lady to talk about what happened.

He nodded.
Melusi: Do you think she would really spill the beans? She signed an NDA, if she breaches it, she will be sued.
Me: She's a woman scorned, someone out there will promise to help her against me.
Melusi: If there were no kids involved, I'd glady take her out.

I looked at him stunned and then laughed.
Me: General Melusi! You can't assassinate the first lady!
Melusi(laughs): I can actually, she'd commit suicide in her bathtub or something, and it's 'former' first lady sir.

We laughed while I shook my head.
Me: I am the president of this country, you can't be saying stuff like that around me.
Melusi(smiles): I apologize sir.
Me: Anyway we can't kill her, she's a woman, who has kids and very well known, her death would be analyzed and investigated thoroughly, we just have to find a way to silence her…or not, she has nothing on me besides the fact that I killed her father, there's no proof of that either.

He looked at me.
Me: What?
Melusi: She knows there's someone… a doctor.
Me: She would never suspect it's her.
Melusi: I need to be prepared for if she does.
Me: Okay.
Melusi: Why did you request to be checked out by her anyway? She's a Pediatric oncologist.
Me(smiles): I wanted to see her.

He laughed.
Melusi: Oh right because you don't decline the president's call.
Me: Exactly.
Melusi: Nkosinathi she's under a lot of stress, her niece is undergoing treatment.
Me: And she will be fine, she has the best team and aunt in the world.
Melusi: Do not push things, you still have a lot of groveling to do.
Me(sighs): Don't even remind me, I suspect she's caught feelings for Idris.
Melusi: Well that was surely expected?
Me: Now I have to compete with a 30 year old heartthrob?

We laughed.
Melusi: It's just 1 heartthrob, it could be worse.
Me(laughs): It's worse trust me, you should have seen the way she was looking at him, that's the look she used to give me back in the day.
Melusi: She came back.
Me: Her niece fell sick, that's why she came back. I doubt it had anything to do with me.
Melusi: Well this is a rare sight to witness, our heartthrob of a president is feeling insecure?

I scoffed.
Me: This part of loving someone younger than me, I was not warned of.
Melusi: Competition is crazy innit?

We laughed.
Me: That is exactly how he sounds, innit?

Melusi's phone rang.
Melusi: Leo?Oh you've arrived? Discreetly? Okay you can come through.

He dropped the call.
Me: How do I look?
Melusi: Mr President, did you purposely skip two checkups so that you'd get an infection and then you'd call her?

I looked at him and he laughed while walking to the door, he opened it and Leo walked in first with her medical tool box, I don't know what it's called but you get the idea.

Melusi: Dr. Bhengu.

Aphiwe didn't acknowledge him at all, well he did threaten her with a sextape 10 years ago, I wanted to laugh at him, my woman walked in and my heart skipped a beat, she looked so good and so professional, with her white coat and all, spectacles on, she looked so beautiful.

Aphiwe: Mr President.

Hm, we are being formal.
Me: Dr Bhengu, thank you for coming.
Aphiwe: Can't really say no to the president now can you?

I chuckled as she wore her gloves.
Aphiwe: Just so you know, I'm a Pediatric oncologist and not a normal doctor.
Me: I reckon this requires first aid experience?
Aphiwe: If that was the case, your chief of staff would have been able to help you.
Me(smiles): I see his ugly face all the time I needed to make new memories.

She looked at me and smiled, she remembers, that's good, I signaled with my head that everyone should leave.
Me: How are you?

She looked around and we were alone.
Aphiwe(sighs): I'm okay I guess, Londeka will be fine, it's just that I got scared a little, we don't exactly have a great past with cancer in my family so it opened up old wounds.

I nodded, she was treating me now.
Me: Did you ever deal with the loss as a family?
Aphiwe: Like attending therapy?
Me: Yeah?
Aphiwe: I was way too young.
Me: Would you consider it?
Aphiwe: I'm okay Nathi, I've been okay. I dealt with the loss my own way and I've been fine all along. It's just that Londeka being sick kind of messed me up a little but I'll be okay, you don't have to worry.
Me(smiles): I cannot not worry about you Aphiwe.

She smiled.
Aphiwe: How are you?
Me: I'm okay I guess, life goes on eventually.
Aphiwe: Nathi…
Me: I'll miss the kids, I had a bond with them.
Aphiwe: You can still be a part of their lives as their uncle.
Me: I don't know… or maybe you could give me my own?

She giggled as I made her sit on my lap.
Aphiwe(laughs): Someone might walk in Nathi.
Me: So what? You're my woman.
Aphiwe: Not yet.
Me: Oh yeah?
Aphiwe: No sir, you still have a long way to go.
Me: I understand.
Aphiwe: You're good to go, I'll be back again on Wednesday to check you up, my consultation fee is R50k.

I laughed.
Me: Wow!
Aphiwe: I'm unemployed, a girl is trying to eat.
Me(laughs): Oh I get it.
Aphiwe: Besides, there has to be a paper trail, I don't want to be called a mistress, I figured we'd rewrite our own love story.
Me: So we'd say that we met when you were treating me?
Aphiwe: Exactly.
Me: Mmh it could work.
Aphiwe: I really don't want people to know that we once dated when I was 18 years old and you were just appointed as president, it would be a huge culture shock.
Me: I get it, so Idris?

She packed up her stuff.
Aphiwe: What about him?
Me: Do I need to worry about him?
Aphiwe: I don't know, you brought him into my life.
Me: So I need to worry about him.
Aphiwe: I loved him.

I cleared my throat.
Aphiwe: We've been dating for 3 years and a couple of months, started living together a year ago, those feelings can't just fade even if he was hired to pose as my boyfriend, that's one thing you didn't anticipate and prepare for in your grand plan Mr President.

I exhaled and rubbed my temples.
Me: You are right, I didn't anticipate that the two of you would actually end up falling in love with each other.
Aphiwe: So as of now, you're in a competition with him.
Me: What?
Aphiwe: Yes Nathi, so… may the best man win.
Me: Aphiwe? You can't be serious.
Aphiwe: The both of you have an advantage, you knew me first and I'm here with you while he's out there, he's been with me the longest and he gets me, so Goodluck Mr President.

She kissed my cheek and walked out, excuse me? She peeped back in.
Aphiwe: And don't dare play dirty and kill him Nathi, you'll lose me for real.

She walked out, what the hell?

[PRECIOUS ZUNGU]
The divorce hasn't been finalized, I've just received the terms and one would say, the settlement is very generous and to be quiet honest, it is generous.

I could take it and leave and disappear and never be heard from again, I could do that but? Why should I? Why should I just leave? Turn a blind eye after what Nkosinathi just did?

He tarnished my reputation, he took everything from me, especially my name, so I planted a bug in his private room before I left, I couldn't plant it at the UR because everyday it gets sweeped for any bugs, listening devices and cameras, so I planted it in his bedroom and boy oh boy!

Today's news was juicy! I finally have a name! And not just a name, the biggest scandal this country has ever seen!

Yall thought me cheating on the president and sleeping with his brother and passing on his brothers children as his was the biggest scandal? Think again because your so called precious President isn't a saint either.

He isn't just a murderer but he's a certified pedo if I can call him that. He started this when he had an affair with an 18 year old high school student, you read that right! He basically groomed this child

He spent the whole decade hating on Melusi because he broke them apart, he set me up like this because he wanted to be with her, he knew people wouldn't accept her so he made sure my reputation was trash and she'd swoop in as the savior that healed him, not on my watch!!

I had sent Thulani, my father's associate, a private investigator to get me everything there is to know about this Dr. Aphiwe Bhengu.

I was going to destroy their relationship before they even became public.

I made a call.
Me: Thumeka, hi.
Thumeka: Precious, does this mean you're ready to tell your side of the story? Give me the exclusive?
Me: Thumeka you know I can't discuss that, I've signed an NDA.
Thumeka: So you'll just give up? Let your name be trampled all over these streets? You won't tell your side of the story?
Me: Thumeka I didn't call you so that we'd talk about me here…I have something even better.
Thumeka: What could be more better than the current scandal of the country?
Me(smiles): Thumeka dear, you have no idea what I have for you, this will change your life!
Thumeka: Okay, I'm intrigued now, spill.
Me: Your source will be the president's chief od staff himself, Melusi Shozi.
Thumeka: I'm listening.

I smiled a little while staring at Dr. Aphiwe's picture on my laptop, Melusi should have joined my team and now I was about to fuvk up their world.