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Weeks passed, and Juma found solace in his writing. The daily pang of jealousy had dulled, replaced by a new sense of purpose. He focused on his work, spent more time with friends, and avoided the places where he might see Rehema and her new lover.
But Kilifi, though beautiful, was small. One afternoon, while walking through Biashara Street, Juma heard a familiar laugh. He turned, heart racing, only to see Rehema and her boyfriend, Malik, sitting at a café sipping a cup of coffee. The sight still hurt, but this time it wasn’t jealousy that gnawed at him, it was a deep sense of loss. He turned to leave when something caught his eye. Rehema’s smile faded, and her body tensed as Malik spoke to a waitress who was overly familiar with him. The interaction seemed too intimate.
Curiosity got the best of him. Over the next few days, Juma couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that something wasn’t right between them. He began to hear rumors. People whispered that Malik had a history of infidelity, that he was often seen with other women, even while with Rehema.
Juma debated what to do. Should he warn Rehema, despite the pain she had caused him? Or should he stay out of her life entirely?
One evening, as Juma sat by the waterfront, contemplating his next move, he received a call from an unknown number. It was Rehema. Her voice trembled as she asked to meet. Against his better judgment, he agreed.
They met at the same spot where they had once shared dreams under the stars. Rehema looked different, there was no spark in her eyes, no laughter in her voice. She confessed that things weren’t as perfect as they seemed. Malik had been cheating on her, and she had found out. The betrayal had shattered her, leaving her confused and vulnerable.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you this, Juma,” she whispered. “Maybe because you’re the only one who ever truly cared for me.”
A part of Juma felt vindicated, but another part of him still cared. He listened as Rehema poured her heart out, explaining how Malik had manipulated her, how she had been blinded by the excitement of a new relationship. She regretted leaving Juma but wasn’t sure if she was asking for forgiveness or closure.
Also Read: Shadows of Jealousy
As the night deepened, Juma realized something important: he had loved Rehema deeply, but he couldn’t go back. She had hurt him too much, and her wounds were now her own to heal. He offered her kind words, a shoulder to cry on, but made it clear that they could no longer be part of each other’s lives.
Just as he was about to leave, Malik appeared out of nowhere. His eyes burned with anger, and without warning, he lunged at Juma, accusing him of trying to steal Rehema back. A scuffle ensued, and Juma, though not one for violence, defended himself. The confrontation was brief, but it left Juma shaken. Malik stormed off, but not before making a chilling threat: “Stay away from Rehema, or you’ll regret it.”
Days passed, and Juma tried to move on once more, but something sinister lingered in the air. He began receiving threatening messages and noticed strangers following him. Malik’s jealousy was unrelenting, and Juma’s life started spiraling into danger.
One night, Juma’s house was broken into. Though nothing was stolen, the message was clear—Malik was watching, and he was willing to go to extreme lengths to keep Rehema away from him. Juma realized that this was no longer just about love or jealousy; it was about survival.
Terrified but determined, Juma decided to confront Malik once and for all. He tracked him down to a nightclub on the outskirts of Kilifi town, a place Malik frequented with his shady friends. As Juma entered the dimly lit club, he knew this was a crossroads, either he would put an end to this madness, or Malik would ruin him.
As his eyes rushed across the club, the lyrics to the song ‘coward of the county’ by Kenny Rodgers played in his mind on repeat.
“I am not a coward, I have never been one. A man has to fight,” he said to himself
But in a twist Juma hadn’t anticipated, it wasn’t Malik who he found waiting for him, it was Rehema. She had set up the meeting, desperate to end the cycle of pain they had all become trapped in.
“I know you both hate each other now,” Rehema said, tears in her eyes. “But I won’t let this go any further. I made mistakes, and I need to fix them.”
Before Juma could respond, Malik appeared from the shadows, enraged and intoxicated. He grabbed Rehema, screaming accusations, but something shifted in Juma. Seeing Malik’s true nature, his violence, his paranoia, made Juma realize that this was no longer about winning back Rehema or proving himself. This was about breaking free from the toxic triangle they had become trapped in.
In the chaos that followed, the police arrived, tipped off by concerned patrons who had witnessed Malik’s outburst. Malik was arrested for assault and threatening behavior, and as he was led away in handcuffs, Juma felt an overwhelming sense of relief.
Rehema stood there, broken and confused. “I don’t know how it all went so wrong,” she whispered.
Juma took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past few months lift from his shoulders. “It’s over now,” he said gently. “We’ve all made mistakes, but we can’t keep living in the shadows of jealousy and regret.”
As he walked away from the club, Juma knew this was the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. He had been hurt, betrayed, and threatened, but through it all, he had found his strength. The shadows had lifted, and he was ready to embrace a future where he could finally be free.
