{"id":31,"date":"2026-01-21T12:44:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T12:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/?p=31"},"modified":"2026-01-21T12:44:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T12:44:23","slug":"how-i-fell-in-love-with-my-step-mother-episode-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/how-i-fell-in-love-with-my-step-mother-episode-4\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW I FELL IN LOVE WITH MY STEP MOTHER Episode 4"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Episode 4<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The house stopped breathing after my father\u2019s declaration.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe truth always comes out.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Those words settled into the walls, into the floor, into my bones. That night, nobody slept. My father lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Amara moved like a ghost, careful not to make noise. I stayed in my room, listening to every sound, imagining footsteps that weren\u2019t there.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Fear had become a resident in our home.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The next morning, my father asked for my phone.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The request came casually, too casually.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cLet me see something,\u201d he said, stretching out his hand.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My heart slammed against my ribs. My phone held nothing incriminating\u2014no messages, no calls\u2014but fear doesn\u2019t need evidence. Fear feeds on imagination.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I handed it to him.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He scrolled slowly. Too slowly. Then he nodded and returned it.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYou can go,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I left the room on weak legs.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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That same afternoon, rumors began to spread in the village. Odafe had been dismissed. People whispered. Some said he stole money. Others said he slept with a married woman. Nobody mentioned names, but everyone looked at Amara differently.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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She noticed.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Women stopped greeting her warmly. Some stared too long. Others avoided her completely.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cShe knows,\u201d Amara whispered to me that evening while my father was outside. \u201cThe village knows something is wrong.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s Odafe,\u201d I said. \u201cThey think it\u2019s him.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cFor now,\u201d she replied.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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That night, my father drank palm wine until his words slurred. He called Amara to sit with him.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYou think I\u2019m a fool?\u201d he asked suddenly.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Amara stiffened. \u201cNo, my husband.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI have lived long,\u201d he said. \u201cLong enough to know when my house is dirty.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I stood at the edge of the corridor, hidden by shadow, my breath shallow.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere is a snake in this house,\u201d my father continued. \u201cAnd I will crush its head.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Amara\u2019s voice shook. \u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI don\u2019t know yet,\u201d he said calmly. \u201cBut I will.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The next day, something unexpected happened.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My father announced that a diviner was coming.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My blood turned cold.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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In Umuofia, you don\u2019t invite a diviner for nothing. Diviners didn\u2019t just see the future\u2014they dragged secrets into the open.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cHe wants to cleanse the house,\u201d Amara whispered, panic flooding her eyes. \u201cThis is bad.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cMaybe it\u2019s just suspicion,\u201d I said, though my voice lacked confidence.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Diviners didn\u2019t come for maybe.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The man arrived two days later\u2014old, bent, eyes sharp like blades. He walked through the compound, ringing a small bell, muttering words I couldn\u2019t understand.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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We sat before him in silence.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere is betrayal here,\u201d the diviner said finally. \u201cNot from outside. From within.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My father nodded slowly. \u201cI knew it.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe spirits say the truth hides close to the heart of this home,\u201d the diviner continued. \u201cCloser than you think.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Amara\u2019s hands trembled.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I felt dizzy.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The diviner looked around, then stopped his gaze on me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cYoung man,\u201d he said, \u201cstand.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My father\u2019s head snapped up.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I stood.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The diviner studied me for a long moment. Then he frowned.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThere is confusion around you,\u201d he said. \u201cStrong emotion. Desire fighting duty.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My father\u2019s eyes burned into me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cBut,\u201d the diviner added, \u201cthe blood is not yet spilled.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Relief rushed through me\u2014but it was short-lived.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cThe truth will soon choose its own mouth,\u201d the diviner said. \u201cAnd when it speaks, there will be no hiding.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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After he left, my father said nothing.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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That silence was worse than shouting.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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That night, Amara packed again.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI can\u2019t stay,\u201d she whispered. \u201cNot anymore.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhere will you go?\u201d I asked.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cAnywhere,\u201d she said. \u201cBefore this ends in blood.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I wanted to beg her to stay. I wanted to tell her we could survive this.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But deep down, I knew she was right.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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As she stepped toward the door, my father\u2019s voice cut through the night.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cWhere are you going?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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We froze.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cI\u2026 I need air,\u201d Amara said.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cAt this hour?\u201d he asked.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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His eyes moved from her bag\u2026 to me.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Something shifted in his expression.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Something dangerous.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cChinedu,\u201d he said slowly. \u201cCome here.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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I obeyed.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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He stood between us now, tall, unreadable.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u201cTell me,\u201d he said, his voice low. \u201cHave you ever touched my wife?\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The world stopped.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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My mouth opened.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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No sound came out.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Amara screamed, \u201cNo!\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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But it was too late.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Because my silence had already spoken.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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And in that moment, I knew\u2014<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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This secret was no longer ours.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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It had chosen its mouth.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 4 The house stopped breathing after my father\u2019s declaration. \u201cThe truth always comes out.\u201d Those words settled into the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-i-fell-in-love-with-my-step-mother"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31\/revisions\/42"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}