PROMISED TO HIM CHAPTER 05 ROY SMITH Dinner was torture. The kind of torture where everyone smiles politely, but under the table knives are being sharpened. “Son,” my father’s voice cut across the table, low and firm, commanding as always. “After the press conference, you’ll be taking Mayi to your house.” I felt my mother … Read more
PROMISED TO HIM CHAPTER 04 MAYIBUYE DUMA I cried until my chest hurt, until my voice broke, until my body gave up and I dozed off with tear stains on my face. When I woke up, I was no longer in the cold corner where I’d collapsed. Instead, I found myself in a massive bedroom—everything … Read more
PROMISED TO HIM CHAPTER 03 TONY SMITH “Tony, does Roy really have to marry that woman’s daughter?” Lindiwe asked, pacing across the room with her wine glass trembling in her hand. “It was my father’s will, Lindiwe,” I replied, fastening my watch as if it could shield me from her piercing eyes. She slammed the … Read more
PROMISED TO HIM CHAPTER 02 ROY SMITH I got home yesterday after a meeting that dragged longer than it should have. I remember dropping my phone on the bed, stripping off my suit like it was another boring performance, and crashing into sleep. The world could have exploded and I would’ve slept through it—until Pretty … Read more
PROMISED TO HIM CHAPTER 01 MAYIBUYE DUMA “Gogo, why are you sitting out here all alone?” The late afternoon sun painted the sky in streaks of orange and red, casting long shadows across the yard. Gogo sat on the old wooden chair under the jacaranda tree, her hands clutching a worn-out photograph like it was … Read more