Married Woman Lost Her Lover To Her Best Friend

My friend Esther was in her second year of marriage when she introduced me to Albert, referring to him as her friend. In front of him, she said, “Meet Albert, my new friend. He’s one of the guys whose advice keeps me going.” Once Albert left, she revealed the truth: he was her secret lover. “You know the stories about my husband,” she said. “Things keep getting worse, and Albert has been my sanity in this crazy situation.”

I was aware of the stories. Her husband had been abusive and unfaithful, controlling and unwilling to do the things a decent husband should do for his wife. I understood why Esther sought comfort elsewhere; for two years, her husband hardly touched her, except when he was hitting her. Esther was a good person. I grew up with her and knew her well. I was her maid of honor at her wedding. She confided in me about everything—both the good and the bad. I was the friend who listened without judgment or advice. I’m no saint myself.

When she confessed about Albert, my only question was, “What if your husband finds out?” She replied, “He can find out today; I don’t care. What have I gained from being a good wife?” I asked, “Why don’t you just leave if things are this bad?” She said, “It’s not that simple. If it were, I would have left long ago. Maybe the right time will come, but for now, let’s just deal with the noise.”

Esther spent more time with Albert when her husband was absent, and I often found myself in their company. Sometimes, I felt like a shield for their relationship; in her mind, having me around would make it harder for anyone to suspect anything. I was her decoy whenever they were out together. It was naive of Albert to think I was unaware of their affair. He tried to hide it when I was around, but little did he know I was already in the loop before he came into the picture.

Esther and I had a mutual friend, Dufie, who was relatively well-off and frequently traveled outside Ghana to bring back goods to sell. Occasionally, the three of us would meet, enjoy ourselves, and discuss life. During one of those gatherings, Esther brought Albert along and introduced him to Dufie as a friend. Dufie jokingly remarked, “So you have such good-looking guys around and you won’t introduce one to me?” We all laughed and continued with our conversation.

I’m not sure how it happened, and to this day, Esther doesn’t know either, but somehow, Dufie and Albert started talking after that day. Everything unfolded so quickly that no one could pinpoint the beginning until it ended as it did. Eventually, Albert began to pull away. He stopped answering Esther’s calls and didn’t seek her out as he used to. Esther didn’t mind until she discovered that Albert was dating Dufie. That’s when everything clicked, but Esther couldn’t confront the situation because she was still married and didn’t want Dufie to know the truth.

Honestly, I felt relieved—not for Albert or Dufie, but because Albert’s departure meant Esther could focus on fixing her marriage. She felt betrayed by both her lover and her trusted friend, but there was little she could do. She cut off communication with Dufie and vowed to get back at Albert. In the end, Dufie and Albert got married. As I mentioned, everything happened so fast that it was hard to distinguish the beginning from the end.

They tied the knot a little over a year after they met.

I was there to wish them well. For a long time, Esther didn’t come to me with any bad news about their marriage. I assumed things were going well. At one point, I hardly heard from her, but judging by her social media activity, she seemed happy.

One night, she called me, saying, “Can you believe Albert had the nerve to call me last night to apologize for what he did? After nearly two years, he finally decides to say sorry.” I asked, “What did you tell him?” “I told him to go to hell,” she replied. In my head, I thought, “That’s my girl!” I told her, “You can forgive him. After all, it ended well between him and Dufie. Just keep your distance like you have been. You can forgive and still maintain space.”

Esther took my advice and forgave him. However, she ignored the part about keeping her distance and started getting closer to Albert. The thing was, Dufie was rarely around, which made it easier for them to reconnect. One night, while talking to Esther, she mentioned, “Did you know Dufie is stuck outside Ghana because of COVID-19? Countries have closed their borders, and she can’t return until it’s over?”

There was a subtle joy in her voice, as if she saw Dufie’s absence as a small victory, knowing it meant she could have more access to Albert. Old flames burn brighter, but someone needs to have the sense not to reignite them. Albert lacked that sense, and so did Esther. When the president announced the lockdown, they saw it as an opportunity to pick up where they left off.

One morning during the lockdown, Esther’s husband called me, saying, “Esther left home last night, and I know she came to your place. Can I talk to her?” I replied, “She’s here, but she says she won’t talk to you.” He began shouting and making threats, but I calmly said, “She’s crying. Maybe when she calms down, I can convince her to talk to you.”

I don’t know how I became such a good liar, but when you hang around wayward friends, you learn how to cover for them. The night before, Esther had told me she fought with her husband, and he had hit her, prompting her to leave for her safety. She didn’t tell me where she was going, but I knew, and if you’re following this story, you know too—she went to Albert.

She stayed with him for four days, and throughout that time, her husband kept calling me. I continued to tell lies. She only returned to me after leaving Albert’s place. That day, when her husband called, she spoke to him. Their conversation started off heated, with both of them shouting. After a few minutes, it calmed down. Esther was silent for several minutes, apparently listening to her husband. Then she smiled. Not long after, she laughed. Minutes later, she said, “I’ll be home very soon.”

As she was leaving, I told her, “It seems my lies are working, but I don’t know for how long. Please do me a favor: decide what you really want and stick to it. If it’s your husband, you both can seek help and work things out so I can have my peace. Just imagine me going to hell because I lied for you to have a fling. Crazy!” She laughed and said, “This will be the last time. The next time he hits me, I’ll leave and never go back. That’s a decision I’ve made.”

I exclaimed, “Good! And please, when you finally leave, try to leave Albert too. It’s getting complicated and scary.” She smiled but didn’t respond for a while. Then she smiled again and said, “One day, I will walk away from it all. I just need some strength and for you to be there with me.”

I know I will be there for her, no matter what, but will she have the strength to do what she needs to do? Only time will tell.

—Humu,

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